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Lance & Sharonprofile id #20503
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Our Journal
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
This is a travel day from Paris to Clervaux, Luxemburg. We drove through Belgium and the forest at Ardennes, famous for the Battle of the Bulge during WWII. The Americans liberated the people in this area from German occupation, so at least they like us here. We drove with one of my co-workers and the scenery was beautiful.
We stopped at the city of Rheims to see the famous cathedral. It’s at least 800 years old and immense. The original church on this site was built on this site in the 5th century. There has been Christian activity on this site since the 3rd century. The present structure was built between the years 1211-1275 and dedicated to Mary.
We finished our day outside in the town of Clervaux with a lovely dinner. The town of Clervaux is peaceful and quaint. My company has an office here so I will work. Lance and Cameron will sightsee, maybe in Brussels or Bruges.
We stopped at the city of Rheims to see the famous cathedral. It’s at least 800 years old and immense. The original church on this site was built on this site in the 5th century. There has been Christian activity on this site since the 3rd century. The present structure was built between the years 1211-1275 and dedicated to Mary.
We finished our day outside in the town of Clervaux with a lovely dinner. The town of Clervaux is peaceful and quaint. My company has an office here so I will work. Lance and Cameron will sightsee, maybe in Brussels or Bruges.
Monday, June 29, 2009
We were up and out the door early today for croissants and omelettes. Cameron likes the French bread, and I think French babies must have really strong teeth to eat that hard bread! We started out touring at Saint Chappelle. Lance says he was bedazzled by the stained glass windows there. It was built in the 1242 by Saint Louis to house relics of the passion of Christ. The crown of thorns was supposedly here. The chapel was damaged during the French revolution, but it survived both World Wars 70% intact which is pretty impressive. It’s a small chapel with 15 stained glass windows and over 1100 bible scenes. The windows stretch to the ceiling so it feels like the chapel is made of walls of stained glass. It’s truly beautiful!
Next we walked over to Notre Dame Cathedral for a tour and some photos. Construction was begun in 1163 and completed in 1345, but it was badly damaged in the French revolution. It is Gothic style architecture with flying buttresses and gargoyles. It’s famous for the huge round stained glass windows. Years ago when I first went to visit, it was the blackest darkest church I’d ever seen, both inside and outside. Now it’s clean and bright after years of renovation. There was a huge line of visitors waiting to climb up into the bell tower, probably because of the hunchback fame.
We had lunch on the Isle de la Cite, then walked along the Seine river to the Louvre art museums. The lines were long and we’d both been there before so I admit we sat outside with Cameron and the other visitors with our feet/legs in the fountain out front. It was a hot hot day so the cool water felt great! Then we walked over to the Jardin de Tuileries where we sat on the grass in the shade with some cold drinks.
Cameron made new friends with some guys at the garden since he was trying to take the one guy’s crutches. He’s a friendly kid wherever we go. Earlier in the day he tried to take a lady’s purse on the train. We told him “no” because it’s not his purse, so then he tried to charm her out of her purse! Lance thought it was pretty funny!
Our last stop was the Orangerie museum which recently reopened showcasing Monet’s water lily paintings. We just saw the gardens with the water lilies at his Monet’s home earlier in the week, so it was wonderful to then see the huge paintings displayed in the round. Each separate room showcased water lily paintings at different times of day.
Lance says it was “surround sight” instead of “surround sound” there. Unfortunately Cameron melted down crying since he got sunscreen in his eye and then rubbed it until it turned all red. We grabbed a pizza, headed home to our air conditioning, gave Cameron a nice bath, read books and put him to bed. He was all happy again as soon as he was splashing around in the bath tub!
Next we walked over to Notre Dame Cathedral for a tour and some photos. Construction was begun in 1163 and completed in 1345, but it was badly damaged in the French revolution. It is Gothic style architecture with flying buttresses and gargoyles. It’s famous for the huge round stained glass windows. Years ago when I first went to visit, it was the blackest darkest church I’d ever seen, both inside and outside. Now it’s clean and bright after years of renovation. There was a huge line of visitors waiting to climb up into the bell tower, probably because of the hunchback fame.
We had lunch on the Isle de la Cite, then walked along the Seine river to the Louvre art museums. The lines were long and we’d both been there before so I admit we sat outside with Cameron and the other visitors with our feet/legs in the fountain out front. It was a hot hot day so the cool water felt great! Then we walked over to the Jardin de Tuileries where we sat on the grass in the shade with some cold drinks.
Cameron made new friends with some guys at the garden since he was trying to take the one guy’s crutches. He’s a friendly kid wherever we go. Earlier in the day he tried to take a lady’s purse on the train. We told him “no” because it’s not his purse, so then he tried to charm her out of her purse! Lance thought it was pretty funny!
Our last stop was the Orangerie museum which recently reopened showcasing Monet’s water lily paintings. We just saw the gardens with the water lilies at his Monet’s home earlier in the week, so it was wonderful to then see the huge paintings displayed in the round. Each separate room showcased water lily paintings at different times of day.
Lance says it was “surround sight” instead of “surround sound” there. Unfortunately Cameron melted down crying since he got sunscreen in his eye and then rubbed it until it turned all red. We grabbed a pizza, headed home to our air conditioning, gave Cameron a nice bath, read books and put him to bed. He was all happy again as soon as he was splashing around in the bath tub!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
More trains today! Cameron is such a boy! He loves planes, trains, buses, cars and trucks. He wants to go on every train and is a pretty good traveler especially when he gets his naps! Today’s trip was to see Versailles. We toured the palace and the gardens. Of course everything was amazingly opulent! This was the first trip with Cameron riding on Lance’s shoulders. Cameron loves it, but Lance joked about not having much hair left after Cameron pulled it all out while he riding up there!
The Versailles palace was built by King Louis the 13th as a hunting lodge. The gardens were laid out in the late 1600’s. It was enlarged in the late 1600’s by Louis the 14th, since he hated Paris and wanted a new power base. Then Louis the 15th added more buildings. Later Louis the 16th lived there with his famous queen Marie Antoinette. The royal court and family were forced to leave in October 1789 during the French revolution. Later it became one of Napoleon’s favorite residences.
The paintings contained in the palace laid end-to-end would make up 7 miles of canvas! Entire forests were imported to ornament the park. 20,000 people lived in the palaces buildings during their day. Amazing!
The Versailles palace was built by King Louis the 13th as a hunting lodge. The gardens were laid out in the late 1600’s. It was enlarged in the late 1600’s by Louis the 14th, since he hated Paris and wanted a new power base. Then Louis the 15th added more buildings. Later Louis the 16th lived there with his famous queen Marie Antoinette. The royal court and family were forced to leave in October 1789 during the French revolution. Later it became one of Napoleon’s favorite residences.
The paintings contained in the palace laid end-to-end would make up 7 miles of canvas! Entire forests were imported to ornament the park. 20,000 people lived in the palaces buildings during their day. Amazing!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Today we took the metro, the train, and the bus to get to Giverny. This was the home of Claude Monet for half his life (40 years from 1883 to 1926.) It’s the site of his famous water lily paintings. On the bus headed there I sat with a woman who runs the foundation for visiting artists from around the world living at Giverny. On the bus ride back I sat with a different woman who is visiting on a grant for 4 months to do sculpture in France. Giverny still inspires creativity today.
The gardens are the most beautiful I’ve seen. Lance really enjoyed them too, though Cameron didn’t seem quite so excited. I wouldn’t let him grab the plants since he tries to eat everything and I wasn’t sure what could be poisonous. The water garden area had weeping willows and a Japanese bridge.
The house features his precious collection of Japanese engravings. I also enjoyed seeing the unusual interior color choices for the house.
On the way home, Cameron made some new girlfriends on the train. He’s so social and he flirts with pretty girls everywhere we go. Despite some Cameron crankiness during the day, and way too many trains and buses, it was a lovely day!
The gardens are the most beautiful I’ve seen. Lance really enjoyed them too, though Cameron didn’t seem quite so excited. I wouldn’t let him grab the plants since he tries to eat everything and I wasn’t sure what could be poisonous. The water garden area had weeping willows and a Japanese bridge.
The house features his precious collection of Japanese engravings. I also enjoyed seeing the unusual interior color choices for the house.
On the way home, Cameron made some new girlfriends on the train. He’s so social and he flirts with pretty girls everywhere we go. Despite some Cameron crankiness during the day, and way too many trains and buses, it was a lovely day!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Today our sleep schedules are messed up so we started late and took the train to Chartres to visit the major cathedral there. The cathedral was huge. It is about 800 years old in its current form. It houses Mary’s tunic that survived a major fire. In addition to the tunic, its known for the beautiful blue stained glass windows that have never been replicated quite the same way since the technique was lost thru the ages. It’s also known for its large collection of stained glass. Chartres is a beautiful peaceful medieval town and we wished we could spend more time there, but we needed to get Cameron home to bed.
We're not doing the typical Lance style commando tourism where Lance wants to rush to see every single site in every waking moment. I prefer the slower pace. Lance is giving me a break since we have Cameron with us. This is more like a vacation!
While we were on the train tonight, Lance noticed someone had a French newspaper that seemed to say Michael Jackson died. We weren’t sure if maybe we read it wrong since I know he’s been getting ready for a last farewell tour around the world??? When we got back to the room we watched the BBC news report of his death. Wow, how sad. It’s too soon to know the cause of death, but it seems he died at home with his doctor present. He was 50 years old. I’ve enjoyed his music over the years and think he’s an amazingly talented creative guy.
Lance is looking out our window now at the Eiffel tower. Its flashing lights are sparkling and it looks beautiful. Time for bed!
We're not doing the typical Lance style commando tourism where Lance wants to rush to see every single site in every waking moment. I prefer the slower pace. Lance is giving me a break since we have Cameron with us. This is more like a vacation!
While we were on the train tonight, Lance noticed someone had a French newspaper that seemed to say Michael Jackson died. We weren’t sure if maybe we read it wrong since I know he’s been getting ready for a last farewell tour around the world??? When we got back to the room we watched the BBC news report of his death. Wow, how sad. It’s too soon to know the cause of death, but it seems he died at home with his doctor present. He was 50 years old. I’ve enjoyed his music over the years and think he’s an amazingly talented creative guy.
Lance is looking out our window now at the Eiffel tower. Its flashing lights are sparkling and it looks beautiful. Time for bed!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
We arrived safely in France. Our hotel is great. We got a free suite with my hotel points. We needed the separate bedroom since Cameron does to bed so early and we don’t. Lance likes that it’s free and he likes the view. (The airfare was also free on points!) He says you can see all the major sites from our window so he’s excited.
Our first 1/2 day we wandered our neighborhood, Montparnesse. Then we strolled through the Jardin du Luxembourg. It was beautiful and a nice respite for Parisians! Cameron liked watching the kids ride ponies through the park, and also enjoying touching the statues. He really liked taking off his shoes and socks to play in the sandbox with the French kids. He was laughing at how they talk, but little boys playing with trucks seems to be pretty universal. He was right in there playing with the little French boys. I made up some fake French language and every time I whispered it his ear he laughed and laughed! I think we’ll go back to the park on a Saturday when they do the Marionette show, and also have the kids push/float small boats in the pond.
Our first 1/2 day we wandered our neighborhood, Montparnesse. Then we strolled through the Jardin du Luxembourg. It was beautiful and a nice respite for Parisians! Cameron liked watching the kids ride ponies through the park, and also enjoying touching the statues. He really liked taking off his shoes and socks to play in the sandbox with the French kids. He was laughing at how they talk, but little boys playing with trucks seems to be pretty universal. He was right in there playing with the little French boys. I made up some fake French language and every time I whispered it his ear he laughed and laughed! I think we’ll go back to the park on a Saturday when they do the Marionette show, and also have the kids push/float small boats in the pond.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
This is our travel day to Paris. Lance and I didn't get to sit together on the way here due to lack of preparation, but luckily I got upgraded to First Class. My seat became a bed so Cameron and I sacked out together. Only 1 of us slept, Cameron! I’m not complaining about not sleeping, I’m happy he got to sleep well on the flight. He was so cute sitting in first class watching my mini-tv with the headphones on. He doesn’t get to watch TV at home and he only wears headphones on the plane. He was loving it and I thought it was very cute!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
We celebrated Father’s day with Lance, my Dad and the rest of my immediate family. Lance is a great Dad and I appreciate all he does for Cameron. He enjoyed the day and says he appreciates being appreciated!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
We took Cameron to the “Wiggleworms” music program this morning. He loves music, though I think he was a interested in the other kids as he was in the music! Then they had snakes, turtles, and lizards for the kids to touch. Lance loved the animals too!
Then we went to Blues Fest with 4 separate music stages. Again, Cameron loves the music. He’s so mesmerized! We want to start him with music lessons as soon as he’s old enough.
Then we went to Blues Fest with 4 separate music stages. Again, Cameron loves the music. He’s so mesmerized! We want to start him with music lessons as soon as he’s old enough.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
We thought Cameron was poopy trained, but now he’s not!!!
On a more positive note, he’s really progressing with language. Until recently, we had to coax him to talk, but now he’s spontaneously imitating and repeating what we say. It’s adorable! This morning I made blueberry pancakes. He loved them and there was blueberry juice everywhere. He clearly said “pancake” when he wanted another. His pronunciation of “blueberry” wasn’t as perfect, but it was close and very cute!
On a more positive note, he’s really progressing with language. Until recently, we had to coax him to talk, but now he’s spontaneously imitating and repeating what we say. It’s adorable! This morning I made blueberry pancakes. He loved them and there was blueberry juice everywhere. He clearly said “pancake” when he wanted another. His pronunciation of “blueberry” wasn’t as perfect, but it was close and very cute!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Today we went to the Hemi-kids picnic. It’s for families of the kids that experience some weakness on one side like Cameron. He’s too young to know any better now, but we want him to grow up knowing other kids that experience some of his same challenges. It’s also good for us as parents to stay connected wit other parents so we can share ideas.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
We started the day with a walk to the local farmer’s market and then out for breakfast. It’s our Saturday summer morning routine. Next weekend we’ll start a Sunday morning ritual because they’re starting free Wiggleworms music classes in the park nearby. I think Cameron will love the classes since he loves music!
Later we went to the book fair today with Lace’s friends Eric & Corrine and their kids Maya age 3-1/2 and Isaac age 11 months. We were hoping to have time at the kid’s area for book readings and musicians. Unfortunately we got rained out, but at least we got some delicious pizza first! We also got to see Curious George and pose for pictures with him. Cameron enjoys his books, and George was Lance’s favorite as he was growing up!
Later we went to the book fair today with Lace’s friends Eric & Corrine and their kids Maya age 3-1/2 and Isaac age 11 months. We were hoping to have time at the kid’s area for book readings and musicians. Unfortunately we got rained out, but at least we got some delicious pizza first! We also got to see Curious George and pose for pictures with him. Cameron enjoys his books, and George was Lance’s favorite as he was growing up!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Date night!! Some girlfriends offered to babysit so Lance and I could have a date night. We went for sushi and saw Star Trek. The girls had fun playing with Cameron, and we had fun on our night out!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
We had my Dad over for dinner. We try to have him once a week. He’s great with Cameron. Grandpa is hard for him to say, so he calls my Dad “Papa” instead of Grandpa. My dad played with him while I cooked, and then after dinner read him the bedtime stories.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Cameron’s first dental visit today. He loves to brush his teeth so I expected we’d be fine. He enjoyed the practice session on the big stuffed bear, but screamed when the dentist examined him. I took him in for the visit since his teeth started coming in early but he’s missing one tooth in the front on the bottom. The dentist says it’s probably not there which means his adult tooth isn’t there either. My first thought was surprise and then disappointment to think about his beautiful smile gap toothed, but I know it’s not the worst thing in the world. When he’s older we’ll get braces or maybe an implant. His smile will still be beautiful no matter what!
Tonight we went to a German restaurant to hear about my co-worker’s trip to Germany with her husband. Lance speaks some German so I’ve been thinking about a vacation there some day. After listening to their experience overseas, I think Bavaria would be a great vacation for us with quaint towns and natural beauty. Maybe we’ll go in 2010.
Tonight we went to a German restaurant to hear about my co-worker’s trip to Germany with her husband. Lance speaks some German so I’ve been thinking about a vacation there some day. After listening to their experience overseas, I think Bavaria would be a great vacation for us with quaint towns and natural beauty. Maybe we’ll go in 2010.
Monday, June 1, 2009
I started researching pre-schools for Cameron today. I read that kids don’t really interact with other kids until age two, so we have some time to figure which school will be the best fit. He’s really social so I think he’ll enjoy more interaction with other kids soon. I think we’ll just start with a couple hours on a couple mornings each week.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Cameron is doing so great! Right now he’s into opening and closing everything, putting things into other things, buckles, etc. He’s trying to be more independent. He tries to buckle himself into his stroller and succeeds. He tries to put in his own shoe s but doesn’t quite succeed at that yet. Last week he stacked up 6 blocks on top of each other and then of course had fun knocking them all down. He’s shown no interest in TV until lately which is great since we don’t let him watch any yet. Last week he put in a video and turned on the remote control!!! I think it’s less about seeing the TV and more about operating the equipment since he just wants to keep turning it on and off. We are starting art projects with painting and gluing and stamps. I found a recipe to make play-doh that’s safe since he still tries to eat it sometimes. It’s so fun for us to see him experience new things!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
We met our friend Melissa and her daughter Tara at the park. Tara is a few months younger than Cameron. Of course he wanted to touch her and kiss her since he’s so social. She wasn’t so interested in him, and so it will go in the future with the girls playing hard to get!
Friday, May 29, 2009
We joined our friend Monica and her kids Leo and Sam at the Museum of Natural History. I got tickets for everyone to attend the Pirate show there. We also saw the dinosaurs, and the ancient Egypt exhibit. Leo (4 years old) was scared of the mummies so we left. We had dinner outside in the park and walked home. It was a fun afternoon and evening!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Saw Cameron’s rehab doctor today. She observed him and thinks that even though he doesn’t talk yet, he’s making sense of his world. While we were there the phone rang. He looked around and didn’t see the phone, so he grabbed the computer mouse and answered it “Hi.” He had never seen a computer mouse before since we have laptops at home. It was hysterical and the doctor though it was not only adorable, but a great example of how he’s working to make sense of everything around him!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
It’s cold and rainy today so we spent part of our Saturday at the Children’s museum. We found a section that we’ve missed on previous visits. This section is supposed to mimic the outdoors with a fake little creek where kids can catch small rubber fish in small nets. There’s a tent, and a fake hollowed out tree to play in. Cameron had fun and so did we!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
We went to a family picnic in the park today. Some of my cousins have a son a few months older than Cameron, and other cousins have a brand new baby! It was fun to see the kids together and Cameron loved the park. It was a lovely early summer day in Chicago!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Cameron took 5 steps on three different occasions today! He’s walking but still seems a bit scared of falling. He’ll be running soon!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Spring is here! Actually it will be 86 degrees today so it will feel like Summer is here! Cameron and I stopped to say “good morning” to the doorman as we went out for a walk. Billy told us e was disappointed we didn’t enter Cameron in Chicago’s cutest baby contest since he’s cuter than the baby that won. Of course we think he’s the cutest baby ever!!!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
We just got an email from Courtney: She thanked us for the bracelet we had made for her to remember Mother’s Day. She had a nice day with her Mom.
Monday, May 18, 2009
We started planning a family vacation to France since I have a business trip there in July.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Our friends Sharon & Bill were in town from New Mexico with their 4 year old twins Jess and James. We took a long walk and then went to the zoo and for an early dinner. It was great to see them, and we’ll make plans to go visit them soon on their ranch. I know Cameron would love the horses and all the animals they have there!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
We went for hot dogs and then to an art fair with my friend Kate and her 2 adopted kids Shauna (age 3) and Ruslan (age 6). Cameron loved his hot dog and then ate part of Shauna’s hot dog too! Cameron and Shauna went to the kid’s tent to make art projects with colored chalk, glue, buttons, and puzzle pieces. We’ll mail Cameron’s art project to Grandma!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
We saw the pediatrician for a check-up today. Cameron is now 32 inches long and 23 pounds. This means 50th percentile for height and 10th percentile for weight. We’re still trying to fatten him up, though the pediatrician says he’s normal with no cause for concern on the weight. They also measure his head which is at the 25th percentile, also normal. His overall health is fine. Cameron got an immunization and of course he screamed. There’s a bakery in the building so I took him for a cookie and then he was happy again!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mother’s Day! This is a very special day for me. I exchanged emails with Courtney and sent her a small gift we had made for her. At the recent adoption conference we attended, there were some Moms with a business making jewelry for adoptive Moms and biological Moms. We created a bracelet for Courtney with 3 words we selected, and added Cameron’s birthstones. We know Courtney likes bracelets and hope she likes this one!
We had a happy day with our family at a BBQ celebrating Mother’s Day and some birthdays. Lance had a cute bag made for me with Cameron’s picture.
We had a happy day with our family at a BBQ celebrating Mother’s Day and some birthdays. Lance had a cute bag made for me with Cameron’s picture.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Cameron’s “gotcha” adoption day and 1 year anniversary since his adoption finalized! I have to work so we’ll celebrate tomorrow. He’s too young to know the difference yet, but we’ll plan a party every year from Gotcha day! On the wall of his bedroom we have 2 plaques with his feet and hand prints done on this day last year. It’s amazing to see how he’s grown since this day last year!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
This Spring when we started to take Cameron to the park again, he seemed scared of the swings. We continued to try the swings for a few minutes each visit and now he seems to enjoy them again. He really loves the slide, and can start himself down on his own now when I position him up top. He laughs every time!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Nothing planned today so we walk to the zoo again this weekend. We sat outside and had lunch. Cameron loved watching the animals, and made the sign for “duck” with his hand whenever the ducks quacked.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Lance and I attended a class from our adoptive parents group about discipline for adopted children. It was good, but a lot to remember! Cameron spent a couple of hours with cousin Sara playing on their swing-set, and being pulled around their cul-de-sac in a wagon. He loved being pulled around in the wagon and didn’t want to go home!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
I just returned from a trip to Phoenix. I was hopeful to meet a young couple with an unplanned pregnancy, but they got cold feet. Of course we’re disappointed since we want a sibling for Cameron.
While I was there, my bright spot was meeting the new twins of our friends Mark & Robin! The babies were born early and small but are doing well in the NICU. Jack & Kayla will hopefully get to go home with their parents within 2 weeks…
While I was there, my bright spot was meeting the new twins of our friends Mark & Robin! The babies were born early and small but are doing well in the NICU. Jack & Kayla will hopefully get to go home with their parents within 2 weeks…
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Today we went to the zoo with Lance’s friends from Serbia that are expecting a baby in August. They’re a really sweet couple with lots of baby and parenting questions! At the end of our zoo trip we found a banjo player at the exit. As always, Cameron was mesmerized by the music. This guy was especially nice and came right up to Cameron and let him play the banjo!!! I made Cameron use his right hand to play it. At first he was so surprised when he pulled the string and the music came out! Then he loved it! These moments when he discovers music are priceless to me! I really see him respond and I want to encourage his interest in all types of music! We’ll start wit the free Wiggleworms music in the park program this summer and then maybe start a music playgroup at a music school in the Fall.
Tonight I went to a scrapbooking sleep over with my nieces, except I didn’t sleep over because I want to be with Cameron in the morning. The girls are now aged 9 to 15 and really enjoy scrapbooking. They’re very creative and have added Cameron pages to their books! I worked on Cameron’s year 1 scrapbook, but didn’t get done. I also have a year 2 book, though I think I want to start digital scapbooking since I’m into photography. I got a digital scrapbook magazine so I could learn, but there never seems to be enough time. I’ve also been collecting materials for Cameron’s “Lifebook” which addresses his adoption. I want Courtney to help me, and be a part of this book. I plan to use her pictures as a featured element of this book. I hear these books are especially important for adopted kids to learn their stories and feel comfortable about this part of themselves.
Tonight I went to a scrapbooking sleep over with my nieces, except I didn’t sleep over because I want to be with Cameron in the morning. The girls are now aged 9 to 15 and really enjoy scrapbooking. They’re very creative and have added Cameron pages to their books! I worked on Cameron’s year 1 scrapbook, but didn’t get done. I also have a year 2 book, though I think I want to start digital scapbooking since I’m into photography. I got a digital scrapbook magazine so I could learn, but there never seems to be enough time. I’ve also been collecting materials for Cameron’s “Lifebook” which addresses his adoption. I want Courtney to help me, and be a part of this book. I plan to use her pictures as a featured element of this book. I hear these books are especially important for adopted kids to learn their stories and feel comfortable about this part of themselves.
Friday, April 24, 2009
It was 80 degrees today so this afternoon we put on our shorts for the first time this year and went to the big park. We invited a friend to meet us. We took turns going down the slide with Cameron. He loves the park and decided to go head first down the slide!!! It was awful and he has a big bruise on one side of his face. He didn’t injure anything except some skin, but hopefully he won’t be scared, AND he won’t repeat this head first behavior any time soon! He seems eager to dive head first with no fear of falling. Guess we better buy some kids band-aids and get ready!!!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Cameron took a few steps today for the physical therapist and I’m so sad I missed seeing them!! I tried over and over for a repeat performance, but now he only wants to hang on to me. He’s ready to walk almost any day and I’m eager to see his first steps!!!
Monday, April 13, 2009
We met Courtney again so her friends could meet Cameron. I’m really pleased that her friends get to meet him too so she can talk to them and share her emotions. I realize it was a rough year for her and am happy she has friends to support her emotionally. We went to the park and then for pizza.
We were out way past Cameron’s bed time but we made an exception for Courtney since she’s so important and we don’t get to see her very often! At the park she shared that Saturday night after our visit she was emotional, but I’m not surprised. I was hoping that this trip was easier for her than the November trip, and she agreed that it was easier. I know it’s not easy, but I’m glad it was easier! I hope over time it become even easier.
We were out way past Cameron’s bed time but we made an exception for Courtney since she’s so important and we don’t get to see her very often! At the park she shared that Saturday night after our visit she was emotional, but I’m not surprised. I was hoping that this trip was easier for her than the November trip, and she agreed that it was easier. I know it’s not easy, but I’m glad it was easier! I hope over time it become even easier.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter Sunday! We went for a visit to our friend’s Mark & Robin who moved to Phoenix. It was their house we used when we first met Courtney in November 2007. Robin is due with twins any day! The babies are trying to come early even though their due date isn’t for over a month yet!Saturday, April 11, 2009
We went to the zoo with Courtney & her friend. It was kid of a rainy day but it was great to see Courtney and spend time together! I was excited that Cameron pointed to Courtney when I asked him “Where’s Courtney!” I was happy that he understood and recognized her by name!!!
Friday, April 10, 2009
They finally arrive and our vacation starts! My Dad arrived later in the day. We went to the condo pool. Cameron loved the pool last summer, but now he was kind of scared when I wasn’t totally attached to him.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Lance and Cameron were supposed to arrive in Phoenix for a short vacation with Isaiah, Justine’s 10 year old brother. Their flight was canceled so I was alone for the evening in Chuck’s condo. My friend loaned me his 2 condos for the weekend.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Cameron is doing much better feeding himself with a spoon and fork now. He’s been feeding himself with his hands for months, but now we’ve been working on the spoon and fork.
We heard from Courtney thanking us again for the pictures. She says the photos of Cameron are adorable and I agree! He’s very photogenic and really happy.
We heard from Courtney thanking us again for the pictures. She says the photos of Cameron are adorable and I agree! He’s very photogenic and really happy.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Cameron is getting better pushing his new car with his feet like Fred Flinstone. He mostly goes backwards but we’re working on getting him to go forward too. He also responds by picking up his legs when we ask, so we can push him fast in the car. He likes to go fast and he makes the sign for “more” over and over and over again!
He still never got the “stranger danger” fear that we read about in the baby development books, but he is getting a bit more shy with strangers now. He’s still pretty friendly!
He still never got the “stranger danger” fear that we read about in the baby development books, but he is getting a bit more shy with strangers now. He’s still pretty friendly!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Lance brought home a Little Tykes car for Cameron last night. He already has 2 cars, a rocking horse, and a rocking cow, but none of them are enclosed so he loses balance quickly. I liked the idea of an enclosed car so he couldn’t fall over, and I want him to learn to push it with his legs like a Flinstones car. Cameron was so excited to see it this morning! It had been sitting in our friend’s garage and was dusty, but Cameron couldn’t wait to get in it and ride around. It’s really a car for outside, but we drove him all around the living room before breakfast. He cried when it was time to get out and eat.
He’s doing great with his walker now. He can walk independently now without our support when he uses his walker. The only problem is that he goes so fast that he loses control, so I still follow him in case he falls over and hits his head. So far no accidents, just a nervous mother!
He’s doing great with his walker now. He can walk independently now without our support when he uses his walker. The only problem is that he goes so fast that he loses control, so I still follow him in case he falls over and hits his head. So far no accidents, just a nervous mother!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Cameron has a Blues Clues book that we started reading in the mornings. It’s a book where you identify pictures of items in the left margin and then need to locate the items in a contextual picture. After a few mornings, he’s now starting to locate some of the items!
He tries to say “book” when I offer to read a book, and he tries to say “bath” when I offer a bath (which he loves!) His sign language is very consistent for some things now including milk, more, eat, teeth brushing (which he also loves), book, and sleep. He created a few of his own signs like for telephone, hair dryer, music, and ceiling fan. He signs for potty but we can’t always tell his potty sign apart from his milk sign.
He tries to say “book” when I offer to read a book, and he tries to say “bath” when I offer a bath (which he loves!) His sign language is very consistent for some things now including milk, more, eat, teeth brushing (which he also loves), book, and sleep. He created a few of his own signs like for telephone, hair dryer, music, and ceiling fan. He signs for potty but we can’t always tell his potty sign apart from his milk sign.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Happy St Patty’s Day! We got a leprechaun shirt and shamrock socks for Cameron to celebrate. I packaged up shamrock cookies for all of his therapists. Monday, March 16, 2009
Cameron has a new trick! We’ve been working on trying to get him to blow a horn. He learned to blow his nose when he had a cold, and he learned how to sniff, but he can’t blow out of his mouth. I’m not sure how he figured how to do it, but he somehow figured out how to blow the horn with his nose. I was laughing so hard!!! Lance got the video camera to capture this funny moment. Cameron thought it was hysterical too!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
We took Cameron to see my sister Sandy and Cameron’s cousin Jimmy at the Children’s museum in the northern suburbs. Cameron is starting to really interact with more exhibits there now. He’s at a good age to have fun with the waterways exhibit, the toy cars racing down the track, etc. Later in the day we want to see Grandpa for dinner.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Cameron spent the day with my sister Julie while we attended an Adoption conference. We learned more about parenting adopted kids, and about some of the resources that may be available as we need them.
Cameron had fun with my sister Julie! She’s the teacher, athlete, and coach. She had a softball glove on his right hand and was playing catch with him. She put on a puppet show for him and she said he was adorable laughing at the show. She also put a green wig on him for the St Patrick’s Day weekend. She sent me the pictures and he looks pretty funny!
Cameron had fun with my sister Julie! She’s the teacher, athlete, and coach. She had a softball glove on his right hand and was playing catch with him. She put on a puppet show for him and she said he was adorable laughing at the show. She also put a green wig on him for the St Patrick’s Day weekend. She sent me the pictures and he looks pretty funny!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
We spent he weekend with friends in Virginia. They have two sons ages 3 and 5. As I expected, Cameron was fascinated by the boys and followed them everywhere! He did his best to crawl and try to keep up with them. They were really cute playing with him and taking lots of pictures of him. Since we got home from the weekend he seems to be babbling a lot more, and we’re wondering if it’s an attempt to copy the boy’s talking??
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
I’m excited that Cameron recognizes some names of pictures in his word books!!! We read to him at least 2 times per day, for at least an hour each time. We spend a lot of time with “word” books trying to label the pictures. We try to label everything!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
We’ve started potty training for Cameron. We figure it will most likely take a long time. He’s going great on the potty and hardly ever makes a poopy diaper anymore, but he still wets his pull-ups especially at night. We’re working hard on teaching him the sign for “potty” so he can let us know when it’s time to go. For now we just need to watch his facial expressions and do our best to time it right!!!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
We were sorry to see everyone go home after spending the fun weekend together!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Baptism day!!! We planned a double baptism with Cameron and his cousin Jimmy (my sister Sandy’s 6 month old baby.) We also planned to renew our wedding vows in the Catholic church at the same time. Unfortunately it was a really bad weather day with lots of snow, so many of the guests driving from 5 hours away couldn’t make it all the way in to town. All of my immediate family and all of Lance’s were there, but much of the family from Wisconsin couldn’t make it. Despite missing some people and all being really cold, it was a beautiful day for our family!
Cameron totally wet through his new “pull-ups” diapers we got for his potty training. His entire white baptism outfit was soaked to his skin right before the ceremony started. We took him down to the bathroom and use the hand dryer to dry off his clothes! Of course he squirmed through the ceremony but was pretty well behaved, except that he loves to play in water and kept trying to dive head first into the baptismal font!!!
The priest did a great job, and Justine did a beautiful job with the singing of “Miracle of Miracles” which is exactly what Cameron is to us!
After the church we all went to an Italian restaurant for a dinner and celebration. We had soooo much food, but it was great as leftovers later that evening with Lance’s family in town.
Cameron totally wet through his new “pull-ups” diapers we got for his potty training. His entire white baptism outfit was soaked to his skin right before the ceremony started. We took him down to the bathroom and use the hand dryer to dry off his clothes! Of course he squirmed through the ceremony but was pretty well behaved, except that he loves to play in water and kept trying to dive head first into the baptismal font!!!
The priest did a great job, and Justine did a beautiful job with the singing of “Miracle of Miracles” which is exactly what Cameron is to us!
After the church we all went to an Italian restaurant for a dinner and celebration. We had soooo much food, but it was great as leftovers later that evening with Lance’s family in town.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Lance’s parents arrived Friday afternoon for the weekend for Cameron’s baptism. Cameron LOVES his Grandma!!! They’re so cute together giggling and laughing! Sylvia is a retired teacher so she teaches him all of these games and reads him books. She taught him the arm motions for a version of patty-cakes which is really cute to watch. Grandpa Travis (Lance’s Dad) gets down on the floor to play with Cameron.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Valentines Day! We spent the afternoon at a Star Wars birthday party for our friends 3 year old Sam. Cameron loved their big trucks and Sam’s new bike! He had his first chocolate Darth Vadar cake. I haven’t given him chocolate cake yet but all the other Moms said it’s Ok, so we let him try it. He was more interested in playing with the birthday balloons!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Lance I celebrated Valentine’s Day a day early. Our friend Karen came over to sit with Cameron. They had about 1-1/2 hours to play before bedtime. She said he was so fun that she wished they had more time together!
Monday, February 9, 2009
We got an email from Courtney saying that she’s busy with school, but wanted to let us know she appreciates all the pictures I send. She hopes to see us when we go out to visit over Easter. We send her a letter with photos every month, and we love to hear back about her life too.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
We took Jimmy back to Milwaukee and went to a “Music for Munchkins” orchestra concert. Jimmy just leaned back on his Mommy and listened. Cameron did a great job paying attention for the entire 1 hour concert! It was Star Wars music with character actors and space ships on the ceiling. He kept smiling and pointing. I think he really enjoyed it. They gave us martian hats and he was a very cute little martian!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
My co-worker is in town with his wife and 3 kids. We all went to the Art museum together today. Cameron likes the art and wants to touch all the statues. Baby Jimmy liked all the art except the Buddha’s, though Jimmy is chubby and kinds of looks like a little Buddha!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Cameron’s cousin Jimmy is here for the weekend. My sister Sandy is exhausted from being a single Mom so we’re taking baby Jimmy for the weekend. Cameron was jealous of me holding baby Jimmy!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Cameron is sick AGAIN!!! I hope it’s just a cold. The poor kid is sick all the time. He also just had his chicken pox shot and they said he could have a small outbreak of pox for up to 30 days. He’s been really crabby and it could be the cold, or maybe he feels bad from the immunization. Poor kid!
I’m encouraged that I’m starting to see positive signs of Cameron understanding baby sign language. We’ve been working on baby sign language since he was 4 months old and it’s finally starting to work! He can now consistently do “More” and “Milk” and “Eat.” This week he finally started to sign “Book” and his own version of “Sleep” though he does it wrong. I’m working on “My turn” and “All Done” and “Music” with him now. He loves music and responds with gestures we taught him with songs like clapping. He’s also pointing to his ears, and his teeth when we say the words. He’s been pointing to “Mama” for months but now can also point to “Daddy” when asked. I read to him at least 1-1/2 to 2 hours every day.
I’m encouraged that I’m starting to see positive signs of Cameron understanding baby sign language. We’ve been working on baby sign language since he was 4 months old and it’s finally starting to work! He can now consistently do “More” and “Milk” and “Eat.” This week he finally started to sign “Book” and his own version of “Sleep” though he does it wrong. I’m working on “My turn” and “All Done” and “Music” with him now. He loves music and responds with gestures we taught him with songs like clapping. He’s also pointing to his ears, and his teeth when we say the words. He’s been pointing to “Mama” for months but now can also point to “Daddy” when asked. I read to him at least 1-1/2 to 2 hours every day.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
We met with the music director and the priest regarding planning for Cameron’s upcoming baptism.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
We went to my niece’s birthday party today. Sara is turning 12. She dotes on Cameron and his eyes follow everything she does! Cameron had fun helping her open the presents! He also had a lot of fun with my brother Mike practicing his walking.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
As Cameron grows, he’s becoming less interested in naps. I took out the sleep books again and read the sections on naps. At this age it’s normal to start fighting one of the two daily naps, but I don’t think he’s ready since he’s crabby when he skips one. Per the suggestions of the sleep books, we’ll push back his afternoon nap a bit and do our best to have calming soothing activities for him to wind down before the nap. I’ve read how important sleeping now will be to his future ability for conceptual and abstract thinking. I want to make sure he gets the rest to let his brain develop.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
I spent time today planning the baptism ceremony. We’re behind schedule, but now we’ll baptize Cameron with his cousin Jimmy! Justine is helping us plan the music and she’ll sing in the church!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Today was Barrack Obama’s inauguration! I wanted Cameron to see it we watched it together on TV. I have a cute picture of him in diapers in front of the TV watching Barack take his oath of office!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Cameron got his leg braces today. I admit that it made me cry to see the braces on him, but he seems fascinated with them. He loves practicing walking when we hold his hands.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
We went to see our friends Bill & Aimee today. They have two adorable girls aged 2 & 4. They announced today they’re due to have yet another girl in April!!! Cameron had fun playing with their toys, especially the kid’s kitchen. As soon as he’s standing better, then I think he’ll be ready for his own toy kitchen.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
I took Cameron for his flu shot today. There’s a child’s version that’s mercury free. I wanted to him to get it earlier in the season but he can’t get it while he has a cold, and he keeps getting a cold. He’s finally healthy so we got it today, finally!
I’ve been reading a lot about the MMR sot on my Mom’s chats. Lance and I already did some prior research on all immunizations, but this one is of particular interest since some Moms think it causes autism. We’ll need to check with the doctor again but our plan so far has been to get it at a separate pharmacy were they sell it packages as 3 separate shots that the doctor can give him on 3 separate days. Lance keeps a spread sheet of all the immunizations since we’ve been spreading them out and not getting many on one day. We didn’t like the idea of 5-7 immunizations being shot into him at once.
I’ve been reading a lot about the MMR sot on my Mom’s chats. Lance and I already did some prior research on all immunizations, but this one is of particular interest since some Moms think it causes autism. We’ll need to check with the doctor again but our plan so far has been to get it at a separate pharmacy were they sell it packages as 3 separate shots that the doctor can give him on 3 separate days. Lance keeps a spread sheet of all the immunizations since we’ve been spreading them out and not getting many on one day. We didn’t like the idea of 5-7 immunizations being shot into him at once.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Today we’ll see Justine and her 10 year old brother. We went to the “Winter Wonderland” at Navy Pier which is an indoor amusement park for the holiday season. Then we came home, ate pizza and played video games. Justine’s brother Isaiah is adorable!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
We had lunch with our friends Monica & Dave wit their kids Leo & Sam. These are the kids we see the most. They’re 2-3/4 and 4 years of age. It was Monica’s birthday. We had cupcakes for dessert! Mmmm!
Later, we went to a one-year-old birthday party today our friend’s daughter. There were about 15 kids under age 4. There were about 5 kids within a couple months of Cameron's age. The other kids could crawl on their knees and pull to standing easier than Cameron could, but he was determined to keep up with them.
There was this adorable blond 2 year old girl Emma that decided she wanted to push Cameron around in this little car. It was a car with a push/pull handle. She never said a word, because she was really really shy. She just kept pushing him around and trying to kiss him. He turned away when she tried to kiss him, then he tried to kiss her but she turned away! :) It was the first time I saw him try to kiss a girl! The two of them were so adorable together! She cried when her parents tried to take her away to take her home. She and Cameron were cruising all around the house together laughing.
Later, we went to a one-year-old birthday party today our friend’s daughter. There were about 15 kids under age 4. There were about 5 kids within a couple months of Cameron's age. The other kids could crawl on their knees and pull to standing easier than Cameron could, but he was determined to keep up with them.
There was this adorable blond 2 year old girl Emma that decided she wanted to push Cameron around in this little car. It was a car with a push/pull handle. She never said a word, because she was really really shy. She just kept pushing him around and trying to kiss him. He turned away when she tried to kiss him, then he tried to kiss her but she turned away! :) It was the first time I saw him try to kiss a girl! The two of them were so adorable together! She cried when her parents tried to take her away to take her home. She and Cameron were cruising all around the house together laughing.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
New Year’s Day! We went to see Lance's friend Eric and his wife Corrine with their two kids aged 6 months and 3 years. We’re excited that Cameron and Isaac are so close in age! Cameron tried to play with the 3 year old girl, Maya. Corrine laid out all these toys on the blanket for them to play with together and asked Maya to teach Cameron how to use the toys. She was really cute, but each time Cameron picked a toy, she quietly took it away and put it back in her bedroom! He tried to follow her, but she was too fast for him. He just kept following her and trying to get the toys. And so it goes with older kids not wanting to share their toys! I guess he’s learning about girls too!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
New Year’s Eve! Lance was off work so we took our babysitter out to lunch to say thanks for the great job she does helping us with Cameron!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
We’re really pleased that Cameron is showing interest in walking! I honestly expected him to be much older before he tried to walk. Right now he’s “cruising” which is walking while he supports himself holding onto furniture. He’s pulling himself up to standing. He’s not fast yet, but he’s determined.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
We started the day at brunch with friends, and then spent the rest of the day with Lance’s family. Grandma & Grandpa gave us money to order a walker we want for Cameron. Lance’s brother Dane brought his big Lab dog which Cameron loved. When the dog barked loud Cameron’s heart raced, but he still wasn’t scared and he wanted to pet the dog. Dane put the dog in a cage so I wouldn’t have to be nervous all day. We had lots of food and lots of presents and a very nice day!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Lance had to work so Cameron and I went to visit my Aunt Betty. My sister Sandy joined us with her baby Jimmy. We had pizza and cookies.
When Lance got home from work we headed down to St Louis to visit his family. It was the worst fog ever, so poor Cameron was in the car for 9 hours!!! He threw up all over the car right before we got to Grandma’s house. Yuck yuck. It was the worst he’d ever been sick, but then he seemed fine. He didn’t have a fever that evening or the next day. We’re wondering if he was just car sick from 9 hours of riding backwards in a car seat?
When Lance got home from work we headed down to St Louis to visit his family. It was the worst fog ever, so poor Cameron was in the car for 9 hours!!! He threw up all over the car right before we got to Grandma’s house. Yuck yuck. It was the worst he’d ever been sick, but then he seemed fine. He didn’t have a fever that evening or the next day. We’re wondering if he was just car sick from 9 hours of riding backwards in a car seat?
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas Day! We started with stories in our bed like every morning, then opening some gifts under the tree. Cameron liked the boxes and the paper more than the gifts!
The rest of the day was spent with my family. Cameron’s fever was gone, thank goodness! Cameron enjoyed opening everyone’s gifts and eating the paper. I dressed him up in a Santa suit so we could take pictures. It was a lovely day with our family!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Eve! We were supposed to have dinner with my family but we stayed home since Cameron had a low fever and I wanted him to get his sleep.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
We took Cameron to see Santa again today. This was the same Santa as last year at the mall nearby. This is a really good Santa with real hair and a real beard. He’s exactly what you’d want Santa to look like. He’s also extremely patient with Cameron. Last year we took Cameron twice since one time he wouldn’t wake up, and then the second time he wouldn’t stop crying! This year Cameron thought Santa was really fun and he kept yanking on Santa’s beard!
After Santa we went for milk and cookies and another train exhibit. He loves the trains!
After Santa we went for milk and cookies and another train exhibit. He loves the trains!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
We have 2 holiday gatherings to attend today. First brunch, and then a party. We had brunch with girlfriends. Cameron flirted with them all through the meal. They gave him a personalized growth chart so we can chart his progress.
Later we attended a party at my friend Kathleen’s home. Cameron was the only baby and the hit of the party! He’s so social with everyone and never went through this “stranger danger” period other kids experience. (at least not yet!)
Later we attended a party at my friend Kathleen’s home. Cameron was the only baby and the hit of the party! He’s so social with everyone and never went through this “stranger danger” period other kids experience. (at least not yet!)
Saturday, December 20, 2008
We went to another train exhibit today with Monica, Dave, Leo & Sam. It was held at the Chicago Botanic Garden which is huge. It was really an amazing exhibit with train in multiple buildings. We had lunch and exchanged gifts. We gave the boys a crazy forts toy to build forts, and they gave Cameron a wind up car he can operate!Thursday, December 18, 2008
We still want to get the flu shot for Cameron but he can’t have it while he has a cold, and he has ANOTHER cold!!! We checked him for an ear infection. He didn’t have one yesterday but now today he has one! These ear infections can develop so quickly. He’s on antibiotics again. Poor little guy! I hope he feels better for Christmas!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
This afternoon we went to the ZOOLIGHTS event at Lincoln Park Zoo. It’s an annual event where they light up the zoo. It’s really magical. They have story tellers, ice carving, music, food, light shows, and of course the animals. We went with our friends Tracey and Jeff and their almost 3 year old son Kian. We also invited our friend Cristina and her niece Sophia who babysits Cameron. It was beautiful and Cameron LOVED the animals!
While we were waiting for everyone to get there, we stopped off next door at the conservatory for the annual holiday flower and train show. Of course Cameron was mesmerized by the trains!
While we were waiting for everyone to get there, we stopped off next door at the conservatory for the annual holiday flower and train show. Of course Cameron was mesmerized by the trains!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
We started the day with a Santa brunch. Our friends Dave & Monica invited us to join them with their sons to see Santa. The breakfast was nice and so were the stories and the craft projects but the Santas were college students with fake beards and not very convincing. Cameron doesn’t know any better yet anyway!
Later in the day we went to the winter wonderland event at Navy Pier which is near our home. They create an indoor winter themed amusement park. We invited our friend Kate who brought her two adopted kids Shauna age 2 and Ruslan age 5. The kids had a blast. Cameron couldn’t do some of the rides because he was too small. He didn’t much like the merry-go-round, but he loved these long tubes the kids crawl through. Luckily the tubes were big enough to have Lance go crawl in after Cameron to pull him out. Cameron wasn’t afraid to get right in there with the other older kids. I just have to fight my overprotective Mom urge and let him get kicked around a bit. He doesn’t seem to mind as long as he’s part of the action!
Later in the day we went to the winter wonderland event at Navy Pier which is near our home. They create an indoor winter themed amusement park. We invited our friend Kate who brought her two adopted kids Shauna age 2 and Ruslan age 5. The kids had a blast. Cameron couldn’t do some of the rides because he was too small. He didn’t much like the merry-go-round, but he loved these long tubes the kids crawl through. Luckily the tubes were big enough to have Lance go crawl in after Cameron to pull him out. Cameron wasn’t afraid to get right in there with the other older kids. I just have to fight my overprotective Mom urge and let him get kicked around a bit. He doesn’t seem to mind as long as he’s part of the action!
Friday, December 12, 2008
It was a long week away from home. While I was in Paris, my Dad went into the hospital so I also had to make lots calls to doctors to make sure we had the correct people lined up to care for my Dad. My brothers were great at getting my Dad to the hospital and meeting the caregivers while I was gone, but the hospital made a series of mistakes so my Dad kept getting worse. They accidentally punctured his lung so it collapsed, then put in a tube to help him breathe but it fell out. My dad has pretty good health and we’re very close, so its scary having him be in the hospital.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
I was sad to leave on a weekend for Paris for work. It’s hard to be gone from Cameron especially so close to Christmas. I guess if I have to travel for work, then Paris isn’t such a bad place to go. It’s beautiful in Paris in December with all the holiday lights!
Lance & Cameron went to a gingerbread house decorating party at our friend’s house. Peter & Kimberly have a 3 year old son Finn. There will be lots and lots of kids about age 4 and under. I’m sure they’ll have fun without me!
Lance & Cameron went to a gingerbread house decorating party at our friend’s house. Peter & Kimberly have a 3 year old son Finn. There will be lots and lots of kids about age 4 and under. I’m sure they’ll have fun without me!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
We got a nice email from Courtney telling us we’re good parents and that she’s thankful for us everyday. She expressed feeling lucky that she’ll continue to be a part of Cameron’s life and be able to see him grow into a young man. We’re thankful for her everyday too!
Monday, December 1, 2008
We return home from the sunshine and relaxation in Orlando. Cameron loved his time with Grandma! She taught him some new games and they sure do giggle together a lot! Sylvia used to be a teacher so she had some insights on what she sees with Cameron. She thinks he’s learning things in a different order than other kids, and he’s behind, but he is learning.
He’s trying to take a few steps now when holding onto things. He’ll need orthotics for his shoes. Our physical therapist has them on order for him now. We’re not really working on walking yet, because we want him to do a regular crawl first. Right now he’s only doing the commando GI Joe crawl on his stomach.
He’s trying to take a few steps now when holding onto things. He’ll need orthotics for his shoes. Our physical therapist has them on order for him now. We’re not really working on walking yet, because we want him to do a regular crawl first. Right now he’s only doing the commando GI Joe crawl on his stomach.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving Day! We give thanks for our friends & family and the special joy that Cameron brings to our lives!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
We head to Orlando for Thanksgiving! Lance’s Mom just bought a small home there in a retirement community so she can spend winters there as a snowbird. We want Cameron to spend time getting spoiled by Grandma!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Today we went to the suburbs for the holiday tree trimming party for the Chicago Adoptive Families group. We sent Cameron’s picture in advance and they made an ornament with his face on it for him to hang on the tree there. We enjoyed hot chocolate & cookies while we met the other families formed through adoption. We took Cameron around the zoo. He got to pet a brand new hatched chick, and tried to yank on its leg. He loves animals!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Today was the Festival of Lights on Michigan Avenue which is our neighborhood. I took Cameron to a free Justin Robert’s kid’s concert outdoor earlier in the day, where he got a free balloon. That evening was the Disney electric parade down Michigan Avenue and the lighting of all the trees in the neighborhood. Our neighborhood is beautiful in the summer because of the lake, but it’s also beautiful in the winter with all the white lights as decoration. Cameron was mesmerized by the characters and the floats and the lights. He doesn’t know Mickey, Minnie etc yet since he doesn’t watch TV yet, but he still enjoyed it. He lasted for about 25 minutes and then we headed home to warm up and read books together. It was a fun day.
Friday, November 21, 2008
We took Cameron to the “Snow Fun” festival at the Children’s museum. He was too young for many of the activities, but we had fun there anyway. He liked throwing the fake cotton snowballs at Daddy, and knocking down the foam igloos we built around him. He also really enjoyed the other kids. He’s curious and social!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
National Adoption Day! I started the day at breakfast with my friend Kate, also an adoptive Mom. Then Lance and Cameron and I spent the day together as a family.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
We had Cameron’s 12 month pediatric visit today. Basically Cameron is on track with his health. Cameron pulled himself to standing today at the pediatric office because he wanted to play with the trains on the kids’ train table there. I was happy to see him trying on his own to stand but didn’t want those germy trains in his mouth since all the kids there are sick! We went home and lowered the mattress on his crib so he can’t try and pull himself out of bed.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
We met with Courtney today! I’m so happy she came!!! She brought Justine, and 2 other friends. We had a little birthday party for Cameron. He certainly was the center of attention! He certainly must have been feeling lots of love from everyone today, especially Courtney! I know she was nervous, but she didn’t seem like it to me. She looked beautiful and seemed happy to hold Cameron and spend time with him. She fed him a birthday cupcake and he got frosting all over her clothes.
I’m pleased Courtney brought her friends and I’m hoping they’ll give her lots of support. I worry about her sometimes, and think how hard this must be to keep a secret. She still hasn’t really gone public with the pregnancy or the adoption. I’m really glad to know that she’s got good friends that she can talk with about Cameron and her feelings. I’m sure that none of this is easy for her.
We had a nice talk with Courtney. I didn’t get to hear as much about her life as I’d like. I’m hoping on future visits we can talk more about her and get better acquainted. This visit was all about Cameron. We discussed Cameron’s therapy and great progress. We also talked about our desire to adopt a sibling for Cameron. Courtney told us a bit more about Cameron’s Birthfather.
I’m pleased Courtney brought her friends and I’m hoping they’ll give her lots of support. I worry about her sometimes, and think how hard this must be to keep a secret. She still hasn’t really gone public with the pregnancy or the adoption. I’m really glad to know that she’s got good friends that she can talk with about Cameron and her feelings. I’m sure that none of this is easy for her.
We had a nice talk with Courtney. I didn’t get to hear as much about her life as I’d like. I’m hoping on future visits we can talk more about her and get better acquainted. This visit was all about Cameron. We discussed Cameron’s therapy and great progress. We also talked about our desire to adopt a sibling for Cameron. Courtney told us a bit more about Cameron’s Birthfather.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Lance & Cameron arrive in Phoenix. Cameron is really tired when we arrive at the hotel. I need to be there for a Color conference, so Lance and Cameron are joining me. I don’t want to be away from Cameron for the weekend. We’ll all visit with Courtney this weekend.
We’re staying at the Arizona Biltmore which is my favorite hotel. Frank Lloyd Wright was involved and it’s clearly prairie style. The place always feels peaceful to me. I hope it will feel peaceful to Courtney too! We got upgraded to this amazing suite which will work great for Cameron and Lance while I work. It will also work great for Lance and I when Cameron goes to bed at 7pm. It will be a nice place to meet Courtney if she wants to come here instead of the park.
I’m excited to meet Courtney tomorrow! She emailed that she’s nervous which I can understand since she hasn’t seen Cameron in a year. This conference here in Phoenix is coincidentally held the same week Cameron was born a year ago. I’m re-living the experience and I’m guessing Courtney is too. I hope she doesn’t get so nervous that she cancels our meeting. We really hope to have an ongoing relationship with her since we’re convinced it will be good for Cameron, and we hope it will be good for her too!
We’re staying at the Arizona Biltmore which is my favorite hotel. Frank Lloyd Wright was involved and it’s clearly prairie style. The place always feels peaceful to me. I hope it will feel peaceful to Courtney too! We got upgraded to this amazing suite which will work great for Cameron and Lance while I work. It will also work great for Lance and I when Cameron goes to bed at 7pm. It will be a nice place to meet Courtney if she wants to come here instead of the park.
I’m excited to meet Courtney tomorrow! She emailed that she’s nervous which I can understand since she hasn’t seen Cameron in a year. This conference here in Phoenix is coincidentally held the same week Cameron was born a year ago. I’m re-living the experience and I’m guessing Courtney is too. I hope she doesn’t get so nervous that she cancels our meeting. We really hope to have an ongoing relationship with her since we’re convinced it will be good for Cameron, and we hope it will be good for her too!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Barack Obama wins the election! It’s a historic day in America. I’ll save the newspaper for Cameron’s life book.
It’s also my birthday! I had to work but my boss ordered an amazing chocolate cake!
It’s also my birthday! I had to work but my boss ordered an amazing chocolate cake!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day! It’s a historic day with John McCain/Sara Palin running against Barack Obama/Joe Biden.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Cameron’s birthday!!! It brings back lots of thoughts of our time with Courtney 1 year ago. I’m thinking of her today. I’m sure it’s emotional for her. I’m excited that we’ll get to see her next weekend. I’m really excited for her to see Cameron! I know it will be emotional for her. I hope it helps her to see him and how great he’s doing!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
We spent the day at an adoption conference. Really it was a parenting conference with a focus on the needs of Adopted and special needs kids. We loved it! We had sessions on teaching kids self-regulation, games to play for cognitive development, resources for various situations, how to discuss adoption at various stages with your child, working to write an individual education plan, and more! My brain was ready to burst with all the new info! Lance and I shared info and thoughts after the sessions. This conference was a great starting place for what will be many parenting conversations!
They also had a wonderful bookstore with parenting and adoption related topics. I picked up story books for Cameron teaching about empathy, and how to deal with anger. I picked up a book for Courtney written by a Birthmom for other Birthmoms. I hope to read it before our Arizona trip so if it’s good, then I can share it with her during our visit
They also had a wonderful bookstore with parenting and adoption related topics. I picked up story books for Cameron teaching about empathy, and how to deal with anger. I picked up a book for Courtney written by a Birthmom for other Birthmoms. I hope to read it before our Arizona trip so if it’s good, then I can share it with her during our visit
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Today we had Cameron’s first birthday party! We invited family and a few friends with young kids. Cameron loved all of us singing happy birthday to him. He also loved his first pizza and his first cupcake! He was so funny eating the cupcake. It was his first sugar ever, except for a few tastes of gelato in Italy. He took a little taste of the cupcake, then grabbed it with both hands and started stuffing it in his face! He was in a frenzy eating it! He had cupcake flying everywhere and frosting all over his face. It was very very cute! It was a great day!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween! It is Cameron’s first Halloween! I’m sure he doesn’t understand it yet, but we still want him to experience it! We dressed him up as a pumpkin in a costume that my niece wore years ago. Of course he was adorable! Lance and I and Darla (Lance’s sister) all wore wigs, and Cameron thought that was pretty funny! Darla and her husband Scott came to visit for the weekend.
We joined our friends and their kids to go trick-or-treating for a couple of blocks, and then had a pizza party. Cameron g a molar so he was a bit crabby, but he still had a good evening. After the trick-or-treating, we had a pizza party with our friends and their kids. Cameron had fun crawling around with our friend’s young boys chasing small cars.
We joined our friends and their kids to go trick-or-treating for a couple of blocks, and then had a pizza party. Cameron g a molar so he was a bit crabby, but he still had a good evening. After the trick-or-treating, we had a pizza party with our friends and their kids. Cameron had fun crawling around with our friend’s young boys chasing small cars.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Cameron is teething again. We thought maybe he had an ear infection since he was pulling on his ear, but it turns out he’s working on his 7th and 8th teeth. One is a molar so it’s painful for him and that’s why the doctor thinks he’s pulling his ear. We give him baby motrin when it seems to really bother him.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
We went furniture shopping again today. It’s part of our baby proofing process. The expensive French shelves we have in the living room aren’t very kid friendly so they’ll need to go into storage. Cameron’s safety is the priority. We need something sturdy, and I’m afraid to buy anything too nice since I know he’ll be running into the furniture with his plastic car, wooden horse and wooden cow. He can’t ride them on his own yet, but I’m sure that will be happening soon. Right now my main priority is that he can’t pull the TV down on top of himself since his left hand and arm are really strong. He’s fascinated with doors and drawers and tries to open them and hang on them with all his weight. We need heavy shelves that are wall mounted so he can’t pull them down. He was a good sport with our shopping. He likes to ride in the shopping cart!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Cameron is now using a combination of rolling and crawling to get wherever he wants to go! It’s funny to watch what he does as he explores his environment. He pulls everything out of the cabinets and drawers in his bedroom now. We expected he’d do this, so we filled them with things that aren’t dangerous for him to explore. Today he rolled and crawled himself under the dining room table. It was pretty funny to watch him. I know this is a really important stage of his development, but now we have to watch him every single second so he doesn’t get into trouble! His bedroom is well kid-proofed, but we haven’t finished kid-proofing the living room and dining room yet so we need to watch his every move. Today he also crawled out of his room to go to the bathtub. He loves to take a bath! In less than 2 weeks he went from absolutely no interest in crawling, to now crawling all over the place!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Today we took Cameron to a farm outside the city with our friends and their kids. We took a hayride, and fed the animals. Cameron loves animals and went right up to touch them. He grabbed onto the chicken coop wire fence and held on while standing alone! It was another fun Fall day!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
When Cameron woke up Saturday and saw me, he put out his arms and said “mommy!” It was a great moment for me.
We took Cameron to the “Pumpkinfest” today. A friend was organizing it, and other friends were there with their young kids. Lance took Cameron on some rides, but I think Lance enjoyed them more than Cameron. He was fascinated by the group of storytellers that acted out stories in books. He was also fascinated by our friend’s daughter Tara who rode up with us. She’s 3 months younger than Cameron. It was a fun afternoon!
We took Cameron to the “Pumpkinfest” today. A friend was organizing it, and other friends were there with their young kids. Lance took Cameron on some rides, but I think Lance enjoyed them more than Cameron. He was fascinated by the group of storytellers that acted out stories in books. He was also fascinated by our friend’s daughter Tara who rode up with us. She’s 3 months younger than Cameron. It was a fun afternoon!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Lance was really sweet and made dinner tonight! He’s not much of a cook but I appreciated the sweetness! He’s trying to take more turns cooking now since we have a child.
Friday, October 10, 2008
My sister Sandy and her new baby Jimmy came to visit this week. They stayed over a couple of nights here. Cameron was fascinated by baby Jimmy, and Cameron kept trying to grab Jimmy’s face. He seemed entertained until I put on the baby carrier and carried Jimmy instead of Cameron! He gets excited when he sees me put on the carrier, since he knows that means a walk, or maybe the swings. He got all excited until he saw me carry baby Jimmy instead of him! I’m excited that Jimmy and Cameron will grow up together!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Cameron is really working on sitting up from a horizontal position. He’s almost able to do it on his own. Our big news this week is he’s finally starting to crawl just a little bit. He’s doing what my baby book calls the “commando crawl” which is scoochimg on his stomach. He uses his arms to pull himself, but he’s not up on his knees yet. He only does a few scooches at a time, just far enough to get whatever toy he wants that we intentionally put just out of his reach.
Monday, October 6, 2008
This week when I sang the “When you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands” song and he started clapping when he recognized the tune. He’s beginning to imitate us more, but I wasn’t clapping yet. This was an indication to me that he’s starting to recognize the tune, and the hand clappping that goes with it!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Cameron’s 11 month birthday today! He’s cuter every month and more fun! He’s developing more of his own personality. He’s a happy happy little guy, but is also starting to show his frustration when we won’t let him have something he wants! He’s definitely beginning to exert more of that forceful side of his personality! Mostly he wants to put unsafe things in his mouth!
Cameron hasn’t shown any interest in crawling yet. We’ve been working on getting him to sit up when he’s laying down. He sits fine now, but can’t get himself back into a sitting position when he reaches too far for something and falls over. Today for the first time he pulled himself up to a sitting position from a horizontal position!!! He needed a bit of help but he did it!
Cameron hasn’t shown any interest in crawling yet. We’ve been working on getting him to sit up when he’s laying down. He sits fine now, but can’t get himself back into a sitting position when he reaches too far for something and falls over. Today for the first time he pulled himself up to a sitting position from a horizontal position!!! He needed a bit of help but he did it!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
We had 3 leads on adoption last week which was amazing! It doesn’t seem like any of the leads will work out. We really really want him to have siblings!!!
Monday, September 22, 2008
We got a babydoll and bottle for Cameron. We’re working on imitative play, and on things that go together like plate/spoon, hair/comb, babydoll/bottle. Anyway, I remembered a doll that my aunt gave me years ago for my first child. Aunt Stella collected dolls and this one cabbage patch doll always made me laugh so she gave it to me. I was way too old for dolls when she gifted it to me, and I’ve saved it all these years. I gave it to Cameron today. It’s a boy doll and perfect for him!
He stared at it the doll and then grabbed it. He took off the shoes, and then started eating the doll’s ear. Not exactly the imitative play we’re working on, but I’m sure this doll will get of abuse (and love) in the future!
He stared at it the doll and then grabbed it. He took off the shoes, and then started eating the doll’s ear. Not exactly the imitative play we’re working on, but I’m sure this doll will get of abuse (and love) in the future!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
We bring Cameron in bed with us for a short while each morning to snuggle, read and work on speech therapy. Today he was so giggly! We’re working on cause-and-effect and imitating for speech. I started shaking my body with my hands in the air laughing, then I wiggled him and put his arms up. He started giggling. Then he imitated me! It was hysterical. We took turns going back and worth wiggling and waving our arms and laughing. Lance heard us from the other room and came to get in the action. We were all taking turns laughing and wiggling and waving our arms!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
We took Cameron to the “urban county fair” held at the park. I wanted him to pet the animals. He wasn’t shy or scared at all!! He had little goats eating out of his hand. Then he was grabbing a big pig’s ears!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
I got an email from Courtney today. She’s excited and nervous to see all of us in November. We’re excited to see her too!
Monday, September 15, 2008
We had Cameron’s 9 month check up with the pediatrician today. We’re a month late since our pediatrician has been busy doing back to school check-ups for older kids. Cameron seems to have dropped a bit in his percentile since the last visit but he’s still following a good growth curve. He’s only 18 pounds which is OK, but he seems skinny to us so we’ll plan to feed him more. He’s now at the 25th percentile for weight. He’s at the 25th percentile for head size, and the 50th percentile for height. I thought we finished every immunization but it seems we missed one that we’ll need to get later this week.
It’s now time to introduce more food into his diet. There are a few exceptions, but basically the doctor said to feed Cameron like a 95 year old man without teeth that has to gum his food! Cameron has 6 teeth now, but she still said to serve soft or really small bite sizes of food. He’s good at feeding himself small bites with his left hand.
It’s now time to introduce more food into his diet. There are a few exceptions, but basically the doctor said to feed Cameron like a 95 year old man without teeth that has to gum his food! Cameron has 6 teeth now, but she still said to serve soft or really small bite sizes of food. He’s good at feeding himself small bites with his left hand.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Cameron met his new cousin Jimmy! It was cute to watch him while he watched the baby! He didn’t like it while I held and sang songs to the baby. He definitely was curious, and kept trying to grab the baby and touch his face. I’m thrilled that Cameron will have a cousin so close in age!!!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Cameron has a new cousin. My sister Sandy had her baby!!! It’s a little boy named James. He was born at 6 lbs 14 ozs. He came early because of complications, but he’s doing great and is very very cute! He has auburn hair like my sister.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
We’re back from Idaho. It was absolutely gorgeous! The condo was brand new and situated right on the lake with a view of the mountains. It was so beautiful and peaceful and clear. Lance rode the seaplane with his brother. We all hiked, swam, picked huckleberries, rode bikes, etc. Cameron loved the pool. Mostly he liked being spoiled with attention by Lance’s family, especially Grandma! He responds to Lance’s Mom so well and they giggle together. They’re really great together!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
We’re off to Dover Bay, Idaho for a long Labor Day weekend. My friend bought a condo there, and Lance’s family will join us for the weekend. It’s supposed to be a very small town in the mountains which sounds like something Lance will love. We’ll bring our baby backpack for Cameron to ride in while we hike!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Cameron started saying “Ma Ma” this past week. I also taught him to stick out his tongue which I may regret later! He’s getting more vocal with is frustration when we won’t give him something he wants. Unfortunately he frequently wants to eat things that are unsafe for him. He lets us know in no uncertain terms that’s he’s unhappy when he doesn’t get his way! We’ve started using a little rubber toothbrush on him to get him used to the idea of toothbrushing. I think he mostly just likes the feel of it in his mouth. He now has 6 teeth coming in!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
The last day of the Michigan trip we stopped to see a tiny beagle puppy. Cameron always watches dogs, but I’ve never taken him close enough to pet one yet. The puppy owner said it was OK for Cameron to pet the pup, so we leaned down for Cameron to reach it. The little pup jumped right up into his lap and licked Cameron’s face! His expression was priceless!
Friday, August 22, 2008
This past weekend my family went back home and then some friends joined us at the beach. Our friends have a 7 year old and a 2-1/2 year old. It was funny to watch Cameron interact with the other little boy. Cameron watched everything Kian did, and Cameron kept reaching out to touch Kian. This little guy kept stealing Cameron’s toys right out of his hand, and Cameron was surprised every time, and not sure what to do. The kids were a bit rough with him, but he didn’t cry. He just wanted to be part of whatever they were doing. Very cute!
Friday, August 15, 2008
We rented a lake house in Michigan for the week from my cousin. It was really nice, and a few blocks from the beach. Some of my family came for the week to join us. Cameron enjoyed playing with his cousins. He loves all of the attention! My nieces enjoyed the bunk beds, and riding the golf cart to the beach. Of course, all of the kids enjoyed the beach, especially Cameron! On the first day, my sister Julie took Cameron into the water gradually and he loved playing in it with her. The next day I took him in the water, and we both ended up with shorts full of sand! Yuck! He tried to eat fistfuls of sand at first, then after a couple days he stopped eating the sand and went after the large rocks. If he was strong enough to lift the rocks, then they went into his mouth. Yuck again!
He’s sitting up better now but still falls over. He was reaching for things, and a few times he ended up losing balance and planting his face in the sand. There was sand everywhere! Cameron loved the beach, and playing in the sand, and the waves, and also loved the park nearby. He laughs when on the swings and the slide. He’s too young for much else there yet.
Michigan is home to lots of blueberry farms so we fed Cameron lots of blueberries. He likes to feed himself, but isn’t very good at actually getting them in his mouth. He had blueberries everywhere!
He’s sitting up better now but still falls over. He was reaching for things, and a few times he ended up losing balance and planting his face in the sand. There was sand everywhere! Cameron loved the beach, and playing in the sand, and the waves, and also loved the park nearby. He laughs when on the swings and the slide. He’s too young for much else there yet.
Michigan is home to lots of blueberry farms so we fed Cameron lots of blueberries. He likes to feed himself, but isn’t very good at actually getting them in his mouth. He had blueberries everywhere!
Monday, August 4, 2008
At Occupational therapy today we started wrapping Cameron’s left hand in a stretchy fabric to constrain him from using it. The idea is to encourage more use of his right hand. They want us to do it for 5-10 minutes at a time for multiple sessions each day. We weren’t sure if he’d be too frustrated, but mostly he just wanted to eat the fabric. He pretty much wants to explore everything with his mouth. After he got bored with eating it, then it worked for its intended purpose of getting him to use his right hand!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
I went to the last baby shower for my sister Sandy. This one was in Green Bay Wisconsin. I started getting really sick on the way home. Guess I caught it from Cameron so no we’re both sick!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
We went to the zoo with friends and their daughters. They clapped every time Cameron babbled, so he kept making all these noise for them. It was very cute to ear him so vocal! He said “da-da-da” this week.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Cameron is sick and was vomiting which was scary. Poor little guy. I don’t hesitate to call the doctor. It seems this is just his way of dealing with a bad cold since he can’t clear his throat or blow his nose. We keep him hydrated, give him steam baths, and use the bulb in his nose. Poor little guy.
Monday, July 28, 2008
We’re home and past our jet lag! Lots of nice memories of our trip!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
We went to the Campo Dei Fiori today, which is an area of town that has an outdoor market known for food and fresh flowers. We bought food for a picnic dinner, and food to bring back home as souvenirs for our families. We sat down for a coffee, and a street performer came up to play his acoustic guitar for us. Cameron was mesmerized! I took him up to guitar player so he could get a closer look. Another priceless moment.
On the way home we stopped to see the Palazzo Farnese, and did a bit of shopping. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant that was built on top of an ancient Roman theatre. It was delicious and interesting. Then we did like the Italians and went home to take a nap!
In the afternoon, we went to the Piazza Navona. It was built on top of an old race track, and sometimes they flooded it to make fake naval battles. Today, it’s full of baroque statues and fountains, and now is a social gathering place. Many artists come to sell their paintings to the crowds. We bought some puppets for Cameron since he has a puppet theatre at home that my Dad made. Then we had our picnic dinner near the fountains and shared a gelati. As we sat by the fountain, a man with a guitar sat next to us. Again, Cameron was mesmerized by the musician. As we walked to leave, there was another man playing a violin solo. We stopped to listen. Even after we walked away, Cameron kept looking over my shoulder to watch the man play the violin. He really seems to enjoy the “live” music and we enjoy watching him discover all of these new things on this trip! It was a perfect last evening!
On the way home we stopped to see the Palazzo Farnese, and did a bit of shopping. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant that was built on top of an ancient Roman theatre. It was delicious and interesting. Then we did like the Italians and went home to take a nap!
In the afternoon, we went to the Piazza Navona. It was built on top of an old race track, and sometimes they flooded it to make fake naval battles. Today, it’s full of baroque statues and fountains, and now is a social gathering place. Many artists come to sell their paintings to the crowds. We bought some puppets for Cameron since he has a puppet theatre at home that my Dad made. Then we had our picnic dinner near the fountains and shared a gelati. As we sat by the fountain, a man with a guitar sat next to us. Again, Cameron was mesmerized by the musician. As we walked to leave, there was another man playing a violin solo. We stopped to listen. Even after we walked away, Cameron kept looking over my shoulder to watch the man play the violin. He really seems to enjoy the “live” music and we enjoy watching him discover all of these new things on this trip! It was a perfect last evening!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Today we saw the Pantheon. It was built in 27 BC and reconstructed by Hadrian in the early second century. At that time, it was the biggest dome of its kind until the 1900’s. Michelangelo used the dome as a model for St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. There’s an oculus in the center that’s open to the elements. Animals were sacrificed and burned in the center on the Pantheon, with the smoke escaping up through the oculus.
We shopped a bit, and then saw 4 other awe inspiring churches nearby the Pantheon; Church of San Luigi with Caravaggio paintings, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva with a Michelangelo statue, Church of St Ignatious, and the Gesu Church which has been headquarters of the Jesuits in Rome. Then we went grocery shopping and came home to make ourselves a romantic dinner!
I wonder what Cameron thinks as he views all this art? I’m reading a book written by a woman that teaches at ASU. It’s about baby brain development from 0-3 years of age. Last night I read that Cameron can now see just like an adult. While we’ve been here, he looks at all of the art, and touches all of the statues (when I let him.) When I point up, he looks up at all of the magnificent ceilings and stares. The book says to keep giving him new and interesting experiences to develop his brain. I really wonder what goes in his head as he’s seeing so much art in 1 week?!? We’ll need to make sure he continues to see great art as he continues to grow and develop!
We shopped a bit, and then saw 4 other awe inspiring churches nearby the Pantheon; Church of San Luigi with Caravaggio paintings, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva with a Michelangelo statue, Church of St Ignatious, and the Gesu Church which has been headquarters of the Jesuits in Rome. Then we went grocery shopping and came home to make ourselves a romantic dinner!
I wonder what Cameron thinks as he views all this art? I’m reading a book written by a woman that teaches at ASU. It’s about baby brain development from 0-3 years of age. Last night I read that Cameron can now see just like an adult. While we’ve been here, he looks at all of the art, and touches all of the statues (when I let him.) When I point up, he looks up at all of the magnificent ceilings and stares. The book says to keep giving him new and interesting experiences to develop his brain. I really wonder what goes in his head as he’s seeing so much art in 1 week?!? We’ll need to make sure he continues to see great art as he continues to grow and develop!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Since yesterday was so rushed, today we took it slow. We started at the flea market. It was huge, and was a real flea market not just a tourist trap. Lance bought a belt and some shirts. I bought some gifts for my sister’s new baby due in September. We were hot, so we all went back and took naps.
This afternoon we went to the nearby Capitoline Museums. The museums are built on a sacred hill where an Etruscan temple to Jupiter once stood. Michelangelo designed the staircase and the Piazza del Capitoline where the museums are located. An ancient bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius once stood in the piazza, but now it’s a replica. The museums are based on an architectural sketch by Michelangelo, but weren’t actually completed until the 1700’s. The museums are full of statues of Greek & Roman gods, as well as famous paintings from the Renaissance era.
Cameron’s top tooth broke through the skin today. He’s been suffering with a swollen gum for a couple of weeks, and the first of his top teeth finally broke through! He was cute today blowing raspberries at me all the way to the museum as we walked. He’s definitely making more noises. He also whines more now when he doesn’t get his way. He wants everything within reach to go into his mouth, and of course we won’t let him put many things in his mouth. His left hand is fast at grabbing stuff, and it’s strong pulling on things too. Right now he’s till exploring the world through his mouth! He’s very curious and alert.
This afternoon we went to the nearby Capitoline Museums. The museums are built on a sacred hill where an Etruscan temple to Jupiter once stood. Michelangelo designed the staircase and the Piazza del Capitoline where the museums are located. An ancient bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius once stood in the piazza, but now it’s a replica. The museums are based on an architectural sketch by Michelangelo, but weren’t actually completed until the 1700’s. The museums are full of statues of Greek & Roman gods, as well as famous paintings from the Renaissance era.
Cameron’s top tooth broke through the skin today. He’s been suffering with a swollen gum for a couple of weeks, and the first of his top teeth finally broke through! He was cute today blowing raspberries at me all the way to the museum as we walked. He’s definitely making more noises. He also whines more now when he doesn’t get his way. He wants everything within reach to go into his mouth, and of course we won’t let him put many things in his mouth. His left hand is fast at grabbing stuff, and it’s strong pulling on things too. Right now he’s till exploring the world through his mouth! He’s very curious and alert.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
We spent our first night in our Roma apartment. It’s on a quaint quiet street surrounded by ruins. The apartment is cute, but we’re experiencing the challenges of living in an old building. The owner left us a note saying electricity is a challenge here. We found out what he meant when we had the air conditioning running and tried to run the dishwasher to wash Cameron’s bottles. It blew out everything and we were in the dark without air! We learned that we can’t run anything else except one light when we have the air on. I guess we take the availability of electricity for granted at home!
Wow, we had quite a busy day touring! It was the last day of our Rome Archeological pass before it expired, so we had to hurry and see lots of things today. Hurrying isn’t so easy here because it’s 98 degrees with high humidity. We started at the Coliseum which is something Lance has always wanted to see. It was built 2000 years ago for entertainment of ancient Rome. Gladiators fought animals, and prisoners were thrown in to be eaten by the animals. There was a sand floor to absorb all the blood. Yuck! Lance really thought it was interesting to see the sophistication of the design of the place.
Today Cameron sat up for the first time on his own today at the Coliseum!!! We sat him on top of an ancient column for a photo, and he sat all on his own unsupported! He was sitting there smiling and I got a cute picture of him. Another “first” in Italy!
Then we went to the Roman Forum, which was like the downtown of ancient Rome with courts, temples, and monuments for Roman victories. Next door to the Forum is Palatine Hill with the houses of the former emperors. Palatine Hill had Circus Maximus where they held the chariot races for enjoyment of the public. Lance says this was pictured in the movie Ben Hur. In their time, successful chariot drivers were like the movie stars of today!
Our last stop was the Baths of Caracalla. Lance read about it in an ancient civilization book I gave him. Apparently the place was pretty amazing in its day. The aqueducts brought water to the baths, and the place was huge! Baths were an important part of Roman life. There were wood burning stoves to heat the bath water. The art was well recognized for its beauty, and most of it is now in museums around the world. The only art we could see today was the mosaics, many of which are still existing in their original locations. Tonight they were holding an outdoor opera concert there, but we needed to get Cameron home and in bed.
Wow, we had quite a busy day touring! It was the last day of our Rome Archeological pass before it expired, so we had to hurry and see lots of things today. Hurrying isn’t so easy here because it’s 98 degrees with high humidity. We started at the Coliseum which is something Lance has always wanted to see. It was built 2000 years ago for entertainment of ancient Rome. Gladiators fought animals, and prisoners were thrown in to be eaten by the animals. There was a sand floor to absorb all the blood. Yuck! Lance really thought it was interesting to see the sophistication of the design of the place.
Today Cameron sat up for the first time on his own today at the Coliseum!!! We sat him on top of an ancient column for a photo, and he sat all on his own unsupported! He was sitting there smiling and I got a cute picture of him. Another “first” in Italy!
Then we went to the Roman Forum, which was like the downtown of ancient Rome with courts, temples, and monuments for Roman victories. Next door to the Forum is Palatine Hill with the houses of the former emperors. Palatine Hill had Circus Maximus where they held the chariot races for enjoyment of the public. Lance says this was pictured in the movie Ben Hur. In their time, successful chariot drivers were like the movie stars of today!
Our last stop was the Baths of Caracalla. Lance read about it in an ancient civilization book I gave him. Apparently the place was pretty amazing in its day. The aqueducts brought water to the baths, and the place was huge! Baths were an important part of Roman life. There were wood burning stoves to heat the bath water. The art was well recognized for its beauty, and most of it is now in museums around the world. The only art we could see today was the mosaics, many of which are still existing in their original locations. Tonight they were holding an outdoor opera concert there, but we needed to get Cameron home and in bed.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Lance and Cameron lounged all morning while I finished my work in Narni. It was such a lovely place that I hated to leave. I’m sure we’ll be back one day!
Now we’ve returned to Rome and are renting an apartment. We’ve never rented an apartment in a foreign country before, but it seems like a better idea with Cameron, since he goes to bed early and can sleep quietly on his own. This place is situated near the Coliseum and the Roman Forum, so we’re in a very central location for touring lots of ancient ruins. Lance loves to understand how and why our life is different from other ancient civilizations. Both the Roman Empire and the Renaissance took place right in this area. He’s so excited to be surrounded by all the history here!
Now we’ve returned to Rome and are renting an apartment. We’ve never rented an apartment in a foreign country before, but it seems like a better idea with Cameron, since he goes to bed early and can sleep quietly on his own. This place is situated near the Coliseum and the Roman Forum, so we’re in a very central location for touring lots of ancient ruins. Lance loves to understand how and why our life is different from other ancient civilizations. Both the Roman Empire and the Renaissance took place right in this area. He’s so excited to be surrounded by all the history here!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
I was off to work and Lance came for a tour of the manufacturing facilities. As an engineer, he gets excited about touring various plants! After the tour, the company arranged a driver to take Lance and Cameron to see the ancient archeological site of Carsulae, located along the famous “Flavinia Way” road to Rome. The town was built around 220 BC and heavy archeological excavations started in 1951. There was an amphitheater, a theatre, baths and a church to worship Greek Gods. When he’s not touring manufacturing plants, Lance’s second favorite thing is to tour archeological sites!
In the evening, we went for an early dinner in the nearby town of San Gemini. It was a quaint town that doesn’t allow cars. Everyone has to park outside the city walls. We don’t know all the history of the town, but it felt medieval with narrow winding brick streets. We both loved the feel of this tiny town and wished we could stay longer!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Lance wanted to see one more sight before we left Rome! We got up early and headed back to the Baths of Diocletian. He was a Roman Emperor. The baths were originally built around 200-300 AD and were a big part of ancient Roman life. Parts of the site were destroyed in attacks over the years Unfortunately we couldn’t see the actual baths today, but saw the outside of the structures and much of the art from the baths that is now housed in a museum and in an adjoining the courtyard designed by Michelangelo.
We headed off to Narni, which is located about an hour outside Rome. My company has an office there where I needed to do some business. We arrived in Narni in time to sit in the garden with Cameron for awhile before dinner. The inn was formerly a small convent on top of a hill in this tiny ancient town. It was gorgeous and so was the scenery!
The Managing Director from my company brought his 19 year old daughter to babysit Cameron so Lance could join the company dinner. Valentina enjoyed Cameron and he was mesmerized by her! We had a bout a 6 course Italian dinner outside while enjoying both the company and the view! Delicioso!
We headed off to Narni, which is located about an hour outside Rome. My company has an office there where I needed to do some business. We arrived in Narni in time to sit in the garden with Cameron for awhile before dinner. The inn was formerly a small convent on top of a hill in this tiny ancient town. It was gorgeous and so was the scenery!
The Managing Director from my company brought his 19 year old daughter to babysit Cameron so Lance could join the company dinner. Valentina enjoyed Cameron and he was mesmerized by her! We had a bout a 6 course Italian dinner outside while enjoying both the company and the view! Delicioso!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Lance wanted to go back to the Vatican to the catacombs and also to climb to the top of the cupola. I’ve done both before, and neither are great for a baby with tight enclosed spaces and heat! Cameron and I played and napped at the hotel.
We had another delicious ravioli lunch, then off to the park. This afternoon we all went to the Villa Borghese. It was built by a member of the wealthy Borghese family in the early 1600’s. It sits in a lovely park that used to be the Roman countryside, and was built to hold the art collection of the Borghese family. It’s full of renaissance art including works by Carvaggio and Rafaello. Cameron was cute looking up at the magnificent painted ceilings. He wants to touch every statue, but of course he can’t. He really stares at everything, and I have to wonder what he’s thinking! While we were taking a break on a bench, an Italian lady came up and told me in broken English that the museum is full of many amazing works of art, but none more magnificent that Cameron! She’s right!
We walked through the park and had another gelati!! Delicioso! Or as Cameron say, Mmmmm!
Tomorrow we’re off to the town of Narni outside Rome. I have to work. Lance and Cameron will sightsee.
We had another delicious ravioli lunch, then off to the park. This afternoon we all went to the Villa Borghese. It was built by a member of the wealthy Borghese family in the early 1600’s. It sits in a lovely park that used to be the Roman countryside, and was built to hold the art collection of the Borghese family. It’s full of renaissance art including works by Carvaggio and Rafaello. Cameron was cute looking up at the magnificent painted ceilings. He wants to touch every statue, but of course he can’t. He really stares at everything, and I have to wonder what he’s thinking! While we were taking a break on a bench, an Italian lady came up and told me in broken English that the museum is full of many amazing works of art, but none more magnificent that Cameron! She’s right!
We walked through the park and had another gelati!! Delicioso! Or as Cameron say, Mmmmm!
Tomorrow we’re off to the town of Narni outside Rome. I have to work. Lance and Cameron will sightsee.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Today we spent the entire day at the Vatican. Cameron was amazingly cheerful for no sleep yet again! It was a good day to be pushed around in a stroller looking up, since he got to see lots of beautiful ceilings including St Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museum halls. I tried to take a picture of Cameron in the Sistine Chapel but this lady came over to me and yelled at me for trying to take a picture in what she said is a Holy place. We were allowed to take pictures in the church, so I figure they just are trying to make more money by not allowing cameras and trying to sell more books & postcards. Anyway, I didn’t get the picture!
We had hand made ravioli for lunch and more gelati! Cameron had peas and prunes and loved both!
I will always remember Cameron looking and pointing at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He kept craning his neck to stare at it, and pointing so I would look with him. He won’t remember this moment but I will. Priceless.
We had hand made ravioli for lunch and more gelati! Cameron had peas and prunes and loved both!
I will always remember Cameron looking and pointing at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He kept craning his neck to stare at it, and pointing so I would look with him. He won’t remember this moment but I will. Priceless.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
No sleep again last night! Cameron isn’t getting the hang of this new time zone. Today we went to the Cappuchin monastery where they decorated the walls with bones of dead monks (creepy), and Saint Susana church (home of Americans in Rome). Then we walked to the Piazza del Republica and the church of Saint Mary of the Angels & Martyrs which also is the home of the Diocletian baths. Lastly we saw the National Museum of Rome which houses the greatest collection of ancient Roman art anywhere.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Well, it was a long flight with Cameron crying the entire time! We arrived safely in Rome. Cameron hardly slept at all on the planes, then immediately fell asleep in the taxi to our Rome hotel. Then he wouldn’t fall asleep until 1:30am. We were all exhausted!
Our first day was slow. We saw the Piazza Barberini & Triton fountain, Spanish steps, Piazza del Popolo, and the Trevi fountain. There’s a tradition that you throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain so you return one day. I had Cameron throw a coin over his shoulder into the fountain. My favorite memory of the day is sitting at the Trevi fountain, and watching Cameron taste his first gelati! He’s too young to eat all that sugar, so he had a few small tastes of my limone flavor. He puckered up because it was sour and cold! Then he immediately wanted more! Very cute!
Our first day was slow. We saw the Piazza Barberini & Triton fountain, Spanish steps, Piazza del Popolo, and the Trevi fountain. There’s a tradition that you throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain so you return one day. I had Cameron throw a coin over his shoulder into the fountain. My favorite memory of the day is sitting at the Trevi fountain, and watching Cameron taste his first gelati! He’s too young to eat all that sugar, so he had a few small tastes of my limone flavor. He puckered up because it was sour and cold! Then he immediately wanted more! Very cute!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Off to Italy! I’m writing this while on the plane. Cameron is very very cranky and won’t take a nap. They gave us a small bed attached to the wall for him on the plane, but he cries whenever we put him in it. I think this will be an extremely long flight if he cries the entire time!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Today I noticed Cameron grabbing the handle of his toy bucket with his right hand. The progress is slow, but he’s beginning to use his right hand more and more. We see improvements every week.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
We saw Justine today. We met her physical therapist Dolores. They were both in the city for “Taste of Chicago” and a concert. It was great to see them for awhile!
Summer is amazing in Chicago! We live on the lake, so Cameron and I take a walk on the lake every day after work before Lance gets home. Then Lance meets us and we go to the park and play on the swings. Cameron LOVES the swings!
Cameron has started jumping up and down on our laps when he hold him. It’s really cute, and he’s like a little jumping bean full of energy! We’re still working on sitting up and then we’ll work on crawling, but he’s already trying to jump!
Summer is amazing in Chicago! We live on the lake, so Cameron and I take a walk on the lake every day after work before Lance gets home. Then Lance meets us and we go to the park and play on the swings. Cameron LOVES the swings!
Cameron has started jumping up and down on our laps when he hold him. It’s really cute, and he’s like a little jumping bean full of energy! We’re still working on sitting up and then we’ll work on crawling, but he’s already trying to jump!
Friday, July 4, 2008
We headed up to Wisconsin for the weekend to visit friends. We had a picnic Friday on Lake Michigan. Cameron cried all the way up and all the way back. He was crying so much that we took him to the doctor Sunday. He has new teeth coming in on the top now. He didn’t cry so much when the 2 bottom teeth came in, but he sure seems to be miserable now! We can’t give him anything except Baby Motrin for the swelling of his gums.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
It’s our wedding anniversary today. Lance is in Quebec for work so I’m planning a romantic evening for when he gets home.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
We drove to Michigan to stay with a friend that rented a house on the beach. Cameron and I walk on the beach after work here in Chicago, but this was the first time we tried going in the water. It was pretty cold and he didn’t much like it. He was fascinated watching the other kids swim and play in the water, but he didn’t like actually going in the water.
He’s so fair and looks like he’d burn really easily, so Cameron and Lance took a nap together on the beach towels under the umbrella in the shade. It was pretty cute watching my two beach bums take a snooze.
We also tried the pool with my Godson Ryan who is 14 years old now. Cameron LOVED swimming with Ryan in the pool!!! It was his first swimming experience and he really had fun!
He’s so fair and looks like he’d burn really easily, so Cameron and Lance took a nap together on the beach towels under the umbrella in the shade. It was pretty cute watching my two beach bums take a snooze.
We also tried the pool with my Godson Ryan who is 14 years old now. Cameron LOVED swimming with Ryan in the pool!!! It was his first swimming experience and he really had fun!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Today was the first baby shower I was throwing for my sister Sandy. It was a couple’s baby shower so Lance and Cameron drove up to Milwaukee with me. Sandy had a great party and got lots of great gifts. Luckily, we can pass most of Cameron’s baby items to Sandy since she’ll be having a boy!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
I bought this mesh sack on a small handle for Cameron while he’s teething. We put fruit in it and he sucks & chews on the fruit through the mesh sack. He loves it! He’s been eating bananas, mashed apples, mango, papaya, and now blueberries. I took off all his clothes before he ate the blueberries, which was a good idea. By the time he finished, he was covered in blueberries!!! He LOVED it!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Father’s Day! Unfortunately I needed to be out of town for business on Lance’s first Father’s Day. Lance and Cameron will spend the entire day together. We had cake and gifts before I left, and I have a special surprise day planned for Lance when I return!
In the past couple of weeks, Cameron has started this whining/half cry whenever I’m in the room and not holding him. I read in the “what to expect” book that it’s natural at his age to start these feelings. I guess it’s good that he’s bonded so well to me, but I don’t want him to miss me when I’m gone! I sure miss him!
In the past couple of weeks, Cameron has started this whining/half cry whenever I’m in the room and not holding him. I read in the “what to expect” book that it’s natural at his age to start these feelings. I guess it’s good that he’s bonded so well to me, but I don’t want him to miss me when I’m gone! I sure miss him!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
We’re working on Cameron’s B’s because that’s one of the sounds he should be making now. He said “bah” once a couple weeks ago, but hasn’t done any more B’s until this week.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Cameron is already getting his second tooth! He first one is coming in slowly, and now the second one is growing in right next to it! We have some teething rings we keep in the frig for him, and we got this little mesh sack that we out fruit in so he can chew on it too. The teeth are very very cute!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
We did a speech evaluation with Cameron at the RIC Rehabilitation Institute if Chicago. Therese, our speech therapist, was excellent! It was pretty amazing what she could diagnose in just one visit. She told us that the one side of his mouth and his tongue have poor muscle tone, but she reported some encouraging signs.
I’ve been watching for Cause-and-Effect behavior with him, and Therese showed me how he’s doing it in subtle ways. He’s showing me through his body movements like his arms and leg movement. It was pretty fascinating, and she showed me how to better watch for his cues. She also showed us how to make simple sounds speaking back to him whenever he initiates any noises.
Even though he’s young, she definitely feels he can benefit from regular speech therapy/exercises so we’ll see her weekly. Cameron really liked her and thought the session was fun!
I’ve been watching for Cause-and-Effect behavior with him, and Therese showed me how he’s doing it in subtle ways. He’s showing me through his body movements like his arms and leg movement. It was pretty fascinating, and she showed me how to better watch for his cues. She also showed us how to make simple sounds speaking back to him whenever he initiates any noises.
Even though he’s young, she definitely feels he can benefit from regular speech therapy/exercises so we’ll see her weekly. Cameron really liked her and thought the session was fun!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Cameron is getting his first tooth! We noticed it before I left for Arizona, and now he wants to chew on everything! He’s up to 26-3/4 inches and weighs 16 pounds 11 ounces. His growth curve is right on track. He’s at 25-50th percentile for weight, and 50-75th percentile for height.
He said “Bah” today which was exciting! We get excited about any sounds he makes!
He said “Bah” today which was exciting! We get excited about any sounds he makes!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
We have Cameron in both Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy now. I’ve also requested a Speech Therapy appointment even though he’s young to talk yet. We want to make sure we’re on track doing whatever we need to do now that will positively impact his future. I keep hearing the importance of the brain development from birth to age 3 years.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Had a nice time in AZ with my girlfriends! It was good to have time off work. I missed Cameron like crazy, but I know Grandma Sylvia spoiled him all weekend!
Friday, May 23, 2008
It seems like Cameron waved at me today. Our nanny Edna swears it’s a real wave, but I’m skeptical. It sure was cute!
Before leaving on my weekend trip, I met with an attorney regarding planning for Cameron’s future. The attorney told me about setting up a trust for Cameron. We’ll need to learn more so we can proceed.
I’ll be sad to be away from him this weekend while I’m in Scottsdale. Lance will take Cameron to St Louis this weekend to see his family. Cameron has his own bed set up at Grandma’s house now, and he has toys, books etc there too. Grandma Sylvia will spoil him with attention this weekend!
Before leaving on my weekend trip, I met with an attorney regarding planning for Cameron’s future. The attorney told me about setting up a trust for Cameron. We’ll need to learn more so we can proceed.
I’ll be sad to be away from him this weekend while I’m in Scottsdale. Lance will take Cameron to St Louis this weekend to see his family. Cameron has his own bed set up at Grandma’s house now, and he has toys, books etc there too. Grandma Sylvia will spoil him with attention this weekend!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Cameron has definitely been making progress with his right arm. He still can’t grab and grasp independently with that hand, but he can hold and play with things when you place them in his right hand. He also at least tries to reach things with that arm now. His aim isn’t so great with that arm, but he sometimes can get things he wants now. He likes to get my nose and my lips! He thinks it’s funny to pull really hard on my hair. It cracks him up so I let him do it!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
I’ve already been doing lots of research and reaching out to many people that I think can help Cameron. I signed up for a Mom’s support group online. It’s great to know we’re not alone with this diagnosis. A couple of local Moms have reached out to me which I appreciate.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
We saw the pediatrician today. He’s growing like he should. He’s 16 pounds 11 ounces, and 26-3/4 inches long now! His growth curve is great. He’s at the 25-50th percentile for weight and the 50-75 percentile for length. He’s eating well and even grabbing the spoon away from us now. He still gets formula, but we started him on rice cereal and baby pureed veggies a couple months ago. He likes peas, but makes faces at the spinach and the green beans. He loves sweet potatoes and squash. We’ll start fruit soon. Cameron is a great eater. Yesterday he ate 1-1/2 baby containers of organic veggies at one sitting. He whines when you won’t give him more more more!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
We finally heard from the neurologist regarding Cameron’s MRI. It was not the news we wanted to hear. He has a birth defect on the left side of his brain that’s causing the cerebral palsy. I’m worried and sad that he’ll face these challenges, but we’ll work through it. The doctor said our job as parents is to be attentive and optimistic. We’re trying to do our best in both areas!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Cameron had his MRI today. I wasn't thrilled about having a 6 month old baby sedated, but I'm convinced it was in his best interest so the doctor can get a better idea of what's happening in his brain.
He seems to be recovering well from the sedation. He's acting kind of drunk, but he's not sick, and he's acting happy! :) We'll get the results Tuesday.
He seems to be recovering well from the sedation. He's acting kind of drunk, but he's not sick, and he's acting happy! :) We'll get the results Tuesday.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Mother’s Day! It’s my first Mother’s day and we spent it with family. At brunch, Cameron was laughing and laughing. Everyone got a kick out of listening to him laugh. His laughter was my very best gift!!!
He’s such a precious boy and we love him so much!
He’s such a precious boy and we love him so much!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
We had dinner with Justine and her Mom Judy. It’s been 4 months since Justine saw Cameron and he’s grown so much! He only got to spend about 15 minutes with them since they arrived so late and it was way past his bed time.
We had a nice visit after Cameron went to sleep. It was great to hear about CP from Justine. She has CP though you’d never even know it when you meet her. She’s such a great example of what you can achieve, and I’m happy she’ll be in his life as a role model. She’s pretty amazing!!! We got Cameron diagnosed really early and started treatment right away. Justine and her Mom Judy are very encouraging and we feel optimistic!
We had a nice visit after Cameron went to sleep. It was great to hear about CP from Justine. She has CP though you’d never even know it when you meet her. She’s such a great example of what you can achieve, and I’m happy she’ll be in his life as a role model. She’s pretty amazing!!! We got Cameron diagnosed really early and started treatment right away. Justine and her Mom Judy are very encouraging and we feel optimistic!
Friday, May 9, 2008
I’m not allowed to send any gifts to Courtney so I made her a baby photo album with pics of the first 4 months of Cameron’s life. I wanted to remember her before Sunday since she made my first Mother’s Day possible!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Adoption Day!!! We got the call from the court this morning that the judge had signed the final adoption paperwork! Hooray! I hugged Cameron and cried. I took the day off work and drove out to meet Lance near his office for lunch to celebrate. Then we went to the “Picture People” photo studio for our first family portrait. We used a gift certificate from our baby shower to get Cameron’s feet and hand set as prints in clay with his name and the date. Later, we had family and a few friends over for a small “Gotcha” day dinner party to celebrate! It was a great great day for our family! We’re very appreciative to Courtney for making this special day possible with the special little boy!
Monday, May 5, 2008
We took Cameron to the top pediatric neurologist in Chicago today. He gave Cameron a diagnosis of one-sided (CP) cerebral palsy. We'll need an MRI to determine the cause. My big questions were regarding Cameron's future with cerebral palsy. I don’t know a lot about CP yet, but I’m sure Lance and I will become experts so we can know everything to help Cameron. I asked if Cameron will walk, and the doctor said absolutely! I burst out crying because I was so relieved. The doctor reassured me again that Cameron will absolutely walk. This is what I needed to hear! We want him to have all the experiences of other kids, and do everything he’ll want to do as he grows. The doctor told us it will always be harder on the right side for him, but he’ll have function on both sides! Hooray! :)
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Lance and I took Cameron to the Field Museum of Natural History today for the first time. This is the museum with the dinosaurs, and mummies, etc. We were given a family membership as a gift. I feel pretty sure this will become a favorite place for Cameron. We’re looking forward to many many future visits!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
We took Cameron to my class reunion. Lots of my classmates have recently started their families too so there were lots of babies there! It was Cameron’s 6 month birthday so Lance sang him a happy half-birthday song.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Cameron is making these new noises. It sounds likes he’s making the raspberry noise Lance makes for him. Cameron makes the noise when he’s happy, and it’s really cute!
Friday, April 25, 2008
I sent Courtney and Justine an email about my upcoming trip to the Phoenix area over Memorial Day weekend. They both responded that they’ll already be done with school and gone from the Phoenix area. Courtney said she’ll be moving into an apartment in June, so she may not be able to see us over the summer. I offered to get her a ticket if she chooses to come. We may not see until we come out there in November
Friday, April 25, 2008
Cameron has his first cold! Poor little guy is all sniffly. Now it’s gone into his ears for his first ear infection. He started antibiotics today
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Cameron is really rolling over easily both ways now. We have to watch him closely so he doesn’t roll away! He keeps sticking his behind up in the air, and we’re hoping this is a precursor to crawling.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Cameron did great this weekend. He was a little fussy on the plane, but he did really well with the flights etc. My Dad (Grandpa) got to spend time playing with him every day which was wonderful. When I was in the shower one morning, my Dad introduced Cameron to television. I’m sorry to say that Cameron was mesmerized by the TV!!! I have a cute picture of the 2 of them propped on pillows on the bed watching TV together.
All the rest of the California cousins loved meeting Cameron, and he had fun with them. He’s not yet at that stage where’s he’s afraid of strangers, so he played with everyone. We made an extra effort to see some friends and some of my Mom’s family too. It was a busy trip, but I’m happy everyone got to meet Cameron and share our joy regarding him coming into our family!!!
All the rest of the California cousins loved meeting Cameron, and he had fun with them. He’s not yet at that stage where’s he’s afraid of strangers, so he played with everyone. We made an extra effort to see some friends and some of my Mom’s family too. It was a busy trip, but I’m happy everyone got to meet Cameron and share our joy regarding him coming into our family!!!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Cameron and I will fly out to Los Angeles with my Dad today. My Dad’s sister passed away so we’re going out there for the memorial service. We’ll have lots of my Dad’s family gathered for the weekend there, so Cameron will get to meet lots of family! They’re all eager to meet him! I have no idea how he’ll do with the flights or the time change, so I hope it goes OK. We’re all looking forward to some warm weather in sunny California.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Cameron is now at the age where he’s really starting to enjoy his exer-saucer! He sits in it and hits the attached toys so they spin and move. He laughs when he makes the toys move. The exer-saucer has wheels on it so it will move when he gets old enough to walk and push it with his legs.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
We had a relaxing day at home playing with Cameron. Lance blows loud raspberries on Cameron’s stomach which make Cameron laugh hysterically. I like to sing and dance with him. He stares right into my eyes totally focused on me smiling. He really responds to music and my bad singing. It melts my heart.
Aunt JuJu (my sister Julie) came over to play with Cameron today. She was there the first day we brought him home in November, and she’s seen him on holidays, but all of her other time has been teaching, coaching, and studying for her board certifications as a teacher. She already has 2 masters degrees and now the principal at her school encouraged Julie to get the national board certification. She’s been very busy trying to get everything ready. She’ll be done in June and the will find out which sections she passed and which she’ll need to repeat.
Julie and Cameron played and read books while I ran some errands. I was happy to have them spend time together. She lives nearby, and I know she’ll get him started with baseball as he gets a little older.
Aunt JuJu (my sister Julie) came over to play with Cameron today. She was there the first day we brought him home in November, and she’s seen him on holidays, but all of her other time has been teaching, coaching, and studying for her board certifications as a teacher. She already has 2 masters degrees and now the principal at her school encouraged Julie to get the national board certification. She’s been very busy trying to get everything ready. She’ll be done in June and the will find out which sections she passed and which she’ll need to repeat.
Julie and Cameron played and read books while I ran some errands. I was happy to have them spend time together. She lives nearby, and I know she’ll get him started with baseball as he gets a little older.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
We went to a “Baby-Wearing” class today. I have some friends that really believe in this concept of baby-wearing, so I was interested to learn more. The idea is holding the baby close in a sling or wrap, or whatever. Lance went with me and we tried all different kinds of slings and positions with Cameron.
I was especially interested in the “cradle-carry” position which mimics the breast feeding position. He likes this position and I never got to breast feed. As soon as we got him into the wrap in this position, he was all snug and happy!
After the class, we went over to visit my cousin and her new daughter, Makailyn. She’s 8 days old and adorable. It seems like so long ago that Cameron was that tiny! I’m excited that Cameron will have cousins and second cousins so close to his age.
I was especially interested in the “cradle-carry” position which mimics the breast feeding position. He likes this position and I never got to breast feed. As soon as we got him into the wrap in this position, he was all snug and happy!
After the class, we went over to visit my cousin and her new daughter, Makailyn. She’s 8 days old and adorable. It seems like so long ago that Cameron was that tiny! I’m excited that Cameron will have cousins and second cousins so close to his age.
Friday, April 11, 2008
We had our last social worker visit for the adoption. Lance took the morning off work so we could all meet together. Everything went great. At this point it was really just a formality.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
My sister Sandy sent out the ultrasound picture of her baby to the family today. She found out that her baby will be a boy!!! I’m excited that Cameron will have a boy cousin so close in age! I’m also excited for Sandy that she can save money using all of Cameron’s things as he outgrows them.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Cameron is now 16 pounds and 24 inches! He’s growing really fast!
He still doesn’t have much hair.
He still doesn’t have much hair.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Cameron had some appointments at specialists today and yesterday. We still don’t have a diagnosis regarding the slower development of his right side. These specialists think the best course of action is to continue with the physical therapy weekly. We’ll also start occupational therapy next week to work on his hand-eye coordination on the right side. We’ll check back in with the specialists in a couple of months. Everyone has been really pleased to see we got started with the therapy so quickly, and they are all optimistic about his future!
Monday, March 31, 2008
I got an email from Courtney after I sent the monthly letter and pictures. She expressed thanks for the letters and pictures. She remarked about how strongly Cameron resembles his Birthfather. She promised to send us more pictures of her for Cameron’s lifebook. It was great to hear from her!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
I don’t remember the date, but I spoke with Justine, Courtney’s college room mate and a friend of our family. We had a chat regarding therapy for Cameron since Justine has experience as a patient at Children’s Memorial. I inquired about Courtney. Justine says it’s been a rough go for Courtney since her parents accidentally found out about the baby. Apparently, after the Christmas break, the hospital somehow got Courtney’s parents’ address and mailed paperwork about the baby there. It’s been extra emotional for Courtney while she works through this with her parents.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Cameron rolled over from his stomach to his back today for the first time! He has been rolling over from his back to his stomach for weeks, but now he started rolling over from his stomach to his back. The doctor says he started the harder roll first. We’re happy to see him hit his developmental milestones.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Lance and I went to IKEA to pick out the rest of Cameron’s furniture. One if their furniture designers helped us to plan out his room. We brought home 2 carloads full of boxes, and will start assembling everything this weekend. His room will be really cute!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Lance and I drove down to St Louis with Cameron to celebrate Easter with Lance’s family. They hadn’t seen Cameron since Christmas so he was the center of attention. Everyone took turns holding him and playing with him. They all enjoyed getting him to smile and laugh. He especially enjoyed time with his Grandma Sylvia! Of course she spoiled him with attention, which is exactly what Grandmas are supposed to do!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Lance and I went to a parenting lecture organized by a friend of ours through La Leche League as a fundraiser. The speaker was Adele Faber. She’s written a series of practical parenting books. She was pretty funny and had some ideas to share that we really liked.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
There’s big news in our family. My sister Sandy is pregnant! She’s single and lives in Milwaukee so everyone is worried about her. We realize how hard it will be for her to raise a baby on her own in a city away from her family. She needs to keep this Milwaukee job now because she needs the medical insurance for delivery of the baby. Hopefully she’ll move back to Chicago after the baby is born in September. Though we realize it will be hard for her as a single parent, we’re excited that Cameron will have a cousin so close to his age! Sandy and I are close, so I’m certain we’ll spend lots of time with this child.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
We went to visit some friends that have yet more children’s clothes etc for Cameron. Our friends have been truly generous with gifts, and with clothes, toys, etc from their children. He’s 4 months old now, and literally the gifts for him keep coming every day. We are blessed to have so many people celebrating Cameron in our lives.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Happy St Patty’s Day a few days early! We met our family and some friends to celebrate at a local Irish pub/restaurant. My cousin Gerry provided the music. He sings with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, and also sings at this pub for the St Patty’s Day holiday. He has a beautiful voice! A couple years ago Gerry competed as a finalist in the Irish America Idol. Our family all went to cheer him on, and it was pretty fun. Cameron loves music, which is great because we do too. He really responds to it, which is fun to watch.
Friday, March 14, 2008
We had the Physical Therapy consultation today. The therapist, Aimee, sees a need for therapy and some follow-up visits with specialists. Cameron’s left side is completely in track for his age, but his right side is developing slower. Luckily, we live within walking distance to one the best Rehabilitation facilities in the world, and our Children’s Hospital nearby also is world class. I’m on the waiting list for appointments with some specialists, and Aimee told us about an early intervention program. She also told me how great it is that we can start so early with treatment.
I was sad that Cameron will need this treatment, but he wasn’t! As Aimee was evaluating him, he was all happy and smiling and laughing. He’s such a happy baby. Even with this recent development, he’s perfect to us! It’s our job as his parents to get him the best care so he can have the best life possible! Aimee is optimistic that with treatment he’ll be able to crawl and walk on schedule.
I was sad that Cameron will need this treatment, but he wasn’t! As Aimee was evaluating him, he was all happy and smiling and laughing. He’s such a happy baby. Even with this recent development, he’s perfect to us! It’s our job as his parents to get him the best care so he can have the best life possible! Aimee is optimistic that with treatment he’ll be able to crawl and walk on schedule.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
We met friends at the Children’s Museum. It’s within walking distance of our home on Navy Pier and it’s really wonderful. Our friend’s kids loved it, but Cameron slept almost the entire time. We decided to join the museum because I’m sure it will be Cameron’s favorite, and they have wonderful classes for kids.
As we were leaving, they had the Sesame Street characters at the exit. We were able to pose for pics with them. Cameron was really curious, but mostly he loved the loud kid music they were blasting.
As we were leaving, they had the Sesame Street characters at the exit. We were able to pose for pics with them. Cameron was really curious, but mostly he loved the loud kid music they were blasting.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Cameron’s eyes are turning brown! Over the past couple of weeks they’ve been starting to gradually change. I’ve heard people say babies are born with blue eyes and then the color can change by 6 months of age. His eyes were such a beautiful blue, and now they’re a blue-brown shifting to become brown. His eyelashes are also getting darker so his eyes look even more beautiful!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
We started Cameron on cereal today. The doctor had forewarned us that it might be messy for at least a week as Cameron learns how to eat. We didn’t need a week of practice. He ate the entire bowl immediately and was looking for more! It really was cute to watch him eat for the first time! He’s so aware and so curious, and it was fun to watch his facial expressions as he experienced food for the first time!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
We saw the doctor for Cameron’s 4 month check-up. He’s up to 14 pounds and 24-3/4 inches! He’s growing so fast!!! He’s reached all the development milestones as appropriate for his age. The doctor said Cameron got the rolling backwards, meaning that most babies start rolling from their stomach to their backs, while Cameron started with the harder rolling from his back to his stomach.
The doctor wasn’t overly concerned about Cameron not using his right arm, but said it would be OK to contact a physical therapist to get an evaluation. He said its time to start Cameron on cereal, and then in 4 weeks we can start him on fruits & veggies. I can’t believe he’s ready to eat food already.
The doctor wasn’t overly concerned about Cameron not using his right arm, but said it would be OK to contact a physical therapist to get an evaluation. He said its time to start Cameron on cereal, and then in 4 weeks we can start him on fruits & veggies. I can’t believe he’s ready to eat food already.
Friday, February 29, 2008
We had a social worker visit today. We discussed Cameron’s health and development. It was a nice visit, and we only have one more until the adoption is finalized!!! Everything is on track and progressing smoothly!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
We had the family over to celebrate Lance’s birthday. It was a fun evening with a big feast, and a delicious chocolate birthday cake made by my sister-in-law Chris. Cameron was mesmerized by the birthday candles and the singing!
Friday, February 22, 2008
My co-worker Michelle came over today with a gift for Cameron. She made him this gorgeous scrap book photo album. It’s completely personalized and ready for me to insert photos of his special life moments. The wife of another co-worker gave me a different kind of scrapbook photo album this week. The one she made for Cameron is specifically for Halloween and Christmas. Each year there will be a page for a Halloween pic and a Christmas pic. I already framed his first Santa pic, so now I can put the photos from each coming year into this beautiful album. Both of these books are truly beautiful! I’m so touched by all the effort they made to create these books to capture our special memories with Cameron!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Today Cameron took his pacifier out of his mouth with his left hand, and then out it back in! I was so amazed! I cheered him on! He gave me this cute flirty toothless grin with head cocked to one side and his chin tucked in. I swear he’s flirting with me. It’s absolutely priceless. He’s so happy. He’s definitely going to be left handed, but he’s still not using his right hand. I’ll ask the doctor about his right arm again at the 4 month check up.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
We had out last of three showers today. This one was a couples shower so Lance could participate. Most of this group is just starting their families so it’s great to be surrounded by so many other new parents! It was another perfect day surrounded by friends celebrating Cameron coming into our lives! The presents were secondary to the celebration!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
My best friend Shari came for the weekend to finally meet Cameron. She ahs 2 young boys with her husband and it’s been hard for her to get a weekend to visit. She came bearing even more gifts! She’s been so generous already giving us all the hand-me-downs from her boys including the stroller, car seat, clothes and toys. It was great to see her and have her meet Cameron!
Friday, February 15, 2008
Cameron rolled over onto his stomach today! We’ve been working with him on “tummy time” and rolling. Today he started on his back, and rocked his legs until he rolled over on his side. Then he rolled over onto his stomach. Unfortunately, he hasn’t figured out how to roll back over onto his back.
Monday, February 11, 2008
We’ve already had 2 baby showers and will still have a third one later this month. A friend suggested registering at Amazon for books and music. We already bought lots of kids CD’s for him, and have a stack of books, but we liked the idea of more books as he grows and maybe some of the classic Disney music. I went online and looked up all the Caldecott award winner books, and have been spending a bit of time each evening reading parents reviews of each award winning book. I selected some that seem universally loved, and that I think both Lance and Cameron will enjoy reading together!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
We had some cousins over for brunch. They wanted to come over and meet Cameron and talk about adoption. We’re excited to hear that they’re considering adoption too! It will be even more cousins and playmates for Cameron!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
We took Cameron to the nature museum with our friends and their daughter. There’s a new music exhibit for kids. I know he’s young, but we figure a child can’t be too young for music, and Lance’s best friend Eric still hasn’t met Cameron. Eric’s and his wife Corinne have a 2 year old daughter Maya, and Corinne is due to deliver a little boy in a few months so Cameron will have a playmate! Eric & Lance will be able to do father & son stuff together with the boys.
Anyway, Cameron loved the music! There were many interactive exhibits where kids could bang on bongos, sing into microphones, etc. His favorite exhibit was this huge wooden xylophone. When Lance and Maya pounded on it, Cameron laughed and laughed. It was adorable to see him laughing and enjoying the music!
Anyway, Cameron loved the music! There were many interactive exhibits where kids could bang on bongos, sing into microphones, etc. His favorite exhibit was this huge wooden xylophone. When Lance and Maya pounded on it, Cameron laughed and laughed. It was adorable to see him laughing and enjoying the music!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Lance made a schedule for Cameron’s immunizations. We’ve heard quite a bit in the news about Mother’s convinced that immunizations caused their baby’s autism, so we wanted to be well informed before proceeding. I gathered the websites and Lance reviewed the findings since he’s the science guy. He’s convinced that at this point he studies are more correlation than causation, so we’ll proceed with caution. We decided to space out the shots rather than doing so many at once. They wanted to give Cameron 8 immunizations at once. This seems like way too many to us for a small baby, so we’ll space them out. The MMR shot seems to be the most controversial so we’ll read up more on that one before he gets it.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
A group of about 10 girlfriends had a baby shower for Cameron. He loved being passed around and held by all the women! The girls had a cake made for Cameron with a picture on top that looked just like him! They had a banner saying “Welcome Home Cameron!” which of course made me cry. It was a perfect day with Cameron surrounded by friends!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
There was an article in the Chicago Tribune all about the importance of tummy-time for babies. It said to start it by day 5 which we didn’t, so now he doesn’t like it much but we persist. We make sure he spends time on his tummy, and when he cried, we move him to his side. Sometimes he rolls himself over to his tummy and then seems surprised and unhappy. He seems to like it best when we distract him with toys at eye level.
We have soooo many toys for him now. People have been so generous with us and we’ve got cards with faces and mirrors, lots of musical animals, lots of books, Lamaze rattles, etc. He has more toys already than he can use!
Now he received gifts of the Baby Einstein DVD’s for language, art and music. I’m looking forward to seeing how he reacts to them. We also got about 25 videos that our friend’s children have outgrown. We got Barney, Sesame Street, Thomas the Train and others. He’s too young for these now, but I’m sure he’ll enjoy them on future car trips to St Louis to visit Lance’s family. My Dad has the equipment to convert the VHS format to DVD’s and we’ll get Cameron one of these DVD players for long car rides.
We have soooo many toys for him now. People have been so generous with us and we’ve got cards with faces and mirrors, lots of musical animals, lots of books, Lamaze rattles, etc. He has more toys already than he can use!
Now he received gifts of the Baby Einstein DVD’s for language, art and music. I’m looking forward to seeing how he reacts to them. We also got about 25 videos that our friend’s children have outgrown. We got Barney, Sesame Street, Thomas the Train and others. He’s too young for these now, but I’m sure he’ll enjoy them on future car trips to St Louis to visit Lance’s family. My Dad has the equipment to convert the VHS format to DVD’s and we’ll get Cameron one of these DVD players for long car rides.
Friday, January 25, 2008
I had to fly out to Vegas over the weekend for a company meeting. Lance was alone with Cameron for the first time. Luckily, Cameron took it easy on Lance and decided to only start waking up once per night, instead of twice. Lance said Cameron was really cheerful all weekend and they had a fun Dad and Son weekend without me!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Hooray! Yippee! And Yahoo!!!
We finally heard back that the court has entered the final order to terminate the birthfather’s rights. He never came forward to oppose the adoption so we’re thrilled to keep moving forward.
Our feelings of happiness are somewhat tempered by thinking about Courtney and everything she’s experiencing. We’re thinking about Courtney and how it must not feel very good to her that this young man hasn’t acknowledged all she’s gone through in the past 12 months. She was correct that he would not come forward to oppose the adoption, and we know she wanted 2 parents for Cameron, but we also recognize what a tough year this must have been for her both physically and emotionally.
We’re also thinking about Cameron and what the future will hold with his birthfather. We feel really good that he’ll know Courtney and feel her love and know that the adoption was a decision she made out of this strong love for him. We don’t have any idea what the future will hold for Cameron as far as ever having any relation or knowledge of his birthfather. It’s unknown now how the future will unfold in this regard.
So it’s a day of complex emotions, but the overriding emotion is joy! I started calling everyone to share the good news! So far we’d only told family and our closest friends about Cameron being in our lives since we still weren’t feeling so certain about the adoption. We still hadn’t told most of our friends about Cameron, because of the downside possibility. Now we can tell everyone! We’re thrilled to share Cameron with all of our friends and extended family!!!
We started ordering Cameron’s bedroom furniture right away!
We finally heard back that the court has entered the final order to terminate the birthfather’s rights. He never came forward to oppose the adoption so we’re thrilled to keep moving forward.
Our feelings of happiness are somewhat tempered by thinking about Courtney and everything she’s experiencing. We’re thinking about Courtney and how it must not feel very good to her that this young man hasn’t acknowledged all she’s gone through in the past 12 months. She was correct that he would not come forward to oppose the adoption, and we know she wanted 2 parents for Cameron, but we also recognize what a tough year this must have been for her both physically and emotionally.
We’re also thinking about Cameron and what the future will hold with his birthfather. We feel really good that he’ll know Courtney and feel her love and know that the adoption was a decision she made out of this strong love for him. We don’t have any idea what the future will hold for Cameron as far as ever having any relation or knowledge of his birthfather. It’s unknown now how the future will unfold in this regard.
So it’s a day of complex emotions, but the overriding emotion is joy! I started calling everyone to share the good news! So far we’d only told family and our closest friends about Cameron being in our lives since we still weren’t feeling so certain about the adoption. We still hadn’t told most of our friends about Cameron, because of the downside possibility. Now we can tell everyone! We’re thrilled to share Cameron with all of our friends and extended family!!!
We started ordering Cameron’s bedroom furniture right away!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Lance and I got a babysitter for Cameron and had a “date night” for dinner and a movie. We went to see the movie Juno. We’d been waiting to see it since the topic is obviously close to home. There’s a scene in the beginning of the movie where Juno starts complaining to the potential mother (Jennifer Garner) about all the undesirable physical symptoms of pregnancy. She makes a comment about how Jennifer Garner’s character should be glad she’s not pregnant. I started crying at that point because any infertile woman would be thrilled to experience pregnancy, even with its downsides. I pretty much cried through the rest of the movie from that point. Lance and I both enjoyed our evening out together even if I cried through the movie!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Still no word from the court! Of course we’re eager to get news. The birthfather never responded and his time expired, so the papers have been filed in court. Now we’re waiting for the judge to sign….
Cameron is getting strong! He’s reaching and pushing with his arms and legs. He definitely leads with his left arm so we’re thinking maybe he’ll be left-handed?? Both Courtney and the birthfather are both lefties. Lance is a leftie too, so he can relate well to Cameron as he learns to navigate the world if he’s left-handed too!
Cameron is getting strong! He’s reaching and pushing with his arms and legs. He definitely leads with his left arm so we’re thinking maybe he’ll be left-handed?? Both Courtney and the birthfather are both lefties. Lance is a leftie too, so he can relate well to Cameron as he learns to navigate the world if he’s left-handed too!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
It seems like Cameron’s sleep schedule rules our lives. Not really, but it sure feels that way some times! We clearly see the difference in his level of happiness when he’s well rested so we’re working to create good sleep habits for him.
He’s absolutely loving the gifts from the shower! His favorites so far are the bouncy chair and also the gym/activity mat. The chair has a pad near his feet that sets off lights and music when he kicks. I’m not sure if he realizes that the kicking sets it off, but he certainly realizes his movement starts it. He’s moving and wiggling to make it go. He laughs and smiles while he’s wiggling. It’s so cute! He also loves this activity mat that has a gym with animals hanging over. It plays Mozart and has flashing flowers. He reaches up his arms to hit the animals. He can’t quite grasp them yet without help, but he’s definitely reaching for them and smiling, cooing, and making that “Ah-Gooo” noise really loud.
He’s absolutely loving the gifts from the shower! His favorites so far are the bouncy chair and also the gym/activity mat. The chair has a pad near his feet that sets off lights and music when he kicks. I’m not sure if he realizes that the kicking sets it off, but he certainly realizes his movement starts it. He’s moving and wiggling to make it go. He laughs and smiles while he’s wiggling. It’s so cute! He also loves this activity mat that has a gym with animals hanging over. It plays Mozart and has flashing flowers. He reaches up his arms to hit the animals. He can’t quite grasp them yet without help, but he’s definitely reaching for them and smiling, cooing, and making that “Ah-Gooo” noise really loud.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
I heard that the crib we want for Cameron is in stock so we can get it as soon as we get the word from the court this week. I also went to IKEA today to have their designer help me plan his room with a storage wall, etc. It turns out that the designer at IKEA is an adoptive Mom also of a 2 year old boy, so she’s the perfect one to help me plan Cameron’s room! I’m going to use a contemporary barnyard theme for his room. The main colors will be a light spa aqua blue and a pale lime green, accented with all the other bright colors of the animal shapes. I’m thinking about using my art skills to paint some big animals on the walls. We’re assuming he’ll love animals, since Lance does, and we live within walking distance of the zoo.
Monday, January 14, 2008
This is our last week of waiting regarding Cameron’s Birthfather. We hope to hear back from the court later this week with a final termination of the Birthfather’s rights.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
We had our first baby shower today! It was held at my brother’s house and hosted by my sisters and sisters-in-law, with my cousins, aunts and friends of family. It was just perfect! Everyone was so excited to see Cameron, and it was a celebration of him joining our family. Plus we got presents too, which was an extra bonus!
Everyone was so generous. We got the things he needs right now, like the activity mats for tummy time and a better vibrating chair with music and lights. These things are perfect for his development right now. We also got lots of cute clothes, and many books. My sister surprised me with a sweater my Mom knitted for my first child. My Mom worked on it before she died, and never got to put on the buttons. It’s beautiful, and made me cry.
Cameron had another milestone today too. He had his first booger. He sneezed while my niece Sara was holding him. Unfortunately for her, his first big booger landed on her leg. She thought it was pretty funny, and is looking forward to telling him the story when he gets a bit older. It was gross and funny at the same time!
Everyone was so generous. We got the things he needs right now, like the activity mats for tummy time and a better vibrating chair with music and lights. These things are perfect for his development right now. We also got lots of cute clothes, and many books. My sister surprised me with a sweater my Mom knitted for my first child. My Mom worked on it before she died, and never got to put on the buttons. It’s beautiful, and made me cry.
Cameron had another milestone today too. He had his first booger. He sneezed while my niece Sara was holding him. Unfortunately for her, his first big booger landed on her leg. She thought it was pretty funny, and is looking forward to telling him the story when he gets a bit older. It was gross and funny at the same time!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Cameron is really happy in the mornings. He wakes up and gives me a smile when he sees my face. It’s the sweetest thing ever!! He’s got lots of baby talk going on already. He coos and goos. His most popular word is “Ah-Goo” which he says really enthusiastically. He also makes this “Ah-Oowhh” sound really loud when we’re singing. Lance jokes that he sounds like a baby wolf when he makes that sounds, but I think its Cameron’s way of singing along!
We got the baby Einstein sign language DVD and a book on the same topic so we can teach him when he’s ready.
We got the baby Einstein sign language DVD and a book on the same topic so we can teach him when he’s ready.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Cameron is learning to roll over (at least half way!) When we put him on his side during “tummy time,” he rolled over onto his stomach. Then he wiggled his butt and used his hands and arms to push his head and chest up!
Friday, January 4, 2008
My cousin Kathy and her husband Larry came over for pizza and a nice visit. We hear that Courtney ran into Cameron’s birthfather a number of times over the holidays while both were in their home town for Christmas. He did not inquire about or make any mention of Cameron. We hope this means good news for us that he won’t contest the adoption!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
I took Cameron for his 2 month pediatrician visit. The doctor says he’s doing fine. We continue to experience the problem of him crying during some of his feedings, which may be acid reflux (poor little guy!) The doctor increased his dosage of the medicine since he put on weight. Acid reflux can prevent kids from gaining weight, but Cameron is putting on weight just fine! He’s up to 11 pounds, 6 ounces and is now 22 inches long. His legs grew so much that he outgrew all the clothes he had when he came home from Phoenix!
I’ve been reading the “What to expect the first year” book, which details a child’s development by month with milestones. According to this book, Cameron is right on track picking up his head, and now pushing up his chest too! The book says he should be starting to track objects with his eyes in an arc, but he’s not doing this yet. He’s alert and looks at everything, but isn’t following objects, and isn’t fascinated with faces quite yet either. The doctor isn’t concerned and says to give Cameron another month to develop in these areas.
Lance and I have been reading 3 books that deal with forming good life long sleep habits. We’ve read that sleep (or lack of it) impacts a child’s learning, and it’s certainly obvious that sleep impacts his moods. Cameron still gets up every night about 1:30am and again about 4:30am. That’s pretty good for a 2 month old baby. The doctor says we should start him now on the 3 month sleep routine, which means no sleeping in his chair or swing any more during the day. He isn’t very agreeable to this new routine, but we’ll keep trying if it means a happier, smarter, healthier baby!
Cameron has been smiling a lot now when we stroke his head or rub his tummy. In the past few days he’s started what the doctor called “social smiling” in response to seeing our faces. We love to see him smile!
I’ve been reading the “What to expect the first year” book, which details a child’s development by month with milestones. According to this book, Cameron is right on track picking up his head, and now pushing up his chest too! The book says he should be starting to track objects with his eyes in an arc, but he’s not doing this yet. He’s alert and looks at everything, but isn’t following objects, and isn’t fascinated with faces quite yet either. The doctor isn’t concerned and says to give Cameron another month to develop in these areas.
Lance and I have been reading 3 books that deal with forming good life long sleep habits. We’ve read that sleep (or lack of it) impacts a child’s learning, and it’s certainly obvious that sleep impacts his moods. Cameron still gets up every night about 1:30am and again about 4:30am. That’s pretty good for a 2 month old baby. The doctor says we should start him now on the 3 month sleep routine, which means no sleeping in his chair or swing any more during the day. He isn’t very agreeable to this new routine, but we’ll keep trying if it means a happier, smarter, healthier baby!
Cameron has been smiling a lot now when we stroke his head or rub his tummy. In the past few days he’s started what the doctor called “social smiling” in response to seeing our faces. We love to see him smile!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
We went to IKEA looking at furniture storage systems for Cameron’s room. We stopped in their café for lunch. Lance gave Cameron a bottle while I waited in line for our lunch. When I sat down at the table with Lance and Cameron, a lady came up and told me that Lance should win the father of the year award. She reported that she was watching Lance, and he was so good with Cameron! She wanted to come over and tell me how lucky I am! I told her that I agreed Lance is a great dad, and I know I’m lucky!
Monday, December 24, 2007
We came home from St Louis so we could spend Christmas with my family. Cameron had stacks of gifts from everyone, even though I told them all not to buy anything. My favorite he received is a new hat my niece Amy knitted for him! We also got 2 baby’s first Christmas ornaments for our tree, one with our family photo, and the other with his name hand painted on it. I have a collection of Christmas tree ornaments that are either hand-made by our family, or are from our world travels. These new ornaments are a great addition to our tree!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Lance and I and Cameron drove Sylvia down to St Louis for our family holiday celebration. All the rest of Lance’s family was excited to meet Cameron! He had a great visit, and they gave us a new video camera for Cameron. It will be great to record his milestone events on film.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Lance’s Mom, Sylvia, came to visit so she could meet Cameron. She had soooo much fun with him! She kept giggling about all the cute things he was doing. Unfortunately, she tripped over his swing while she was here, and broke her toe. She couldn’t leave our condo all week because she couldn’t get her shoe on with her swollen foot!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
We took Cameron back to Santa today. We went with My Godson Leo who is 3, and his little brother Sam, aged 1. Both Leo and Sam were a little bit afraid of Santa, but they both told their Christmas wishes to him. I was hoping Cameron would be awake for pictures this time with Santa, but today he cried. I guess all his Santa pics this year will be either sleeping or crying…
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
We have Cameron on the new formula per the doctor’s suggestion. We were hoping it would help with his gas. It seemed to reduce the gas a bit, but unfortunately he still cries sometimes when we feed him. The doctor thinks this is acid reflex so today we started him on a liquid form of generic Zantac for babies. We feel so bad for him when he’s in distress, poor little guy.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
We took Cameron to a kids party at our friend’s home. All the kids were making gingerbread houses. Everyone was excited to meet Cameron. He slept the entire time. He seems to like noise and he sleeps pretty well whenever it’s noisy!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
I took Cameron to see Santa for the first time today! My Dad joined us and I got some pictures with Cameron and my Dad and Santa. Unfortunately, Cameron was sound asleep the entire time. Santa was very patient while I tried to wake Cameron, but no luck! Cameron is asleep with his mouth open in all the Santa pictures!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
It was our first court date. We met our attorney at the Sheriff’s office. We met with the Judge. Cameron got a Sheriff’s badge. The attorney says now we’ll wait about 44 days to see if the birthfather comes forward. If not, we can finalize the adoption by about May 7th.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Lance and I attended a class at Babies R Us on “Sound sleep habits” which was interesting. We intuitively had just started a night time sleep routine at his 1 month birthday. The class confirmed that its time for such a routine, and made suggestions on what makes a good nightly routine. We were putting him in a dark room, giving him a massage, singing soft songs, and giving him the slumber bear heart. It seems to be helping already! During our first month with him, he was up at night every 30-90 minutes. Now with his new routine, he only got up twice last night for feedings. Hooray!!! I hope it’s not a coincidence.
The slumber bear was a gift, and it has a little battery powered monitor we took out and attached on his crib. The monitor plays a recording of a mother’s heart beat as recorded inside the womb. It’s supposed to be soothing to the baby to hear the same sounds he heard while in the womb. He seems to like it!
He’s smiling more now, and he started cooing. This is adorable!
The slumber bear was a gift, and it has a little battery powered monitor we took out and attached on his crib. The monitor plays a recording of a mother’s heart beat as recorded inside the womb. It’s supposed to be soothing to the baby to hear the same sounds he heard while in the womb. He seems to like it!
He’s smiling more now, and he started cooing. This is adorable!
Monday, December 3, 2007
We got up this morning and sang songs again. I was given some wonderful kids CD’s for Cameron. I’m a terrible singer, but Cameron doesn’t know any better yet, so I sing to him all the time. In the morning we have this special disc of really cheerful kids songs that we sing after his first bottle. I move his arms and legs to the music. Its fun for me and he likes it too. He also really likes it when I rub him tummy or his back. He smiles when I do it, which is so very sweet! In the last few days I noticed that his eyes are starting to track things that are close to him.
Today Cameron is too big for the clothes we brought him home in from Phoenix! His body fits but his legs are too long! He’s growing really fast and his legs, arms and neck are starting to get a little bit chubby. He’s either getting cuter every day, or maybe I’m just falling in love with him more each day!
Today Cameron is too big for the clothes we brought him home in from Phoenix! His body fits but his legs are too long! He’s growing really fast and his legs, arms and neck are starting to get a little bit chubby. He’s either getting cuter every day, or maybe I’m just falling in love with him more each day!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Alice, the social worker for the adoption agency, came by for a post placement visit. She had questions about how our families are reacting to Cameron, how Lance is doing as a father, Cameron’s medical stats, his pediatrician, and his sleep/eating habits.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Wow! We started the new formula and it seems to be working already! He was awake and fussy during the night every 1-1/2 hours, and now he slept 2-3 hours. He’s much more calm now. Hooray!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
We hear that Courtney is doing OK, and she’s involved with final exams right now.
Cameron seems kind of gassy and he farts really really loudly! It seems to be problematic when he tries to sleep on a flat surface. He seems better when he sleeps on a slight incline with his little chair. The doctor told us on our last visit that he should sleep at night on a flat surface, so I called the doctor to inquire about the gas. She said its normal and we can tease him abut his loud farts when he gets old enough to understand! She also suggested an alternate formula and said babies are frequently gassy on formula. Lance will buy the new formula today and we’ll see if it helps him.
Cameron seems kind of gassy and he farts really really loudly! It seems to be problematic when he tries to sleep on a flat surface. He seems better when he sleeps on a slight incline with his little chair. The doctor told us on our last visit that he should sleep at night on a flat surface, so I called the doctor to inquire about the gas. She said its normal and we can tease him abut his loud farts when he gets old enough to understand! She also suggested an alternate formula and said babies are frequently gassy on formula. Lance will buy the new formula today and we’ll see if it helps him.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
I worked from Home. Cameron slept a lot. Whenever he was awake, I stopped work and played with him. Tuesday we had a circumcision scheduled, but we found out it was only a consult, not the actual procedure. They want us to come back in 6 months and they want to use anesthesia since he wasn’t circumcised at the hospital. We’ve been doing the research to decide whether or not to follow through with the procedure.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
My Dad came over for dinner again tonight. He calls every day to check on his new Grandson!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Today is Leo’s 3 year old birthday party. We’re trying to avoid crowds with CJ to avoid germs but we’ll stop by the party for a bit to say hi to my Godson on his birthday.
I spent the morning going through the stacks of paperwork and brochures related to CJ. There is alot to do, and lots to learn, and much reading since we’ve become parents. I also need to send more thank you notes. I keep telling everyone no gifts, but they still keep bringing them! We set the shower date January 13th for the family baby shower for CJ. My sisters and my cousin Mary will organize it. I started a baby registry at Babies R Us, but I’ve been learning more about what should be on the registry. People have been very generous loaning us things and buying us gifts, but we still need much more as he’ll grow!
I spent the morning going through the stacks of paperwork and brochures related to CJ. There is alot to do, and lots to learn, and much reading since we’ve become parents. I also need to send more thank you notes. I keep telling everyone no gifts, but they still keep bringing them! We set the shower date January 13th for the family baby shower for CJ. My sisters and my cousin Mary will organize it. I started a baby registry at Babies R Us, but I’ve been learning more about what should be on the registry. People have been very generous loaning us things and buying us gifts, but we still need much more as he’ll grow!
Friday, November 23, 2007
Thanksgiving!
I woke up to find Lance’s Dad Travis already awake. Cameron was awake too, so Grandpa held him and played with him while I made breakfast for all. They were cute together! Dane woke up and spent some more time with CJ while Lance and I got showered. Dane really did great with him and would make a good dad himself (hopefully) one day.
Wow, it was such a happy Thanksgiving! We had so much to give thanks for this year with Cameron in our lives. The entire family was excited about him, and everyone wanted to fight over holding him and feeding him. My niece Sara was the most attentive to him. She’s 11 years old, and was really cute with him! Sara learned how to give him a bottle and burp him. She also was fascinated with how to change his diaper. I think she’ll be a good “mother’s helper” around the holidays when I put up the tree, wrap the presents, etc and need an extra hand to entertain Cameron. I know she’d love it!
At first Mia and Jane were a bit afraid of him, but they all gathered around and kept staring at him in delight. Eventually they each got up their nerve to hold him for awhile. It was fun to see their smiles and their fascination with him! My sister Sandy took CJ upstairs so she could take pictures of him. She used to be a professional photographer and takes great pics of my nieces.
I woke up to find Lance’s Dad Travis already awake. Cameron was awake too, so Grandpa held him and played with him while I made breakfast for all. They were cute together! Dane woke up and spent some more time with CJ while Lance and I got showered. Dane really did great with him and would make a good dad himself (hopefully) one day.
Wow, it was such a happy Thanksgiving! We had so much to give thanks for this year with Cameron in our lives. The entire family was excited about him, and everyone wanted to fight over holding him and feeding him. My niece Sara was the most attentive to him. She’s 11 years old, and was really cute with him! Sara learned how to give him a bottle and burp him. She also was fascinated with how to change his diaper. I think she’ll be a good “mother’s helper” around the holidays when I put up the tree, wrap the presents, etc and need an extra hand to entertain Cameron. I know she’d love it!
At first Mia and Jane were a bit afraid of him, but they all gathered around and kept staring at him in delight. Eventually they each got up their nerve to hold him for awhile. It was fun to see their smiles and their fascination with him! My sister Sandy took CJ upstairs so she could take pictures of him. She used to be a professional photographer and takes great pics of my nieces.
Friday, November 23, 2007
My cousin Mary and her daughter Sara came over before shopping to meet Cameron. Mary had made a connection months back for us with a different Birthmom, and the adoption didn’t work out. Now she was so pleased to see that we’ll finally become parents!!! She and Sara brought us their favorite children’s books for CJ, Curious George, and “Who’s my Mother” by Doctor Suess.
Later that day we took CJ to his next pediatrician visit. I scheduled it on Lance’s day off so he could join us. We were amazed to learn that he was up to 7 lbs 15 ozs which means he gained 1 pound in 8 days since his last doctor visit!!! Wow! He’s right on track for development and the doctor says all looks good. We had a long list of questions and the doctor was very patient to answer all of them.
Later that day we took CJ to his next pediatrician visit. I scheduled it on Lance’s day off so he could join us. We were amazed to learn that he was up to 7 lbs 15 ozs which means he gained 1 pound in 8 days since his last doctor visit!!! Wow! He’s right on track for development and the doctor says all looks good. We had a long list of questions and the doctor was very patient to answer all of them.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
My friend Amy and her 7 year daughter Allison came by to visit Cameron. They brought him baby Lego blocks and Allison’s favorite Disney storybook full of short condensed stories great for bedtime reading. Allison is a great reader so she read his first story, Peter Pan! It also gave me an opportunity to do Cameron’s laundry, and run some errands.
That afternoon, our friends Dave and Monica showed up to meet Cameron. They brought their 2 boys aged 1 and 3 to met Cameron. They also brought dinner. Monica has been extremely helpful with advice and baby items from Leo and Sam that Cameron can use. I’m Leo’s Godmother, and we gave him his birthday gift early, a smash up race car!
That evening, Lance’s brother Dane and Lance’s Dad Travis drove up from St Louis to meet Cameron! Dane jumped right in to learn how to feed and burp Cameron. Dane was impressed to see how well Lance is doing with Cameron and fatherhood!
That afternoon, our friends Dave and Monica showed up to meet Cameron. They brought their 2 boys aged 1 and 3 to met Cameron. They also brought dinner. Monica has been extremely helpful with advice and baby items from Leo and Sam that Cameron can use. I’m Leo’s Godmother, and we gave him his birthday gift early, a smash up race car!
That evening, Lance’s brother Dane and Lance’s Dad Travis drove up from St Louis to meet Cameron! Dane jumped right in to learn how to feed and burp Cameron. Dane was impressed to see how well Lance is doing with Cameron and fatherhood!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Debbie babysat Cameron while I got a haircut. It was my first time using the car seat. That afternoon, I got a flu shot so I wouldn’t be sick for Cameron. Later that evening, my girlfriends Brenda and Kiki came by with Pizza to meet Cameron.
Monday, November 19, 2007
My friend Kate and her 5 year old adopted son Ruslan came over to meet Cameron today. They watched Cameron while I ran a bunch of errands. When I returned, we took the boys to the park 2 blocks away.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Our friends Jeff and Tracey came over today to meet Cameron. They have and 18 month old son so they were really helpful with local resources and ideas. We chatted about strollers that are best suited for city life. I wanted a lightweight stroller with sturdy wheels for snow, which also has a good protective cover to block Cameron from the wind in the winter.
Lance and I gave Cameron our first bath together. He didn’t even cry. He seemed to like the hair washing!
Lance and I gave Cameron our first bath together. He didn’t even cry. He seemed to like the hair washing!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
My friend Kathleen came over early to sit with Cameron so Lance could sleep and I could go with another friend, Monica, to Babies R Us. Monica helped me evaluate strollers and look at cribs. We’re afraid to have bad luck by buying lots of stuff before the 75 day waiting period expires. Our friends & family are excited and generous so we’ll have 3 baby showers. Monica helped me to start a gift registry for the future showers. I also bought some new diapers and a few other items we need now. We’ll wait on buying everything else until we have more certainty about the adoption.
My family wants to do a shower for all of our extended family with cousins etc. My good friend Kate, who is waiting to do her second adoption from Russia any day, will also throw a shower for all of my girlfriends. My friend Amy who went to business school with me, also will throw a couples baby shower so Lance can be included. It’s great that so many people are excited for us, and we are feeling very very blessed. It will be great to share our excitement and celebrate Cameron’s arrival into our lives!!!
Debbie came over tonight with dinner for us. She was anxious to meet Cameron. She’s my sister-in-law’s sister and lives nearby. She will babysit Tuesday when I have my hair cut. She’s out-of-work right now which will work great for us because she can babysit while I run errands, etc.
Lance plans to let me sleep again tonight. Hooray!
My family wants to do a shower for all of our extended family with cousins etc. My good friend Kate, who is waiting to do her second adoption from Russia any day, will also throw a shower for all of my girlfriends. My friend Amy who went to business school with me, also will throw a couples baby shower so Lance can be included. It’s great that so many people are excited for us, and we are feeling very very blessed. It will be great to share our excitement and celebrate Cameron’s arrival into our lives!!!
Debbie came over tonight with dinner for us. She was anxious to meet Cameron. She’s my sister-in-law’s sister and lives nearby. She will babysit Tuesday when I have my hair cut. She’s out-of-work right now which will work great for us because she can babysit while I run errands, etc.
Lance plans to let me sleep again tonight. Hooray!
Friday, November 16, 2007
Cameron and I were alone all day. He was up most if the night unfortunately, so he slept most of the day. I used the time to fold laundry and try to get better organized with all of the baby items everyone has been bringing over. Our family and friends brought over almost everything we need for the first 75 days while we’re waiting to see if Cameron’s birthfather comes forward. Of course, we’ve already fallen in love with Cameron and will be heartbroken if we don’t become his “forever family.”
My sister-in-law Laura made food for us and sent it over so we didn’t need to be worried about cooking while we’re getting settled and are focused on our new son, Cameron! We’re very appreciative of all of the help everyone is giving us!
Lance will stay up with Cameron tonight so I get my first night of sleep all week! I’m tired but happy! I’m also a bit anxious about the adoption falling through, even though Courtney reassured us it would be OK. I’ve been having nightmares about Cameron being taken away from us.
My sister-in-law Laura made food for us and sent it over so we didn’t need to be worried about cooking while we’re getting settled and are focused on our new son, Cameron! We’re very appreciative of all of the help everyone is giving us!
Lance will stay up with Cameron tonight so I get my first night of sleep all week! I’m tired but happy! I’m also a bit anxious about the adoption falling through, even though Courtney reassured us it would be OK. I’ve been having nightmares about Cameron being taken away from us.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Kathy stayed overnight and we took Cameron to his first appointment with his new pediatrician. The doctor’s office is within walking distance so we bundled him up and walked over. Of course Cameron hated getting naked to be weighed, and measured. The doctor says all is fine. Cameron’s ambilical cord is starting to fall off, so she asked that we use alcohol and come back next week for a follow-up visit. I scheduled the next appointment for a day Lance can get off work to join us. She gave us the phone number for the urologist if we want to have the circumcism.
My Dad came over for again today and practiced giving Cameron the bottle. He’s getting back into practice with baby again! I started to do laundry and wash all of the things everybody brought over for Cameron.
My Dad came over for again today and practiced giving Cameron the bottle. He’s getting back into practice with baby again! I started to do laundry and wash all of the things everybody brought over for Cameron.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
I took Chris to the airport and my sister Julie was due to arrive later that evening to help me. Then we got back to our friend’s house, we heard from the attorney that we already got the approval to come back home! I called Julie to cancel her flights later that day, and then called Lance to get ready. I ran around doing all of Cameron’s laundry, washing his bottles, and then cleaning our friend’s house. It was crazy, but I got to the airport in time for the 3pm flight.
I had to change Cameron’s diaper in the United airlines Red Carpet Club. It was the poopiest one so far, what Chris calls the 5 alarm wiper diaper, which means 5 wipes to clean up! Poor Cameron screamed throughout the diaper change. It was my first time using the diaper bag and trying one of those bathroom changing stations. It took a little longer, which made the poor little guy unhappier. I fed him part of his bottle before the plane, and then saved the rest for the flight since I heard its better for his ears to suck when the plane takes off into the air. Of course he wanted nothing to do with the bottle on the plane. He took the pacifier but was unsettled and later spit it out. He started crying and crying. I finally got him to calm down, and slept on my chest for the rest of the flight!
Lance was waiting for us at the airport, and then my sister Julie was waiting for us at home. Julie was so excited to meet Cameron!!! She held him while we unpacked the car and got a bit settled.
I had to change Cameron’s diaper in the United airlines Red Carpet Club. It was the poopiest one so far, what Chris calls the 5 alarm wiper diaper, which means 5 wipes to clean up! Poor Cameron screamed throughout the diaper change. It was my first time using the diaper bag and trying one of those bathroom changing stations. It took a little longer, which made the poor little guy unhappier. I fed him part of his bottle before the plane, and then saved the rest for the flight since I heard its better for his ears to suck when the plane takes off into the air. Of course he wanted nothing to do with the bottle on the plane. He took the pacifier but was unsettled and later spit it out. He started crying and crying. I finally got him to calm down, and slept on my chest for the rest of the flight!
Lance was waiting for us at the airport, and then my sister Julie was waiting for us at home. Julie was so excited to meet Cameron!!! She held him while we unpacked the car and got a bit settled.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
We weren’t sure how many weeks we’d need to stay in Phoenix, so we decided Lance would go back to work while Chris waited with me and helped me with Cameron. Lance went home Sunday morning. I gave him his “daddy to do” list of things to get ready for us when we bring Cameron home. Later, Chris and I gave Cameron his first bath. We figured he would scream, but he actually seemed to like it Ok. We put him on a towel on the kitchen counter. I covered him with a towel while Chris washed him.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
After my first night with Cameron I had lots of questions??? I was having all these thoughts about wanting to be a great Mom for Cameron and keep him safe, yet not feeling ready with all the info I needed. Lance found a parenting class at the hospital on the corner, called Scottsdale Hospital. It was a “sneak peek” class for soon-to-be parents. We brought Cameron and the nurse said it was the first time she had a “live model” for one of her classes! While all the pregnant couples practiced on their plastic babies, the nurse Michelle used Cameron to show what to do. It worked GREAT because we got to see the nurse show what to do, and then practice it ourselves on Cameron. It was a really helpful class and I felt so much more prepared!
We picked up my sister-in-law Chris at the airport later that day. She was the first family member to meet Cameron!!! It was great to have Chris helping me with knowing what to do and what to expect. Lance stayed up with Cameron since it would be my last opportunity to get his help before he left to go home. Lance tried the “kangaroo care” with Cameron in a diaper sleeping on Lance’s bare chest. According to Lance, their first night alone together went well.
We picked up my sister-in-law Chris at the airport later that day. She was the first family member to meet Cameron!!! It was great to have Chris helping me with knowing what to do and what to expect. Lance stayed up with Cameron since it would be my last opportunity to get his help before he left to go home. Lance tried the “kangaroo care” with Cameron in a diaper sleeping on Lance’s bare chest. According to Lance, their first night alone together went well.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Lance and I drove to the attorney’s office. We were nervous, and weren’t really sure what to expect. Courtney and Cameron were already there in the parking lot. She started to put Cameron’s things into our car, and I stopped to give Courtney a big hug and express my gratitude again. Lance gave her a hug too. We started crying already, and pretty much cried on and off the entire 2 hours it took to sign the papers. We got here at 9 am and weren’t done until after 11am due to mistakes in the paperwork.
We added a “contact agreement” for the open adoption. We agreed to monthly pictures and letters. We also agreed to fly Courtney out to visit us once per year for 5 years while she finished her education.
Courtney had a really hard time signing the papers. She was sobbing, and then I started sobbing to see her so unhappy. I was feeling our happiness after this long long path to parenthood, but was also feeling the pain of the journey and feeling her pain. Everyone in the room was crying even the paralegal. Cameron was the only one not crying! After she finally signed the papers, we left Courtney alone in the room to say goodbye to Cameron. They eventually were done saying their goodbyes and we had hugs all around. Courtney placed Cameron in my arms and then she drove off. We went back in to speak with the attorney for a few minutes and then we drove Cameron back to our friend’s house.
After we got settled in there, my friend took me to WalMart shopping for a few necessary items for the baby. My friend also arranged to borrow some baby things from another friend for Cameron. Lance had jetlag from his business trip to Israel and Turkey so he went to bed at 7pm and slept all the way through to 5:30am! My friends helped me set everything up, and then I had my first night alone with Cameron!!!
We added a “contact agreement” for the open adoption. We agreed to monthly pictures and letters. We also agreed to fly Courtney out to visit us once per year for 5 years while she finished her education.
Courtney had a really hard time signing the papers. She was sobbing, and then I started sobbing to see her so unhappy. I was feeling our happiness after this long long path to parenthood, but was also feeling the pain of the journey and feeling her pain. Everyone in the room was crying even the paralegal. Cameron was the only one not crying! After she finally signed the papers, we left Courtney alone in the room to say goodbye to Cameron. They eventually were done saying their goodbyes and we had hugs all around. Courtney placed Cameron in my arms and then she drove off. We went back in to speak with the attorney for a few minutes and then we drove Cameron back to our friend’s house.
After we got settled in there, my friend took me to WalMart shopping for a few necessary items for the baby. My friend also arranged to borrow some baby things from another friend for Cameron. Lance had jetlag from his business trip to Israel and Turkey so he went to bed at 7pm and slept all the way through to 5:30am! My friends helped me set everything up, and then I had my first night alone with Cameron!!!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Lance and I used the morning to review the medical records and then share them with Doctor in Chicago that specializes in medical services for adopted children. The background medical forms Courtney filled out were pretty sparse. She says everyone in both families is healthy. She didn’t have that much background medical data since both her Father, and the baby’s biological Father are both adopted.
Courtney invited Lance and me to join her for the baby’s pediatrician visit today. The hospital had suggested their pediatric practice, but unfortunately that group was completely unfriendly to adoption. We were told that even with Courtney’s invitation, we would not be allowed to be in the room with her and the baby for the appointment and that the doctor would not speak with us. Instead, we found a different adoption friendly pediatric practice suggested by our local friends.
We had a hamburger with Courtney at “In & Out Burger”, and then dropped her off later at the family’s house where she was staying. I wanted to give her space to have her last evening alone with Cameron.
Courtney called me later in the evening to change the plan for Friday a bit. I was worried she was changing her mind about the adoption, but she wasn’t. I expressed that the new plan should work out better for her emotionally since I knew it was going to be a hard day for her. I also expressed our gratitude and reassured her that we’d provide a good life for Cameron. She responded with some great compliments about us, and her confidence in her decision to select us as the adoptive parents for her baby. This reassured me a bit that she was at peace with her decision, even though it was a heartbreaking one!
Courtney invited Lance and me to join her for the baby’s pediatrician visit today. The hospital had suggested their pediatric practice, but unfortunately that group was completely unfriendly to adoption. We were told that even with Courtney’s invitation, we would not be allowed to be in the room with her and the baby for the appointment and that the doctor would not speak with us. Instead, we found a different adoption friendly pediatric practice suggested by our local friends.
We had a hamburger with Courtney at “In & Out Burger”, and then dropped her off later at the family’s house where she was staying. I wanted to give her space to have her last evening alone with Cameron.
Courtney called me later in the evening to change the plan for Friday a bit. I was worried she was changing her mind about the adoption, but she wasn’t. I expressed that the new plan should work out better for her emotionally since I knew it was going to be a hard day for her. I also expressed our gratitude and reassured her that we’d provide a good life for Cameron. She responded with some great compliments about us, and her confidence in her decision to select us as the adoptive parents for her baby. This reassured me a bit that she was at peace with her decision, even though it was a heartbreaking one!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Courtney called and I told her that “Cameron” was a name on the short list of names Lance had selected for a boy, and he really likes the name. I told her that we’d be pleased to name the baby Cameron James, and she was happy.
I spent the day at an Internet Café, and then I met a friend for lunch. My friend had me laughing right away, which was wonderful since I was nervous due to all of the continuing uncertainty about the adoption. We had a pizza and then I had to leave for the airport to pick up Lance.
I spent the day at an Internet Café, and then I met a friend for lunch. My friend had me laughing right away, which was wonderful since I was nervous due to all of the continuing uncertainty about the adoption. We had a pizza and then I had to leave for the airport to pick up Lance.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
I met with a local adoption attorney for quite awhile. He explained that we’d actually be hiring him to represent Courtney. I liked the idea of Courtney being represented legally so I paid his retainer and he’ll charge hourly expenses against it. We shared concerns that she’s not telling her family about the adoption, and that she wants to take the baby for a few days. In his experience, Birthmoms that take the babies home for a few days can’t ever separate to actually do the adoptions.
In the afternoon, I brought Courtney and her friend over to the attorney’s office. There was a counselor, Beverly, waiting to meet Courtney. We’ll pay for Courtney to have this counseling time so she feels good about her decision. They spent about an hour together, and I had my first time alone with the baby. The time was so precious to me! He cried a bit so I changed his diaper and gave him a bottle. I told him stories and sang him some songs. He calmed down and went back to sleep.
We made an appointment with for Courtney to come back at 11am Friday to sign consent. Thursday we will go pick up the missing medical records, and take the baby together to the pediatrician. Courtney said she’s ready to meet Lance now, so I got him a plane ticket to arrive Wednesday after work.
Courtney and I stopped for dinner with the baby. I learned a little more about her and the baby’s father. She’s studying to become an elementary school teacher. She told me that she plans to adopt some day. She’d like 4 or 5 kids and plans that half of them will be adopted. She’d like to travel more and see the world.
Over dinner she told me a little about the baby’s birthfather. They went to high school together and their relationship ended badly. She told him she was pregnant and he wasn’t prepared to be a father to the child. Courtney said she’s 100% certain that the baby’s father won’t come forward to contest the adoption. She said he doesn’t have a job and isn’t going to college. She says he has no way to support a child
We talked about open adoption and offered to do a “contact agreement” with the attorney to formalize it. She will think about it some more tonight and then tell us what would be important for her to include in the open adoption agreement. We want her to feel comfortable with the amount of ongoing contact we’ll have going forward.
Courtney told me a little about the baby’s birth. She went into labor at around midnight Friday night. She delivered the baby about 5 hours later at 6am. She didn’t have any friends or family in the delivery room with her. I was sad to hear she was alone, but she seems like a strong young woman!
Courtney did not have prenatal care. We think the baby was born full term and his medical records at birth seem fine. He was born at 6 pounds. Courtney would like to name him Cameron. It’s not a family name, it’s just a name she likes.
In the afternoon, I brought Courtney and her friend over to the attorney’s office. There was a counselor, Beverly, waiting to meet Courtney. We’ll pay for Courtney to have this counseling time so she feels good about her decision. They spent about an hour together, and I had my first time alone with the baby. The time was so precious to me! He cried a bit so I changed his diaper and gave him a bottle. I told him stories and sang him some songs. He calmed down and went back to sleep.
We made an appointment with for Courtney to come back at 11am Friday to sign consent. Thursday we will go pick up the missing medical records, and take the baby together to the pediatrician. Courtney said she’s ready to meet Lance now, so I got him a plane ticket to arrive Wednesday after work.
Courtney and I stopped for dinner with the baby. I learned a little more about her and the baby’s father. She’s studying to become an elementary school teacher. She told me that she plans to adopt some day. She’d like 4 or 5 kids and plans that half of them will be adopted. She’d like to travel more and see the world.
Over dinner she told me a little about the baby’s birthfather. They went to high school together and their relationship ended badly. She told him she was pregnant and he wasn’t prepared to be a father to the child. Courtney said she’s 100% certain that the baby’s father won’t come forward to contest the adoption. She said he doesn’t have a job and isn’t going to college. She says he has no way to support a child
We talked about open adoption and offered to do a “contact agreement” with the attorney to formalize it. She will think about it some more tonight and then tell us what would be important for her to include in the open adoption agreement. We want her to feel comfortable with the amount of ongoing contact we’ll have going forward.
Courtney told me a little about the baby’s birth. She went into labor at around midnight Friday night. She delivered the baby about 5 hours later at 6am. She didn’t have any friends or family in the delivery room with her. I was sad to hear she was alone, but she seems like a strong young woman!
Courtney did not have prenatal care. We think the baby was born full term and his medical records at birth seem fine. He was born at 6 pounds. Courtney would like to name him Cameron. It’s not a family name, it’s just a name she likes.
Monday, November 5, 2007
In the morning I contacted our friend Vanessa to ask for advice since they had recently completed the adoption of their new daughter Gabriella in Phoenix. Vanessa was great. She gave me the name of their attorney in Phoenix and of a Birthmom counselor.
I finally heard back from our attorney who said I should get on the plane to Phoenix!!! Sheila would reach out to lawyers she knows in Phoenix to get the appropriate legal info.
I was on a business trip in Dallas, so I flew to Phoenix through Denver. I only had suits and heels packed so I stopped at Target to get some shorts and flip flops. Later, I went over to meet Courtney, the baby, and some of Courtney’s friends. Mostly they asked me questions, but I learned that the baby was born Saturday morning. He was really good and quiet the entire time I was there. Of course he was beautiful. Courtney let me hold him. I stayed late. It was exciting & exhausting. My original plans had been to spend the evening having dinner with friend for my birthday, but meeting our potential son was the best possible birthday gift ever!
They asked questions about my career, and Lance’s. They asked about our travel. They asked about schools for the baby since the young woman are all in school studying to be teachers. They also asked about religion. Courtney is Christian and it’s important to her that we attend church weekly. I didn’t lie about the weekly church, and told her about our religious backgrounds and our plans to raise the child Catholic. I’m not sure if this will be a deal breaker for Courtney that we don’t attend church weekly????
I finally heard back from our attorney who said I should get on the plane to Phoenix!!! Sheila would reach out to lawyers she knows in Phoenix to get the appropriate legal info.
I was on a business trip in Dallas, so I flew to Phoenix through Denver. I only had suits and heels packed so I stopped at Target to get some shorts and flip flops. Later, I went over to meet Courtney, the baby, and some of Courtney’s friends. Mostly they asked me questions, but I learned that the baby was born Saturday morning. He was really good and quiet the entire time I was there. Of course he was beautiful. Courtney let me hold him. I stayed late. It was exciting & exhausting. My original plans had been to spend the evening having dinner with friend for my birthday, but meeting our potential son was the best possible birthday gift ever!
They asked questions about my career, and Lance’s. They asked about our travel. They asked about schools for the baby since the young woman are all in school studying to be teachers. They also asked about religion. Courtney is Christian and it’s important to her that we attend church weekly. I didn’t lie about the weekly church, and told her about our religious backgrounds and our plans to raise the child Catholic. I’m not sure if this will be a deal breaker for Courtney that we don’t attend church weekly????
Sunday, November 4, 2007
I got a call from my cousin Kathy regarding a young woman that just delivered a baby over the weekend. Kathy’s friend from church has a daughter in college, and this daughter’s room mate just delivered a baby.
I called and we chatted about adoption. She appreciated what I told her, and said it was more info than they had learned from others. She encouraged me to come to Phoenix right away to take the baby.
I wasn’t really sure if I could legally just come pick up the baby so I called our adoption attorney Sheila. In the meantime, I also called our friends Mark & Robin to ask about staying at their place in Phoenix. They were very sweet and offered for us to use it!
I called and we chatted about adoption. She appreciated what I told her, and said it was more info than they had learned from others. She encouraged me to come to Phoenix right away to take the baby.
I wasn’t really sure if I could legally just come pick up the baby so I called our adoption attorney Sheila. In the meantime, I also called our friends Mark & Robin to ask about staying at their place in Phoenix. They were very sweet and offered for us to use it!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Lance goes to Israel and Turkey for business. He doesn’t typically travel for work, so he’s excited. Both are places he’s always wanted to visit. He’s hoping to get in some touring, even though it’s a work trip. He also recently got to take a business trip to Germany. He studied German language in High school, and he had fun practicing it at the last day of Oktoberfest in Munich for his business started!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Our Resolve infertility support group met again today. We take turns hosting the group at each other’s homes. All of the couples in our group are trying to adopt, except for one couple that is still undecided. The woman is eager to adopt but her husband is hesitant. We feel for them, because it must be tough not to be in sync on such a major topic. We’re happy that as a couple we’re both completely on the same page about pursuing adoption as our path to form a family!
Saturday, October 27, 2007
We toured the Farnsworth House by the architect Mies van Der Rohe. Since Sharon studied design, she’s into architecture and she drags Lance around on lots of tours. Lance actually loves it because he’s into history, as an engineer he appreciates the structures. He’s also starting to really appreciate the clean lines of modern design. The Farnsworth house is gorgeous!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Sweetest Day! We didn’t specifically plan anything romantic but we spent a nice day together. We went to one of last Farmer’s Markets of the year, and walked to breakfast. We spent the day hanging out and then watched a movie. Lance loves movies and we rent lots of them through Netflix.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Sharon attends the award winning musical Jersey Boys with her friends. Lance has no interest in musicals so he stays home to play Xbox 360 instead. Sharon also recently saw Wicked, and Oklahoma with our 2 nieces Amy and Sara. Now we’ll get tickets to take our niece Amy to see Phantom of the Opera. Amy is 13 and enjoys singing and dancing with her school groups, so the musicals are fun for her.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
The big Marathon is today. We’re not running but we have lots of friends that are participating. The weather is terrible for a marathon with record heat & humidity. It’s so bad that the marathon is actually canceled because so many runners are dropping from dehydration. Luckily all of our friends are OK, and some even successfully complete the event. Impressive!
Friday, September 21, 2007
We depart on vacation to Croatia. Hooray!!! We picked Croatia as our destination because of its Mediterranean climate & food, its history as a world port for centuries, and because it’s stunning coastline. Lance’s Mom Sylvia joined us. Sylvia is a world traveler, and its one of the few destinations she had yet to visit. Sharon did the destination, flights, and hotel planning. Lance and Sylvia planned the tours and daily sightseeing itineraries. We toured Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro. The war torn areas of Bosnia were still pretty depressed economically, and it was clear how much the people are still struggling in some areas there. The areas we saw of Croatia and Montenegro were restored and beautiful. Lance and Sylvia loved the history, while Sharon enjoyed the art and architecture. We had a great trip!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Today we attended our Resolve infertility support group. It’s a national organization with a local area chapter. All the couples attending are trying to adopt, so have a lot in common. We all encourage each other’s dreams to start families.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Our friend’s Jeff and Leeanne and their 2 daughters, Ginny & Kate, recently moved back to Chicago, so we’re excited to get to spend more time with them again. We joined them for a Labor Day weekend neighborhood festival. Lance and Kate have become special friends. She’s 10 and seems to appreciate his silly side. We played carnival games and Lance won stuffed animals for both girls.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Sharon’s friend Susan invited a group of business school classmates over for dinner. Susan has a lovely home and she’s a great cook. Susan and Sharon went to cooking school in Italy together so they were eager to try out the new recipes from their classes. Dinner was delicious!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Summer is winding down. Summers are so wonderful in the city and there are so many fun things to do for families. We look forward to the days when we’ll have kids and we can experience all of the fun summer events together as a family!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
We got rained out for the air show this weekend. We have a great view of the show from our patio and typically have a big party for friends & family, but the weather was so crummy that the show was cancelled. Bummer. Sharon likes to throw parties and mix groups of friends. Many of her friends have become friends with each other over the years, which is great!
Monday, August 6, 2007
Our weekend was spent with Sharon’s nieces who are 6 and 8 years old. We babysat while Sharon’s brother Mike and his wife Chris went to the weekend-long Lollapalooza music fest. We spent the day at the Museum of Science & Industry. It was the girls’ first visit to the museum, and they especially loved watching the baby chicks hatch and then try to take their first steps. Then we went to the Cirque Shanghai, which is a circus of acrobatic performers. Both of the girls are taking gymnastic classes now, and said the performance was the most amazing thing they had ever seen! Our hands were sore from clapping so much!
Monday, July 30, 2007
We went back up to Wisconsin for the weekend with Renee and Chris. Renee’s brother Randy volunteers at the Experimental Air Museum in Osh Kosh, and he got us tickets for the big air show up there. There were hundreds of planes, and Randy gave us the special tour. Lance and Chris were especially thrilled with the restored P51 WWII fighter planes.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Sharon went to Paris for work, and stayed over the weekend in Lyon, France to meet her co-worker’s new baby son. Lyon is gorgeous and the food was delicious. It’s a historic town, and the center of gastronomie (fine dining) in France. The baby is 4 months old and adorable, with these great big eyes! It was hard to leave him when it was time for me to go home. We so much want a child of our own, but I’m really happy for my friend that she’s filled her dream of starting a family.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
We spent the day with Sharon’s family. Her brother Jim and his wife Laura invited the family over to see Sister Vicki, who was visiting from California. She is the cousin of Sharon’s Mom, and a Nun in the Catholic church. Vicki is this amazing, sweet, fun, lady that works hospice for cancer patients. Sharon’s nieces put on a talent show, where they danced and sang and pretended to be rock stars like Hanna Montana from the Disney channel. Very cute!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
We just returned from a weekend with our friends Renee and Chris in Wisconsin. They just bought a piece of land north of Sheboygan, and wanted us to come up and see it. They were hoping that we would buy property nearby, so we could spend weekends together with our families. We like the idea, and we had a nice trip, but it was a four hour drive which unfortunately is way too far for a weekend summer cottage! While we were there, we went to a historic Indian burial site. Lance and Chris were intrigued by the ancient arrowheads.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Was our wedding anniversary! Lance planned a picnic for Sharon and some of our close friends on the lakefront to watch the city’s fireworks display. Lance doesn’t cook, so he joked that he’d be serving our guests pop-tarts and cereal. J He actually planned a delicious dinner and it was a perfect evening!
Monday, July 2, 2007
We just returned from a rode trip to Omaha. Lance’s college room-mate Adam got married over the weekend. It was great to share in Adam & Megan’s special day, and to meet their families. We drove through Iowa on the way home and stopped at a Frank Lloyd Wright house there. We also stopped at the Herbert Hoover presidential library and boyhood home. The library was really more of a museum, and it was fascinating since we both enjoy history. We stayed in a lovely Victorian Bed-n-Breakfast in a small town in Iowa. It was a lot of driving, but a relaxing weekend!
Monday, June 25, 2007
We just returned from Sharon’s company trip to Bermuda. We had the days to ourselves, and the evenings were spent with Sharon’s co-workers. We toured the island, did a jet-ski safari, and went swimming with the dolphins. We also just spent time in the sunshine hanging out at the gorgeous beach. I figured the dolphins were the highlight for Lance since he loves animals, but he really loved going “full throttle” on the jet skis! It was wonderful to have the time with each other in such a beautiful place, and to have time with Sharon’s co-workers in a fun-in-the-sun setting. It was also great that the company paid for the trip!!!
Saturday, June 2, 2007
We’re also planning a trip in the fall with Lance’s mom, Sylvia, to Croatia. She’s been everywhere, but not to Croatia yet, so we’re excited she’ll join us. Croatia looks beautiful! It should be a wonderful combination of the things we both love to do. There will be Roman ruins for Lance who loves archeology and art for Sharon. It’s on the coast with a Mediterranean climate, medieval walled cities, waterfalls, national parks, and islands. Sounds relaxing and we can’t wait!!!
Friday, June 1, 2007
Now that we finished our renovation project, we’re ready for vacation planning. Later in June we’ll go to Bermuda with Sharon’s company for a free incentive trip. We’ve also planned weekends this summer in Omaha for a wedding with Lance’s college friends, and a weekend in Wisconsin with Sharon’s friends that recently bought property there for a family vacation home. Sharon has been dreaming about building a vacation home so we’d have a summer place for our kids as they grow up. We’d love a place nearby that would be big enough for our immediate family, and extended family to come visit too! Right now it’s just a dream since we don’t have any children yet, and we’re still in the thinking stages about the best location.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Hip hip hooray! We finally finished our renovation project in the room that will become the nursery. What seemed like a small project, turned into a much bigger project once we got started. What a mess! We’re finally done and got everything cleaned up. Now we can start shopping for children’s furniture…
Friday, May 25, 2007
We took a trip to Wisconsin for the weekend. Lance’s brother Dane is a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture, and so is Sharon. We rented a cottage designed by FLW for the weekend. It’s only one of two houses in the world designed by FLW that can be rented for overnight stays. It was great! The rest of Lance’s family came and stayed nearby so we could all hang out for the Memorial Day weekend together.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Sharon went to visit her friends Shari & David and their 2 young sons for the weekend because she had a business trip nearby. The boys are now aged 1and 2 so we had fun riding bikes (with training wheels), playing in the park, and taking baths with all of their tub toys! Shari & David sent back their infant car seat and 2 bases for Sharon and Lance’s cars. Now we’ll be ready to transport a baby safely in our vehicles!
Saturday, May 12, 2007
We took a trip to visit Lance’s family for the weekend of Mother’s Day. Sharon was missing her Mother, and was sad to not yet become a mother herself yet. We had a great time with lance’s Mom Sylvia and the rest of his family. Lance’s nephew Sean was running in a track meet so we all went to cheer him on. We had a fun dinner at one of those Japanese restaurants where they chop all the food at your table. Sylvia liked having all of her kids and grandkids together to celebrate Mother’s Day!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
We’re waiting to hear the news about Sharon’s company incentive trip. Her boss shared the possible itineraries which will be either Spain, Italy, Denmark/Copenhagen, or Bermuda. We’re hoping for the Italy or Spain trip and are eager to hear the destination!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
We spent the day with our nieces, aged 6 and 8. They’re the kids of Sharon’s brother Mike. We had tickets for the “true story of the 3 pigs” which was interactive musical theatre where the audience got to vote on whether the wolf was really guilty. It was cute and the girls loved it! Then we took them to the local nature museum. Their favorite exhibit was the butterfly sanctuary. None of us had ever seen such beautiful butterflies!
Monday, April 9, 2007
We went to Austin Texas for the weekend over the Easter holiday. Lance has family in the Texas area since both his parents were born in Texas. Sharon has friends in the area too. We stayed with Sharon’s friend Cindy and her cute little dog Lucy! Lance had fun playing with Lucy all weekend, since he loves dogs! We intended to listen to lots of live music in warm weather, but it was freezing and sleeting all weekend. We went to the LBJ boyhood home and library. It was our first trip to a presidential library and it actually was pretty interesting. We had lots of great Tex-Mex food and a little shopping for Sharon!
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Went to lunch with some friends today. They told us about using their 9 month pregnancy periods to get ready for their babies. One of the things mentioned was selecting a pediatrician before the baby was born. It sounds like a great idea to find a good local pediatrician now so we’re ready when the time comes!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Sharon’s Dad, Jim, came over for dinner tonight. Sharon tries to make him dinner at least once per week since he appreciates her home cooking. Jim lives alone since his wife Anne (Sharon’s Mom) died. He was telling us stories over dinner about his childhood, and about how he got started in his career as an electrician. It’s always fun for us to hear the stories, and he always has some new story he never told us before! Tonight he told us that he was hit by cars twice while growing up, because he ignored the school crossing guards!!!
He grew up part of a large family that emigrated from Ireland. He was born here, but his parents and many of his relatives were born in Ireland. He has a beautiful singing voice and Sharon has fond memories of him singing her Irish lullabies when she was young. At our wedding, Dad (Jim) took the microphone and sang an Irish lullaby to Sharon. It as beautiful!
Dad (Jim) was the only member of his immediate family that never has been over to visit Ireland. Weeks before our wedding, he decided that he wanted to attend a large family reunion held in Ireland. Relatives would be gathering from around the world. Sharon organized the trip for her Dad and some of her cousins. It was fascinating to see the towns where both of his parents were born, and to see the house were his Dad grew up. We learned about how our French ancestors came to Ireland to help the Irish overthrow the English years ago. The combined French/Irish troops lost the battle, but our French ancestors stayed on in Ireland. At the reunion, we got to meet our relatives from both the French and Irish sides of the family. Dad (Jim) got to reconnect with cousins he hadn’t seen since childhood. It was a truly wonderful experience to spend the time together! Lance and I hope one day to help our child with a family tree for both his/her adoptive and birth families!
He grew up part of a large family that emigrated from Ireland. He was born here, but his parents and many of his relatives were born in Ireland. He has a beautiful singing voice and Sharon has fond memories of him singing her Irish lullabies when she was young. At our wedding, Dad (Jim) took the microphone and sang an Irish lullaby to Sharon. It as beautiful!
Dad (Jim) was the only member of his immediate family that never has been over to visit Ireland. Weeks before our wedding, he decided that he wanted to attend a large family reunion held in Ireland. Relatives would be gathering from around the world. Sharon organized the trip for her Dad and some of her cousins. It was fascinating to see the towns where both of his parents were born, and to see the house were his Dad grew up. We learned about how our French ancestors came to Ireland to help the Irish overthrow the English years ago. The combined French/Irish troops lost the battle, but our French ancestors stayed on in Ireland. At the reunion, we got to meet our relatives from both the French and Irish sides of the family. Dad (Jim) got to reconnect with cousins he hadn’t seen since childhood. It was a truly wonderful experience to spend the time together! Lance and I hope one day to help our child with a family tree for both his/her adoptive and birth families!
Monday, March 19, 2007
WhooHoo! We got our DCFS cards in the mail as foster parents registered in the state of Illinois. We were approved months ago, but now we have all the official paperwork in our hands. We don’t intend to become foster parents, but now we’re all set to care for a child in the interim period. We passed all the background checks, took all the parenting classes, had our home inspected, had our finances reviewed, had numerous references interviewed regarding our character, and now we’re officially ready! (or as ready as anyone can be to become a parent!)
Sunday, March 18, 2007
We met our friends Roy and Vanessa for brunch today. They're adoptive parents of a beautiful little red-haired daughter Gabriella. She came into their lives when she was about a week old, and now she's 15 months already. She was really cute running over to greet us at the restaurant! We brought her a picture book about adoption that we bought at the adoption conference bookstore yesterday.
We recently gave her another book called "This is Me!" which is a memory book that Roy & Vanessa can use to keep her milestones. It has pages for memories & photos from both her birth and adoptive family. We've been looking for a book like this for our future child. We looked at many books, until we found just the right one! We were so happy with this book, that we gave them as gifts for all of our friends with adoptive children!
We recently gave her another book called "This is Me!" which is a memory book that Roy & Vanessa can use to keep her milestones. It has pages for memories & photos from both her birth and adoptive family. We've been looking for a book like this for our future child. We looked at many books, until we found just the right one! We were so happy with this book, that we gave them as gifts for all of our friends with adoptive children!
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Our friends Kate and Greg, who are adoptive parents, invited us to join them at an adoption conference. (Kate and Greg have an adorable 3 year old son they adopted from Russia; and they are heading back soon to adopt a daughter.)
We had to get up at 6am on a Saturday for an early start at this conference, but it was well worth it! Maybe we're a bit over-eager as hopeful soon-to-be parents, but we want to learn as much as we can, so we can be the best parents possible.
These are the classes we took at the conference:
- The Heart of Being Brothers & Sisters which was about attachment between and among siblings. This was an important topic for us because we hope to have more children one day in the future.
- Parenting with Love and Logic talked about suggestion for guiding children to solve their own problems.
- Enjoying an Open Adoption discussed the practicalities of incorporating our children's birth families into our new family.
- Medical, Developmental and Behavioral Issues in Children was an interactive session lead by 2 pediatricians.
- Panel Discussion with Real-life Open Adoption Stories was a panel of birth and adoptive parents who are living open adoptions. They shared the joys and challenges that the experiences have added to their lives.
- Navigating the Challenging Behaviors of Children was about parenting kids with different learning styles.
It was wonderful to meet so many others sharing our same experiences, and comforting to hear about so many successful families formed through adoption!
We had to get up at 6am on a Saturday for an early start at this conference, but it was well worth it! Maybe we're a bit over-eager as hopeful soon-to-be parents, but we want to learn as much as we can, so we can be the best parents possible.
These are the classes we took at the conference:
- The Heart of Being Brothers & Sisters which was about attachment between and among siblings. This was an important topic for us because we hope to have more children one day in the future.
- Parenting with Love and Logic talked about suggestion for guiding children to solve their own problems.
- Enjoying an Open Adoption discussed the practicalities of incorporating our children's birth families into our new family.
- Medical, Developmental and Behavioral Issues in Children was an interactive session lead by 2 pediatricians.
- Panel Discussion with Real-life Open Adoption Stories was a panel of birth and adoptive parents who are living open adoptions. They shared the joys and challenges that the experiences have added to their lives.
- Navigating the Challenging Behaviors of Children was about parenting kids with different learning styles.
It was wonderful to meet so many others sharing our same experiences, and comforting to hear about so many successful families formed through adoption!
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Hello there!
We got the preliminary word that our home study paperwork will soon be approved. We've been filling out forms, going through background checks, having our condo safety inspected, and sitting through lots of interviews. We're encouraged and excited to almost be ready for the next step!
We've been taking classes during this time, as part of the process. Here are some of our classes so far:
- Becoming an Adoptive Family/Core Issues in Adoption
- Child Development from 0-5 Years of Age
- A panel discussion on Birth Parent/Adoptive Parent Family Relationships
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects
We've been doing a lot of reading on adoption, but it's great to also connect face-to-face and learn from others experienced with adoption.
We got the preliminary word that our home study paperwork will soon be approved. We've been filling out forms, going through background checks, having our condo safety inspected, and sitting through lots of interviews. We're encouraged and excited to almost be ready for the next step!
We've been taking classes during this time, as part of the process. Here are some of our classes so far:
- Becoming an Adoptive Family/Core Issues in Adoption
- Child Development from 0-5 Years of Age
- A panel discussion on Birth Parent/Adoptive Parent Family Relationships
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects
We've been doing a lot of reading on adoption, but it's great to also connect face-to-face and learn from others experienced with adoption.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
We took 2 of our nieces out tonight. Sharon’s brother Jim and his wife Laura have 2 daughters, Amy & Sara (ages 12 & 10). Amy recently won the district spelling bee so we wanted to take her out to celebrate. Amy took a school trip with her choral group to sing at Disney World last month, so wanted to do something musical with her. Her class had performed some of the songs from the musical “Oklahoma” so we found a local production. She thought the story was weak (because it was only a love story) but she sat on the edge of her seat for all of the musical numbers. It was fun to see both Amy and Sara react to the performers!
Amy mentioned a babysitting class. We told her she’ll be our number one babysitter as soon as we’re ready!
Amy mentioned a babysitting class. We told her she’ll be our number one babysitter as soon as we’re ready!
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Hooray! Our home study has been approved!!! We had to wait for our home study approval before we could post our profile on this site. We're eager to start our family, and are excited to post our profile on ParentProfiles.com!
We recently joined an online chat for pre-adoptive families. Some of the adoptive families we met through the chat have been successful in forming their families through this website. We're hopeful that we'll have the same success making the right connection through this site!
We recently joined an online chat for pre-adoptive families. Some of the adoptive families we met through the chat have been successful in forming their families through this website. We're hopeful that we'll have the same success making the right connection through this site!
Monday, March 5, 2007
Sharon read an article in “Adoptive Families” about online scrapbooking. Sharon is kind of an amateur photographer and carries a tiny digital camera around with her. She creates online photo albums of our friend’s kids, and so our families can share in our travel adventures.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
The March/April issue of “Adoptive Families” magazine has an article about family travel, including reader reviews of folding travel strollers. We enjoy travel and hope to continue exploring with our kids! Most of our friends with kids think we’re crazy to think we’ll still be able to travel with children. We’re not ready to give up on this idea, because we think travel can open young minds. We want our kids to have lots of world and life experiences. Fortunately, we do have other friends that are successful taking trips with their kids. They tell us the secret to travel with children is keeping with certain parts of their routine wherever you are in the world. We’re looking forward to exploring the world as a family!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
We now get a subscription to “Adoptive Families” magazine. It’s a great source for all kinds of adoption related info. We found an article on the most popular books for adoptive parents, and the most read children’s adoption books. Sharon’s brother Jim recently gave us a copy of the #1 book entitled, “1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children.” We also already have one of the top 5 children’s books entitled, “How I was Adopted” which is the same book we bought for our friends Roy and Vanessa, and their adopted daughter Gabriella.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Happy birthday to Lance! He just celebrated his 36th birthday! Nobody ever knows what to get him as a birthday gift, so this year he asked for parenting books. Our friend Kristen gave him an entire stack of her favorite books including Brain Games for Babies, Baby Minds, Super Baby Foods, The New Baby Book (guide to babycare), Baby Days (activities & games for enjoying life with a baby under 3) and What to Expect the First Year.
Our friend Kate also recently gave us the same book What to Expect the First Year.
so it must be a good one! We now have lots and lots of reading to do while we continue waiting…
Our friend Kate also recently gave us the same book What to Expect the First Year.
so it must be a good one! We now have lots and lots of reading to do while we continue waiting…
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
We went to visit our friends Mike & Kristen and their kids for the weekend. It was reunion of Sharon’s grad school study group. There were 5 couples and their kids in one house overnight! It’s been over 2 years since graduation and all the couples are having kids. Unfortunately, we don’t all live that close to each other anymore, so we don’t get to see each other as often as we’d like.
It was fun to see all the little ones and how fast they’re growing!! We played games and read lots of books. Lance was the human monster “ride” for all the kids. Sharon is somewhat of a shutterbug, and took tons of pictures of all the kids. Lance was offering to feed the kids and change diapers so he can get practice. The parents were more than willing to let him change their kid’s diapers! J
It was fun to see all the little ones and how fast they’re growing!! We played games and read lots of books. Lance was the human monster “ride” for all the kids. Sharon is somewhat of a shutterbug, and took tons of pictures of all the kids. Lance was offering to feed the kids and change diapers so he can get practice. The parents were more than willing to let him change their kid’s diapers! J
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Our friends Shari & David called to offer us their car seat, since both of their sons have now outgrown the baby seat. The adoption agency reminded us that we’d need one in order to bring our future baby home from the hospital. Shari says the seat that she and her husband selected is the safest one on the market. We’re sure it’s a good one, because Shari works for a safety company and she takes safety very seriously!
Monday, February 12, 2007
Sharon’s sister Julie received a coaching award! She coaches kid’s athletics and is an athlete herself. The family is very proud of her and went to her award dinner to applaud her success. Julie lives nearby and she’ll be available to work with our kids’ athletic abilities! Julie is good at just about every sport, but her favorites are basketball and fast pitch softball.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
As we mentioned in an earlier journal entry, our families have been wonderful about our plan to adopt. Sharon’s family has been touched many times by adoption and foster care, but adoption will be a new experience for Lance’s immediate family. His Mom Sylvia calls or emails Sharon for updates. (Lance is somewhat introverted, so Sylvia says she gets more info out of Sharon than she gets out of her own son! J) Sylvia says that she can’t wait to meet her new grandchild, and see what he or she will look like!
Sylvia is a retired school teacher, and she’s amazingly smart. She plays Scrabble competitively, has fun with crossword puzzles and Sudoku to keep her mind active. She’s also very physically active, and has become an avid golfer. She’s traveled to more exotic places than anyone we know. She recently took her grandson Sean to Portugal. It was his first trip abroad and Sean had a great time!
Lance’s Dad Travis is also excited about our plans to adopt. We’ve received very touching hand-written notes from some of his extended family about our plans. Travis’ sister Nell (Lance’s Aunt) sent us a note of encouragement, and a few articles she found for us on adoption. Lance’s Uncle Charles also sent a wonderful note of encouragement.
Travis is a retired pilot. He keeps busy restoring old cars, and is active with his church. He volunteers time to visit the elderly members of the church, and in the good weather he helps with construction projects in a program kind of like Habitat for Humanity. He likes to take his old cars for road trips. He volunteers at the National Parks in the summer. He’s spent 3 summers volunteering at Yellowstone now. He’s the kind of guy that makes friends everywhere he goes!
Both Travis & Sylvia are very close with their 2 grand sons, Sean and Ryan. More on Lance’s family in future journal entries…
Sylvia is a retired school teacher, and she’s amazingly smart. She plays Scrabble competitively, has fun with crossword puzzles and Sudoku to keep her mind active. She’s also very physically active, and has become an avid golfer. She’s traveled to more exotic places than anyone we know. She recently took her grandson Sean to Portugal. It was his first trip abroad and Sean had a great time!
Lance’s Dad Travis is also excited about our plans to adopt. We’ve received very touching hand-written notes from some of his extended family about our plans. Travis’ sister Nell (Lance’s Aunt) sent us a note of encouragement, and a few articles she found for us on adoption. Lance’s Uncle Charles also sent a wonderful note of encouragement.
Travis is a retired pilot. He keeps busy restoring old cars, and is active with his church. He volunteers time to visit the elderly members of the church, and in the good weather he helps with construction projects in a program kind of like Habitat for Humanity. He likes to take his old cars for road trips. He volunteers at the National Parks in the summer. He’s spent 3 summers volunteering at Yellowstone now. He’s the kind of guy that makes friends everywhere he goes!
Both Travis & Sylvia are very close with their 2 grand sons, Sean and Ryan. More on Lance’s family in future journal entries…
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Our families have been really supportive about our plan to form a family through adoption. Sharon’s Aunt Wynn and Uncle Bob adopted their son (Sharon’s cousin David) at birth. He’s now 40 years old with his own kids. Aunt Wynn has been especially encouraging, and has started a novena for our new family (That’s a Catholic prayer group!)
Sharon’s cousin Dan and his wife Julie adopted trans-racially from foster care. Their son John was impacted by cocaine when he was born, but he’s a healthy & happy young boy now. Dan & Julie also have been very encouraging about adoption, since it’s been such a great experience for their immediate family.
Sharon’s cousin Dan and his wife Julie adopted trans-racially from foster care. Their son John was impacted by cocaine when he was born, but he’s a healthy & happy young boy now. Dan & Julie also have been very encouraging about adoption, since it’s been such a great experience for their immediate family.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sharon found a website for personalized storybooks called “My Creations.” We can create our child’s own unique storybook with their own special story! We want the story about how our family was formed to be a natural one for our child. We’ve heard that kids love to hear their own stories over, and over, and over again!!! J
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Sharon read a book titled, “A Love Like No Other” which is a compilation of touching stories written by adoptive families. It tells both the challenges and the joys of adoptive family life.
One of Lance’s library books was “Adoption for Dummies” which is kind of a funny title for a book, but it was helpful as we were getting started in the process.
One of Lance’s library books was “Adoption for Dummies” which is kind of a funny title for a book, but it was helpful as we were getting started in the process.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Lance went to the library and checked out a stack of parenting books. The other night he was lounging on the couch after work reading the “Baby Whisperer” which is a book about helping your baby form good sleep habits. It was extremely sweet to see him so intently trying to learn about helping our future baby.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Lance has been busy getting quotes from contractors to make some improvements to the room that will become the nursery. It’s too soon to really prepare a nursery, but we want to get the construction work done now before a baby arrives.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Lance is planning a trip for us with his extended family over Memorial Day weekend. His brother Dane is a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright FLW, the famous architect. Sharon is also a fan, so we’re renting a FLW house together for the weekend. People come from all over the world to stay in this special little house that was one of the built by FLW.
Lance’s sister Darla and her husband Scott are coming for the weekend too, with their sons Sean & Ryan. Darla, Scott and the kids will stay at an indoor water park nearby. The boys are aged 13 and 15 so they should love the water park. Lance will enjoy it too since he’s still just a big kid at heart and loves playing with his nephews!
Lance’s sister Darla and her husband Scott are coming for the weekend too, with their sons Sean & Ryan. Darla, Scott and the kids will stay at an indoor water park nearby. The boys are aged 13 and 15 so they should love the water park. Lance will enjoy it too since he’s still just a big kid at heart and loves playing with his nephews!
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Lance picked up a copy of the CD “Wee Hairy Beasties/Animal Crackers.” It’s a kids’ disc created by some of our favorite local rock bands. The band members wanted to record a disc appropriate for their own kids. Two of our favorite local music clubs also do kids concerts on Saturday afternoons. We love music and hope to get our kids dancing at an early age!
Wednesday, August 9, 2006
We had dinner at the home of our friends Maria & Brian. They have a beautiful family, and their 2 kids were adopted domestically. Maria has been great about sharing many of their adoption related resources with us.
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