ok, ok...WE ARE...

MOVING!

ok, so that is all the detail i can give you right now, sorry.

More THINGS MAC...

I just wanted to make sure I jotted these things down...

Mac is rolling over all the time, both ways. Today he was doing tummy time and he kept rolling over to his back. I think I put him back on his tummy five times.

I also have noticed that when we are holding him or he is just laying around that he crosses his feet. It is so cute!

His hair is also coming in more, except for on his bald spot. I am worried that he has a perma-bald spot, and he will be made fun of all his life (jk).

Hubs totally had him laughing today. And it was so cute how Mac would wait for Daddy to make the silly noise for him, so that he could laugh. I loved watching them play together. When I went to go get my video camera, the battery was dead, but Mac was done playing by that time anyway.

I have been starting some signs with Mac. He is always looking at what my hands are doing, so I figured it was time. My sister, who is a Sign Language Interpreter, helps by giving me pointers on what signs to start using and how to teach them to him.

It is getting much harder to change his diapers because he is so wiggly and he is always rolling on to his side to see what is going on.

He is just smiling all the time now. You just have to look at him and he smiles so big. It just melts our hearts.

Teefers...

Guess what I found in my son's mouth yesterday?

He for sure has popped one through on his bottom left, and I think the other bottom one is not far behind. And I also see two white lines on the top. Holy Cow, I am not sure I am ready for this! But I also can't wait to see what his already cute smile will look like sporting teeth.

I had my assumptions this last weekend, when all of a sudden he became super drooly and was drenching his shirts. Otherwise he has been really good, no fussing. But I do think he is tired of me prying his mouth open to have a look!

The Lake House!

So here are the pics from the lake house. I actually have a few more that I just want to upload normally, and I will do that soon. And somehow I only took one picture at my parents house and it didn't turn out.

ENJOY!

We're BACK!

Well we got back last night from our little Oregon trip. We were so glad to be home after all the driving. Mac actually did pretty awesome, which made it all a little easier.
We drove through the night on the trip to Oregon. We were hoping Mac would sleep more. He had a hard time staying asleep and was just taking little naps until about 1 or 2 in the morning and then stayed asleep the rest of the trip. We only had one or two moments where he was in hysterics. We got to my parents house at about 5 in the morning. We didn't do much that day, mostly just tried to catch up on our sleep.
The next day we left Mac with my parents and went and did a little shopping and some other errands in Eugene/Springfield. When we got back my aunt and uncle were at my parents house, so we got to visit with them for a little while. Then Hubs and I went and watched the new Narnia movie at the theater.
The next morning we got up and headed out to the family lake house to meet up with Hubs's family. We were so excited to see everyone and they were all so excited to see Mac. The weather was so beautiful the whole weekend. We really lucked out! Mostly we just spent the weekend hanging out and the kids went on the boat alot. We also got to see alot of extended family that also have houses on the same lake. Everyone just oogled over Mac. Mac did pretty good, although he had a hard time going down for his naps and then staying asleep, which made for a grouchy baby some of the time. But we had a blast!
Monday afternoon we drove back to my parents house and then left very early the next morning to head home. The trip home was hard because when one of us wasn't driving we were having to feed or entertain Mac so we weren't able to get sleep in between driving. And Mac only had one hysterical moment. When we got home last night he was such a good baby, and you could tell that he was just so glad to be out of his carseat.
I will post more pictures soon. There are so many, that I want to put them in a slide show, but I have to edit them first. And I still have to put all of our junk away from our trip.
And by the way...I can't tell you the little secret yet. So you still have to wait!

This is mostly just so I remember...

Mac rolled over again yesterday, twice. This time it was from his back to his tummy. The first time Daddy was coaxing him and the second time, less than a minute later, he did it on his own. But he got his arms stuck under him and couldn't get them out, which when you already don't like being on your stomach, makes it even less bearable.

having fun and enjoying the sun...

We are leaving today on our long road trip to Oregon. I have a bum hip at the moment, so trying to get around the house getting things put together has been hard. I hope my hip is feeling better by the time we are ready to play. I will be sure to take lots and lots of pictures of our trip. We will see you in a week!

Oh, and when we get back, I have something awesome to share with you!

(I thought I would be a brat by dangling some unknown exciting news in front of you to keep you wondering until we get back next week, ha!)

We have been enjoying that we finally have green grass!

Mac looks more like a toddler than a 5 month old in this picture!

Walking to the Farmer's Market.

Self Portrait.

A cute smile and lots of slobber!

the park...

This was Mac's very first time at the park and the very first time that he went on a swing. He really wasn't too sure about it, but maybe when he gets a little older.

(All the pictures are in black and white because the coloring was so bad because of the bright sun. )

Mac look is so cute in this picture!

Aren't they handsome!

I LOVE this picture! I just feel like it really captured a moment between them!

His first time on the swing all by himself, he really was too impressed!

Here is a picture of "all three" of us! (I am the shadow.)

 Daddy was trying to play a song on these chimes!

Adoption MYTHS...

Adoption Myths
from www.itsaboutlove.org
1. Most birth mothers who place their babies for adoption are teenagers.
Most birth mothers who choose adoption are in their early twenties, although women of all ages make this decision.

2. Birth parents who place their babies for adoption are abandoning their responsibility and taking the “easy way out.”
There is no easy way out of unplanned pregnancy; any option involves emotional pain. Most birth mothers who do not choose abortion make the choice initially to parent their babies. Those who choose adoption do so after taking some time to carefully consider their options and the best interests of their child. Adoption is a courageous, loving choice which shows that the birth mother takes seriously the responsibility to be a parent.

3. An adoptive parent cannot love a child as much as a biological parent can.
Love is not based on biology. Many loving relationships are between individuals who are not related to each other, such as husbands and wives. The love of a parent comes from preparing for a child and selflessly nurturing and caring for that child.

4. A birth mother can reclaim her child after adoption.
Once a birth mother’s rights have been terminated, she cannot reclaim her child. Cases of birth parents obtaining custody after adoption are extremely rare and are exaggerated by the media.

5. After a child has been placed, a birth mother cannot have any contact with the child.
Adoption practices have changed over the years. Today most birth mothers have some contact with their children. Arrangements are agreed upon by the birth mother and the adoptive parents and are based upon the needs and desires of all concerned.

6. Children who were adopted are more likely to have physical or emotional challenges.
It is impossible to predict how any child will turn out, whether biological or adopted. Generally, children who were adopted as infants are as emotionally healthy as children who were not adopted. Children who were adopted when older may have challenges resulting from adverse conditions in their early lives, such as neglect, abuse, or lack of attachment. These challenges do not result from the adoption itself.

7. Birth mothers never recover from the emotional pain of placing a child for adoption.
Birth mothers who choose adoption go through a grieving process, which is a healthy way of dealing with loss. But most birth mothers also report finding peace in the knowledge that they did all in their power to provide the best life possible for their child. They find that the experience gives them the strength and confidence to face other challenges throughout their lives.

Expressions of Cuteness!

***Last night Mac fell asleep without being swaddle for the very first time. Not only that but he then slept 9 hours that way! Way to go Mac!

I really love all Mac's expressions in these pictures!

ENJOY!

A few things...

This is a panoramic of the view from the family lake house!

Breathtaking!

(Click on it to make it bigger.)

 

First, next week we are driving to Oregon for Memorial Day to spend it with our family. We will get to spend two days with my parents and then the holiday weekend at Hubs's family's lake house. We haven't been to the lake house in probably almost two years. It is one of our favorite places. On top of that, it is along the Oregon Coast, so I will get to see the ocean. Mac will also, hopefully get to meet his Great Grandparents. And just getting to spend time with family and having Mac spend time with family just means the world to me! Ahh, I am so excited!! However, I am not so excited about the 12+hours car ride with an infant who doesn't like to sleep anywhere but swaddled in his crib! But we will be able to add this to our life experience of parenthood!

 

Next, Mac turned 5 months old this week. My baby is growing up WAY too fast. He is probably about 17 lbs, he is getting really heavy. He has just about grown out of his car seat, we will need to buy a new one very soon! He is always reaching and grabbing EVERYTHING! I can't get my face too close to his, or he will grab my hair or face or what ever he can get his hands on. He is loving rice cereal and we can't get it into his mouth fast enough!

 

Also, we met with our Lawyer about finalizing Mac's adoption. So what we found out from him is that we can't put in our motion for finalization until the 6 month mark of the papers being signed, which is June 17th. After we put that in, the court will be able to give us a court date, which we hope will be with in few days of the motion. Thank heavens we live in a not-so-big town where there isn't much action, and adoptions take precedence over all criminal cases, unless the case is already in court. So we are really excited about that. As soon as we take care of that, we need to come up with a good weekend the end of August or beginning of September to go to the temple and also to give him a name and a blessing.

I WOULD DIE FOR THAT!!

I have seen this music video over and over on so many blogs. And each time I watch it, it makes me cry!

Daddy & Me!

 Daddy and Mac were playing on the floor Saturday and it was so darn cute! I love the picture above because they are both smiling at each other! It melts my heart to see them playing together!

Being a MOTHER...

I feel like my words will not express to you the true joy I felt today. And I can't even begin to tell you how much I love being a Mother. But the best part is I get to be Mac's Mother! I am a Mother because of the miracle of adoption. I am a Mother because of our sweet and beautiful C. I am a Mother because of the excruciating sacrifice she made. I am a Mother because of the life she wanted to give to Mac. Thank You C!

And thank you C for this beautiful gift! Every time I look at it, it brings me to tears. It is so thoughtful and heartfelt and truly shows what kind of person you are. This will always hang in Mac's room and will be one of our greatest treasures!

It has part of the words from "I am a Child of God". And the feet print are ones that the nurses made on an extra piece of paper, when Mac was born, that C got to take home with her.