See ya in a few...

We should be back on Monday...

I won't be able to post any pictures until then, but I will be able to post the news about the baby.

Today is his due date...

NO BABY YET!!!

When I grow up...

Ever since I could remember all I wanted to be when I grew up was a Mother. I remember thinking at one point in my adulthood (before I met Hubs) that I wanted to be a Mother so badly but that it might not happen so easily for me. I don't know why I thought this, but I don't ever remember thinking it again, in fact I had totally forgotten that I had this thought until after many years of Hubs and I trying to have children of our own. This road of infertility was very painful. But at Christmas it seemed to hurt the most, almost unbearable. Even thinking about that pain right now brings me to tears, because it is still so close to the surface.

And here we are this Christmas season waiting for the most wonderful gift that we could ever receive. And the best part of waiting for our little one during this season and getting to celebrate Christmas with him, is being able to reflect on our Saviors birth also. It brings a whole new light on that most wonderful day more than 2000 years ago. It all feels so overwhelming, the miracle of it all, of our Savior being born to Mary and the gift of his life. And also to be thinking about our baby boy being born to our beautiful, selfless birthmother, who will be giving him life, not once but TWICE.

I have often thought why can we not have the blessing of children in our home, and now all I can think about is why are we so blessed to have the gift of adoption in our home, and to be blessed with a beautiful baby boy during the most wonderful time of year.

As I was reading this talk on someone else's blog, all I could think about was our birthmother. I seriously don't know how to express what I feel for her. And it is really hard for me to think that there will never be a way that I could adequately thank her for the gift she is giving to us and more importantly her beautiful son.

"Christmas doesn't come from a store"

Jeffrey R. Holland

Again, I’ve thought of Luke’s careful phrasing about that holy night in Bethlehem:

“The days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

"“And (she) brought forth her firstborn son, and [she] wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and [she] laid him in a manger” (Luke 2:6–7; emphasis added).

Those brief pronouns trumpet in our ears that, second only to the child himself, Mary is the chiefest figure, the regal queen, mother of mothers—holding center stage in this grandest of all dramatic moments. And those same pronouns also trumpet that, save for her beloved husband, she was very much alone.

I have wondered if this young woman, something of a child herself, here bearing her first baby, might have wished her mother, or an aunt, or her sister, or a friend, to be near her through the labor. Surely the birth of such a son as this should command the aid and attention of every midwife in Judea! We all might wish that someone could have held her hand, cooled her brow, and when the ordeal was over, given her rest in crisp, cool linen.

But it was not to be so. With only Joseph’s inexperienced assistance, she herself brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped him in the little clothes she had knowingly brought on her journey, and perhaps laid him on a pillow of hay.

Then on both sides of the veil a heavenly host broke into song. “Glory to God in the highest,” they sang, “and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). But except for heavenly witnesses, these three were alone: Joseph, Mary, and the baby to be named Jesus.

At this focal point of all human history, a point illuminated by a new star in the heavens revealed for just such a purpose, probably no other mortal watched—none but a poor young carpenter, a beautiful virgin mother, and silent stabled animals who had not the power to utter the sacredness they had seen.

Shepherds would soon arrive and, later, wise men would follow from the East. But first and forever there was just a little family, without toys or trees or tinsel. With a baby—that’s how Christmas began.

just venting...

Well, it looks like it could still be another week before the little guy decides to come. I talked to "C" tonight and she said that she isn't really having any contractions. She isn't due until the 13th and the doctor wont think about inducing her until the 20th. Are you kidding me!?! Hubs and I seriously are going crazy! I can't keep my mind on a single task for more than a few minutes, and I feel like I can't get anything done, but yet I am bored out of my mind! I hate feeling this out of control!!

On top of all of this, I am stressed out about Christmas cards and presents. And I hate that I have to worry about those things because it really takes away from what Christmas is all about.

***

On the more fun side...we have finally agreed on a name! And it isn't one that was on our previous list. It isn't really set in stone because we want to wait to see if it fits him when we see him. But we both have a pretty good feeling about it. You will just have to wait!!!

Also...my parents are coming next week. We are so excited to get to spend Christmas with family and get to share our little guy with them. They are also going to cut down an Oregon grown tree for us and bring it with them. I can't wait to smell that yummy noble fir in my house! Mmmmmm!

Wanna guess???

Well with our baby's due date only being a month away, I think that it is time to take guesses when he will be born and how big or little he will be.

The winner might get a prize, we will have to see about that...I am not promising anything!



Just guess DATE and WEIGHT and LENGTH!!



Helps:
~"C" says that he is measuring right on with every visit.
~ His due date is December 13th.

BABY STUFF...

These are just some new baby things we got...

I wasn't going to get a mobile because they are really expensive and I didn't think that it was essential. Plus most of them really aren't that cute or don't match. But when I was at Ross the other day I found this one, that I actually thought was cute and matched and it was only $10. It has two sail boats, a lighthouse, a starfish and I think the middle one is supposed to be a sand castle.

The Starfish!



"C" picked this out for the baby when her and I went shopping last week.

Here is the bouncy/vibrator seat we got this weekend. I liked it because it was pretty plain. But it is really big, which I will have to deal with.

And this is our car seat. It is one of those really nice Britax ones. Hubs's sister gave it to us. Her baby grew out of it just recently. And it is practically brand new.

TWO Months!

Well it is exactly two months until our sweet baby boy is due!! I am so excited to become a mother and to see Hubs as a father. But as this time creeps forward, I am very scared for the roller coaster of emotions that our sweet birthmother will be going through. I am scared of how to handle them in a sensitive and loving manner. I am scared of how I should handle taking this baby into my arms and not make our birthmother feel like I am stealing him. I hope that I can adequately show our immensely deep love for her during this process so that she knows that she is making an amazing decision on behalf of her beautiful son. And that we are not taking him and leaving her behind. As I have heard someone say, this is the long, painful "birth" for those that adopt. And I am definitely feeling that at this moment.

My Mom sent me this book and CD this past week and it is so beautiful, I love it!

Welcome to my CRIB!!

Hubs and I decided that we needed to get the crib put up and the baby stuff organized.

So that is just what we did.

Here is how it turned out!

We only have two bedrooms and so the baby's room is really just the other side of our room, thankfully there is plenty of room for it.

The bumper and skirt are blue gingham, I got the set at Ross last year for $11.99. I also got these really soft crib sheets at Ross a few months ago for $6.99 for two, and come to find out they don't fit very well, but the mattress fits snug enough that I don't think that it will be moving around until the baby starts moving around a little in the crib. I was able to fit all the 0-3 month clothes in the white storage thing next to the crib. I think it all turned out pretty good!

Why I am excited to have a BOY...

This is Hubs...

...this is my favorite picture of Hubs as a little boy, mostly because of the story that goes with it. Doesn't he look like such a good boy in this picture? Well Hubs's mom took this picture and a few minutes after this picture was taken, Hubs got the hose and sprayed his mom down and wouldn't let her into the house. Funny huh?

A few things I am excited about having a boy...

(not in any particular order.)

1. Hubs can take him on the "father&sons" camp out.

2. Someday I will have another priesthood holder in my home.

3. I love how little boys get all dirty and rough when they play.

4. I get to teach him how to respect and treat women.

5. I get to send my son on a mission.

6. I wont have to spend as much time on doing his hair before we go anywhere.

7. My son will probably always look GQ, I am super picky about baby/kids clothes.

8. The cousins he will be closest to in age are all boys.

9. Hubs will have a fishing buddy.

10. Watching him imitate his dad.

...a boy...

Boys are found everywhere -- on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around or jumping to.

Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers tolerate them, adults ignore them and Heaven protects them. A boy is Truth with dirt on its face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket.

-Alan Marshall Beck