Welcome HOME!!

A quick house update...

Well, we are NOT in our new house, unfortunately!

And really we don't know when we will be.

We are hoping by the end of the week, since we have given our notice to be out of our place by this coming Saturday.

And I am really hoping that I have a decent amount of time to get this place cleaned.

The unknown has really thrown a kink in getting help with moving.

It looks like at the moment, Hubs and I will be doing ALL the moving on our own, that is if I can find someone to watch Mac (and he will be ok with me leaving him).

You would really think that since we are moving into a NEW house, and everyone (as in mortgage co. and lender) has known about it for more than three months, that they could have had ALL the paperwork done on time, so that we could close when we were supposed to.

Especially since Hubs would ask every couple of days if there was any other paperwork that needed to be taken care of.

They would always tell us NO, and then call us a couple of days later and say, "oh we have more paperwork". lovely!

We are very frustrated to say the least.

I am tired of tripping over boxes and stuff that I am trying to pack.

And we are trying (really hard) to see the we are blessed, and in the end all will work out.

BUT...

PLEASE PRAY THAT WE WILL CLOSE TODAY!

Mac's "candy store"!

On Labor Day we decided to take Mac to the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. It is awesome. We just spent our time in the Aviation museum, we never got over to the Space building. But Mac was oh so in heaven. The second we walked in he was saying "Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa!" over and over to make sure Grandpa was seeing everything he was seeing. Mac did suprisingly well for not being in a stroller (we forgot it at home). I really look forward to taking him here again in a couple of years.

EXACTLY!!

"My mom introduced the beautiful concept of adoption in a very simple manner. There is something that is called prayer trading, and we're going to trade prayers with somebody. Somewhere out there is a girl praying for a good family for her baby. We are going to pray for a good tummy with a baby in it, and we are going to answer each others' prayers.' "

--Troy Dunn

(I can't wait to start our own "prayer trading" again!)

A riddle...

What do you get when you have a little boy who likes to chew?

Any guesses???

Things Mac ~ 20 months addition

His first bikeride

Mac has all of a sudden been talking in sentences with almost everything he says, crazy! A few that I can think of are:
~"Where'd it go?"
~"Where'd da book?"
~"I want a..." (he says that ALOT!)
~"I want to read it."
~"What are those?"
~"I want some more."
~"What are you doing?"
~"I want help."
~"It's HOT!"
~"Watch out." (He usually says this when he is playing with his cars and making them fall of things.)
~"Catch it" (when he is throwing a ball "to" you.)
~"I want all done."
~"No more monkeys jumping bed!" (from a book we read)
~"What's happening dude!" (from his letter factory video)
~" Oh no!" (Usually with both hands on his face)

~
He has a memory like no other: We went to a grocery store that we had not been to in a couple of weeks, the first thing out of his mouth when we got into the store was..."I want a book...I want a choo-choo...Thomas!" Over and over he kept asking me this, because the last time we were in that store (which was a couple of weeks before this) I had bought him a Thomas the Train book. Crazy kid!

He is still into all things that GO! He recognized and says: mail truck, fire truck, police car, pick-up, car, bike, tractor (to him that is all farm equipment), big truck (semi), and papa's truck (all white pick-ups), airplane, helicopter, motorcycle, ambulance, digger, jeep.

He refuses to stay in Nursery without us. I really thought he would have an easier transition than he is having. He gets pretty clingy, and sometimes will do ok during each activity, he just has a hard time transitioning from one activity to the next.

He loves to sing, and is actually a really good singer (thanks to his birthfamily). He is also starting to sing some of the words to these songs, and it is usually the last word of each phrase.
Songs he likes to sing are: Wheels on the bus, Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam, I am a Child of God, I love to see the Temple, Itsy bitsy spider, twinkle twinkle little star.

He has been counting "one, two, three!" alot lately and knows almost all of his letter sounds.

He loves to say "night-night!" to everything when we take him to put him down for his naps. His favorite things to say night-night to are: book, truck, car, airplane, outside, daddy (picture on the wall), baby (picture of him on the wall).

He follows simple commands really well (when he wants to anyway).

He is a really good climber and can get up and down almost anything pretty well.

He tries so hard to jump but can't get his feet off the ground and it is so stinking cute.

When he gets an owie, he makes a little whiny sound and holds his hand out for me to kiss. Even if he got an owie somewhere else on his body.

I loves to look at books, and has started to pretend to read if it is a book that we read to him alot. And will get the catchy phrases from that book right.

Every time he sees a white pick-up he thinks it belongs to his Grandpa Dick.

We went to the Temple last week and when we got there I was explaining to him that the Temple is Jesus' and Heavenly Father's house. Since then every time he sees a picture of a Temple he will tell me..."Emple(temple)...sheshus(Jesus)...ha fadder(Heavenly Father)"

He is really good at folding his arms when he know we are going to say prayer and always says Amen at the correct time.

He is really into possession, like what belongs to who. He will pick up our shoes or something else and say "Daddy's" or "Mama's". And he is usually correct.

He is so polite by always saying Please and Thank you. He mostly does it on his own with out us having to say anything.

He is starting to learn what sorry means. He ran into me when he was running into the house and told me "sorry" and ran off.

He will say "ABCDLMNOP" when you ask him to say his ABCs.

He is starting to call animals by there actual names now instead of by their sounds. He just started doing the best horse sound I have ever heard, it is so right on. He also can recognize alot of animals: zebra, elephant, monkey, snake, chicken, rooster, duck, lion, tiger and all the normal ones. He also distinguishes the between the sounds of a chicken, rooster, and duck. He says the cutest "cockle-doodle-doo".

He thinks he is pretty cute when he is always saying "a big, BIG guck!" ( guck is how he says truck).

We were picking up his trucks and animals the other day. And I told him that the trucks go in one box and the animals in the other. I gave him the box with the animals and I started picking up the cars thinking he didn't really understand my directions. Well I was wrong because he started picking up the animals and then brought a car over an put it in my box and then went back to picking up the animals.

We were driving in the car and I gave him a book that I had just found that day that he hadn't looked at in a very long time. It was a book of all animals. He looked through it for a minute then closed it and said to me. "Mama, no tractors!"..."Want tractor book!" I was cracking up. This kids brain is consumed with all things that GO!

He had to get his blood drawn and it was very sad. I had to hold him down with every once of energy I had. My arms were really sore the next day. But he did great once it was over. He kept saying "owie...all done!"

He LOVES to drink water and especially out of a cup. He doesn't really like juice, and he doesn't really drink much milk anymore.

He is a really really picky eater! He favorite things: oatmeal, bananas, pancakes, french toast, bread and jam, noodles, spagetti, cucumbers, gold fish crackers.

He loves to mimick sounds and silly things the we do. He will repeat everything!
big words he can say are: ambulance, bulldozer, Our last name, helicopter, animals

Finally an update...kindof.

Well I added a few posts.

I was tired of my blog not being updated! But the truth is I actually stole these posts from the blog I keep for Mac's birthfamily. I still don't really have time to do a true update, but maybe next week. I need to also get a "things Mac" post done. I have about three pieces of scrap paper lying around the house with all the things our sweet boy can do.

Life is crazy!

last week...

This last week Hubs was in Texas at a conference for work. So Mac and I headed up to my parents house for a couple of days and then we went "camping". I don't have pictures yet because they are on my mom's camera. But Mac went on his first bike ride. We got a little seat that goes on the bike in between me and the handle bars, and we got him the cutest little helmet. He loved the bike ride and the trail we rode was so beautiful. He also experienced his first "camping" trip and it was not fun most of the time. Mac was a little off and just not acting like himself. Lots of temper tantrums, crying and not much sleep. And started to be happier just when it was time to go home.

Grandma C treated him with sorbet on a cone after he got an "owie".

Mac has had really bad diarrhea for weeks at a time. It is not fun. We have been trying to figure out what is wrong. So the doctor ordered a blood draw. You can imagine how that went I am sure. The lady said that it is hard to find blood vessels on red heads and she definitely showed us that is true. His little arm was bruised and my arms were sore the next day from holding him so tightly. He kept screaming "ALL DONE!" over and over. It was heartbreaking!

He loves watermelon!

Do you like his farmer's tan. Even though he is fare skinned, he has never gotten burnt.

We have been playing lots of cars, trucks and ambulances.

"Ambulance" is a new word that he can say perfectly. Hopefully I can get it on video. Oh and he is also talking in full sentences now.


He loves to push this stroller around. Or anything that has wheels and will move when he pushes it. But don't think that he is too girly. He won't allow a baby doll in it, only rocks or trucks. Silly boy!

first paints!

I bought him these paints a couple of months back, and was finally brave enough to let him try them out. He caught on quickly, and then decided he needed a little war paint I guess.

It was so fun to watch him explore something new!

how does it taste?






If it can go on paper then why not on me?

Horsie Ridin!

Our new sister-in-law is really into horses. Her parents live on a farm/ranch in the most beautiful country near Silverton. It was such a beautiful drive. Her and my brother-in-law invited all their nieces and nephews to come horse back riding and a picnic. It was so much fun. Mac loved the horses, but didn't like riding them very much. He wasnt scared but he would be on for about 3 seconds and say "all done" and lunge for Daddy.

Love the look on his face here! I think he was saying he was all done.




all done on his second ride.



Lately, Mac has been really into holding hands with other kids (he is getting better at doing this with Mommy and Daddy). He loves his cousins, especially his boy cousins. He knows their names and recognizes them. He follows them around everywhere.

Park Playin!

Our branch had a fun bbq at the park last month, and Mac had a blast running around acting like a big kid with all the other kids. He prefers to climb up the slide rather than go down it, of course. I love taking him to the park now, although I am still a little paranoid that he is going to walk off the edge when he gets to a high place on the toys.

house is DONE...almost!

Well, our house is about 99% done. There are a few finishing touches that need to be done, and the place is filthy, as you can tell from the picture below.

We are still set for closing on 9/09/09 (that is in two and a half weeks). That is if all of the financial stuff is taken care of, I feel like that part is going slow, and I really don't know what is going on with it.

I love the color of the house. I have been freaked out a little that I wouldn't like it, but I LOVE it!

I also was freaked out that the cabinets would be too dark, but I really ended up liking them alot.

We are really excited and very anxious!

very sad...

This is the first picture I have taken of Mac in over two weeks!

The sad side effect of starting a photography business.

It makes me VERY SAD!

VERY, VERY SAD!

p.s. life has been crazy hectic busy! I haven't had time to blog, nor will I for a long while.

(which also makes me very sad!)

the name Mac!

I get different looks everytime I tell people Mac's name. Some think it is cute and some think it is interesting (to put it nicely). Because his name is unique, as a first name, I get asked alot how we came up with the name "Mac".

(post edit: this may not make much sense now since I have removed our real names and if you don't know his real name)

So here is the story...

Hubs and I have never been able to agree on boy names, ever! Hubs likes more traditional names and I like non-traditional names (probably due to me having a unique name). I also do not want our kids to have to go by their first name and last initial all the way through grade school.
Since we had turned in our paperwork for adoption I had known that we would have a baby boy first. (I was so sure of this that I was buying baby boy clothes when ever I saw any on clearance.) But I still could never come up with a name that Hubs liked. Once we found out that Mac was going to be a boy, we went and got a baby naming book. And we started going through them.
I still wanted something a little untradtional, but ended up trying to figure out some more traditional names that I was ok with. Even then I was still being a little nontraditional because I liked all the shorter versions of all the traditional names (like Ben, or Nate, or Drew). Through all of this Hubs would call the baby "baby Mac". And every once in awhile he would throw out the idea of maybe naming our baby Mac. And I would give him the same answer everytime. "We cannot NAME him Mac, but you can call him that as a nickname.
About a month before Mac was born, we had his birthmother over for dinner. And she asked us if we had picked out a name for him. She just wanted to know if there was something to call him besides "Peanut" (her nickname for him). We told her our name ideas, but told her we didn't have anything for sure.
We also knew that we wanted to see him before we started calling him by any name. For some reason I just can not give a baby a name before it is born, it just seems weird to me (my own opinion).
About two weeks before Mac was born, Hubs was looking at the "Mc" names in the baby name book to see if there were any that we liked, in case we wanted to call him "Mac". Finally he asked me about the name Mac, and at first I was not totally sold on it. It took me about a week to really like it and even consider it to add to our list. But a week before Mac was born, we were both almost positive that Mac would be our baby's name. We didn't tell anybody, because we didn't want to pin a name on him yet in case of him not looking like a Mac when he was born, or that his birthfamily did not like it.
When we got to the hospital, Mac's birthmother had just gotten her epidural and wanted us to come and visit with her and her parents (whom we had not met yet). When we walked into the room, C's parents welcomed us with hugs and were just excited to meet us. We sat down and talked and they asked us if we had come up with a name yet. They said that if we still didn't have a name for him that they would put "Peanut Butter" or some other silly name on his birth certificate. We told them "Mac C". And they loved it instantly. I told them that Hubs had wanted to name him Mac, and I wouldn't allow that, but we could name him a name that we could shorten to Mac. And we had come up with Mac. Instantly Mac's birthgrandmother said that they had the EXACT same situation with their oldest. (I even have a picture of their oldest son in overalls that say "Mack" on the front.) We all knew from that moment that we were to name this baby boy Mac.
The rest of her labor, everyone was calling him Mac. I loved watching C's mother talk to her tummy saying "Mac we want you to come out soon so we can see you." It was a wonderful reassurance that we were all brought together by our Heavenly Father's hand, and that it was no coincidence that C was to bring our baby into this world.
Well we never have called Mac "Mac". We have tried, it just doesn't sound right...yet. The name Mac just seems to fit him perfectly and that cute red hair. Maybe when he is older he will want to be called Mac.