Today was the doctor appointment. Everything went really well. I had never been there before so I was worried that we might be late. There was so much construction on the way to where she lives as well as on the way to the doctor. It all went fine, though! It was cool because I got to pick her up at her home and meet her brother.
At the doctor's office, I got to hear the baby's heartbeat! Let me repeat that...I got to hear the baby's heartbeat!!! It sounded like boom, boom, boom, boom...very strong and very fast! I think that must be one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard.
So, everything is going well. We were able to spend a little time together and talk afterwards, too.
24 days until the baby's due date!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Update
I haven't posted in a while, so I thought I should maybe write a quick update. Things have been really hectic, and I'm trying to take one day at a time. We have less than a month to go until the baby's due date. Wow. Just wow. It's so surreal.
We have been trying to get things better organized around here. I still have a lot to do. It's not that the rest of the house needs a ton of work, but I'm feeling like everything should be in it's place. Is that nesting?
We hung up a few things in the baby's room, but we're still working on it. I may actually make a new piece of art to go over the baby's crib. I'm trying to get other things done first, and then I'll come back to that. The room is pretty much put together. We have a crib, dresser, armoire, bookcase, glider, and a rug. That's about all that will fit in there! We have other basics for when the baby will arrive, but we'll worry about the other things after.
Most of my time lately has been spent getting ready for the school year. I'm working up until the baby is born, and then I'm taking off the remainder of the year unpaid (except for a few vacation days.) I'm trying to get things ready for my substitutes at work. It's looking like at least 2 different people (maybe more) will be teaching my classes over the course of the year. Multiple people makes it kind of hard for me to plan. I'm trying my best to keep things general and to make copies of everything. I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed right now, but I'm doing my best to get things done so I won't have to worry about it later.
In other news, I am going to a doctor appointment with the expectant mom on Thursday. I'm really excited. I think it's so nice that she's letting me be a part of it. We've still been talking through email. It's been really nice.
We have been trying to get things better organized around here. I still have a lot to do. It's not that the rest of the house needs a ton of work, but I'm feeling like everything should be in it's place. Is that nesting?
We hung up a few things in the baby's room, but we're still working on it. I may actually make a new piece of art to go over the baby's crib. I'm trying to get other things done first, and then I'll come back to that. The room is pretty much put together. We have a crib, dresser, armoire, bookcase, glider, and a rug. That's about all that will fit in there! We have other basics for when the baby will arrive, but we'll worry about the other things after.
Most of my time lately has been spent getting ready for the school year. I'm working up until the baby is born, and then I'm taking off the remainder of the year unpaid (except for a few vacation days.) I'm trying to get things ready for my substitutes at work. It's looking like at least 2 different people (maybe more) will be teaching my classes over the course of the year. Multiple people makes it kind of hard for me to plan. I'm trying my best to keep things general and to make copies of everything. I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed right now, but I'm doing my best to get things done so I won't have to worry about it later.
In other news, I am going to a doctor appointment with the expectant mom on Thursday. I'm really excited. I think it's so nice that she's letting me be a part of it. We've still been talking through email. It's been really nice.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
It took 5 years to get to these next 5 weeks
"How do we know where our journeys may ultimately take us?" This is how the epilogue to Forever Lily, a story about an adoption from China, by Beth Nonte Russell starts. I read the book back when we first started considering adoption, and I thought we might actually pursue international adoption instead of domestic. The author writes about how, over the course of the past 5 years, her life changed dramatically. It makes me think about how our lives have changed so much over the past 5 years, too.
Five years ago this month we moved to a new state (well, new for Steve but it was the state I grew up in) and a new home. We scrambled to make the move happen in a short amount of time. We were closing on our home, and I was starting a brand new teaching job all within a matter of a few days. So not only were we setting up a new home, I was setting up a new classroom. The home we bought was our first house - we had always rented in the past. This was a HUGE step for us.
I started the new job and met hundreds of new students and many new coworkers. Steve continued to work his same job but in a new location. He had to meet many new coworkers, too. It was an adjustment for both of us.
We always knew that we wanted to have children, but we waited until after we had bought the house and we felt we were ready. Then after trying on our own for a long time, we moved on to a fertility specialist. She is a great doctor, but things just didn't work out for us. We got to a point where we knew that we needed to go down a different road. We had talked about adopting for quite a while. Even back before fertility treatments - we talked about it back then. When we decided to adopt, I felt a sense of relief. I felt like we had finally found a way to start our family. That this way might work for us. I felt a new sense of hopefulness that I had lost along the way during the infertility procedures.
The ups and downs are still a part of the adoption process, but I think we have felt more of the ups this time around. In the beginning, it was hard to hear that our profile had been shown but not picked. Part of you is happy that it's being shown, but the other part of you wants to know why you weren't chosen. Then we got the call on a Friday afternoon in June that changed everything. We feel really fortunate that our wait time was short considering what it could have been. We feel really lucky that we've been able to get to know the birthmom and some of her family. We're hoping that maybe we'll be lucky enough to spend more time with them before the birth of the baby.
I am so thankful for this situation. For us to have met her and to have spent additional time with her is a gift. We realize that not every adoptive parent has that same situation where they get to meet their child's birthparent(s). We're writing a journal about getting to know her - we'll give it to Zoe when she's older.
So much has happened in five years. So much transition, newness, starting over, beginnings, endings, emotional highs and lows. I wonder what I would have said if you had asked me 5 years ago where I thought I would be 5 years later. I'm sure I would have said that I would still be a teacher. I know I would have said that we would be still be a happily married couple. And I'll bet that I would have said "hopefully I'll be a mom." And to think...that looks like it might actually come true in about 5 weeks. Looks like our journey to parenthood might just be beginning...
Five years ago this month we moved to a new state (well, new for Steve but it was the state I grew up in) and a new home. We scrambled to make the move happen in a short amount of time. We were closing on our home, and I was starting a brand new teaching job all within a matter of a few days. So not only were we setting up a new home, I was setting up a new classroom. The home we bought was our first house - we had always rented in the past. This was a HUGE step for us.
I started the new job and met hundreds of new students and many new coworkers. Steve continued to work his same job but in a new location. He had to meet many new coworkers, too. It was an adjustment for both of us.
We always knew that we wanted to have children, but we waited until after we had bought the house and we felt we were ready. Then after trying on our own for a long time, we moved on to a fertility specialist. She is a great doctor, but things just didn't work out for us. We got to a point where we knew that we needed to go down a different road. We had talked about adopting for quite a while. Even back before fertility treatments - we talked about it back then. When we decided to adopt, I felt a sense of relief. I felt like we had finally found a way to start our family. That this way might work for us. I felt a new sense of hopefulness that I had lost along the way during the infertility procedures.
The ups and downs are still a part of the adoption process, but I think we have felt more of the ups this time around. In the beginning, it was hard to hear that our profile had been shown but not picked. Part of you is happy that it's being shown, but the other part of you wants to know why you weren't chosen. Then we got the call on a Friday afternoon in June that changed everything. We feel really fortunate that our wait time was short considering what it could have been. We feel really lucky that we've been able to get to know the birthmom and some of her family. We're hoping that maybe we'll be lucky enough to spend more time with them before the birth of the baby.
I am so thankful for this situation. For us to have met her and to have spent additional time with her is a gift. We realize that not every adoptive parent has that same situation where they get to meet their child's birthparent(s). We're writing a journal about getting to know her - we'll give it to Zoe when she's older.
So much has happened in five years. So much transition, newness, starting over, beginnings, endings, emotional highs and lows. I wonder what I would have said if you had asked me 5 years ago where I thought I would be 5 years later. I'm sure I would have said that I would still be a teacher. I know I would have said that we would be still be a happily married couple. And I'll bet that I would have said "hopefully I'll be a mom." And to think...that looks like it might actually come true in about 5 weeks. Looks like our journey to parenthood might just be beginning...
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Updates
These are two pages of the scrapbook I've been working on. Steve's mom has also offered to make a scrapbook for us, so I've been trying to save things for her, too. In the book that I'm putting together, I'm including things from our adoption journey as well as things we're doing to prepare for having a baby. Just thought I would post a couple...These two pages have to do with our nursery:
I've been meaning to write a new post over the past few days, but I haven't had the chance. We've been kind of busy with things. Plus I wasn't feeling great over the weekend - my allergies were bothering me, and I even lost my voice at one point! (Usually that happens after I start back to school and have to talk more!)
As far as what else has been going on...the expectant mother that chose our profile and I have been emailing each other quite a bit. It's been nice to "talk" to her -- I get so excited when I see there's a new message in the inbox from her!
She asked me if I would go to a childbirth class with her on Monday night. It was so nice - she even called me before the class and we got to talk a bit. Then we went to the class and learned about hospital/birth plan options. I felt really happy to be a part of that with her - it meant so much to me.
I sent her a message thanking her for including me. She sent one back and asked if I would like to be in the room with her when she has the baby. I am so honored that she would ask me! I don't think I could have smiled any bigger when I read her message!
I've been meaning to write a new post over the past few days, but I haven't had the chance. We've been kind of busy with things. Plus I wasn't feeling great over the weekend - my allergies were bothering me, and I even lost my voice at one point! (Usually that happens after I start back to school and have to talk more!)
As far as what else has been going on...the expectant mother that chose our profile and I have been emailing each other quite a bit. It's been nice to "talk" to her -- I get so excited when I see there's a new message in the inbox from her!
She asked me if I would go to a childbirth class with her on Monday night. It was so nice - she even called me before the class and we got to talk a bit. Then we went to the class and learned about hospital/birth plan options. I felt really happy to be a part of that with her - it meant so much to me.
I sent her a message thanking her for including me. She sent one back and asked if I would like to be in the room with her when she has the baby. I am so honored that she would ask me! I don't think I could have smiled any bigger when I read her message!
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