In Love with my new Canvas

In June, we got our family pictures taken by Katie McAnally. She was wonderful with the family and took some great pictures of the whole family and of the kids and even a really cute one of hubby and I. I bought her package with the CD and then she even added one more in there that I specifically could make into a canvas. I loved working with her, she was so great and gets back to you quickly.
I finally took that image and ordered a canvas from Canvas on Demand. It is a local company, but they ship all over the country. I talked with the customer service rep and she assured me that the canvas would turn out perfect and they would center the family picture on the canvas. I was very nervous just uploading the image and not getting a "preview" box. They do all the editing after you upload and decide how the picture will look best. Wow! I was so impressed when we got the package. I am so happy with it!!!!!

If you click on the canvas picture of us, you can get a coupon for Canvas on Demand. I will also have to post some more of the pics Katie took of us. She took the one on this post of me holding Maya that is black and white.

So frustrated

I am beyond frustrated right now. We received our adoption decree and our Social Worker told us it will take 1-2 months to get a Birth Certificate. My mom had been planning a trip to Puerto Vallarta that I had been telling her that we need to see what the timelines for adoption are before we confirm that we are going. After we got our decree and found out from Social Worker it would take just 1-2 months to get a Birth Certificate, we told my mom we could go.

Well, I went to Vital Records on Friday and they hadn't received word from the Adoption Review Unit that reviews adoptions after final decree and before it goes to vital records. What?!?!?! I was never told about such a thing. Adoption review Unit received it August 8th. So, they gave me the number for the adoption review unit and told me to ask for the supervisor and ask to get my adoption review expedited. Simple enough, right? I was optimistic calling. I left a message for the lady who does it for our county and she called me back that day. She said they are working on a 4-6 month timeframe to review and approve adoptions and get them to vital records to obtain a Birth Certificate. She said vacation is not an important reason to expedite and to call her at the end of September to see where they were. I was so mad but stayed calm on the phone, explained that this was a big family trip, we really want to take Miss M with us and need a Birth Certificate to get a passport issued. She blew me off and said I could contact her supervisor who is on vacation until the 13th and plead my case with her but realistically we are looking at getting it maybe by the end of the year. It is not like I asked for it tomorrow, I asked if I could have it by the beginning of October, a MONTH away. The trip is in November.

I don't see what other alternatives we have. I don't see not taking Miss M as an alternative. I am so mad, had we been told this up front we wouldn't have gotten excited and said we could go. I am mad. I got my hopes up and was excited about this trip.

I understand that we jump through a million hoops for adoption, but I thought we were done once we had the decree and now it is just a new set of hoops where these people don't care about us and she made it very clear. I hate that we are going to miss an opportunity to see my mom if we don't go and that means we wouldn't get to see her until next year.

Second Grade

It seems like just yesterday that my baby started Kindergarten. But in reality, it was 2 years ago. Wow, does time fly. He is almost 7, getting so tall, looking like a big kid. These are the times that I really wish I could freeze time. I keep saying each year he just gets cooler and cooler. But he really is so cool right now! He is at an age where he still loves mom, not quite too afraid to show it, but just around the corner he will be. He has developed his own personality. He is a sports fanatic; he will even watch ESPN almost as much as he watches the Disney Channel. He spent the last few weeks watching the X Games on the DVR and then the Little League World Series.
I think he is more ready for the school year and it isn’t as terrifying since we know the routine, the school, and the kids. He has his little buddy from Kindergarten in his class so that made the morning super easy.
I look back today and he is looking so much older. He is growing so fast.

Kindergarten:



First Grade:



Second Grade:

Our Precious Daughter

Our precious daughter
On August 5th, the adoption of our sweet Miss M became finalized. We didn’t find out until August 10th, our Social Worker called to tell us we had the final decree of adoption. I had already realized it would be a little anti-climactic. You spend months jumping through hoops, signing paperwork, getting things notarized, being available for any last minute social worker visits, while we were also juggling our everyday lives and watching with amazement how quickly she was growing up. Then one day, the paper comes and she is ours forever. It was still an amazing feeling. My Social Workers were happy for us and we are ecstatic. We love the little lady with all our hearts. We were on a family vacation in Las Vegas with family so got to celebrate with our extended family.

Here is our filing day picture, June 2:

Here is my sweet lady:

Dress Shirt to Toddler Dress

I have been taking a sewing class and have recently put some of what I learned to practice. I had seen this link a while ago about making a toddler dress from a men’s dress shirt. I decided not to raid hubby’s closet and instead went to the Goodwill and spent $3 on a shirt. Pretty good bargain after searching for other things to do with the shirt. From the one shirt I made Miss M a dress, a pair of pants, and a head scarf. I didn’t have bias tape and wanted to use what I had, so I just improvised on the scarf. Bias tape would have made it a 5 minute project, it turned into more of a twenty+ minute project using the fabric. The pants were super easy. The dress was a tad hard, but I think I could make another in less than 2 hours.

I am so pleased with the results and look forward to shopping for some more shirts. Sewing is pretty fun.

Miss M's Dress:

Here is my dress I made over the past few weeks in sewing class:

Happy Mother's Day

Long time no update. I think all my blog posts start similar to this.

This time I have a really good reason, no really I do.

So in the last few months we have been busy. We have yet another new addition, Miss M. We have always wanted to adopt and due to some fertility issues, we decided to try sooner than later to adopt. We decided to go through foster care and currently are foster parents to the sweet adorable little chunka-chunk Miss M. The plan is to adopt and we will see as we get closer to the date, hopefully nothing is standing in our way. In the meantime, we just enjoy her and giver her lots of love.

Miss M is 9 months old now and has been with us 4 months on Mother’s Day. She is super sweet, cute, happy, strong-willed and a pretty smart girl. She is standing on her own, eats everything you put in front of her (black beans, tomatoes, veggies, fruit, noodles, bread, etc.), claps, plays peek-a-boo, and fake sneezes so we have to say “bless you”. Her words are mam-mam, da-da, by-by, ba-ba, bruh (I think because we always say bro bro for C), and more. She has really bonded to us and kicks and screeches when one of us returns to the room or I pick her up from daycare or she sees daddy at the end of the day. I can’t tell you how much it melted my heart the first time I got that “mommy” recognition from her and I realized she is so totally happy that I just entered the room.

C is now 6 ½ years and I think it has gone by in a blink. He is still into BMX and any sport we let him play. He does Karate twice a week, plays soccer again (same team as fall with Coach Daddy), plays on a street hockey league, and wants Lacrosse sticks. I don’t think he has met or will ever meet a sport he doesn’t like. First grade is almost over. He lost two teeth and has two coming in (one where he hasn’t yet lost one). He is BIG, well I should say tall with legs that go on forever.

Happy Mother's Day:

C with his missing tooth:

My Sweet M

My Sweet M -

I can't believe you are 8 months old now! You have been with us almost three months now and we are even more smitten with you than before if that is even possible.

You have grown so much in the past 11 weeks we have had you. You just got your first tooth and second tooth last week; I think maybe you will let me get them on camera soon. Right now, you stick your tongue out every time I go to look at them. You pull up, crawl, clap and your favorite word is da-da. Your current other “words” are by by, ba ba, and other babbling. You say da-da all day long, even when Da-da is nowhere in sight. I think one of your favorite things to do is to bounce, just like Christopher I am calling you Tigger a lot. You could probably spend hours bouncing in the jumper and you go crazy in it bouncing and twirling. Some of your other favorite things are pulling up, crawling, watching C who I can imagine you think is the coolest dude in your world, watching the dogs and pulling Calvin’s hair. You grab our fingers and pull yourself up and get so tickled with yourself when you do it. Of course, you will really pull up on anything and seem to be standing a lot. Daddy called me up to your room the first time he found you standing in your crib. Good thing the Social Worker said to lower the crib, I think she helped us to avert a fall.

You didn’t really eat yet when we got you; you loved your bottles and still do. But now, you eat everything. I think Sweet Potatoes are your favorites. But, really you love the puffs and cheerios we give you and have mastered the pincer grasp. Calvin and Cuppy are so happy you have started to eat finger food and they stake a claim under your high chair and are so attentive while you eat. Calvin was smart and remembered what it was like to have a baby and he has been under your high chair from Day 1. He has realized persistence pays off. Cuppy only recently realized why he was doing that.

Your most recent stats are 19 pounds 2 ounces and 28 inches long. You were 16 pounds 4 ounces at your 6 month well-check so you have gained 3 pounds in almost 3 months. You seem longer, too. Your feet are still so small and dainty. You wear 0-6 month Robeez but you are in Size 12 months clothes, mostly.

C is still responsible for your heartiest belly laughs and I love to watch him make you laugh. He is always concerned about your happiness and does not like it when you cry. If you start fussing, he runs over and sticks your pacifier in your mouth and says “Maya don’t cry, bluebirds are signing in the sky”. He made up that rhyme himself. You laugh when we kiss you and when we play peek-a-boo. Poor Cuppy is subjected to playing peek-a-boo with you when I bring her in and out of your sight.

Love ya, “Mommy”