Prayer Request

It's aways amazed be the power that music has. A song can make you laugh or it can bring you to tears. I stumbled across this video tonight and I couldn't help but post it. This video touches me because one of my best friends is currently in the process of adopting from China. Jen & her husband have been in the process since the summer of 2005! If any of you are aware of the process of international adoption...especially Chinese adoption...you know that this is a very difficult path to travel! Jen & Jason are now down to the last few weeks/months of waiting. Hopefully, they will receive their referral within the next few weeks. If any of you have an extra prayer tonight, please say one for Jen & Jason. They have been through more pain than I could ever imagine and they are going to be AMAZING parents! We can lift them up and give them strength through our prayers! Thank you everyone...I know that it will help them get through the next few weeks!

Tagged!

Here are the rules...
1.Post the rules on your blog
2.Write 6 random things about yourself
3.Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you are tagged, just do it, and pass the tag along!

1. I spent my afternoon cuddling with little Evie while at the same time playing with Allie! I can't believe how BIG Allie is! Boy I hope that they both sleep through the night!

2. I'm secretly scared out of my mind of adopting again. (Cory doesn't even really know that)Our situation was as close to perfect as it probably could be, and I'm scared of the next one not being that way.

3. I broke my camera over MEA, so I've been searching online for the past week or so trying to find what I want. Any suggestions???

4. I'm in need of a girls shopping day out! This last week was parent-teacher conferences, and boy does that ever wear me out!!! A girls day always seems to do the trick!

5. I LOVE winter!!! Hot apple cider, hot dishes, cuddling up with heavy blankets, and (my favorite) SNOW DAYS!

6. I LOVE blogging!

I'm not sure who reads this blog, so I tag everyone who actually reads this. Just post your message in my comments box. You don't have to have a account, just log in anonymously and make sure to sign your name at the end!

Wish me luck!!!

So...call me crazy, but tonight I agreed to babysit (overnight) one of my co-workers children. Baby Evie is 2 months old and I'm going to be watching both her and Allie! I'm excited to be able to cuddle with a little baby again (Allie would rather be on the go), but I'm not sure about getting up in the middle of the night again with 2 babies!!! Thank God that Cory is GREAT about getting up with Allie if she does wake up!!!!!!!
I keep telling myself that this is going to be good practice seeing's though we are going to begin the adoption process again in January. Hypothetically speaking, we could be placed with our second little miracle as early as next March (the day after Allie turns 1)!
We'll see how tonight goes....I'm pretty excited!!! Wish me luck!!!

New Pictures...

Here are a few updated pictures of Allie...


Daddy, Mommy, Allie, and our judge on Allie's Adoption Day!



This is how Allie waves! She grabs one hand by her wrist and waves backwards at herself...it is SOOO precious!!!

One of my friends made this hat and give it to Allie...we just love it! I'm going to be sad when it doesn't fit her anymore!!!

She's changing every day!!!

Since my last post, Allie has grown SO much! She's now almost 7 months old and is 22 lbs 9 oz (29 1/2 inches long)! She's off the charts for height and weight!!! We are enjoying Allie more than words can say. She's now sitting up, clapping, waving bye-bye, saying "da da", and that's just the beginning! I can't wait to post pictures soon, but unfortunately my camera broke last Thursday. Hopefully we'll be able to upload pictures soon!

Domestic vs. International

It is probably obvious to anyone who looks at this blog that I am a pro-life, personally motivated adoption advocate. =) But one thing I haven't really taken the time to blog about is why we chose do adopt domestically rather than internationally.
Our choice to adopt an infant from the US (now our sweet little Allie, of course) rather than a child from an orphanage in another country was not an automatic decision. In fact, when we first began looking into adoption, we were heavily leaning towards going international! But we wanted to consider all the options, make an informed decision, and be sure of the Lord's leading. Over time, our desire to adopt internationally did not really diminish, but our desire to adopt domestically grew exponentially!
It seems to me that in the perception of the general public domestic adoption isn't as cool as adopting internationally. People don't understand it, are sometimes afraid of it, and often have false impressions. Shame is sometimes associated with it, apparently left over from the times past when adoption was not often handled very wisely. But regardless of the reasons and misunderstandings, it is definitely a complicated subject, and there is no standardized formula. Every state has different laws, every agency has different policies, and of course many people adopt without using an agency (called independent and/or private adoption).
All these variables make it difficult to discard the myths from the facts unless you are seriously trying to do so. And as a side note: I have yet to see a television show involving adoption where facts are even accurate. It seems writers don't do their research before scripting the shows. We have an interesting drama at the expense of reality (okay, rant over). Now that I am an adoptive mother, people are not as quick to express concerns and ask questions to me personally as they were when we first acknowledged our adoption plans. But I know there is still a need for good info, and I love sharing our story, so I that is one reason that I wanted to continue the blogging that I started shortly after Allie's birth. Through this blog, my hope is that I am able to help another couple know that they are not alone in their walk through infertility and/or adoption.

I'm back!!!

When I began our first blog back in early June, I did it partly as a way of keeping friends, family, and Allie's birth family updated on our lives and partly as a way to document Allie's everyday life. One thing I didn't realize was how much I actually enjoyed the process of blogging. It's actually incredibly therapeutic. So, after taking a little over a month off...I've decided to give it another try!
Thanks so much for reading!!! Please feel free to leave a message in the comments box. You can do this without starting an account. By doing this, I know who (if anyone) is reading our blog.