Short Review of 2007

On last year's review I knew that we would looking forward to a less than calm year, but I think that was an understatement!!! Here is a short summary of the highlights of 2007:

January - Brayden got his first haircut and had a VCUG

February - We celebrated our first anniversary of Forever Family Day, Brayden started walking (18 months), and the Hanks *finally* announced their pending adoption of Sweet Sara :)

March - Parker Gabrielle was born! My little Baby Angel was a perfect little bundle of joy (and she still is)! Brayden had a Renal MAG3 scan.

April - Parker passed her hearing test, and Brayden went through a head-banging stage. By the end of the month, we knew that we were adopting again!

May - I returned to work. We did our homestudy update and officially started our adoption. (That is why I cried at BAB Hugs Sweet Hugs day - and you all just thought I was an idiot!) We also celebrated Brayden finishing his 9 month treatment for latent TB!

June - Referrals!!!!!!! What a month of surprises and blessings :) First our little Elviz and then our sweet Gerson stole my heart away.

July - We took a vacation at the beach and saw a shark in the water. We received our I171H on the 30th, and our adoption process could really get started in Guatemala.

August - Brayden turned 2 years old and said his first words :) I decided on the Adoption Rules (still go back and read them frequently - trying to comply!)

September - Parker got her 1st tooth (6 months). DOS issued that horrible warning, and the Guatemala 5000 Initiative started.

October - The life-altering meeting of my 2 sons! We had the best visit trip ever, despite the fact that the Ortega Law was passed.

November - Elviz turned 3 years old!!! Parker G was crawling (7 months), and Michael & I celebrated our 10th Anniversary. Also, we felt the love of blogland through the Mother of All Raffles.

December - We celebrated Brayden's Super Tough Day, and Parker celebrated her very 1st Christmas :)

We have been blessed beyond belief this year -- THREE children joined our family!!!! I won't lie and say that we've had the easiest year ever, but it sure has been wonderful. Life has changed dramatically, and more changes are on the way. 2008, here we come! I cannot wait :)

Happy New Year!!!!

FFF #17 - Little Mommy Tia

This picture is probably about a month old. I didn't post it before, but it is definitely one of my favorites. Cousin Tia loves to take care of Parker (and Brayden, but there isn't much cooperation from him), and she is quite the little mommy.

Christmas Pictures

Here are some of my favorite Christmas pictures:

Jordan, Nana Buke, and Tia baking goodies (or at least trying)

Christmas Eve - Parker G drumming on some presents at GG's house

Christmas Eve - Brayden *carefully* opening a present

Christmas Eve in front our our tree at home

Parker's reaction to her rocking pony

Me with my littlest babies

Christmas morning - Brayden being careful again

PG enjoying the wrapping paper

The cousins at GG's house -- waiting to open gifts

The boys celebrating because they know they will seriously outnumber the girls next year

Brayden with punch and who-knows-what-else all over his face

My little Christmas Eve -- Jordan wore this outfit for her 1st Christmas

Presents for Gerson and Elviz -- these are waiting for you to open when you get home, boys :)

Christmas Cuties

My Christmas cuties had a great celebration over the past couple of days! I will try to post more pics later. It has been a while seen I have shared pics of these babies, so I thought I would leave you a little late Christmas present tonight :)

Feliz Navidad, Mis Chulos!

It's Christmas time again but you're not home

Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone

So tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in His arms

And tell you from my heart, I wish you Merry Christmas

(From "Merry Christmas" by Third Day)

Next year, my boys - I will wish you a Merry Christmas right here at home :)

FFF #16 - Now that is a Smile :)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- You cannot help but love this face :) I love this pic of little Elviz!

Connected

Getting pictures of your child(ren) while you wait effects people in many different ways. Seeing the kiddo(s) that you long to bring home can make you feel happy / sad / hopeful / depressed and many other emotions . . . sometimes all at the same time!

Pictures of the boys make me feel "connected" more than anything else. It's like I get to experience a little part of their day. . . it feels like I am given a tiny little snippet of their lives with each picture :)

On Sunday, several of the boys were wearing shorts. I guess it was a warm day, and the kids probably enjoyed that. The boys got Christmas treat bags with candy and a little toy car. I can almost imagine that my boys slept with that car in their hand that night! The hogar got a new Little Tykes Basketball goal, and it sounds like Gerson hooped it up all day long. Seeing little Elviz holding that Piglet (or Pliget as Tia would say) is so sweet. I really need to send them a care package with a nice little stuffed animal from their brother and sister :)

Thank you so much for the pictures, Jane. What a wonderful gift you have given me once again!

Simple Blessings

Dinnertime is something special that I share with my babies. Since I am at work all day, I miss most of their routine - but most days, I make it home in time to feed them dinner. I sit with the booster chair and the high chair facing me so that I can watch them, talk to them, and play with them while we eat. I marvel at how much cheese Brayden can eat and how much he likes drinking out of a "big boy cup". I delight in seeing Parker pincher grasp her peas and reach for whatever is on her brother's tray. We sing songs, clap hands, and giggle, giggle, giggle :)

I'm sure that sounds boring to many of you . . . but to me, it is one of the best parts of my day. That special time is a simple blessing that I enjoy so much :)

Consequently, I take a lot of pics of the babies eating . . .

Here are the answers that I anticipate some of you may be asking --
1. Yes, Brayden eats with his shirt off almost every evening. He would go without clothes all day if we would let him.
2. Yes, Brayden sits in the baby chair most of the time. Why? Well, if he is in the booster seat he can reach (read - chew on) the table.
3. Yes, I know that is a boy bib on Parker - ha ha!

Parker Gabrielle at 9 Months

Cheesin' it up for the camera!!!

PG had another perfect check up at the doctor this month :) Here are her 9-month measurements:

Height - 29 inches (90% percentile)

Weight - 23 lbs 3 oz (95% percentile)

Head - 45.5 cm (90% percentile)

Brains, Beauty, & Charm - Off the charts

FFF #15 - The Good News Boys :)

This is not the best pic of any of these handsome men, but I wanted to post a FFF in celebration of the good news that 2 of Gerson's best buds got this week!!! Lucas (middle) finally got good news this week, and David (right) got OUT of PGN!!!! Whoo-hoo!

Now, if only our little Gerson & Elviz could get some good news :) :) :) Yes, that is wishful thinking!!!

FFF #14 - My Super Boy

When I put him to bed at night, I thank him for being tough, I thank him for working hard, and I thank him for being my Super Boy. It is such a blessing to have this child in my life!!!

1 Year Post-Op Anniversary!!!

Today is the 1 year anniversary of Brayden's surgery (aka Brayden's Super Tough Day). I just spent the last little while reading back on the posts from that week and crying out all of the tears that I held in during that time.

Yes, I know this is supposed to be about Brayden and not me :) But, I thought I would share a little of what I learned from Brayden's surgery --

It was hard, people. Incredibly hard. I put on quite a front for everyone around me (and in my blog posts), but that day and that week were the hardest thing I have ever been through. I literally handed him over and let people stop his heart - it was hard, and it changed me. Yes, it changed Brayden - his heart works a little better :) It also changed me and my heart.

It's not the easy times in this life that we are changed. No, change comes when things are difficult. Struggles and challenges carve us out into someone new. Even when I was sitting in the waiting room after they took Brayden into the OR, I prayed for God to please heal Brayden without surgery. It was a prayer that I had repeated countless times over the past months, and I said it over and over as I sat down in the waiting room. I expected them to come out, and say that he didn't need it. I waited for that. . . it didn't happen. Of course I prayed that because I didn't want Brayden to have to go through with the surgery, but to be honest, it was just as much a prayer for me. I simply did not think I could make it. I was too scared and too full of doubt. I just wanted God to take it away.

It didn't happen the way I wanted it to, but Brayden was healed. I witnessed a miracle. I got to live right there through it, and I gained a lot of perspective! I still don't know why God needed us to walk through that valley, but I am just so thankful that He carried us out of it!

Now, on to pics of the amazing little guy :) My, my the difference that 1 year can make!!! Our Brayden Boy has grown so big and so strong over the past twelve months . . . surgery was good for the boy :)

December 6, 2006 -- Resting and Recovering

December 6, 2007 - Showing off his "Super Tough Spot"

I Love My New Look :)

I really love my new blog design! The layout is from a resourceful young gal named Nikki who is raising funds for a humanitarian aid trip to the Dominican Republic. She will stylize your blog for only $20 (that is a crazy low price!), and for the month of December, she is donating $5 from each blog to Kiva. So, you get a great new blog look and you contribute to 2 great causes :)

Now help me out guys! While we're sprucing this place up, I really need to update my links lists. . . a task that is long overdue! Please leave a comment if you would like me to add your blog to my list :)

Parker, Parker, Parker

I tried to take a pic of the babies together, but it seems like Parker is standing out in every shot!

Maybe if I do my Popeye smile, no one will even notice that brother is in the picture.

No, wait! I have an even better idea!

I'll just block him like this, and everyone will see me for sure! That girl has issues, Momma. Real issues!!! (Unlike me, because you know that my refusal to wear a sock on my right foot is *totally* normal.)

Turkey Time!!!

My response upon opening new pictures of the boys:
"Oh, how cute! I cannot believe they decorate for these pictures every single month! It really is so nice that they do this for us. Oh, my little turkeys are so handsome!"

DH's response upon opening new pictures of the boys:
"What is with the cross dressing?"

Gerson Misael - As handsome as a boy can be :)

Elviz Eliezer - You cannot help but love this face :)

All The Way

I say it to my children and my husband every day -- "I love you all the way". So what does that mean?

It means that I love them every second of every day. It means that I love them from now until forever. It means that I love them an amount that cannot be measured. It means that I love them no matter what they do, what they become, or where they go. It means that I love them when it is easy, and when it is hard, and when it down right hurts. It means that my guard is down, and I am holding nothing back.

Gerson and Elviz, I love you all the way, all the time, no matter what.

I miss you, boys!

Thank you so much for taking pictures and for giving our boys lots of hugs, Justine!!!!

FFF #13 - Things You Should Not Say to PG

"No more crackers right now."

"The baby food is all gone."

**SIDE NOTE: Terri, Please e-mail me at ramair421 AT yahoo DOT com.

Let Sarah Come Home!

Corey's baby girl, Sarah, has been out of PGN for 6 weeks. Unfortunately, she has not been able to come home yet because the civil registry where she was born will not issue her new birth certificate. I cannot imagine how frustrating this is for Corey and her family. They are so close to bringing their baby girl home, and now there is a ridiculous (and illegal, by the way) delay! We are praying that Sarah's BC is issued pronto! So, my babies at home wore orange today in support of Sarah :)

Brayden is signing "Please". As in, Please issue Sarah's BC so that she can come home!Brayden used an orange cup and ate carrots & cheese. The boy is serous about Sarah coming home!!!

Parker has no orange clothing, but she dug around and found a shirt with a little orange on it :)She is doing a "BC, BC, We Want a BC!" chant for Sarah!