A New Year and time for a New Blog!!

Can it really be that I haven't posted a single thing on here since August?  I know I've been busy as a new mom and all, but WOW!!  Honestly, I've kind of been bummed lately that I became such a lame-o blogger.  I haven't kept a journal since Noah has been home ( in spite of the fact that it has been sitting by my bedside for months), so other than the ten thousand photos and videos we have taken, I have no written words of how our life has been since Noah has joined our family.  And to top it all off, I'm quite certain that very early Alzheimer's has been setting in for years, so if I don't start writing now, those memories are going to be long gone very soon. 

After much thought, I have decided a new year calls for a fresh start.  I am going to start a new blog/journal where I can wrack my brain to remember as much as I can of these past five and a half months with our boy, NoahBear.  ( Don't know why that's his nickname, it just came out of my mouth one day shortly after he came home and it kinda stuck.  And then, what do ya know....we just happened to find the best bear costume ever for Halloween! :)

So, if anyone is still out there and would like to join us on this new journey, come on over to my  new blog, "The Adventures of NoahBear"  to say hello!

Man of My Dreams !!!

It's the Noah Show !!!

I'm not quite sure how Glenn actually posts videos right on our blog, and since he is upstairs putting Noah to bed I can't ask him. :) So...I figured I would just post a link to two videos of Noah from his first week home. The first is of him being his silly, adorable self! The second is of the director of our agency calling to talk to him. ( She likes to talk to all of the babies when they first come home to try to comfort them and fill the void of missing their foster mommies. It is very, very sweet!! )
Just click here to view: http://www.vimeo.com/5858598

I am a crappy blogger :(

Ok...same old song. I have no time to blog anymore!!! It's been almost two weeks since I have posted anything, so I had to at least put up some photos. Noah is doing amazing! We have fallen head over heels for him! He seems to be equally attached to both Glenn and I so far, which we are both very happy about. He has been sleeping each night for 10 - 11 hours.....straight through! WOO HOO!!! He loves to swim! ( I think he may have been a fish or dolphin in a past life :) He LOVES watermelon. ( he's eaten almost two whole ones himself since he's been home!) He loves to eat and share his Pirate's Booty with Simon. And....well, he is just the single best thing that has ever happened to Glenn and I!

And even more....

More photos!

A few more photos of baby Noah to hold you over :)

NOAH IS HOME !!!

YES!! Our baby boy is finally home! The past few days have been a whirlwind to say the least! Noah is doing so well and Glenn and I have fallen completely in love with him. He seems to get more and more comfortable with us as each day passes. There hasn't been any time to sit and write about all that has been going on as Noah of course is keeping us soooo busy. He is still adjusting to the time difference and also tends to need to curl up on Glenn or I in order to fall asleep and stay asleep. Although we know it will take quite some time until Noah is totally attached to us, we are so happy that he wants to be comforted by us and are finding that each day we are able to figure out his needs a little better than the day before.

Well, that is all the time I can squeeze in for now, but promise when things settle Glenn will post some videos and I will write a bit more about our first moments with Noah. In the meantime, here are some photos of Noah's homecoming!!

TRAVEL CALL!!! Noah is coming home!!!!!

It's been a whirlwind of a day to say the least!!! The call that we have been waiting for has finally come! Our baby boy is coming home!!! (And today he is 13 months old!!)

I prayed so hard last night that good news would come today, especially after others that have used our agency bet that today would be the day. All morning I was trying to remain hopeful. You know in your heart that the call will come eventually but at the same time it feels like it will never happen! At 10:57 a.m. I was on the phone with my boss when the call waiting clicked. I started screaming to Priscilla...." it's them!!!! I gotta go!!!!!!!" As soon as I heard the voice of the director of our agency saying, " This is the call!!!!", I started to cry! I quickly got myself together, grabbed a pen and paper and wrote down all of the info. Our Noah Lee comes this Wednesday afternoon!!! When Cecelia informed me that there would be three other families picking up their babies I quickly had to ask about a new friend I have been speaking to on-line for the past month or so. Jodi lives in Boston and got the referral of her son Matthew 10 days after we got Noah's referral. We have been helping each other through the final part of this painful wait and were hoping that our travel calls would be for the same day and place. How amazing that we will both be there to share this moment together!!

I knew I wouldn't be able to get a darn thing done all day today and had a lunch date planned with my friend, Tracey. So.....after making a ton of phone calls I had a really nice afternoon with my friend. As always, Tracey is so thoughtful. She picked up lunch for us, made a delicious pie for dessert and had flowers and balloons to celebrate! She had me cracking up when she told me that she was telling everyone in the deli and stores about Noah coming home!! How amazing and touching to have friends that are just as excited as you!! Thank you, Tracey, for spending the day with me and sharing in this journey!!!

Well, I'm sure the next posts will be lots of photos and videos of our first moments with Noah. Wednesday can't get here soon enough!!

This just warms my heart :)

Bye, baby brother :(

Time to go say my good-byes to my youngest brother, Ryan. He has been living in California for the past two and a half years and has been home all week for a visit. I never feel like I get enough time with him and the week always goes by way too fast. He won't be home again until Christmas, but luckily we do get to see each other using iChat. I was so hoping that I would get my call for Noah while Ry was here, but that didn't happen. Now I just keep praying that it happens next week.

Here's me and Ry when I got to see him last Sunday for the first time. Isn't he just sooo cute?!!!

VISA !!!!!

Amazing news today!!!! Noah's Visa appointment is scheduled for 1p.m. tomorrow! ( which is midnight tonight, our time!)

My new friend Jodi, who is also adopting a beautiful baby boy and is using our agency, sent me an e-mail today to call DC to check on the status of things because she had finally gotten the good news of her son's Visa. I was so afraid to pick up the phone to call and hear the same old thing, but figured there was a very good possibility of good news for us since Jodi and I are very close in our timelines of things. I burst into tears as soon as I hung up the phone and heard the wonderful news!!!!!

So what does this mean in the grand scheme of things? It means that we could get our call within a few days or so! Yes...it could take a few weeks....but as my friend Jackie informed me, she has seen a pattern within our agency. If you have a longer wait on your Visa ( as Jodi and I have) your Travel Call usually comes very shortly after.

So now we pray that our much anticipated call from our agency comes very, very soon and I am also praying that Jodi and I get to meet at the airport and share this life changing experience together.

We'll keep you posted as soon as we hear something!!

The story of us is just beginning

love you Coll,
Your Husband
Glenn

A much needed night out

I am so lucky to not only have a sister that I truly adore, but also 6 sister-in-laws that are amazing as well. We try to get together for dinner a few times a year.....just us girls :)....and I was so happy that I could make it tonight. It was not only fun to be in their company but another great distraction from our "wait." The photos are of Glenn's three sisters ( Joan, Cindy and Robin), and me and Jill, who is married to one of Glenn's brothers. The only one missing was Tina ( married to another brother.....yes, Glenn has a big family. He is the youngest of 8!!!), and Lynn who lives in North Carolina.....unfortunately it would be quite a long trip for her to make it to dinner! Thanks girls for a much needed night out!!

Lucky 7's

One of my fellow bloggy friends ( Hi Joanna!!) tagged me in this little game to help keep me distracted from the wait for Noah. Lord knows I could use all of the distractions that I can get!! Here goes....

Things I'm looking forward to:

1) going out to dinner tonight with my amazing sister-in-laws.
2) Ryan (my baby brother) coming home from California on Saturday for a visit
3) getting the call from my agency telling me that Noah is coming home!!
4) the very first moment that Glenn and I see Noah for the very first time
5) finally being a Mom
6) watching Glenn be the most wonderful dad
7) being able to finally tell everyone...."It's time! He's coming!!!!"


Things I did yesterday:

1) doctor's appointment
2) shopping for some tops and sandals
3) snuggled with Simon
4) laundry, laundry and more laundry
5) ate some not so great Mexican food
6) drank a very yummy pomegranate margarita
7) tossed and turned, didn't sleep well and got up three times to pee :)


Things I wish I could do:

1) be more patient during this awful wait
2) start exercising again
3) stop eating so many sweets
4) travel and see the world whenever I felt like it
5) wave a magic wand and heal my dad's pain
6) play the piano
7) cook without having to follow recipes


Shows I watch:

1) Survivor
2) The Office
3) The Amazing Race
4) Lost
5) Californication
6) Dexter
7) repeats of Everybody Loves Raymond and The King of Queens

There ya have it! Instead of tagging anyone, feel free to post your list in the comments section of this post!!! I'd love to see your lists. :)

Happy Birthday Big Sis!!!

Yep, Lisa was born on the Fourth of July. I am so lucky to have a big sister that is also one of my very best friends. She is an amazing mom that I have already learned so much from and I hope that I am half as good as she is at it. She already knows that she will be getting round the clock phone calls from me for advice once Noah comes home!!

Happy, Happy Birthday Big Sister!!!! I love you!!

(gotta say.....her outfit is WAY cooler than mine in this photo :)

How to pass the time while waiting for Noah to come home:

1) Take photos of your dog wearing glasses. ( he looks quite good, wouldn't ya say?)

Artwork contest from one of my faves!!!!!

I had to pass this great contest along......even though by doing so I am lessening my chances to win:)

Do you remember the adorable piece of artwork that I bought called "a frog and a slug went walking"??? Well....that amazing artist, kil sook, is part of a contest and you can win one of her prints!! All you have to do is check out her shop on Etsy, pick out your favorite print, and then leave a comment stating your fave and you are entered! How easy is that? Here is the link to the contest:

http://jamieann.net/shops/2009/06/29/etsy-adore-kilsook/

These are some of my latest favorites. Not only are her pieces unique, but they have the best quirky titles as well. These three are titled:

rice candy and a poppy red barrette

asian catholic school kids, day 1 - look at my tube socks

then there will be days, when you just feel like wearing a sock monkey on your head

Hop on over and enter....but better hurry!...the contest ends Sunday, July 5th at 11:59 p.m.

Two More Baby Showers!!

Glenn and I were both totally surprised and touched when we each were given a baby shower at work. Our bosses and co-workers were so unbelievably generous. Glenn's shower was about two weeks ago. As someone who hates to be the center of attention, he just about died when he walked into a "supposed meeting" and saw his entire company standing there yelling "surprise!!" How cool that they threw a shower for a guy!!!! He was truly blown away by it all.
My second shower was on Saturday. I have only been at my new job for three months now, so you can imagine how shocked I was that the girls did such a completely heartfelt thing for me. They too were way too generous with both the gifts and all of the food that they prepared. It was a nice little party right in the salon at the end of the day. I'm so ridiculously oblivious half of the time that it wasn't too difficult to pull one over on me!!
Glenn and I are just so thankful to have jobs and co-workers that we love. It has been so wonderful to be surrounded by so much support and excitement not only from friends and family but at our jobs as well.
Unfortunately I don't have any photos from Glenn's shower ( which he is quite fine with!) or from mine just yet, but this is a photo of all of my beautiful co-workers that was used for an ad before I started working there. Are they all totally gorgeous, or what?!!!

Rockin it baby style!

One of our friends gave us a really cool CD of lullabies for our baby boy Noah that is all Bob Marley tunes reimagined into lullabies. Cool!!!! I checked out the website for the company (Rockabye Baby) and there is a bunch of other great stuff. I picked up the ones shown and every one of them is great. I also found out that they are just a bit cheaper on amazon.com So go check it out and let me know what you think.