Puzzle Fundraiser Update

Well, our puzzle is coming together slowly but surely. Again, thank you to those that have contributed. Evan and I made a decision recently about this particular puzzle. This puzzle is going to represent how many pieces are sponsored, but it will not be the final puzzle that will hang on the wall. My friend told me about a company that makes jigsaw puzzles from photos. I think we are going to wait until the baby comes and then take pictures of our complete family and turn that into a puzzle. We will transfer everyone’s names onto that puzzle from this puzzle. We need to use this one now for a visual aide. I am also using the current puzzle as a guinea pig to learn how to glue a puzzle. Let’s just say, it didn’t go as planned the first time.

But, we are up to 42 pieces sponsored so far! Our first fee that we will need to pay is the equivalent of 300 pieces, so we have a ways to go. We’re still trusting. My grant applications are ready to be mailed, but we’re waiting on one document for each. We’re hoping that will be taken care of this week.

I have come across more fundraiser ideas, but I’m not sure of the level of response I will get from them. I know of some organizations that help adopting families raise money through selling t-shirts and another through selling coffee. I’ll be praying and thinking about whether this is something we want to do.

I am going to close with your visual aide. The first picture is how many pieces have been sponsored.

The second picture shows what is left.

It looks like a big task, but every time I get down about this fundraiser, another person sponsors a piece or several pieces.

Please consider sponsoring a piece. You can mail the money or pay using the Paypal link on the side.  I am hoping to have the money for the first initial fee saved by the end of April. You never know when we could get that call.
Thanks again!


p.s. - If you are wondering what puzzle fundraiser we are talking about, read about it here.

Milkin’ It for All It’s Worth

Nicholas had a very good doctor’s appointment (for the most part). He’s very healthy and right on track. He charmed the doctor who said she wanted to take him home with her. I believe she said that last year. Maybe she says it to all the kids, but Nicholas did flash his smile at her several times.

Nicholas must have suspected that there was going to be more to this visit than just a chat with the doctor though. While we were waiting he asked me if he was going to get a shot. I wasn’t 100% sure, so I told him we’ll just have to wait and see. He wanted an answer, so as soon as he saw the doctor, he asked her. She was honest and told him that he would. He wasn’t too thrilled, but seemed to push it out of his mind as the doctor examined him and then asked him several questions.

Then the moment arrived where the nice doctor left and the poor nurse had to come in and be the “bad guy”. Nicholas was very brave. He lay down on the table and I held his hands. My heart broke when he cried out, “Ouch!” and the tears began to fall down his cheeks. He ended up with four shots! He is behind on his vaccination schedule. In fact, he has to come back this summer for a couple more.

It was hard watching him walk around with sore legs the rest of the day. My parents watched him overnight, so they had to bear the brunt of it. He woke up several times that night. Thankfully, he was able to take a good nap on Saturday before we went to some friends’ house. There he was able to run around with the kids, wrestle, and walk up and down flights of stairs.

But, at home, going upstairs was too painful. It hurt too much to pick up toys. He didn’t want to walk without some assistance. I started calling him “Milky” because he was milkin’ the pain. I don’t doubt that he had pain, but I wasn’t sure to what degree. He seems to be complaining less today.

Here’s a picture from his appointment before the nurse came in:

Nicholas use to wave and say hi to our doctor's office every time we passed it.  I'm not sure he's going to continue that ritual.  And, I think I'm going to have to use the promise of ice cream to get him to go back this summer for the rest of his vaccinations.

Freedom

Nicholas and I can leave the house anytime we want! We can hardly believe it ourselves. Evan’s parents recently purchased a new car and blessed us with their old car. Now Evan is driving that car to work and I have my car back. The first thing Nicholas asked me Monday morning is if we could go to the library. So, after we did school, we headed out. We haven’t been to the library in months!!! Now we can make it a weekly thing.


We also stopped at the store on the way home to get ourselves a little treat – because we can! As we were driving into our neighborhood, Nicholas began to shout, “We don’t have to stay home! Yay! We have a car! Yay!” Do you think we’ve been stuck in the house for far too long?

Now the trick is to balance leaving the house without spending a lot of unnecessary money. Since I’m frugal, I know that we have to spend a little more on gas, but I don’t want to break the budget because we’re so glad that we are free. I’m sure I’ll work it out though.

I haven’t talked much about school on here lately. We’re doing the same old lately. We’ve fallen into a nice routine. I did start reading BOB books with Nicholas this past week. Sight words are about memorization, but now I’m teaching him to sound out words. He’s getting it, but it takes a little more work. We’re working at a slow pace because I don’t want to overwhelm him and I want to keep it fun.

I’m still researching our curriculum for the next school year (so I can figure out how much money to save). Since we will have a car, it will allow for us to have some activities too. I'm really looking forward to all the possibilities. 

Tomorrow we finally have Nicholas’ check-up (it was cancelled last time), which made me think about how much he has changed in just the last year. His tummy is slimming down. He’s losing his baby face. He’s getting taller. So, I went to the pictures on my computer and looked at the ones from last March. I keep telling him that he's growing too much, but he won't listen.

Last year:

 
 
Today:
 

He keeps posing this way, so he can be cute.

 
 

I'm looking forward to his doctor's appointment tomorrow.  When he came home, he was barely 10% for height.  Now he's at least 50%.  As Nicholas says, "I keep growing and growing."

Heard at Our House

Nicholas sometimes may not act like he hears me, but I’m pretty sure that he’s listening. The other day he was telling me something and I responded, “Goody Goody Gumdrops.” He replied, “Mom, that’s kind of rude.” 


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I asked Nicholas to go play a little until school time, so I could get a couple things done. He had other ideas though, so I told him he could go play or go sit in his room. He left the room and said, “You almost hurt my feelings.”

“Good thing, it was just almost,” I told him.

“But, you almost did.”

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One of my favorite things he does lately is take his disappointment out on other people. I know that sounds kind of messed up, but hear me out. For instance, I’ll say, “Nicholas, if you don’t keep that sword out of Gabby’s face, you’re going to lose it.”

He’ll reply, “Fine! I’m not going to be Daddy’s buddy anymore.”

Poor Evan is at work and loses his “buddy” status without even knowing it.


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“Is it school time yet?” he asked me.

“I’ll let you know, Bud.”

“Why did you call me ‘Bud’? You’re not allowed to call me ‘Bud’. That’s kind of annoying when you call me ‘Bud’. It makes my heart sad when you call me ‘Bud’?”

Warning: Don’t ever call him “Bud”. A strong reaction may follow.


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Yesterday I was talking to my sister on the phone and she was teasing me. I pretended that I was offended, but Nicholas didn’t know it was all pretend. Nicholas promptly asked me for the phone. He first whispered to me, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” Then, he told my sister that she had bad behavior and needed to sit on her bed. It’s nice to know he has my back.


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Finally, Nicholas loves to pray. We always pray before we start school. He knew that we would be going to Trad*r Joe’s today, so this was part of his prayer:

“Thank you that I will get my own shopping cart . . . if I listen. We’ll see though.”





Nicholas has a lot of fun quotes. I am going to try and do a better job of writing them down. Looking back and reading them really helps me to smile. I think that when you are a parent of a preschooler, you need reminders sometimes of just how enjoyable your kids can be.

I've Got Nothing

A lot of people have been asking me lately if we’ve heard any news on the adoption, and the answer is no. I did hear that we are getting positive feedback on our profile, which is good to hear. I am still trying to work on our grant applications. I have to make some copies of tax forms and get copies of our home study from our agency. Hopefully, I can sit down and finish everything this week.


Our puzzle piece fundraiser is going pretty well. We have 27 pieces sponsored already! I am so grateful for all the people that have given. Every little bit helps. I’ll try and get some pictures of how the puzzle is shaping up so far. Some people have asked if there is a deadline for the puzzle pieces. Basically, you can sponsor them until all 500 are spoken for, or until the adoption fees are paid.

I’ve had a little writer’s block lately. It’s not that we aren't doing anything. I think part of it is that Evan worked an insane amount of hours last week. He got home pretty late and we both stayed awake late just so we could have a conversation (although both parties were not always fully awake or mentally present). Then he left early a few days, which left me and Nicholas together even longer than normal.  I did have my mom’s van for a couple of days which helped.

Nicholas has been telling people that he’s four now. But, sometimes he says, “I’m still four, but soon I’m going to be five.” I knew he was having trouble getting the concept of time, but . . . . Anyway, I have a couple more pictures from his actual birthday. Maybe having pictures will make up for my lack of content in this post.

 

They sang to him at the restaurant.  He didn't want to put on the sombrero.

 

Just let me eat my ice cream.

 
 

I'm going to work on getting out of my writer's funk.  Maybe when I get my mind off of all the grant paperwork, I'll have more to say.  Until then . . .

Happy Birthday, Nicholas!

Since Evan works late, we have to celebrate Nicholas' birthday as a family at breakfast time.  Nicholas wanted donuts for his birthday breakfast, which made Evan very happy as well. 

We got Nicholas up a little early, so we would have time for presents too.  All three of our presents went over well.  First, we got him a puzzle.  When we putting together the puzzle for our fundraiser, he always wanted to help.  Now he is happy to have his very own puzzle.

Next, we got him Batman Tri*o blocks.  He loves those blocks and plays with them all the time.  My mom got him the Penguin set for his birthday.  He kept wondering, "Where's Batman?"

Finally, we gave him the guitar that I bought in front of him.  His first question was, "Is this for me?"  As I type this he is playing with that noisy little guitar.  I hope I don't regret that one too much. 

I can’t believe he’s four today! Apparently, this is the age where suddenly everything he’s done before is for babies. Yesterday he kept boxing up his toys and saying he was going to take them to the babies at church. Also, in the last couple of days he’s decided that he doesn’t like some of the television shows he used to like. He told me that they were for babies too. Unfortunately, the two shows that I am absolutely sick of did not make it into the baby category.

Lately he’s been working hard on speaking correctly. Considering that he has only been speaking English for less than two years, he’s doing pretty well. He has a tendency to mumble sometimes which makes it harder for others to understand him. He also has trouble with his “sp” and “sc” words. I taught him a little trick the other day and he is finally starting to say “spoon”, “sports” and “school” correctly more times than not.

He can read basic sight words and has recently started writing his own name. We love to read together, but I also find that he likes to sit and “read” by himself a lot lately too.

Nicholas is really a well-behaved kid. He has two parents that are or act like firstborns, so we are learning to extend grace to him. He really does make it easy for the most part. He’s not perfect, but seems to be sincerely apologetic and remorseful most of the time.

He continues to be friendly and outgoing. He has started hanging around some friends at church. He also has several adults that he makes sure to talk with each week as well. Nicholas’ smile continues to brighten up many people’s days and he loves to flash it to people when we’re out and about.

He’s got his buddies and his best friends, but he still wants to marry his mom – almost every day. We spend the most time together and as hard it is to be a parent, I really love being with him. He’s funny and sweet. I love hearing him try to process what he’s learning. My sister and I laughed the other day when he told us to “get a zip”. That’s a cross between “get a grip” and “zip it”.

While he is friendly and fun-loving like Evan, he’s also a lot like me in personality. When we were at the dentist last week, the hygienist told him that she was putting some things in a goody bag for him – a toothbrush, toothpaste, some coupons.

“Coupons!” he exclaimed. “I love coupons!” Yes, that’s my mini-me. We may not share DNA. He doesn’t look like me, but we’re two peas in a pod sometimes.

Nicholas is spending his birthday in his class while I’m at Bible study. Then, he gets to go to lunch with a lot of female relatives on my side of the family. He’ll be in heaven.

I’m so glad that this little boy is my son. I am blessed to be his mom.

The Party’s Over – For Now!

Well, we celebrated Nicholas’ birthday twice this weekend, but I think he wants you to know that he’s still three and it’s not his birthday yet. I only heard that several times.

But, he did have a lot of fun this weekend. On Saturday we had pizza, cake and ice cream with my parents and sister. My parents got him a game that I was hoping he would get – Busytown. Evan and I played it with Nicholas yesterday and it is a lot of fun. I highly recommend it. Everyone works as a team on the board and  there are all these hidden items that we have to find together.

My sister got him his favorite present of the night, which will probably turn into my worst nightmare. She gave him two foam swords. Everyone got their turn fighting. Some rules had to be implemented quickly as we were being “stabbed” in some uncomfortable places. But, this is one of the toys he had been wanting for awhile.

On Sunday we celebrated with Evan’s family. I found a recipe for monkey cupcakes online, so Evan and I spent Nicholas’ nap decorating them. When Nicholas woke up and saw them he kept thanking us for making them.





He had a lot of fun playing with his cousins. He also received a lot of nice books and clothes. We really needed some fresh books in the house. I don’t know if he is bored yet of our current ones, but I certainly am.

Nicholas had been saying for a while that he was going to ask May May (Amanda) if he could please hold Baby Morgan. Last night he got his chance. He seemed to really like holding her, which gave him a little taste of what is to come. And, Morgan didn't seem to mind.

We still have one more celebration ahead – on his actual birthday. Evan and I are looking forward to giving him the presents from us, including the one I bought in front of him last week.

Almost 4

Nicholas and I had an eventful Thursday. We went to get our city taxes calculated and of course, I was missing one item. So, I gathered our things and headed back to my mom’s van (we borrowed it again). We had some time to kill before Nicholas’ dentist appointment, so I decided that we should go walk around a store.


I wasn’t intending to buy anything, but soon found myself faced with a dilemma. Nicholas’ birthday is next week. We purchased one gift for him. We were trying to come up with a couple more items. At this store, I found myself staring at one of the items we were considering, and it was $8.00 less than I had ever seen it. One problem - Nicholas was standing right there. So, I did what any good mommy would do of an almost four-year-old.  I decided to buy it.

“Who’s that for?” He asked me.

“Somebody,” I told him, “You’ll just have to wait and see.” I didn’t say “somebody else”. I said “somebody”. I wanted him to wait and be surprised for his birthday and I didn’t want to lie to him. I also picked out a puzzle too.

When we got to the register, the lady asked him if the guitar was for him.

“No,” he said sadly, “It’s for somebody else.”

I felt lousy. I’m hoping that he forgets the torture I put him through when he opens it next week.

Next, we headed to the dentist office. This was Nicholas’ third visit. The first two times he was nervous, so he had to sit on my lap during the entire check-up. I prepped him all week and reminded him that he was a brave boy who could sit by himself. And, he did! He needed me to hold his hand while she cleaned his teeth, but he was such a big boy throughout the appointment. I’m so proud of him. He also made sure to give his Buckeye cheer to our Ohio State Alum dentist.

They offered him the sunglasses because of the bright light.

He’s just growing up so fast. At church on Wednesday he told me that he didn’t need my help in the bathroom. In fact, before I could say anything, he closed the stall door, locked it and went all by himself. While I am happy about his independence in some areas, I am still a little sad.

I guess it is a little harder because I’ve only been his mom since he was 2. It is going to weird to experience a newborn. I’m thankful that we will have our next child in our family from the beginning. However, as much as I miss the time we didn’t have with Nicholas, I think I may want to adopt a toddler again in the future. It’s all up to God.

But, we will be celebrating Nicholas all weekend long. From the looks of things, he’s ready. I’ll try and post some pictures after the sugar high is over.

Things You May Have Wanted to Ask and Other Ramblings

Thank you to those that have sponsored a puzzle piece so far!!! Every little gift means so much to us. You’ll notice we are charting the progress on the side of the blog with our trusty thermometer.

So, maybe you’re wondering where the money for the puzzle fundraiser is going? Well, when we are matched with a birthmother, we have to pay our agency a fee. They have a lot to do paperwork-wise, so this will go toward administrative expenses. Also, in our state, we may have to pay some of the birthmother’s expenses, if needed. These are all well-documented. So, we would like to have this money ready if a birthmother chooses us, so we will not have to say no.

The bulk of the money seems to be due once the baby is placed in our home, so we are hoping that the matching grant (if we get it) will help cover those expenses. There will also be court costs, attorney fees, and post-placement fees.
I just wanted to let you know that fundraising is hard. No one really wants to ask others to help. It’s just not an easy thing to do. Once I put it out there that we needed help with our adoption, I began to be afraid of people’s reactions. Then, I noticed the topic on one of the blogs I like to read. Please read this post if you have the time.
The author did an excellent job expressing my thoughts about fundraising. It’s exactly how I feel. I really hope that others will not be so afraid to choose adoption as well because they will see how many people were/are in the same boat as them.

Also, for someone as scheduled and logical as me, it forces me to take a great big leap of faith. We don’t know how the money will come. Instead of worrying about it, wouldn’t it be more exciting to watch how God brings it in? Now let’s see if I can get my mind to stop over-thinking and grasp that concept.

On a good note, our photo books were delivered to our agency yesterday. I’ll have to wait until we visit the office again to see the finished product. I’ve said this before, but you never know why a birthmother will pick you. It could be that you resemble someone in their life. It could be because they want the baby to have a sibling. It could be because you are a Buckeye fan (Evan made sure to mention that in the profile).

Normally, I tend to be "the glass is half-empty" type of person. I don’t want to be, but it’s where my mind seems to lean. But, for some reason, I have an optimistic attitude when it comes to our profile. I don’t think we’re better than everyone else or anything. I just have a “Why wouldn’t someone pick us?” attitude. This is quite healthy for me. It’s about time I see that I have a lot to offer instead of focusing on my flaws. We also have that cute brown-eyed boy in a lot of our pictures. Who wouldn’t want him for a sibling?

With that positivity comes a reason for some of my new worry. Here we go again . . . Do I ever learn not to worry? Anyway, what if we get picked like next week? That’s so fast! Will we be ready? What if the baby is due next month? Thank goodness I serve a God that does not worry about these details. And, thank goodness I did not marry a worry wart. I couldn’t imagine if both of us were sitting on the couch night after night, biting our nails and hashing about all the what-ifs in the world.

But, we’ve been in this process for about five or six months. It doesn’t seem like that long since the home study was just approved, but we applied last fall. So, I’m going to try and get myself excited and get ready.

In the meantime, I have someone here to help me keep busy.