Our Easter was really nice. We went to Scottsdale for the weekend and stayed at our favorite resort and spent Saturday at the water park there and then had dinner with my parents and brother and his fiance and then Sunday did the huge egg hunt at the hotel. Really fun! And the weather was perfect.
2 days ago it was a bizarre weather day here in Northern AZ. We had snow, rain, wind, hail and then the sun came out!
I had the kids' pictures taken for the boys' birthdays which are all close from January-June. And yes of course I had pictures taken of Cambria too, because she is so darn cute and why not! I hope to post some of those pictures when I get the CD.
We had some friends and their kiddos over last night for dinner. Perfect ending to a Sunday night!
Monday, April 28, 2014
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
I'm Not Even Sure What to Title This! HA!
You guys. I haven't blogged since March 25th! What is going on with me?! I am becoming the worst blogger. I was out of town last week at my annual medical conference I go to. It was down in Scottsdale, and the weather was beautiful. I got to sit and listen to some good lectures, and catch up with my friends and old colleagues. Plus eat lots of good food. Plus some shopping and massages and lunch with my bestie. Pure bliss!
So much of what I want to talk about on here, I can't because this blog is a public blog. Things like the ups and downs and details of having an open adoption. Most days are great. Some days have speedbumps. Occasionally I have these fleeting thoughts of closing the adoption a bit, maybe becoming semi-open instead of fully open. Then a few days go by, and I'm ok with the amount of openness. It is an interesting body of water to navigate. That's for sure. Right now I feel like it's an open adoption between me and her birth mother and birth grandmas and birth-aunts and the adoptive mother of her new birth sister. And it will be that way until Cambria is older and able to talk on the phone and skype and be able to realize who she is talking to. Which is good and bad, all at the same time.
I had bought Cambria an outfit 3 years ago. Well, let me clarify. I bought the baby I thought would be Cambria this darling purple outfit over 3 years ago. Then that adoption fell apart....it fell apart bad.... 3 years ago tomorrow. We were at the hospital in San Fran with the baby in our arms, and D and I both got this awful feeling in our stomachs that this was not the baby that was meant to be ours. So we walked away. It was one of the hardest things I've had to do and one of the worst days of my life. It took me a long time to get over it and for the guilt to subside. It wasn't until Cambria was a couple months old that I finally was able to not feel so bad about the outcome of that match. Now I know that Cambria was meant to be our baby, and I'm glad we listened to our guts. I hate that we hurt that birth mom's feelings, but happy we did what was right for everyone involved in the end. OK so anyways, I had this 3-6 month adorbs purple outfit for summertime, but Cambria was that size in the winter, so she couldn't wear it. So it hung in her closet, and I just couldn't bring myself to give it away to strangers at the Go.od Wi.ll for example because of the significance of it. So when I laid eyes on Cambria's new birth sister, I knew exactly who it was meant for! She looks so good in purple, and the outfit will fit her this summer. I sent it to her, along with some other baby gifts a couple weeks ago. That outfit is in the right place, and I'm so happy I could give it to her sister.
So tomorrow is the 3-year anniversary of our previous match falling apart. It was devastating. Even though we were the ones who walked away. So what am I doing tomorrow? Why, I'm taking my 4 kiddos to get their pictures taken for a combined birthday-picture session!! No better way to celebrate it, in my opinion! :) (And then we have 2 baseball games after that, of course!)
It's baseball season here until the end of May, so my posts will be scarce.
I do want to mention one more thing. D's SIL's birthday was Saturday. I actually texted her and wished her a happy birthday. So did Dave. She actually replied back to both of us but simply said, "thank you". She didn't even use any punctuation. Hey, at least she replied. I texted her twice in the previous couple of weeks to see how she was doing, and she couldn't even be bothered to respond to me. This might sound so weird, but it made me feel good to wish her a happy birthday and be the bigger person. And now she can't say we forgot her birthday this year. I acutally don't think she is doing well health-wise. She did have her 9-year anniversary on her birthday of surviving a GBM (you can google it, but it's a stage 4 brain tumor with is almost always fatal within 18 months of diagnosis. She has somehow beat the odds and has made it for 9 years). She was recently in the hospital for blood clots in the lungs. So once again she survived the odds and survived the PE's, which can be fatal. She is like a cat with 9 lives.
OK that's all about her. I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but both my older boys got straight A's for the 3rd quarter this year.....that's straight A's all year for them so far! I'm so proud! Joshua is too young to get letter grades still.
All 3 of my boys played catcher this week at their baseball games! We are literally at the baseball field 5 to 6 nights a week!
Well, that's all for now. Happy Easter to everyone!!
So much of what I want to talk about on here, I can't because this blog is a public blog. Things like the ups and downs and details of having an open adoption. Most days are great. Some days have speedbumps. Occasionally I have these fleeting thoughts of closing the adoption a bit, maybe becoming semi-open instead of fully open. Then a few days go by, and I'm ok with the amount of openness. It is an interesting body of water to navigate. That's for sure. Right now I feel like it's an open adoption between me and her birth mother and birth grandmas and birth-aunts and the adoptive mother of her new birth sister. And it will be that way until Cambria is older and able to talk on the phone and skype and be able to realize who she is talking to. Which is good and bad, all at the same time.
I had bought Cambria an outfit 3 years ago. Well, let me clarify. I bought the baby I thought would be Cambria this darling purple outfit over 3 years ago. Then that adoption fell apart....it fell apart bad.... 3 years ago tomorrow. We were at the hospital in San Fran with the baby in our arms, and D and I both got this awful feeling in our stomachs that this was not the baby that was meant to be ours. So we walked away. It was one of the hardest things I've had to do and one of the worst days of my life. It took me a long time to get over it and for the guilt to subside. It wasn't until Cambria was a couple months old that I finally was able to not feel so bad about the outcome of that match. Now I know that Cambria was meant to be our baby, and I'm glad we listened to our guts. I hate that we hurt that birth mom's feelings, but happy we did what was right for everyone involved in the end. OK so anyways, I had this 3-6 month adorbs purple outfit for summertime, but Cambria was that size in the winter, so she couldn't wear it. So it hung in her closet, and I just couldn't bring myself to give it away to strangers at the Go.od Wi.ll for example because of the significance of it. So when I laid eyes on Cambria's new birth sister, I knew exactly who it was meant for! She looks so good in purple, and the outfit will fit her this summer. I sent it to her, along with some other baby gifts a couple weeks ago. That outfit is in the right place, and I'm so happy I could give it to her sister.
So tomorrow is the 3-year anniversary of our previous match falling apart. It was devastating. Even though we were the ones who walked away. So what am I doing tomorrow? Why, I'm taking my 4 kiddos to get their pictures taken for a combined birthday-picture session!! No better way to celebrate it, in my opinion! :) (And then we have 2 baseball games after that, of course!)
It's baseball season here until the end of May, so my posts will be scarce.
I do want to mention one more thing. D's SIL's birthday was Saturday. I actually texted her and wished her a happy birthday. So did Dave. She actually replied back to both of us but simply said, "thank you". She didn't even use any punctuation. Hey, at least she replied. I texted her twice in the previous couple of weeks to see how she was doing, and she couldn't even be bothered to respond to me. This might sound so weird, but it made me feel good to wish her a happy birthday and be the bigger person. And now she can't say we forgot her birthday this year. I acutally don't think she is doing well health-wise. She did have her 9-year anniversary on her birthday of surviving a GBM (you can google it, but it's a stage 4 brain tumor with is almost always fatal within 18 months of diagnosis. She has somehow beat the odds and has made it for 9 years). She was recently in the hospital for blood clots in the lungs. So once again she survived the odds and survived the PE's, which can be fatal. She is like a cat with 9 lives.
OK that's all about her. I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but both my older boys got straight A's for the 3rd quarter this year.....that's straight A's all year for them so far! I'm so proud! Joshua is too young to get letter grades still.
All 3 of my boys played catcher this week at their baseball games! We are literally at the baseball field 5 to 6 nights a week!
Well, that's all for now. Happy Easter to everyone!!
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Giggling
I have really made a conscious effort to not dwell on the bad behaviors of D's SIL and let her poor treatment of me and my husband and children ruin my day. In fact, I texted her last week and said I was thinking of her and hoped she was doing well. {GASP! Say what?!} Well, of course she didn't reply. I talked to my real SIL (I am referring to Dave's sister..... I no longer refer to D's SIL as my SIL) and happened to mention that I texted D's SIL and never heard back. She told me that she heard from her, and she said her phone was broken & just got it fixed. So of course everyone wants to give D's SIL the benefit of the doubt. I said I'm sure she got my text, because the very next morning she texted my real SIL and told her about her phone being broken and finally got it fixed. I decided to give her one more chance, and I texted her today and told her I had texted her last week, and how D's sister told me her phone was broken and I was wondering how she was doing. And oh, BTW did they get the invitation to my son's birthday party which is this Saturday?
No reply. Of course. D's SIL is attached to her cell phone just like I am....kind of a lifeline. She is just proving that she is purposely avoiding me- even when I am being nice and thoughtful. And I know that her phone is now fixed, because she texted my SIL from it last week.
So if I ever talk to her or D's brother again, and they start this crap about how D's SIL feels like we have forgotten her, I will not hold back. I will tell her how we have made efforts to text her and even see her, and she avoids us like the plague now. So she doesn't get to have it both ways.
They have ignored my kids for so long now, that my son hasn't even bother to ask if his aunt and uncle are coming to his birthday party. I don't think he even cares, because they have been such a non-presence in his life for so long. Sad. So sad.
But instead of me getting all worked up and pissed off and hurt about D's SIL ignoring me, I find myself giggling at her immaturity. What the heck must be going thru her head that she thinks it's OK to treat people like this and then whine that we have forgotten her?!
Yep, I'm giggling. What a funny show she is putting on for everyone to see. Sad show, but funny. Especially since this time last year she was turning 50 and giving me grief because we missed her 50th birthday party. I'm giggling because she needs to grow up.
Oh well, I have better things to do like get ready for my son's birthday bash on Saturday. A Minecraft party, of course!
No reply. Of course. D's SIL is attached to her cell phone just like I am....kind of a lifeline. She is just proving that she is purposely avoiding me- even when I am being nice and thoughtful. And I know that her phone is now fixed, because she texted my SIL from it last week.
So if I ever talk to her or D's brother again, and they start this crap about how D's SIL feels like we have forgotten her, I will not hold back. I will tell her how we have made efforts to text her and even see her, and she avoids us like the plague now. So she doesn't get to have it both ways.
They have ignored my kids for so long now, that my son hasn't even bother to ask if his aunt and uncle are coming to his birthday party. I don't think he even cares, because they have been such a non-presence in his life for so long. Sad. So sad.
But instead of me getting all worked up and pissed off and hurt about D's SIL ignoring me, I find myself giggling at her immaturity. What the heck must be going thru her head that she thinks it's OK to treat people like this and then whine that we have forgotten her?!
Yep, I'm giggling. What a funny show she is putting on for everyone to see. Sad show, but funny. Especially since this time last year she was turning 50 and giving me grief because we missed her 50th birthday party. I'm giggling because she needs to grow up.
Oh well, I have better things to do like get ready for my son's birthday bash on Saturday. A Minecraft party, of course!
Monday, March 24, 2014
Spring Forward
This is a little something funny for my East coast and midwest friends, who keep getting hammered with snow this winter (and spring!). This doesn't really apply to me because I live in beautiful AZ.
I love how the bird is wearing a North Face jacket and has a Sbux cup in its hand!
I love how the bird is wearing a North Face jacket and has a Sbux cup in its hand!
Sunday, March 23, 2014
God Knows Us So Well.
I am so terrible about writing on this blog! And my picture-posting skills are even worse! If I can't post pictures directly from my cell phone, it's way too much effort!
Anyways, the other day I was at my workout class, and I just realized one of the girls in my class works at my hair salon. She was saying how cute my new haircut is (I had loooong hair half-way down my back, and now it is in an A-line bob). I was telling her it was kind of a necessary haircut, because my hair had been falling out and it was also snapping and breaking off. All my bloodwork has come back normal. She says, "Well, it's probably falling out after the birth of your daughter."
Lol I looked at her and said, "Well, that's a great explanation, except for that we adopted her."
You should have seen the look on her face! Her jaw hit the ground! "She's adopted?? She looks....." and I cut her off and said, "Just like me, yes I know. Weird, huh!"
And besides, Cambria turned 18 months old today, and isn't that a little old to be blaming hair falling out on childbirth/hormones? Ahhh, if only the explanation would be that simple!
And then I was at a birthday party with Cambria yesterday. Her first princess birthday party that she was invited to- and not her brothers! The party was for the other girl in town with the same name, and C had so much fun there! She ran around playing the whole time and was giggling and laughing. It was so cute to watch her there! So one of the other moms who I know a little bit & am FB friends with asked me if we used an egg donor with C, because she looks just like our family. I'm assuming she meant that we must have chosen an egg donor who looks like our family and plus it would be Dave's biological child.
The funny thing is....before C came along, I had gone to the infertility specialist a couple times, and was going to do IVF but they strongly recommended that we use an egg donor. I picked out our egg donor, and she looked nothing like Dave, me, or our sons. So it's funny that while we didn't care if our baby looked like us, that we ended up with this precious baby girl that looks like us.
Why didn't we go through with the IVF you might be asking? The egg donor was in another cycle with another couple, and so we had to wait until she was done and recovered from their cycle to start our cycle. After having time to think and wait, D said he would prefer we adopt. Is that interesting or not? He would prefer to adopt where the child would have no biological relation to either of us (and thus, an even field of sorts) rather than do IVF with an egg donor, and the child would be biologically his. And then after having my hysterectomy last May, my reproductive organs were in bad shape. The feeling was I would have not have gotten pregnant with IVF and wasted that money.
It is all in God's hands. You make plans, and God laughs. He knows. He knows us so well.
Anyways, the other day I was at my workout class, and I just realized one of the girls in my class works at my hair salon. She was saying how cute my new haircut is (I had loooong hair half-way down my back, and now it is in an A-line bob). I was telling her it was kind of a necessary haircut, because my hair had been falling out and it was also snapping and breaking off. All my bloodwork has come back normal. She says, "Well, it's probably falling out after the birth of your daughter."
Lol I looked at her and said, "Well, that's a great explanation, except for that we adopted her."
You should have seen the look on her face! Her jaw hit the ground! "She's adopted?? She looks....." and I cut her off and said, "Just like me, yes I know. Weird, huh!"
And besides, Cambria turned 18 months old today, and isn't that a little old to be blaming hair falling out on childbirth/hormones? Ahhh, if only the explanation would be that simple!
And then I was at a birthday party with Cambria yesterday. Her first princess birthday party that she was invited to- and not her brothers! The party was for the other girl in town with the same name, and C had so much fun there! She ran around playing the whole time and was giggling and laughing. It was so cute to watch her there! So one of the other moms who I know a little bit & am FB friends with asked me if we used an egg donor with C, because she looks just like our family. I'm assuming she meant that we must have chosen an egg donor who looks like our family and plus it would be Dave's biological child.
The funny thing is....before C came along, I had gone to the infertility specialist a couple times, and was going to do IVF but they strongly recommended that we use an egg donor. I picked out our egg donor, and she looked nothing like Dave, me, or our sons. So it's funny that while we didn't care if our baby looked like us, that we ended up with this precious baby girl that looks like us.
Why didn't we go through with the IVF you might be asking? The egg donor was in another cycle with another couple, and so we had to wait until she was done and recovered from their cycle to start our cycle. After having time to think and wait, D said he would prefer we adopt. Is that interesting or not? He would prefer to adopt where the child would have no biological relation to either of us (and thus, an even field of sorts) rather than do IVF with an egg donor, and the child would be biologically his. And then after having my hysterectomy last May, my reproductive organs were in bad shape. The feeling was I would have not have gotten pregnant with IVF and wasted that money.
It is all in God's hands. You make plans, and God laughs. He knows. He knows us so well.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Dove
Someone posted or shared one of those Face.book quizzes (i.e. Which real housewife are you? Which vegetable would you be? What is your IQ? How many kids will you have? Which animal are you?)
I just looked at the which animal are you quiz...it is based on the week you were born. I got a dove. Then I started reading the description (kind of like your horoscope). Part of it was true, part of it was way off. I loved this section, though: You dislike hypocrisy and tend to shirk away from hypocrites. They can never be in your good books, no matter what.
Wow, that is spot on! (If you've ever read any of my ranting posts about my lovely SIL, you'll agree!)
I can't stand hypocrites.
But I do like doves. Real doves, and Dove chocolates! ;)
I just looked at the which animal are you quiz...it is based on the week you were born. I got a dove. Then I started reading the description (kind of like your horoscope). Part of it was true, part of it was way off. I loved this section, though: You dislike hypocrisy and tend to shirk away from hypocrites. They can never be in your good books, no matter what.
Wow, that is spot on! (If you've ever read any of my ranting posts about my lovely SIL, you'll agree!)
I can't stand hypocrites.
But I do like doves. Real doves, and Dove chocolates! ;)
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