ah computers.......

So I'm still not forgetting just still having computer problems. Using someone else's yet again today. Makes me so mad because people are actually reading now and I have a lot to say and had actually been keeping up. God's working on me through no Internet though so it's all good :)

Our file "accidentally" somehow didn't make it on to the agenda for that committee for August so now it won't be until September 13 before we can actually see if they wave the waiting period so we can file for adoption but oh well, nothing we can do and honestly it's just a technicality at this point. She already living here and art of our family. But as Jackson says, it be nice when we can say her real name to everyone instead of having to use two different names all the time.

Emma has started school and is of course loving it again. She's a little bummed that there more work in second grade and no centers but overall doing good. We got to have beginning of the year chapel with her again which I absolutely LOVE! I love that God has miraculously provided for the kids to be at DMC. It's all Him!! There's just something about listening to the staff all coming together praying for your child at the beginning of the year that gives you goose bumps. It always helps this mommy who has a hard time sending them back feel better :)

Jackson begins preschool this Thursday and seems pretty excited about it. He's ready to be in class with Mrs. Friend. How cool is that for a preschool teacher name ;) All he can talk about is that they get to have a cowboy dinner. Too bad it's at the end of the school year. He's not very happy when I remind him of that but I'm sure when he gets started he'll love every bit of it. I've only heard amazing things about this teacher.

Well, better get going. Thanks to those of you who care enough to keep up with us on here. Hopefully we'll be back up and running soon to have updates with pictures and such. One of my amazing friends decided to pray for a miracle with our computer so I could keep up on my bible reading blog and then a few days later she got a call that someone is donating us a laptop!! I'm still kind of in shock and completely humbled but it will be very useful with Laila. We'll be getting that over Labor Day weekend and then will hopefully be up & running again. How completely amazing is our God?!?!

Quick Post

So I just wanted to put this up really quick since I'm on someone else's computer. My computer got rid of the virus then got hit by lightning!! How crazy is that! I haven't forgot to update just couldn't.

We've been having a great week, even stayed at the lake for several days. The meeting to wave the 6 month waiting period for adoption is actually this Tuesday. The social workers had the date mixed up. Please keep that in your prayers this week.

Emma & Jackson will be starting school soon so please keep them in your prayers and pray we have a great end of summer :)

Hoping to have the computer fixed this week. More to come then.....

August 2

So my computer got a virus and that was not fun at all!

I have some fun things to post but no time right now. Just wanted to give an update that today our file should go before the SNAP committee for approval to waive the six month waiting period to file for adoption. Please pray this goes through and maybe by the end of the week we could be talking with our lawyer!! woohoo!

Also, the birth parents did not show up again last week which was their last chance. Maybe this is the way God planned for it to be, that Laila could just move on and her new life with us just gets to continue. I'm glad to be able to say we tried.

SURPRISE!

So, very much to my surprise, my bunco ladies threw me a baby shower last night!  We play once a month and have a great time just having time out with adults to talk to.  We always try to celebrate whenever one of us has a baby because we’re all young moms and that happens quite often.  Well, I didn’t know if people would think of our Laila the same as having a baby but my lovely ladies did :)  And I cried, of course.

I was busy getting Laila ready for a night with daddy and getting the other two settled and was visiting with my sister who had come over to sub for our group so of course came early for some Laila snuggles :) and I didn’t even notice that my friend Kat had brought in a cookie cake and some decorations.  By the time I made it downstairs to the basement I was shocked to see all the decorations in my house!  As the ladies trickled in each brought something to decorate like balloons, wall ornaments and even “It’s a Girl” pencils for us to keep score with! 

My Manda caught wind of this shower and decided she needed to be a part.  When I wasn’t looking Kat said “oh, we needed another sub so I hope you don’t mind who I called….” and I turned around and there was Amanda who had driven down from Michigan!  She also brought along Stephen’s mom which was very exciting for her to get to meet Laila and see where we live.  And I cried.

When it came to present time there was a little gift wrapped in Sesame Street paper with some familiar handwriting on the card.  Kat had contacted my Jenni from Colorado about the shower and Jenni sent a gift for Kat to give to me at the shower.  It was so special for me to have her be able to be a part of this because we miss her so much and it just isn’t the same having a new daughter without being able to share her with her.  We’re hoping to work something out for her to come visit soon though!  And I cried.

Amanda pulled out a little flier and handed it to me and I realized that she had given it out to our friends from church in MI telling them that she would be coming down to this shower in case anyone wanted to send gifts so I also got to share this with some very special people from Michigan via Amanda as well.  And I cried.

It is amazing to feel the love that people have for our special daughter already.  Our family devotion at dinner tonight was all about an adopted little girl and how her parents taught her how special she was because of that but mostly because she had been adopted into the family of God by accepting Jesus.  What a wonderful and amazing thing.  I feel like I have this great big, huge family that extends as close as down the street and as far as across the country. 

Thank you all for being a wonderful part of our journey, not only now with our new daughter, but always.  We love you.  And, I cry ;)

Busy Busy Busy

WOW, We’ve had a busy few days!  I’ve put so many more miles on my oldy, moldy van that I’m surprised it’s holding up! 

Thursday Laila and I travelled down to Indy to pick up her new stander.  It’s a very neat new piece of equipment that I think she’s really gonna like!  We’re waiting on PT to come and tell us more about it but for now I know how to put her in it and if we can get the right toys in front of her she really seems to enjoy being upright.  Check it out!

We’ve had a few visits with some fun people.  Here’s one with the Petersons.  We’ve seen them a lot but this is the first time we grabbed the camera.   We swam with them in their pool when they were home (how nice are they for letting us swim when they’re not home?!?!)

And Laila got to meet her cousins on my side and Uncle Chad!  (Aunt April met her over memorial).

Friday night we packed up and went to the lake for the weekend.  I forgot how much more stuff you have to pack when you have a baby!  Even with taking one of the seats out we still weren’t able to bring her wheelchair because we were packed to the limit!

Saturday was a big day because for the first time I left Laila with Grandma Kathy to babysit.  My mom is not big on heat and neither is Laila so the two of them stayed back at the house in the nice air conditioning while the rest of us went out on the boat all day.  Grandma did a great job taking care of her.  She even kept a little log for me of the things she did with her, when she had her medicine, what she played with and when she took a nap!  I think maybe we should hire grandma to be the new nurse!!

Amanda & Stephen came down to hang out at the lake too so we had a great time enjoying the sun and having some fun.

Jackson Tubing

Amanda & Stephen Tubing (it took some convincing for Amanda!)

Emma tried her hand at skiing again this year.  She’s getting there!  Check her out!

Everyone catching some rays on the boat

We after all the playing we took a boat ride up the lake and saw the dam and then found a little cove to anchor and do some swimming.

We even got Jackson to jump off of the boat.  I know I mentioned it before but I am SOOO proud of him for the way he has come around to the water this summer!

Sunday morning when we got up everyone else was gone so we did our morning routine with Laila and we were off for our busiest day yet!  We had several things planned for the day but before we went we had already decided that when she’d had enough we were going to just head home and possibly skip whatever was left.  Well, she was a trooper for sure and we even added a trip out for pizza to the end of the day.

First we went to see our friends from Indy that were in town and introduced Laila to them.  We didn’t get a picture of them all together but here is Laila playing with her new friend Dylan.  They gave her this cute toy for a gift.  She really likes it!

Then we headed off to my dad’s family reunion.  We were worried that it would be too hot for her but there was a really nice breeze blowing and we also brought a fan.  She did really well visiting with everyone while she hung out in her wheelchair.

Emma was excited that the girls were wearing matching dresses again :)  These were the ones I got for them in Mexico so they were extra special :)

From the reunion we headed up to a pool party for our friend Matt at Camp LRCA.  Matt got done with his apprenticeship this past spring so we celebrated his big accomplishment.  We have found that Laila LOVES the water.  We’ve had her swimming a lot and she stays so happy (and cool) in the water.

I was excited to be able to swim in the pool at the camp because I’ve never been in it.  Emma goes to camp there every summer and I’ve always been jealous that she gets to play in this fun pool with a water slide!

There were several kids from church at the party and I just love how all of them have been gravitating to Laila.  They come and play with her and ask me questions about her.  They’re very curious about her tubes and wheelchair but then once I explain it to them they are like “Oh, OK!” and then just go on their way.  They are so accepting.  I love it!!  Here is Laila with her buddy Alex.  Alex’s mom had been talking to him about her for awhile and explained that God just made Laila’s legs a little different than his.  The first night he met her I saw him sneak over by her when no one was looking and feel her leg.  It was SO cute!  He was checking out what was different.  Dawn told me yesterday that Alex said “Laila can be my friend.”  AWW! 

Speaking of our friends the Purdys, when we were leaving the party they called to invite us out for pizza with them.  It had been a long day but we were hungry and everyone was still doing really well and since we had a pipe break in our house and we had no water….. we said yes!!  It was a great time.  I think all of our kids behaved the best they had in a restaurant and that was great for the long day we had.  Here’s Laila with the whole Purdy clan at the pizza place :)

Phew!!  I’m tired just from recapping all of that!  Well, I hear Laila waking up so on to another day we go.  Emma starts another session of swim lesson this morning and this time Jackson’s going too!  I’m excited for what this week will bring!

(just an update about the birth parents.  they didn’t show up last week.  this Wednesday is their last chance.  Please be praying for them.)

Meetings & Outings

We’ve had a busy couple of days!  Sunday we took Laila to church with us for the first time.  It was so heartwarming (yes, I sound like an old lady but it’s the right word for the situation!) to have our church family embrace our new daughter and love on her the way only a family of God can.  Getting ready in the morning was a little bit trickier with three.  Jack had planned on taking Laila into his Sunday School class with him but she wasn’t ready by the time we had to leave.  I had to teach my Sunday School class (thanks for offering to fill in though Dawn!!) so Jackson, Emma, & I left Daddy at home to finish getting Laila ready.  Have I mentioned lately how unbelievably amazing it is to have a husband that will do that?!?!  I said, pack the diaper bag, give her the meds & breathing treatment she needs, get yourself ready and meet us at church and he actually did it!  Just for laughs, he had her braces on the wrong feet and forgot to pack her any toys to keep her happy but they were on time and looking good :)  She did about as well as we expected her to for being a two year old sitting through church.  She made it through about half of it happy and then was ready for a change of scenery.  She and I went and finished out the rest of the time in the nursery but we were still able to hear what was going on in church so that was nice.

Sunday afternoon Laila finally got to meet some more of our family.  My two grandmas came over with my parents for a visit.

Of course my dad made me cry by sheepishly asking if he could hold her and then kept pointing to himself saying “PAPA, can you say that?  I’m your Papa.”   I swear the hormones are just as bad when you’re adopting as when you actually give birth!

Emma was excited that she and Laila had matching dresses.  We didn’t even buy them together.  Laila’s was a hand-me-down from our friend Ahna and Emma has had hers for a couple years!

Jackson wanted to get his picture with her too :)

She was having such a good day on Sunday that we decided to let her lick on a sucker for awhile.  As you can see, she was very proud of herself!

I always bring her into the kitchen with me so we can cook together.  Again, since it was such a good day, I put some baby food on her tray for her to play in and lick while we were cooking.  She really liked that too!

Monday Aunt Jill, Uncle D, & Jaylyn stopped by for a visit.  Jill & Jaylyn had met Laila a few weeks before but she hadn’t met Uncle D yet so we were excited to have them visit.

Grandma Mary & Papa Tom also stopped by on Monday too.  They had been on vacation at the lake the since we had been home with her so she was excited to see them as well.

We even had a visit all the way from Michigan!  Amanda & Stephen came down to stay with us overnight because Stephen had a job interview in Indianapolis today.  Great timing!  We were hoping to see them soon and now we’re really hoping Stephen gets this job because with as much as we’re in Indy for doctor appointments it would be great to be able to see them while we’re down there!  Fingers crossed!! (ok, whatever God has planned but I’m voting for Indy!!)  Anyway, we can’t have a visit with Amanda & Stephen without a visit to the chocolate shop!  Only fitting for Laila’s first visit to the chocolate shop to be with Amanda :)  (I think she has a crush on Stephen!)

I also made my first venture out with the three kids by myself today.  It was so funny because we were supposed to go to the fair today because Laila was going to have a nurse all day but then she had to cancel.  Emma & Jackson didn’t even whine or get upset.  I’m so proud of them.  They did however ask if we could still go out to lunch.  I said I wasn’t sure if I was ready to go out by ourselves yet and Emma goes “Mom, she’s had a really good couple of days and you have to do it sometime so you might as well go ahead and do it today!”  She cracks me up, but made a good argument so we decided to go.  It went just fine.  We ended up going to KFC and my Aunt Debbie was working so Laila got to meet her.  I’m definitely glad to have Emma & Jackson as little helpers to hold the doors for us and everything.

Again, Emma & Jackson have just been wonderful with Laila.  Don’t ask me how they treat each other but for now they just can’t get enough of Laila.  Constant hugs & kisses and dancing and signing to make her laugh.  I think they play way more with her baby toys then they do their own!  This morning we were down stairs and they were playing blocks and they decided to include Laila.  They both scooted right over by her and were building things and then going “look Laila, this is how you do it.  Do you wanna try?”  I just love watching the three of them interact with each other.  What a blessing!

Tomorrow’s a big day as I have to take Laila for the second to last visit with her birth parents.  We had agreed to meet each of them once.  It’s going to be a very hard thing for me but I do believe they have a right to meet us.  They didn’t do anything to harm her on purpose they just weren’t able to take care of her the way she needed to be and since they decided to voluntarily give their rights away I feel that shows they do care and want what’s best for her.  Still gonna be hard though.

The process after that will be that our file should be approved on August 2 to waive the 6 month foster waiting period and we will be able to start paperwork with our attorney to petition for the adoption.  We are the family on record that the caseworker recommends for adoption and since the rights are terminated and she’s already in our home there is little to no chance that anything will fall through at this point.  We’re hoping to have everything final by the end of the year. Honestly though, it’s just a technicality on paper for us.  I already love her so much and feel like she’s so right to be here that no piece of paper is going to make a difference in that.  It’ll be good to have that out of the way in a few months but already in our hearts she has made the transition from Lania to Laila :)

Fun Saturday

Jack’s cousin Brian got married today so since Laila already had a nurse scheduled for the day we decided that we would go ahead and go.  It was hard but I thought it might be good for her since she knows the nurses really well and it was just way too hot for her to be able to go with us.

Jackson helping nurse Sharon with the morning vitals :)

The rest of us went out to the Warsaw area and celebrated with Brian & Laurel.  They got married on a boat in the middle of the lake and then had their reception on a huge dining boat on Wawasee.  It was a beautiful way to celebrate.

Jack & I on the upper deck soaking up some sun.

When we all got back home Sharon said Laila had a good day so we decided to go and have some fun taking her swimming at the Peterson’s.  They are so nice to let us use their pool all the time, even when they’re not home!  Thanks guys!!

Laila liked the water and kicked and splashed.  She also got some good leg exercise by being able to stand straight up on my legs for several minutes at a time.  I forgot to mention yesterday that she got mad that the kids had walked away and were in the bathroom brushing her teeth so she started to throw a fit.  I put her on all fours (with support) and told her if she wanted to see them that she would have to try to crawl to them.  She was actually doing a great job holding her weight and even army crawled a little.  I can’t wait to have her therapy review on Tuesday and get things rolling with the new therapists.  Only one of her four therapists was able to transfer up to our home so we have some work to do to get everything set up again.

Speaking of swimming, I’ve been waiting to post a great big GOOD JOB to both Emma and Jackson for the amazing way their swimming skills have improved this summer.  Emma just finished her second two-week session of swim lessons.  Last year she took one session and passed from Red Cross level 2 to level 3.  This past session she passed from level 5 to level 6.  She is doing amazing!  Check her out!

I think the biggest shock this summer was Jackson.  He has been so different from Emma the past few years.  At the age of three she was jumping off the boat with no fear going under the water and everything.  Jackson hasn’t been like that.  In this past month he has gotten over his fear tremendously!  He is now jumping into the shallow end all on his own, going down the slide on his own with his life jacket and now can keep up with the bigger kids playing on who can stay under the longest.  I’m so proud of the way he has overcome his fears!  We have one more swim lesson session to go through this summer and it’s the one that I had signed Jackson up for as well.  I’m so excited to see what he’ll be doing by the end of that!  Great job buddy!!