Right now, it seems like Steven never listens to me. I tell him to stop playing with the vcr/tv/cd player/etc., and he continues to do it. He is so determined sometimes that it is scary. He's also too smart for his own good. He can now open both of the gates in the backyard and likes to try to take his car out for a walk :(
However, today he surprised me with something that shows he does listen sometimes. I asked him who made his grapes, expecting to tell him myself, and he immediately responded, "Jesus!" While I long for the day that his behavior improves, it is so encouraging to know that he is remembering what truly matters and is absorbing the Bible stories and songs that we go over. What a blessing!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Very Cool!
We're definitely not MTV watchers, but I've been watching their new show 16 and Pregnant because our social worker and adoption agency were going to be featured on it. The season finale was Thursday, and the episode followed a teenage couple who decided to place their baby for adoption. The episode was very well done and presented adoption in a positive light. If you didn't see it on Thursday, you need to watch it here!
Overwhelmed
I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed recently, so I haven't been on here much. There's no one big thing, just a lot of little things. My car broke as soon as I left work on Monday, so I pulled in to the next driveway (I'm so glad I wasn't on the highway!) and waited for a tow truck. My 45 minute ride home ended up being closer to 4 hours, and Mark had to come and get me. The dealership we took it to was closing right as we got there, so we had to leave it for them to look at the next morning. We knew what was wrong but was hoping it could be repaired instead of replaced. No such luck. Plus it took a full day to get the part, so I was without a car until Wednesday night.
In the meantime, we went on the dealership's website and found a Honda Odyssey that we liked and that was a great price. Mark checked it out on Tuesday and was undecided since it had just arrived and hadn't been detailed yet. I was excited about the possibility, so when we picked up the car on Wednesday, we planned on looking at it again. I loved it, but someone had put down and over-the-phone deposit on it an hour before we got there :( We're waiting to see if the deal actually goes through since the buyer hasn't gotten financing yet (and we already do), and we should find out on Monday. We weren't looking at buying a van this soon, but we had someone offer to buy our car when we were ready to sell it, and we definitely need the extra space. It also would be almost an even exchange, so our payments wouldn't go up much at all. I'm praying we get it! (If we don't, we won't actively look for a van until next year.)
I don't think that I ever mentioned it on here, but Auntie E's sister was pregnant and due this winter. She was considering adoption, and of course, I thought it would be great to keep the kids together with their cousin. However, when I talked to Auntie E earlier this week, she told me that her sister aborted the baby last week. That was hard to hear, and Auntie E was very upset over it. (She is very much against abortion.) I just don't understand how someone can do that to her child.
Another thing we talked about was getting together just the two of us, which I've been wanting to do for a long time. We spent every Thursday together when she was pregnant with Michelle, but we haven't had any one-on-one time since then. One thing we're going to do is go to the courthouse (or wherever it is that you go) to get copies of Michelle's birth certificate. Only birthparents can request original birthcertificates (or the kids once they're 18), and they can only do so before the adoption is finalized. Auntie E wants a copy, so she's more than willing to do it for me. I'm getting two--one for us and one for her. I can't believe how cheap it is to get a regular birthcertificate. It's close at least $45 for the post-adoption one! I wish we could get Steven's, but once the adoption is finalized, the original is sealed and it takes a court order to get it. We have to hurry, though, because we have our final home study soon, and the adoption will be finalized shortly after that.
Steven's been is very much in a "no" stage. I hear "no" non-stop every day. Occasionally he tells himself no, but he's usually telling me no. He's also into possessions right now. He likes to tell me what is "Steven's," which is almost everything in the house. Every once in a while, he lets me know that something is "Mommy's." I think that Michelle has been "given" a toy or two. Crazy kid! He's had a hard week too, though, because his yeast infection is back and getting worse instead of better. Tonight his blisters were raw again and almost looked like they had been bleeding. Poor kid! I'm going to call the doctor on Monday, but since I work that day, I probably won't be able to take him in until Tuesday.
He's also picking up so many new words and is getting too smart for his own good. The other day he opened the refrigerator, crouched down, and said, "let's see" while checking out the contents. :) He also steals remotes, and when he was trying to turn on the tv with the wrong remote, he handed it to me and told me that it was broken. He's into basketball and loves to play outside. He still loves baths and is now interested in the potty. I pulled up the potty chair that we were given, and he knew what it was and how it worked. He lifted up the lid and plopped down on it (fully clothed!). Before his bath, I put him on it (naked this time), and it was hard to get him off. I had to entice him with bubbles in the bathtub to get him off!
Michelle's doing great too. She's working on sitting up and loves playing with her toys and anything else she can get her hands on. She loves to eat but spits up constantly. It's bad enough that my sisters don't even want to hold her (and I really don't blame them!).
This has gotten way too long, but I'm posting it anyway :) Mark leaves on a three day/night business trip tomorrow, so I don't know if I'll get around to posting any pictures, but I'll try not to wait over a week to post again!
In the meantime, we went on the dealership's website and found a Honda Odyssey that we liked and that was a great price. Mark checked it out on Tuesday and was undecided since it had just arrived and hadn't been detailed yet. I was excited about the possibility, so when we picked up the car on Wednesday, we planned on looking at it again. I loved it, but someone had put down and over-the-phone deposit on it an hour before we got there :( We're waiting to see if the deal actually goes through since the buyer hasn't gotten financing yet (and we already do), and we should find out on Monday. We weren't looking at buying a van this soon, but we had someone offer to buy our car when we were ready to sell it, and we definitely need the extra space. It also would be almost an even exchange, so our payments wouldn't go up much at all. I'm praying we get it! (If we don't, we won't actively look for a van until next year.)
I don't think that I ever mentioned it on here, but Auntie E's sister was pregnant and due this winter. She was considering adoption, and of course, I thought it would be great to keep the kids together with their cousin. However, when I talked to Auntie E earlier this week, she told me that her sister aborted the baby last week. That was hard to hear, and Auntie E was very upset over it. (She is very much against abortion.) I just don't understand how someone can do that to her child.
Another thing we talked about was getting together just the two of us, which I've been wanting to do for a long time. We spent every Thursday together when she was pregnant with Michelle, but we haven't had any one-on-one time since then. One thing we're going to do is go to the courthouse (or wherever it is that you go) to get copies of Michelle's birth certificate. Only birthparents can request original birthcertificates (or the kids once they're 18), and they can only do so before the adoption is finalized. Auntie E wants a copy, so she's more than willing to do it for me. I'm getting two--one for us and one for her. I can't believe how cheap it is to get a regular birthcertificate. It's close at least $45 for the post-adoption one! I wish we could get Steven's, but once the adoption is finalized, the original is sealed and it takes a court order to get it. We have to hurry, though, because we have our final home study soon, and the adoption will be finalized shortly after that.
Steven's been is very much in a "no" stage. I hear "no" non-stop every day. Occasionally he tells himself no, but he's usually telling me no. He's also into possessions right now. He likes to tell me what is "Steven's," which is almost everything in the house. Every once in a while, he lets me know that something is "Mommy's." I think that Michelle has been "given" a toy or two. Crazy kid! He's had a hard week too, though, because his yeast infection is back and getting worse instead of better. Tonight his blisters were raw again and almost looked like they had been bleeding. Poor kid! I'm going to call the doctor on Monday, but since I work that day, I probably won't be able to take him in until Tuesday.
He's also picking up so many new words and is getting too smart for his own good. The other day he opened the refrigerator, crouched down, and said, "let's see" while checking out the contents. :) He also steals remotes, and when he was trying to turn on the tv with the wrong remote, he handed it to me and told me that it was broken. He's into basketball and loves to play outside. He still loves baths and is now interested in the potty. I pulled up the potty chair that we were given, and he knew what it was and how it worked. He lifted up the lid and plopped down on it (fully clothed!). Before his bath, I put him on it (naked this time), and it was hard to get him off. I had to entice him with bubbles in the bathtub to get him off!
Michelle's doing great too. She's working on sitting up and loves playing with her toys and anything else she can get her hands on. She loves to eat but spits up constantly. It's bad enough that my sisters don't even want to hold her (and I really don't blame them!).
This has gotten way too long, but I'm posting it anyway :) Mark leaves on a three day/night business trip tomorrow, so I don't know if I'll get around to posting any pictures, but I'll try not to wait over a week to post again!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Sharing the Bebe Pod
Perfect for feeding Baby Sis her oats. . .
. . .and perfect for a comfy seat to take your calls on!
Yummy!
Michelle's been dying to eat regular food fora while now, and she finally got her chance earlier this week. She definitely likes it, but she hasn't quite gotten the process down yet. She doesn't open her mouth very well (if at all), and she doesn't know what to do with her tongue, so most of the food comes back out. When she's on a roll, though, the process is a lot faster :)
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Keeping Up
Michelle has been very busy the last few days. She wants to do everything her brother is doing, and that includes moving. After we got home on Sunday night, Michelle started propelling herself forward and made it about five feet before running out of space. Steven wasn't interested in moving until closer to 8-9 months, not 6 months like her. She is definitely going to be moving soon.
She's also very interested in everything that's going on around her and since my parents, sisters, and their dog are staying with us for a few days, she has a lot to watch. Here she is last night hanging out with one of the dogs. We did go intervene at one point when she was getting ready to chew on the dog's tail. Gross, little girl, gross!
She's also very interested in everything that's going on around her and since my parents, sisters, and their dog are staying with us for a few days, she has a lot to watch. Here she is last night hanging out with one of the dogs. We did go intervene at one point when she was getting ready to chew on the dog's tail. Gross, little girl, gross!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Shoes
Steven has developed an obsession with shoes. He talks about shoes constantly. He wants to wear everyone's shoes, and while we were at Grandpa Hal and Nanny's house, he had a huge selection to choose from. You never knew where you'd find your shoes, so it made rushing out of the door quite challenging.
When we got home last night, Steven found Uncle Robert's shoes (Lauren's fiance) and had to try them on. Amazingly enough, he was able to walk into the living room with them on.
When we got home last night, Steven found Uncle Robert's shoes (Lauren's fiance) and had to try them on. Amazingly enough, he was able to walk into the living room with them on.
Finger Painting
When we were out in Pa., I decided to try finger painting with Steven. I made the mistake of starting with the red finger papint, which is looks just like ketchup. Oops! Fortunately, I was able to keep him from eating it, and as he got more into finger painting, I didn't have to worry about him eating it. I'm sure we're going to be finger painting again soon!
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