Video Scrapbook

I created this video scrapbook and made it so that I can add pictures in at any time. I am going to make both boys scrapbooks but this will be a neat way to keep up with pics and "Firsts" without it being all over the kitchen table :) Hope you enjoy and the video is posted below!

new hair cut!

the last 18 days..

I thought it would be fun to share with you a little bit about the last 2 1/2 weeks of our lives.

The boys had their first wellness check up and the doc's and nurse were in complete shock that they boys were so clean. The doc even said "They dont even smell!" :) It feels good to know that we are giving them a good home and that people do appreciate the love we pour into the boys. Michael had an appt with and ENT doctor and he had to get tubes put in his ears the end of May :(, but I am sure it will be fine and he will feel much better. Christopher almost rolled over yesterday and he sat up all by himself for about 2 minutes today (pic below)! Michael got his "first" haircut tonight. He looks all grown up :( I dont want him to grow up EVER! (pics below) We are going to have a relaxing weekend at home and then we have dentist appt's next week!

The boys are a pure joy! We love them so much and are so thankful for the oppurtunity to get to love them. I love it when Michaels little arms coming racing toward me when I come home from work and I love it when Christopher smiles at me when I make funny faces, it dissolves all your worries and frustrations!

These are some words Michael knew when he came to us and words he has learned. I will leave it to you to figure out which ones he already knew. ***Warning, some are not very nice*** :(

I love you too

• Shitty


• Ca-Ca (sp?-Spanish word for poop)






• Amen






• Sippy






• Ponchy (our dog)


• Jesus Book (Bible)
• Goat
• Nana
• Papa



• Call papa



• Mama



• Dada
  
• I need you now (after repeating Mama over and over again)
• Done
  
• More (and sign)
  
• Please (and sign)
  
• Bye
  
• Thank You (and sign)
  
• Later Gator
  
• Boobies
  
• MiMi
  
• Daddy home?
  
• Baby crying
  
• "...because I just dont"


• Now


• No
• Mine
  

Some of the things that Christopher has learned to do since he has been with us:

• Hold his head up all alone
• Sit up
• Turns to the sound of our voices
• Eat baby food
• Laugh
• He s very tickleish
• Won his Daddy's heart over

I hope that you enjoyed some of that! It has been so neat to watch the boys grow and develop just in the last 2 weeks! Here are a few pics from the last few days and a few pics of "first times".

Thanks everyone who reads my blog :)

diapers, docs, and pictures!

Well our dr appt with Michael's ENT went fairly well. I was hoping that they would say his ears looked great and wouldn't need tubes, BUT we have to get tubes on May 25th! :( I am not to excited about it, but who would be!? After his dr. appt we went to Wal Mart and had the boys pics made and then a fellow foster mom who takes pictures offered to take their pics in the bluebonnets. I will be posting them up when she emails me some of them. THANKS CARMEN! :)

Christopher has changed so much in the last two weeks! He has learned how to hold his bottle and pull his passy out of his mouth. He is lifting his head up while laying on his tummy. We got him a Tummy Time play mat and I think it will help alot. We are going to get him an exersaucer soon, which will help with muscle tone.

Also we have decided to give cloth diapers a try. They are great for the enviorment, save tons of money, and are not the same ol cloth diapers that you are probably thinking of! If your interested in reading more about them go to www.fuzzibunz.com There is alot of great info on there. We ordered one Nappy and 3 Fuzzi Bunz and cant wait to get them in and try them out!

I am starting to wear down, after 2 weeks of 5 hour nights I can tell my body is wearing down. I am going to bed early tonight. Jeremy is taking care of Christopher and Michael is in the bath then me and Michael are going to bed. :) Cant wait to watch a movie with my lil man!

support system..or lack of!

This is just me venting a little bit, remember I am sleep deprived, emotional, and a new mom of 2! I am surprised at the lack of support that some of the family has given us through our new journey as parents. I wonder if it would have been the same response had we had a biological child. I would hope not but I guess I will never know. I feel like we were meant to be foster parents of these two precious boys and if they go back I count the days that they were in a clean safe enviroment and if they stay forever, praise GOD! I love them so much as if they were my own, maybe that is why I am surprised at some of the families reaction. It is not a negative reaction just different then what I had expected. Oh well I am very happy and I know that my family will come around in time, or maybe not, they might not ever realize the joy that comes with fostering and thats ok. It is not for everyone.

I want to say a special thank you to all my foster mommy friends and to "super nanny" and to my best friend/soon to be sister in law! Thank you so much for your support and getting me through day to day!

Our first weekend together!

Granny Jo and Pa came to meet the newest members of the family! Christopher and Michael make her a Great Grandmother!
Rangers fans!

Watching some baseball. Christopher was cheering them on with his jersey!
Brothers! :)

Our two boys and our best friends son. Christopher and Cooper are 3 weeks apart!

First breathing treatment! It was so sad but he did really great and hopefully feels better too!

Well we had a great first weekend together. Saturday Granny and Pa came to meet the boys and they bought them all kinds of stuff. Michael loves Pa and they were attached at the hip. On Sunday we went to church for the first time and Daddy forgot to pack a bottle so we didnt make it all the way through church! Conversation went like this, "I told you to pack the diaper bag," "I did I packed diapers and wipes!" Haha, he learned his lesson and felt soooo bad for poor screaming Christopher. We made it home though and got his bottle fast! We went to Fort Worth and bought the boys just about everything else we needed. I got Michael his formula for $7 a can, regulary $19.98! I was proud of it! Here are some pictures from this weekend! Enjoy! :)

the last 5 days..

Well we went from not being parents to being parents of 2 in about 3 hours! I have always wanted to be a mom and now I am. The feeling is unexplainable. It is everything I have ever imagined and more. The little hands that reach out for me when I get home to the 2 am feedings, I love every minute of it!

I thank God for my wonderful husband who has been great, for my motherly instinct and nurturing personality that He gave me, for the boys that He has placed in our lives, for the plan that He has created just for us, for my parents and inlaws that raised to very loving people, for everyone that has prayed for us during our infertility and fostering journey, for friends that have been there to listen to me cry, whine, and complain, and mostly importantly my washing machine! :) Thank you Lord for everything you have blessed me with and for the precious boys that we get to pour our hearts into.

I have done more laundry the last 5 days then I have in the last month. I have washed more dishes in the last 5 days than in the last month. I have given more kisses and said "I love you" more in the last 5 days than in the last month! The last 5 days have made my love grow to unexplainable strengths. I never knew you could love someone so fast!

..spending the day with the boys...

Michael after bath time and about to go shopping on my day off! Christoper taking a nap. His new outfit we bought with Aunt Shannan and Uncle Dewey.

Daddy trying to take a picture of Christopher smiling but the flash would make his eyes close!

Christopher always holds his hands like this if he is eating.

I think this is a repeat picture. This is the day that we got the boys! :)

Great Grandparents and new clothes!

Great Grandpa and Michael

Christopher in his first Rangers outfit!

Great grandma and Christopher!

wow...I cant believe I could love someone so much in such a short amount of time...

Well the boys are here. Safely sleeping in their new beds! I am a bit overwhelmed that I am a mother. I never knew that you could love someone so much in such a short amount of time. The boys have our undivided attention, and I love it that way. Thank you for reading this, I am crying at the thought that I am actually a mom and that God knew/knows what He is doing. We are foster parents, so strange to me that that is what God wanted for us! He picked us out of everybody in the world to love these two precious precious boys! I couldnt have asked for better kids. They are great! Christopher does have some lungs and he doesnt like bathtime! Michael is a typical 2 year old. He has impressed me with his sign language skills! I took a sign language class in 6th grade, once again God knew what He was doing! Tomorrow Christopher gets to wear his first Texas Rangers shirt, I will post pics :)! Michael got some Nikes tonight and a "put ball" *football! Well I am off to bed, bright and early day tomorrow! Good night all!

Thank you Lord for my beautiful babies, I will love them as long as you will let me.

Our baby boys!

WE ARE GOING TO BE PARENTS...TODAY!! :)

We are going to be parents tonight! They will be here at 2 PM! 5 month and 2 year old brothers. They will be here very soon and we are soooo excited! :) I will post pics very soon!

Promising call..

Crib that I paid $20, very very proud of!

Crib and all my garage sale finds. Under $40! Not Pictured-15 outfits, (they are in the washer)

Bookshelf, globe, and My First Bible

Weird angle, cant get all the room in one picture.

We got a promising call on Friday. 2 little boys, ages 2 years and 5 months. Their court hearing is on Monday and we will know an answer then, hopefully! We were selected for their placement and if the judge agrees to the request for removal, they will be enjoying their new beds on Monday night! :) Also here are some updated pics from the kids room so far!

will we ever be parents..

I am very down today... been crying the majority of the day! WILL WE EVER BE PARENTS!? I am so frustrated right now. Do we switch agencies, do we switch regions, can anyone give us some answers please! UGGHH! I just wish someone knew how frustrating this was. Maybe fostering isnt for us, maybe it is and we are going about it the wrong way! I dont understand how there are shelters and childrens homes full of kids that just want a normal life and we are sitting here twiddling our thumbs with a perfect EMPTY room waiting! I DONT GET IT! I just want to be a mom, I just want to love on a child that needs it, I just want to be there to kiss a scraped knee, or make birthday cupcakes!

April Fools!

No jokes today! :) Got news today that we will be getting a new case manager starting Monday. Which I am very excited about because we got the best possible one we could of gotten. We have a renewed hope again. I dont think it will be another 2 month. Cant wait to pick out clothes for Dewey and Shannan's wedding for them. Jeremy and I are going tomorrow to get our attire for the wedding and do some other "kid" shopping. Ahhh, I am just so relieved today! Work has been pretty busy, but I did get approved for FMLA (Family and Maternity Leave) so we can accept newborns! (Just in case!) I will update more when I have something to update!