suziandben

Congratulations!!

Jim & Andrea and BIG BROTHER Gavin, We are so excited to celebrate with you today! You have truly been an inspiration of faith and patience. It's makes me all teary to see your dreams come true. Suzi

Good job and Congratulations to this "Fool"-ish family who are now Tweeners! Blessings to all.

Deleting my comment... SORRY I see now the posts in the CCC's thread about insurance. You're saying that is the federal law minimum that they have to cover from placement. Ours covered from birth though we never had to "test" that (as in submit claims).

Appearances can certainly be deceiving. I don't think there's a family on here who's had a seamless journey (if you mean journey without bumps) but we have had wonderful and very blessed journeys. So here's to the start of yours Corey and Rebecca. We're all here to cheer you on!

How very very sad indeed.

Thanks Mari I was hoping the next installment would be online tonight. although we're reading about the past, your story telling is so vivid that it takes me there and I feel like I have to read each day's installment to make sure you (in the story) are still okay.

Hmmm I'll have to ask my brother about Kiel's recovery overall. I do know that just like your daughter pre-surgery was much worse than post surgery. He also broke his leg in that fall so the ER had treated him for that but entirely missed that he had a head injury. After surgery recovery was WAY better than the pre-surgery headache and vomitting. I'll ask my bro and get back to you.

Mauri, My nephew had brain surgery about 3 years ago at OHSU in Portland (OR). He hit his head on a cement floor and had such bad swelling and such that they had to open and then put a metal plate in his head. The surgeon surprised us all that he did not shave Kiel's head. He said well he's 16 his hair is probably pretty important to him. He indicated that he knew how to do a shaveless prep or something like. I know it's too late to be helpful at this point and perhaps the emergency room wasn't a place that they could the procedure without shaving. I just thought I'd mention it, not knowing the end of your story whether your daughter will have to have more procedures done. If so I would for sure inquire about whether they can avoid shaving her hair. As it appears that in some situations it is possible. Me personally, I'd for sure be the one who got shaved while a boy whose hair grows back in a matter of weeks or months vs. years didn't. Just the way my luck works... So I very much feel for your daughter in losing some hair. Thanks again for continuing to tell your story. Suzi

Wow...she was so excited to adopt again that she sent hired help. Wow. It's like the help was sent out to restock toilet paper or something.

Welcome welcome everyone... someone asked for advice regarding orientation weekend. I just remember showing up in "casual" attire as the papers mentioned and finding out that everyone else defined casual generously more dressy than Ben & I did. (But then again Collin's birthmom and her family both specifically pointed out that they loved that I wore sneakers when we met them so maybe I was on the right track for us after all.) I personally feel like the concept of orientation weekend and orientation groups is sheer brilliance. No where else did we find this kind of support network that got us through some wild times (and is still there for us). Come ready for the ride of your life and the occassional miracle on earth.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I'm SCREAMING and CRYING at ONCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is so AWESOME. SO AWESOME. It's a stickyback grand slam for two very much loved and deserving couples!!!! YES YES YES!!!!! Okay Mr Collin wants first dibs on meeting his new stickyback cousins. He'll be in Texas on June 30th!

Oh girl you make me cry!! It's so wonderful to hear your JOY, your absolute JOY. (I'm so glad Hawk made it in the final name selection. )

Our prayers have been answered at last!!! We love you so very much Denver & Tracey and are so grateful to be able to celebrate with you today. Congratulations!!!!

You've got me sitting in that hospital right next to you holding your hand and praying as you re-tell it Mari.

Congratulations what a BEAUTIFUL baby girl.

I meant what I said. While my mom and I have a pleasant relationship today and I am grateful for all she did for me, we do not have a personal relationship. I think back to attempts at heart to hearts that my mom and I had at that time of my life and they all bombed. I want Collin to feel comfortable to come to me like your daughter came to you and share honest feelings and vice versa. Yes you had to earn your stripes in the battle but you came together instead of apart. Please keep sharing. I'm learning from your example both as mother and as daughter.

Okay you already had me sold... you've pushed me way over the top tonight ... you two are simply amazing.

Congratulations Bill & Lori!!!!!! And blessing to "L".

LOL... go get em Mari!!!!! Call his parents... beautiful! You have me walking down memory lane a bit between your blog and Lauranda's. At 15 a friend I'd know since we were born got pregnant. you talk about having random people leaving you messages when the rumor mill got going. i remember the moment I found out that my friend was pregnant. I remember who told me because the people who were talking about her were not her friends, they were barely acquaintances of hers. I was thinking why are these people talking about her? Why do THEY care that she is pregnant? What in the world does it have to do with THEM? Nothing of course. I think we just get so easily carried away in dramatic stories. Which is why it's so awesome for you to be sharing your story becasue it gives us all an opportunity to learn. I'd love to see your story not just in an adoption publication but in something wider reaching like Readers Digest or People... wishful thinking anyway.

I should have recognized your courage and strength right off in your posts as the the same courage and strength we saw in your granddaughter (through the forum). PS thank you for continuing to share and to your daughter for endorsing your posts as well.

I have a new calling (assignment) in church as of today... relief society secretary. this is my first non-teaching calling ever. But I always said that the only reason I was able to teach (sometimes 10 - 3 year olds at once by myself) was because I didn't have children at home and could CRASH when I got home from church. I've never been in relief society but I think it will be good at this time in life. I can still keep collin with me at church with this calling and as an accountant I can do roll!!!! LOL!

That is all we had to do. We spoke to our son's birthmom in Jan. and our social worker came over about 30 days before Jack was due to be born. Melissa do you mean to say that you didn't update your home study at all between the two kids just 30 days before placement. Your kids are 4? years apart? So all the components of your home study would have been out of date... fingerprinting, medical, financial info, etc. Is there a time frame where that is no longer okay... like if it's been 10 years since the last update?

We're excited to have you here Kristin!!