A year later

It has been over a year since Dominic came into our lives- fourteen months, to be exact. I haven't kept up on this blog because I have turned my blogging time over to our private blog for Dom. It's kind of his baby book, I guess. All his new tricks and habits, cute things he does, etc. However, I figured since it has been a long time, I can at least update on our lives today. Dominic is the happiest, funnest, craziest little boy ever. He walks about half the time. He eats like he is a teenager (I can only imagine how he'll chow when is a teen!), and he is adored by everyone- family, friends, and strangers alike!

As for our adoption, it is an open one. We didn't know exactly what his birth mom wanted at first, but we could not be happier with how things have worked out. He has his family here, and his birth family in Arizona. We have gotten to go down there once and we're hoping to go again this winter. We stay in touch with his birth mom and his two sisters. We miss them all the time- there are moments when Dominic is making a certain face or doing some little thing, and I see his sister in him--- I honestly don't even know how to describe that feeling- it's pure love. And I love how adoption has expanded our family, not only with a child of our own, but an entire crew from Arizona as well.

This picture sums up his life- he finds entertainment in the most random things. I swear he climbed in and out of this box (usually needing my help to get out- lol) for a good half hour. Like a said, crazy, cute little dude. :D

Meet Dominic

Here's our baby boy as a newborn. He was born on June 16th at 5:33 a.m. He weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces and was 20 inches long.

And here he is at 7 weeks. I still plan on blogging about our entire adoption experience, but with a little baby ruling my life it's just going to have to wait a little longer. lol.

CHOSEN

It's been awhile since I've blogged. We have been chosen by an amazing birth mother in Arizona!!! She is due June 14th with a boy! The time, all be it sporatic, that I dedicate to this site I have started using to create a new blog for our son. It is private- just for Davin and I to tell our son's story, so that some day down the road he can read it and hopefully feel the experience. Once our bundle of joy arrives I will make an effort to continue this blog with our adoption story. I'll just have to change the name! :)

Hope everyone is enjoying springtime!

It's starting to feel like spring...

Until then, we'll continue to enjoy winter! Today I went to the Mall of America with my sister and her two little boys. I always have fun with them- they never fail to crack me up with their little innocent (and blunt) comments. Jack wasn't big enough to go on the carousal by himself so I went on with him. About halfway through the ride I said, "Whoa, I'm getting dizzy", and Matthew said, "You're gonna fall when you get off!" and started laughing hysterically. They would have been so amused if I fell on face. :P Luckily, I wasn't TOO dizzy. Funny how going to the mall with kids is a day of rides and not going in a single store! :)

A birth mother's decision

This is a post I wrote on my personal blog last year. I was debating whether I should share it here, and today I have decided to. I think it's important for birth mothers to know how we feel about them- in that we love and respect them. Anyway, here's the post:

When we started the adoption process, we were so consumed in ourselves. The home study and paperwork required us to look deeply into who we are as individuals and as husband and wife. We faced facts about ourselves that we would have never otherwise thought about. We took a hard look at our marriage. I was worried going in and facing all these deep issues, but was pleased to see how incredibly strong our marriage is. Davin and I balance each other very well, and we love and respect each other more than ever.

Anyway, a home study evaluates your life, but once it's over it is time to wait for a birth mother to choose you to raise her baby. It wasn't until S and C changed their minds about the adoption that we could see just how difficult it is for a birth mother to give her baby away. We were told from the start, and we thought we understood that it is very hard for a woman to place her baby for adoption, but I think we had under-estimated the extent of a birth mother's burden. Even when a woman knows she is not ready to be a mother or cannot provide for her child, she still loves him or her all the same. For those of you who are mother's, you can't imagine carrying your child for nine months, giving birth, and then handing this little life to someone else, trusting they will provide a better life that you could. It doesn't matter that a birth mother may not have wanted to get pregnant in the first place. It does not matter if she is 16 years old and trying to get through high school, or 30 and trying to get her life in order. Every woman who carries another life inside her loves that baby. No matter what. And it is that love that makes adoption so difficult, but also what makes it possible. A woman can only hand her child to another person to raise when she knows she cannot, for whatever reason, raise that baby, and she loves him or her way too much to try raise them in her situation.

In S's case, she was trying to get her life in order and panicked when she found out she was pregnant. Her love for her child immediately made her start an adoption plan. As things calmed, I believe she grew stronger as a person, as did the love for the baby she was carrying. She was lucky to have a strong support system to help her, and she found she could in fact raise her baby. How could anyone blame her for changing her mind?

Not every birth mother has family and friends like S. There are girls and women who would love to raise their babies, but just cannot. One of them who loves her baby so much, will choose us to raise him or her, and we will have a family. However, the mother will grieve. A birth mother placing her baby for adoption is losing her child. It is never easy for her. When I am rocking our baby to sleep someday I will be praying for his or her birth mother- I will pray that God will give her strength to help her through her loss, and that He will continue to watch over her always.

I cannot write exactly how I feel- it comes out all rambly, but what I am saying is a birth mother's decision is not easy. It is made out of love. And I will never take that for granted.

Winter fun

This past Christmas Eve we were at my parents here in Minnesota. Not everyone could make it because we were in the midst of snowstorm, but we still had a great time. It's tradition to go skating on my parent's rink. The "big boys" have a hockey game after the kids have their turn skating. This year the rink wasn't skate-ready yet, so the brothers play boot hockey instead. Pardon the shaggy looks- they worked up a sweat playing! ;)

Then we had dinner, opened gifts, and played games. Oh, and Santa made an appearance, of course. :)

I hope your holidays were wonderful and blessed.

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Merry Christmas

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