Jack's new "word"

Jack actually spoke his first word last Christmas. He said, "Hi," at only two months old. Of course, some people think I'm crazy, but my mother was a witness and knows I'm not making this up. I thought maybe it was an odd take on the midnight at Christmas Eve fable. You know, when the animals talk.

Now, Jack is into faking coughs, "Eh, eh, eh." Mike and I think this is a new sound he's discovered. We're pretty sure he's expanding his vocabularly, not his immunity.

Are we still going to China?

We've been asked this a few times in the past week and our best answer is if we can afford to. There is a lot of love in our hearts for children and we still feel that Maggie Rose is in China. Unless there is divine intervention, I don’t think my cob web, catacomb uterus will start to function like it’s supposed to. Despite my naturally shaped birthing hips (that I’ve had since grade school), I’m not sure a baby will ever pass through them. But, take heart those who are more fertile than me. I wanted to pass along some wise words of advice I’ve received over the years.

Don’t try so hard. (And how do you make babies again?)

Give it a year (or two, or three. . .six).

You need to go to (blank) and get away from it all. It worked for us. (Quote came from a parent who had two children, both conceived at the same place.)

You need to get rid of your cats. That’s why you can’t get pregnant. (This stupid remark from a few years ago actually came from a less than tactful uncle at a parish event with parishioners and strangers milling around. I was shocked and didn’t know what to say. Apparently, I didn’t know that cats carried a curse.)

And one that I’ve only heard a little but I’m sure will start to pick up momentum...
You’ll probably get pregnant now. (Now that Jack is in our lives.)

Juno

Mike and I finally had the courage to watch this movie last week. I wasn’t sure what to expect. There was a lot of hype about this little “sleeper.” My review? This movie is quirky, fun and honest. I love it! One of my favorite scenes in the movie is at the hospital when Juno and her boyfriend are lying together. You can tell that Juno's emotional about her adoption decision but she and her boyfriend feel like their baby belongs to someone else. That’s how our birth mother felt and we are forever grateful for her selfless decision. I think people sometimes think that birth parents are selfish for giving their babies up for adoption, when, in reality, they give their babies more. Our birth mother loves Jack and she did what she thought was best. She is young and working on her degree. She is Jack's first mom and he will always know that. Jack's birth mom is smart and confident. I am excited to see what the future holds for her.

By the way, you know you're a parent when you don't see movies until they are released on DVD. I guess that could also mean that we're cheap. Hmm...

Our Precious Miracle

"If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?"

This passage from Luke, chapter 16, has been a source of support and inspiration for me over the past nine months. That is when a special young lady came into our lives and decided that she wanted to give her baby more. She said she always felt like her baby belonged to someone else. We were blessed to hear about her from a guardian angel and with a heart doing double time, I called her family.

The past nine months have been an emotional roller coaster for my husband and our birth mother. Although we weren't always sure how things would go, we kept praying to God that everything would work out. Today, we were granted custody of this precious baby boy.

Although conceiving has eluded us, God found another way to bring true our dream of a family. Jack is the best thing that has ever happened to Mike and me. His birth mother had other options but she chose life for her son and a transformed, more enriched life for Mike and me. God and Jack's birth mother have entrusted us with an incredible blessing and we hope that with the Lord's strength and guidance, we are able to provide Jack with the beautiful life he deserves.

She's Got Legs

I heard this classic song by ZZ Top on the radio this morning, thought about my legs and then remembered that I hadn't shaved them last night. E-gads! Oh, yeah. I'm bringing sexy back. How long have you gone without shaving? Have you ever felt like a Wildebeast? Although there's a chance for snow this weekend, I really think the winter's over. No more excuses. It's not like I need the extra layer for warmth. It's time to shed this winter coat and welcome spring, 40 degrees and all!

Poop Is Just Poop Spelled Backwards

Good Friday was a good day for lots of things. Jesus, my savior, died for me and I always have a new hope for life this time of year. That evening was also very productive for a little pooper.

I took a precious baby boy to church and as I sat down realized that there was a slight funk in the air. I suspected poop. Thankfully, I had arrived at church early so I promptly headed to the bathroom. There was a nice present waiting for me and as I placed the new diaper under him and threw the other diaper away, he decided to gift me with another present. This happened another couple of times, each time I had to throw away an almost perfectly good diaper. An eager parishioner knocked on the door one time and I had to assure the person that someone was actually in the restroom.

Finally, he seemed to be done. I headed back out to our pew and after a few minutes was struck with Pepe Le Pew. Back to the bathroom I went, grateful that there had been an overabudance of diapers packed in my bag. After eliminating his last present, I headed back into church in the midst of the readings, with soaring blood pressure and just one diaper left in my emergency supply. Phew, that was close.

1, 2, 3, 4, I Declare a Thumb War

Unless I've just watched a psychotic movie or tv show, I love going to sleep and dreaming. My dreams tend to be very visual, like a little movie and it's always fun to see what happens to me in them. For example, here are a couple of more recent, memorable ones.

Thumb War Tournament

I found myself in the middle of a huge thumb war competition with no idea how I got there. As I looked around, I realized how big the odds were stacked against me. I don't have large hands or double jointed limbs. How could I possibly win against such dexterous competition? I was about to drop out when he walked in the room.

Dressed in a crisp, white Colonel Sanders KFC suit, Tom Hanks stepped into the center of the action. I was struck with this strange desire to meet him. Then I realized that people were eliminated as the line dwindled down and if I waited at the end I would be in the thumb war finals. It's amazing how I crafted the dream to actually give myself a chance to win and, of course, meet Tom Hanks.

Injecting Real Life Into the Scenario

I've been working on a work project for months. In order to move forward with the story, I need to interview several firefighters. Unfortunately, I haven't received the green light or the names of the interviewees from the local fire department, even though their CIO was the one who suggested the story idea in the first place. My supervisor recently asked me about the project, wondering in a nice way why it wasn't getting anywhere.

A couple of nights ago, I found myself in a fire truck talking to a firefighter. I wanted to practice our lines for an upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet. He was hesitant. Of course, the play couldn't go on without Romeo. And there you have it, my dream was confirming what my mind knew. The firefighter, hence fire department, can't get their act together. And I can't finish the play or, in reality, my show, without their cooperation.