The Bed

It took a long time to decide what type of bed to buy for our wee boy.

Knowing he was getting older as the days go by, we just didn't want to spend the money on a crib he might use for a month or two or may never use at all.

We didn't want to put him right in to a big boy bed either because we know the kids in the Foster home in Ethiopia stay in crib type beds for a long time and are used to them.

So, we searched The Internets and The Googles for beds.

There were lots (actually the amount of kids stuff is redonkulous) to choose from but we really wanted a bed that would eventually be his big boy bed too.

Finally, after a recommended site from friends we found the perfect bed for our boy!

Here are the adventures of putting said perfect bed together!

1. Always read the directions first.

2. Get some help from friends

3. Make sure you are patient and don't lose any screws or you will be "screwed"!

The final product




This bed is low which we wanted in case he decides he wants to get out but still gives him the comfort of being in a crib.

You can also have both guard rails on, or just one or none.

When he has outgrown the toddler bed, we can convert it to a twin bed with the guardrails as the end of the bed and the back of the bed as the head board.

We both cried when the bed was put together...it is so teeny weeny!

Now we just need him home so we can put him to bed in it.

P.S. More room pictures to come but we are still waiting on a couple of items. Just wanted to give you a teaser!

Edit - I got the bed here Lusso Baby

Edit, Edit - O.k. I just looked online and they aren't showing the bed anymore.

This bed is called - DaVinci Elizabeth II Convertible Wood Toddler Bed in Espresso

The Friends We Meet Along The Way

We have been very privileged to meet some amazing people because of our adoption.

Near and far, we have made some very good friends over the last 3 years.

We could not have gotten to this point with out those friends.

Last weekend (August Long - I know this is very late but I was waiting to be sure it was o.k. to post their photos on my blog)

Last weekend we had the absolute pleasure of meeting Laura, Chad and Sara .

They were on their way to Cypress for a family reunion and Laura emailed and asked if they could stop in and meet us on their way down.

We have been emailing for quite sometime and read each other's blogs faithfully, so I jumped at the chance and said of course.

They stayed one night with us and it was so much fun.

It is always a bit nerve wracking meeting new people for the first time. Especially 'Internet friends' because 'Hey, you never know' they might be axe wielding murderers!

But Chad, Laura and Sara were definitely not! They are awesome!

Both Yvan and I felt extremely comfortable with them from the get go and really enjoyed their relaxed, easygoing style.

Laura is amazing to talk to - I felt like I had known her forever.

Sara is a cutie-patootie!! She loved, loved, loved the animals and they loved her too. She wants to be a vet one day and she will be fabulous at it!

We both have a friend, Laura, in common who lives where I live.

She is also in the process of adopting from Ethiopia so her and her family came over for dessert and a visit.

It is so nice to be able to connect with people who understand what you are going through.

Next year, we will all have to meet half way between where we live and you live Chad, Laura and Sara for a visit!!!

Inner Anxiousness

These last few days have me filled with so much inner anxiousness!

If you see me, you will see a smile on my face, but inside I am ball of worry, fear, stress, anxiousness...

I am worried about our boy. Is he being cared for, fed, loved, cuddled, played with?

Now these aren't new worries. They have always been there.

They are just bubbling up even more now because we know we are close to bringing him home.

You know the old saying "So close yet so far away!"

It's how I feel right now.

It's all I can do to keep myself from booking a flight and heading to Ethiopia tomorrow.

I am worried about how we will bond with our boy.

He has been in the arms of his caregivers for over a year now. Every time I think about taking him out of the world he has known for so long I become overwhelmed with emotion.

We are both trying not to fantasize how our first meeting will go.

We know we won't be doing the slow motion running into the foster home and gathering him up in our arms and him beaming at us with joy thinking "Where have you been all my life?".

We know he will be unsure about us. "Who are these people? Why are they taking me from everything I know? What is happening to me?"

I have been reading all kinds of attachment parenting books about how to make the transition easier for him but honestly I feel like I know even less than I did before.

The reading has helped but it has also opened up the window of endless scenarios of how he will act with us and it has me chewing my fingernails with worry.

How does one feel so ready yet so not ready all at the same time?

We are ready to be parents. and we have been ready for a long time.

But we have never been parents before and this is all so new to us.

We see our friends with their kids and it all seems so easy. But it isn't easy we know that. They have had time with their children and their children are used to them as parents.

My fear is that he isn't ready for us. Of course he isn't. He has no clue we are even coming. He has been with people who know how to care for him for so long. We have no idea what his particular needs are.

O.k. yes, we do - generically - we know he needs food, diaper changes, naps, love, play time....

But we don't know his sounds and cries and what it is that comforts him when he is scared.

We will learn these things over time but right now I am anxious.

I am worried he will be shouting in his little head "These people have no idea what they are doing! Someone help me!" while in reality it will come out as sobs of fear and we won't know how to make him feel and know we are there for him when he needs.

Then the anxiousness of "we have missed so much" kicks in. It has been a year since we first saw his sweet little face and he has grown and changed so much with out us.

It breaks my heart!!

I want to rewind the clock and have that time back with him but I can't.

I look forward to all the firsts we will have together as a family but will always mourn the firsts we didn't get to share with him.

I can't wait for the day they tell us we can go get him but I also dread it because it is the day we take him from the home he has always known.

I feel like I am a babbling baffoon right now...there is so much going on inside of my heart and head.

Tattoo Revival

I have two tattoos.

The first tattoo I got was about 14 years ago and it is a sun on my ankle. There is a story behind this tattoo but I won't get in to it right now. It still looks amazing to me after so long and I love it.

My second tattoo was a cat I had done on my right shoulder. It is a tribute to my two black beauties whom I got when I moved in to my very first apartment by myself (no roommate) 12 years ago and they were just wee babies of 3 months.

They have been my constant companions and filled many lonely nights when I was home alone with chatter and snuggles - I love them.

They are characters beyond characters - at least to me.

My cat tattoo started to fade and look not as pretty so I decided to revive it this summer.

I wanted to do this before our wee little dude comes home because it takes some care afterwards and it is better now sans kids.

Here is my tattoo revival in photos:

So there you have it!

I love it!!! He did the shading behind the cat freehand and I didn't get to see it until was done and I was blown away!

Amazing! Thanks to Pat at Rites of Passage!!!

Also, I just have to point out LOOK HOW LONG MY HAIR IS!!!

I have had short hair pretty much all my life and this is very long for me. I decided to grow it out so that I wouldn't have to blow dry it every day when we have a toddler running around from the minute he gets up to the minute he goes to bed. This way I will be able to throw it up in a pony tail or whatever.

I have literally been avoiding cameras because I didn't want to be "Oh no, I hate my hair I better cut it short again" but I saw these photos and I was all "Who is that gal with the long hair!?"

It's me - hee!

P.S. I know it probably doesn't seem long to most but trust me this is long for me!

P.P.S. I discovered a flat iron is a girl's best friend when growing out your hair!