Popular girl

Olivia had another busy weekend. On Saturday she went to her first Haloween party, she was dressed up as a Chicken.
Then that night her Aunt Sara and Uncle Dennis came to visit. She really got a kick out of them and she stayed up very late.
Then on Sunday she had a whole group of friends come and visit her. Her friends Ava Bella, Addie, Evan and Alex.
Liv was so tired that she slept a full 8 hours last night.
sorry blogger won't let me post pictures I'll try during the week.
I hope to post a big halloween spread on Wed.

my 2 cents

After watching the Madonna interview on Oprah

today I thought I would climb up on my soap box and talk about adoption. In the interview Madonna says that what hurts her the most with all this bad press is that it might discourage other people from adopting. if you did not see the interview I would hope that people would try and read the transcrips from the show. What struck me the most was that Madonna did go thru the steps of a homestuday, an interview with the birthfather in court. During this interview the father stated that he did want his son, whome he put in an orphanage at 2 weeks old, to have a better shot at life. So he did agree to the adoption. Then this man was hounded by the press and countinually asked time and again if he was sure he made the right decision. Of course the press is now twisting his words and saying that he did not want the adoption. This hit home for me. I can't imaging Liv's birthmom going tru this. I can't bear to think that this woman would have to relive probably the most difficult decision of her life.

Do I believe that celebrities get special treatment in adoption, of course, they do in everything. However Adoption is hard anyway you cut it. Not just the paperwork, and the travel, and the not knowing. I never could imagin how someone could love a child that they never met. Or that you could long for a child that you only held for 5 days. But I did. The only way to descibe the feeling is to imagin yourself with a huge gaping hole in your chest that never goes away. Adopting Olivia was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, and I've beat cancer. But this was 10 times harder. But I can honestly say I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. It was the hardest but the best thing I have ever done, and I thank God for giving her to us.

So I would say that if you every even thought about adopting to look deep inside yourself and follow your heart. Their are so many children all over the world who need families, who need someone to love them. The press should be showcasing them and not be worried about just gossip.

But that just my opinion.

Our weekend of visitors

This weekend our house was filled with people and Olivia loved every minute of it.

On Friday her Aunt Vaishu, and Uncle Jake came to see her, and she was all smiles.

On Saturday her Bapamom came to see her again.

On Sunday her Uncle John and Aunt Jenene came to visit. They will be having a little friend for Olivia in February, and we can't wait.

Then came to big meeting of the weekend. Olivia and Parker meet for the first time. Olivia loved him. Parker was less than thrilled. He kept wanting to lick her. Then he didn't like it when she cried. He also didn't want anyone to pay any attention to her. He just wanted all the attention. After awhile he did calm down and finally he even snuggled up to her.

Olivia is doing great she is sleeping well, and is generally happy. we are switching her forumla so she is getting some stomach achs, and her burps are starting to sound like Homer Simpson. But we are sticking with it so she can start on cereal next week.

Sometimes I can't believe she is home. Every once in awhile it hits me. Like during her 4am feeding when I see her big dark eyes staring up at me over her bottel. I just want to cry I love her so much. She is truly a blessing and we are so lucky to have her. I will try to post more this week, and especially with Halloween coming up.

Have a great week everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1st trip to the doctor

Doesn't she look huge in this picture. Well she's not, it just that she is all bundeled up to go out in the rainy windy weather.
The Dr went well, she now weighs 14 pounds, and she is 24 inches, so she is our little munchkin. She was such a good girl at her appt. happy and content, and luckly she was up to date on her vaccinations so no shots.
Tomorrow I start swiching over her forumla, and in about a week she can start on some cereal.
As per my friend Kwis's comment on my last post. Yes she has been having a pacifier a few times. I really try to not give it, but yesterday I wanted to take her for a walk, and the last 2 times I took her in her stroller she hated, Like I had to turn aroung and carry her back. Which is strange since she loved her stroller at the hotel. So I gave her the pacifier and she was nice and calm and enjoyed the walk. I have always been anti pacifier, and since she never had one with her foster mother I didn't want to start it, but once again I am breaking the mommy rules I set up for myself. Oh well she's the boss now.
Happy weekend everyone!!!!!!!!!!!

Just playing at home

I am happy to report Liv is setteling in nicely at home. It is hard to catch a smile on film, since she is sneaky with her smiles. She tends to smile after you are done doing something silly. If I lay down on the floor next to her and pretend to sleep, she thinks that is hilarious. In the pictures you can see all the drool on her chin. That tooth should break through any day now.
Today Vinay took Liv into work, she was such a good girl Thank goodness because he didn't even carry in the diaper bag. Vinay has requested his own diaper bag, since he says mine is too girly. So I'll have to go out and buy a manly one for him.
Tomorrow we have our first DR appt. for Liv. I'll try to remember to take more pictures, I tend to get so caught up in her that I forget.

Homecoming

Yesterday we came home. Finally Liv is home and last night she slept in her bed.
She was such a good baby on the plane. She slept most of the way and had her first pacifier, she loved it.
When we got to the airport we had such a nice surprise. So many of our friends and family had come to see us bring Olivia home. We are so fortunate to have a wonderful circle of friends to support us and love Olivia.
Thank you to my family My Mom, My aunt Pat, and my cousin Vicki, sister in law Vaishu and future brother in law Jake.
Thank you to our friends, Chris Mike and Emily, Jenene and John, Janet, Jules, Scott and Janet, Brad, Maria, and Addison, Dennis and Sara, Brian. You guys made Olivia's homecoming extremely special and she was excited to meet all of her uncles and aunts!!
I hope to post some pictures tomorrow

I've loved these days

Our days in Guatemala are coming to an end. I have really enjoyed are time here and this trip has gone quickly.
Yesterday we went to visit the city of Antigua, an old colonial city that was the capital untill a few eathquakes destroyed it. The city has been restored and is so pritty. Olivia rode in a car seat for the first time and she really enjoyed it. We had to carry her in the baby bijourn and she did good in that too.
Today we spent another day by the pool. Olivia slept and played, while her Mom worked on her tan. Vinay is so good at taking care of Liv, and he loves to get her all ralled up and crazy.
She really is a very content baby. But boy is she active we put her in a bouncy seat in the playroom and I thought she was going to flip it over she was bouncing so much. However when she sleeps that girl can sleep. Last night she went down at 9 got up at 5 for a bottel, and a diaper change, went back to sleep till 9. I am such a lucky Momma.
I must admit I am a bit sad to leave, we have enjoyed ourselves so much, and it pains me to take her away from her birthcountry. But I know the wonderful things waiting for her in NJ.
So tomorrow we land in Houston first and she is offically an american citizen. Then at 7 we land in NJ and she is offically our little jersey girl.
Thank you so much for your prayers for Olivia's homecoming. She is finally leaving on that jet plane, with us!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoying our girl

The first picture was taken today beofe we went to the pool. Here is our picture before the embassy appt. Yesterday we went to the embassy, and everything went great. Olivia is such a dream. She only gets fussy when she is tired, other than that she enjoyes being in her stroller, playing with her toys, and rolling over. She is catapulting herself all over the place. We are having so much fun just enjoying being with her. Today we spent most of the day by the pool, and Liv went in the pool.

2 funny stories for you. The first night we put Olivia to bed and we were getting ready ourselves when Vinay goes in his bag and says' Oh no. I forgot my contact stuff again" Yes I even went out and bought him a bottel especially for this trip and he forgot it. Too funny

Second story. The morning of the embassy we had 2 clocks set for the moring and a wake up call. The alarms went off we got up, got ready, and headed downstairs to wait for our ride. Our ride is late, Then we see another couple who's appt. is an hour before ours. We said wait a minute what time is it. Yes we were an hour early. The clocks in Guatemala had their time change last week so they are 2 hours behind us not 1. Poor Olivia was awake an hour early because her parents are idiots.
I will try to post more pictures tomorrow.

Together at last

Today has been some day.
Olivia was finally in our arms forever at 6:30. The tears started to flow for me about a half hour before she got here. I just couldn't believe that I will never have to ask someone permission to see my baby again.
Olivia looks just like her last pictures. She is happy and active and drooling like crazy. I think a tooth is coming soon. Right now she is sitting on her daddys lap waiting for her last bottel of the night. We are totally smitten with this precious girl.
I will try to post pictures tomorrow. Good night for now.
Oh by the way we were told her bed time is 10pm central time. That translates to 11pm eastern time. I think we have a night owl on our hands, she really is our daughter.

Today's word "mañana"

mañana= tomorrow
"Tomorrow, tomorrow I love you tomorrow, your only a day away." A little number from "Annie" for you. To think that all those months ago, 10 to be exact, Vinay and I were laying in bed, discussing if we should go forward and adopt. Now here we are the night before we are to pick up our daughter. I can't believe it. It really all feels like a dream. To think that someone will call out Mommy, and it will be me. I am so thankful for this opportunity in my life.
Ready or not here we come Liv.
I hope to blog from Guatemala. I will try to post pictures too.
Thanks to everyone for their good wishes for this trip. It means so much to have everyone cheering us on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

today's word "carta "

carta = letter
Today I finally sat down and wrote a thank you letter to Liv's foster mom. I was worried I would never be able to express how greatfull I am to her.So I kept putting it off. It was so hard to put into words how I feel, I owe this woman so much. To think that poor Liv could have spent the first 5 months of her life in an orphanage, just makes me thankful that she had a foster family.
So I finally sat down this afternoon and wrote. I know the note did not do justice to my feelings but I tried.
We are so close to seeing her that I get these intense feeling of excitment. I can't wait to hold her, and kiss her little head. I can't believe we are almost there.

Today's word "emoción"

emocion= emotion.
Well this adoption process has definitely been emotional. I have been at some very highs, the day we got our referral, and in some very lows, those last few weeks in PGN. And although I am definitely at a high right now the emotional rollercoaster continues.
Like this past weekend, I have been so happy getting ready to pick her up and then Olivia got her first piece of mail. An invitation to a little Halloween party, thanks Aunt Chris and Emily, and to see her name on that envelope just made me cry. They were tears of joy. The joy that she will be here for Halloween and every holiday from now on. But I'm also sad for her foster family who will be saying goodbye to her this week. They have spent the last 5 months with her and I'm sure they will be so sad to see her go. I almost even feel guilty that I'm taking her away from them. I have heard that fostermothers consider it a privilege to take care of these babies, and that they are really happy that they are going to a good home. That makes me feel a little better.
Yet for the first time in this process I'm scared. Scared that I won't be good enough for her. Frightened that we will be bad parents. The other day Vinay came home from work to find me crying. When he asked me what's wrong I said, "what if we're not good at taking care of her". His answer, "Of course we're going to be bad, we don't know what we're doing". I laughed at this. "But we'll learn, and we'll get better". That why I married this wonderful man, for the comic relief, and for his wonderful heart.
So I guess we will learn and we will make mistakes, I have to be OK with that, but one thing is for sure, we will love that little girl more than we ever thought we could.

Today's word "príncipe"

príncipe= prince
Yes our little prince has less than a week to be the only baby in the house.
Here he is wearing the crown my Mom bought for Liv.
I am really hoping he likes Olivia and that she likes him too. Parker is very gentel with kids but when he realizes that Liv is here to stay I think he will be jealous.
We can only hope they will be friends!!!!!!!

Today's word "silla"

silla=chair.
I am happy to report the bouncy chair was put together with no problem. Vinay read the directions, and finished the chair in about 1/2 hour. It is sturdy and I can't wait for Liv to sit in something her Daddy built all on his own.
In one week we will have our little baby with us and we will finally be a family. I can't wait!!!!!!

Today's word "Pink"

Pink= Our visa appointment in the form of a pink slip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes we have a date. Our Embassy appointment is on Oct 13.
We fly into Guatemala on Oct 12. Go to the appointment on Oct 13, and pick up the visa on Monday the 16. We will then fly home Tuesday the 17.
Since we have to wait till monday for the visa, we will use the weekend to see some of the country.
I can't believe in one week Olivia will be placed in my arms forever.
Olivia here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today's word "espera"

espera= waiting
Well we are still waiting for our visa appointment. We have been filling our days with preparations for Olivia's homecoming. I have been cooking and freezing some meals for us to eat those first few days home. Doing laundry. Putting the finishing touches in her room, and packing. I have also been compiling the things we will need to travel. There is some paperwork that we have to take with us, but mostly we needed the basics, diapers and such.
Vinay has been promising to put together her bouncy seat, and tomorrow is the day he said he will do it. His last day in quartine. I was going to do it a few weeks ago, but when I took it out of the box it was in about 15 pieces. I didn't even look at the directions I just put it back and told Vinay to do it. So he is in for quite a surprise, and I'm sure tomorrows post will be filled with funny stories.
Stay tuned

Today's word "poema"

poema= poem

Here is a poem I found on another blog. I think it really describes how these past few months have been.

The sickness I did not suffer.
The weight I did not gain.
The maternity clothes I did not wear.
My body felt no pain.
I wasn’t there at your birth
For we were worlds apart
You may not have been of my womb
But I was pregnant, I was pregnant in my heart

I really want to keep this blog going once Olivia comes home, however I think I would like to pass on my spanish word of the day. It has helped me to get a feel for the language, and it's been fun. But I think I would like to start learning Spanish along with Liv, maybe getting some kids tapes. So to all my blog friends please let me know if you would like to takeover once Liv comes home.