Sunday, August 31, 2008

Adoptive Families BBQ

Today Mike and I went to a BBQ that was all adoptive families. We had the greatest time. There was a circle of families, all with babies about Ty's age...many of them also black, and it was so nice, to sit among other "non matching" families and feel like we were the norm. We accepted when we adopted Ty that we were also accepting the additional attention, but sometimes, it's nice to be the same as everyone else. We met a single Mom there that has a black baby boy that is one month older and 10 pounds heavier than Ty. They are truly on opposite sides of the growth charts :) However if we both stay in Amesbury, they would be in the same class through school. How cool is that! She wants us to get together every other month or so and talk about the things we each do to that help us raise a child successfully in a transracial adoption. I think that would really be a great support for us!

We also met a wonderful little girl, Tess who was adopted from Ethiopia. I am really hoping that in 2010, I'll be making a trip to Ethiopia, but we're going to see where our journey takes us. We know that Ty will have siblings (I'm hoping for many) but it remains to be seen how they will find us. We had faith that the "right" child would find us, and be our first child, so we'll keep the faith that all our children will find us when the time is right...

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Seven Months Ago Today

We met Ty for the first time. At this time (10:30 EST) it was 9:30 there and were just wrapping up our time at cradle care, and heading out to find somewhere to sleep that night (our hotel plans got all screwed up)...I had given him a bottle, and we had changed a diaper (maybe two)...we were both in awe, and in love. We had a son...

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Sometimes...I ignore my dogs...

Now wait a minute! Before everyone that knows us starts nodding their head knowingly, just wait. I'm sure many think, sure she doesn't care one bit about those poor dogs since she got Ty. We'll that's just NOT the case at all! I do ignore them, but, I HAVE to! Really, I ignore them like 3 two year olds having a full blown tantrum. See when we first get home and let them out of their kennels, they are EXCITED. They want to run and jump and play and bark and growl. I want them to do all that too! OUTSIDE!!!! But they want to do it right next to me, nearly on me and taking me out at the knees. I've trained Dudley (the smartest as far as I'm concerned) that when I say, "Outside!" he best head for the dog door. About 50% of the time, Daisy will follow her...if the little dog will let got of her ears she will anyway. That leaves...You guessed it...D-E-W-E-Y. Crazy insane, little "big" dog. He thinks since the other dogs are outside, *I* must want to play, so he proceeds to run around me in circles barking and barking and barking. I've finally realized in order to get them all outside at once (as to avoid some dogs running out the door while other run in...chaos) I issue the "Outside" command, and them must fold my arms (so they can't lick my fingers) and turn and put myself in the corner. Usually I'm laughing and have to make sure the little dog doesn't see. I put myself in the corner and feel absolutely ridiculous that I treat my dogs like children...even more ridiculous is how much $$ we've paid to "train" these dogs and how we can just never back it up. I'm getting softer by the minute. Today, Ty cried when he was supposed to take a nap, and I GOT HIM OUT OF BED. He smiled. It's all down hill from here...