Summer Garden

We finally got our summer garden patch planted yesterday.  Every time we have tried something has happened. Elijah was so excited.  He is really into planting this year.  He has always loved to play in the dirt--what child doesn't.  Sarah was not impressed.  She was in her walker to keep her from eating the dirt and she did not think that was fair!  We planted tomatoes, strawberries(in a container), peppers, watermelon, cucumbers, lettuce, and carrots.  We also got pumpkins, but will wait a little bit to plant them so they ripen closer to fall.  Last year our pumpkins were ready in Aug.  Today it is lightly raining, so perfect timing!  The first thing Elijah did this morning was to jump up out of bed and run to the back porch to see if the plants were growing.  He said they were.  He was so cute.

Wordless Wednesday

Where is Elijah?

Weight Watchers

Well, I decided it was time to tackle this extra weight I am carrying around.  I do want to live longer and see my children grow up.  After Doug and I got married we started fertility treatments.  I guess I started eating for 2 at that point.  Blamed it on the hormones and reached my highest weight ever in the year it took us to conceive Elijah.  Every month there was a negative on the old pregnancy test I would resort to a two week binge of chocolate.  Needless to say I gained and gained.  Now pregnant, I lost 10 pounds the first 6 months.  Best diet I had ever been on.  I only gained 11 pounds, so technically I had a 1 pound pregnancy weight gain.  Not bad in my opinion.  Well, I nursed Elijah, so I had to have extra calories to support him and me, and he really loved the sweets.  So by the time I stopped nursing I was back up to pregnancy weight.  About that time we decided to start trying for another baby since it took us a year the last time, so back to eating for two again.  The doctor said I had to lose weight for the fertility treatments to work so I lost about 20 pounds.  We soon realized that I was not getting pregnant, most months I was not even ovulating.  We decided to look into adoption.  Now for those of you who have never been though an adoption let me share a few things with you.  You have to lay out your entire life to complete strangers and they question you on your life before getting approved.  They look at your finances, you have to have references, work references, fingerprints, criminal records, counseling on fertility, answer a 12 page questionnaire on why you would be good parents, and all kind of questions that I am not sure how it relates to adopting, but anyway that is another story.  It is stressful.  I handle stress with chocolate.  So back up the weight went.  During all of this my biological father had a stroke and I was trying to take care of him.  STRESS, STRESS, and more STRESS.  Back up to pregnancy weight, my highest ever.  After my father died I went and got diet pills, lost 25 pounds, and then we brought Sarah home.  Yoohoo, back to the chocolate.  Have you ever had to work with a case manager and convince them your child need therapies?  STRESS.  I fought and fought and ate chocolate. So now our lives seem to be calmer.  We have a routine.  Everyone seems to be adjusted, so I went to weight watchers.  Get there and they tell you about the programs, yes two.  You have to choose which one to do.  Man, I hate to decide, what if I decide wrong?  Ok, they did say if you did not like what you decide you can change, but I still think I might need chocolate to decide.  Then today I have to figure out how to count stuff, chocolate where are you?  Why did I eat all of the M&M's on Sunday prior to going to weight watchers?  Ok, I think I have decided on the point program they have, I think I have my points calculated right, and I think I have enough points to eat CHOCOLATE tonight!!  Weight watchers chocolate dessert, but CHOCOLATE!!!  Did I tell you that Sarah is have T&A and tube placement next week?  Did I tell you we are thinking of adopting again?  Did I tell you that Elijah is about to finish Mother's Day Out for the summer and I will now have to find childcare for him or lug him to Sarah's therapies?  Oh no, what have I done.  I knew weight loss meant stress gain.  GIVE ME CHOCOLATE!!!!

Summer Fun!

Elijah has been wanting us to clean out the pool for him so he could swim.  Well, we finally did it.  The water was freezing, but both kids enjoyed playing in it.   Elijah stayed in the pool for hours, in and out, and back in, etc.   I only let Sarah stay in for about 20 min.  Her little lips were quivering.  She pitched a royal fit when I took her out.  Kicking, screaming, signing more, screaming more.  She was soooooooo mad.  I made it up to her by cleaning up her swing and letting her swing until she nearly fell asleep.  I am so glad summer is here.  The kids love being outdoors.  Doug is working on them a play area.  We will have the pool, a sand box, and some play things outside.  It is going to be so fun.

Bethany Spring Picnic

Today the adoption agency had their picnic.  It was fun to go and see all of the staff member and even see some people that went through orientation with us.  Most of the people we had not met before so it was fun.  There was a lady that had a 18 year old with down syndrome and had adopted a child who is now 4 with down syndrome.  It was encouraging to see how independent the 18 year old was, yet how childlike she was.  She was so innocent, but very capable of doing things.  She was very articulate and had wonderful manners.  It was a blessing to see a glimpse into what Sarah's future might be like. Elijah and Sarah had a blast.  Sarah's favorite thing besides eating was the swings.   Elijah enjoyed the bouncy thing, the sand,  the lake, and the list goes on.  He loves to be outdoors doing anything, esp with daddy.  Abigail was there also so he had a great time playing with her.  Be praying for Abigail's family as they await for a baby.  Hmmm, maybe add us to that prayer.  We are trying to decide if we would like to add a third baby to our gang.  Some days I think a third would be great and then other days two are too many!!  We will see what God has planned for us.

Need to pick 3 pictures

I want to enter Sarah into the Down Syndrome video that they will play in Times Square the day of the NYC buddy walk.  I can only enter 3 pictures.  I can not decide which ones to pick.  Here are a few of my favorites: There is also a really cute one of her swinging at therapy that the therapist took, maybe I can get a copy of it.  I don't know.  What do you think?  Look back through my post and see if you like something else.  There are even more pictures from last year that I did not even go through!  If you have a favorite, let me know!!

Sarah walking

Doug finish building the walking platform like they use at therapy.  Sarah was so excited when she saw it.  Of course, the first thing she did was to fall, but she got right back up and went at it again.  She walked up and down it several times for Kathryn, one of her therapist.  She is sleeping soundly now, she was so exhausted.  I have managed to paint the bathroom, eat lunch, and look at some blog sites.  I am enjoying my afternoon.  Elijah is at school.  Here is some video of her walking.  I will try to get a better shot later.

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