A few of his favorite things

Nate's top 3 favorite things in no particular order:

Anything that has to do with the Wonder Pets,



talking on the phone,



and his beloved trucks from the "Chuck the Dump Truck" series.  I think we have them all now, and he knows them (and calls them) all by name and can recite the book that came with the big Chuck by heart.

 He loves to line them up in neat rows, then send them flying across the room.

 

I love, love, LOVE that he is all boy!

Amateur photography

My sister and brother-in-law are expecting a baby boy in late March.  She wanted to have some pics taken while pregnant so I volunteered, since I enjoy taking pictures.  Lets just say, I have a lot to learn.  I started a little late in the day, relying only on the natural light coming in from my living room window, taped a wrinkled white sheet to the ceiling and hoped for the best.

Can't wait to meet my sweet baby nephew in just a few short weeks!  

That explains it

(Totally stole this from my friend Jen!)

Some time in early November we took a trip to Toys R Us with my mom and sisters.  I was looking at Christmas gifts for Nate and thought play doh would be great (esp for OT!).  My sister picked him up two sets and I couldn't wait to play with them!  I was like a kid, counting the days until I could play with the play doh. It was really strange.  Then at Christmas she forgot to bring them (she lives in Milwaulkee). I was so upset! 

Finally, she did remember to bring them on one of her trips.  

And when she did, my mom said "I won't ever play play doh with Nate.  

Can't stand the smell of the stuff. 

 You girls didn't play with it much when you were kids."

Ah, now that explains it.

I was deprived play doh as a child.

Nate and I had so much fun making ice cream and food in the pretend oven!  

Gramma, you are missing out!

Friday nights at Target

I simply can not put into words my love for Target (and I know you all know what I mean!)  I have been making a habit out of taking Nate there on Friday nights every now and then just to let him explore and have lots of room to wheel around in his chair.  I was worried about the reactions I might get at first, but they have all been positive (duh, it's Target nothing bad ever happens there!)

Here are a few pics from one of our trips (where we now get front row parking with our handy dandy handicap placard!)

(I only took these three pictures.  I thought that a two year old in a little wheel chair was enough to make people stare without his momma snapping pictures like the paparazzi.  I think I just need to get over it, though!)

The best

(Jenn, Gina, Christa, Katie and myself)

I just want to say I have the best group of mommy-friends a girl could ever ask for.  This was taken New Year's Eve at our little neighborhood party where our kids ran around in their jammies and drank sparkling grape juice and the mommies and daddies ate a lot, drank a little and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company.  I am so blessed to have found such amazing and caring people-and the best part is they all live right on our block!  (Which has a lot to do with why we currently don't have a "For Sale" sign in our yard right now).  Love you girls!

Bellaboo's

I've been wanting to blog about this for awhile, but I had taken so many pictures that I was overwhelmed.  Finally, I made a bunch of collages in Picasa and called it a day.

I've lived in NW Indiana for nearly 5 years and just heard about this place from a neighbor recently.
And as soon as I heard about it I knew Nate would love it.  We took him there over Christmas break (gosh, I'm so far behind!) and it was a huge hit.

They have all these differently themed rooms where kids can play.  For example, there is an art room where Nate got a chance to paint (my favorite, being the art teacher I am!),

and a water room where he got to play in a river of running water,

a play kitchen where he made a few meals 

and a pretend store where all he wanted to buy was a small roll,

and a dress-up room.

And these were only the rooms we got to that day-they have even more!  Nate really enjoyed himself, and I really enjoyed watching him explore on his own.  He actually threw a small fit when it was time to go.  Can't wait to go back!

Unconditional Love

I've never done one of these posts, and really hope to never write about it again.

By "these posts" I mean the three years ago today...

Yes, we had our 22 week ultrasound, the half way, determine if it's a boy or a girl ultrasound three years ago on Valentines day.  Sweet, right?

Until it wasn't.

A few days later my OB called, concerned with some of the images she saw, and had me make an appointment with a perinatologist for a level II ultrasound.

The day of the appointment and a few days after that (where I went through a slew of other tests and met with several specialists), I will admit our world turned upside down.  But that lasted only a few days.  And then it was gone.

I can honestly say that those days I spent in an ultrasound room, with doctors whispering, conferencing with each other and dishing out their worst case scenarios is a distant memory.  Because since that day, I have moved forward and with each new day have moved on from that place and the crazy, violent emotions I felt.  I have moved forward and have never looked back.

My life since that day has never been the same.  It's just been the way it was supposed to be.  Full of unconditional love.  The no matter what kind of love.  The I love everything about you kind of love.  The you are the greatest gift we could have ever received kind of love.  The kind of love that means I wouldn't change a thing about you.  The kind of love that makes you feel secure and helps you to trust in things bigger than you, the kind of love that means you never look back and think "what if?"

I haven't written about that day three years ago because I choose not to.  I choose not to live in the past, instead living for today, and always looking forward to what tomorrow will bring.  To me that is what unconditional love is.  One step at a time, trusting, believing, knowing that I am living out a plan, that Nathan is living out his plan that was created just for him and us.

Give Love

My friend Joanna, who has the most amazing heart, wrote this and I am doing my part to spread the word.  Please consider helping little Shea reach the family that is waiting for him by helping in any way you can!
 

Because it's February.

Because I just decorated my house in pink and red hearts.

Because Valentines are not just for couples...but friends, mommies, daddies, siblings, classmates and neighbors.

Because everybody needs love. And not the romantic comedy, butterflies in your stomach, plucking petals off daisies kind of love.

They need the "I'm yours forever" kind of love.

The "we can do this together" kind of love.

The "can't stop starring at you" kind of love.

The "I'm always there for you" kind of love.

The "I can't keep myself from smiling around you" kind of love.

The "I promise to make time to laugh with you" kind of love.

The "everything you say is so important to me" kind of love.

The " I couldn't be prouder of you in this moment" kind of love.

The love that lifts you up....

Squeezes you tight...

Makes even hard times feel alright..

The love that teaches you all that you need to know...

And gives you support you need to grow...

The undeniable you were made for me...

And together we make a family...

What's mine is yours...

I treasure each kiss...

And everyone deserves to feel like this...

Kind of Love.

Because real love is something that cannot be bought - only shared. We need it from the time we are born - and those of us who having loving families know that NOTHING could have replaced that. The love of family - the love I was given as a child - made me who I am today. It teaches us how to love the rest of our lives. It can never be truly expressed in the form of greeting cards, chocolates, flowers, or jewelry. Those sweet tokens and gestures give momentary happiness - it's the feeling love behind them that really means anything at all. So with that in mind, and in the spirit of this holiday of love - I would like to propose the perfect gift for your loved ones.

Give the gift of Love itself.

Give Love.

You can bring joy and love not only to those who hold your heart -

but to child who needs your help.

Give Love.

By helping one little boy come home to the family who is waiting to give him this kind of love. The kind of love every single one of these children pictured above are given every day.

The kind of love so many of us are blessed to have.

The kind of love he deserves.

Give Love.

Shea's story is a remarkable one - and it is only just beginning. He now has a family ready for him - and Shea is WAITING to come home. His family is actively completing the adoption process - eager to give Shea the love, support and care only a family can give. The only thing wecan do to help them bring Shea home as soon as possible is to GIVE.

Give what you have.

$5, $25, $50

It's not the size of the gift, but the size of the heart behind it.

GIVE LOVE.

It is so costly to adopt internationally - so much so that many people say "we can't afford that" or "it's just not possible for us". But this family has given everything they have not once, not twice, but 3 TIMES (read their blog - they are an amazing family)and is making that leap of faith to make Shea a part of their family - but they need help raising the last bits.

(And in adoption language, "bits" = $9,000!)

They need our HELP!

As a friend so honestly reminded me " Let's face it ... we all spend/waste $$$ on this every year. The chocolate is gone...the flowers die... and all you have is a distant memory of the token(s) you invested in."

How much more meaningful - how much more noble - how much more true to what love is all about - to give that money instead to this family - to this little boy -

to bring him home - to give him Love.

So help share the love...with Shea. :)

Isn't that the most adorable Valentine ever?!

It's message is simple - it's purpose sincere.

Make a donation (even just $5!) in the name of a friend or loved one - to Shea's Adoption Grant (through the chipin on the right hand margin of the Saving Shea blog) or visit his family's blog and donate through their chipin (it all goes to his account.) Then print out these adorable Shea Valentines and give them to your sweetie, your sister, your mother, your friend - and see their faces light up at the sweet face on the card.

I can't think of a sweeter, kinder,

more beautiful way to Give Love.

Can you?

(visit www.savingshea.blogspot.com to read more about Shea's story as well as to view/print these Valentines.)