Only 3 more days!

D-Day is so close now.  I'm not quite sure that what is about to grace us has sunken in yet.  All weekend we will be busy preparing for Makenna's arrival, but yet it still doesn't seem real.  It's been 13 years since we've had a child in our lives and I know for myself that until we started down this road, of adoption, I didn't know what I was missing.  There are probably going to be many bitter-sweet moments in our future, but I have faith that with the love of our sweet baby girl EVERYTHING will be worth it.  Now, if we can just make it through this weekend...............

6 more days!

Things are rapidly coming together.  "K" had her last appointment yesterday and all is well.  She and our caseworker met with the hospital social worker and finalized the adoption plan.  Joel and I are now a little more comfortable with what to expect next Monday.  Our b/m has expressed her feelings and we will respect them.  I don't think that she is asking for anything that we can't handle.  Well, Joel might be having a little more trouble than myself, but I'll just have to keep reminding him that until "K" is able to sign that piece of paper before the judge that baby is legally still her's and we will have to accommodate her.  I don't think that is asking a lot considering what she is giving us.

We still don't know if we will have our own room, but we plan on being at the hospital and hour before surgery and hope that by the time Makenna is born they will have found us a place of our own.  If all goes as planned "K" has asked to spend a little time with the baby by herself and then periodic visits with us and Makenna.  It sounds as if she intends on us being the "primary care givers" in the hospital and expects us and the baby to be released before she is.  That may or may not happen depeding on if the hospital pediatrician feels that Makenna is ready to be medically discharged.

Joel and I would love to have visitors come by, but unfortunately this is going to be a sensitive situation.  Our b/m kind of has to be handled with "kid gloves" so we don't want to do anything to upset her.  We hope that everyone will understand that as much as we would love for you to come visit us and share in our excitement, we will have to play things by ear.  Depending on how things go, we might feel more comfortable having visitors the 2nd day.  Joel and I plan on communicating with everyone to let them know when/if they can come see sweet Makenna, but until then you can be certain that you will receive plenty of pictures, probably via text message and of course facebook!  :)

7 Days & Counting!

Well, we've almost made it!  In exactly 7 days, our sweet Makenna Michelle Hendrix will be joining our family.  I am so incredibly thankful to our b/m for this wonderful gift.  Her sacrifice is monumental and Joel and I just feel so blessed that she chose us to provide a loving home and family to her baby.  Already having a child of my own, I can't imagine the emotional toll that this must take on a woman, to give her flesh and blood, to others, to raise and care for.  I know the loss of a child and my heart aches for her.  I can foresee a very emotional day, next Monday.  I pray that God watches over our b/m and continues to give her strength, peace, and comfort during this time.

"K" has her final doctor appointment today and I believe she and our caseworker will be meeting with the hospital social worker to finalize the adoption plan.  I hope to have more details to report after I speak with our caseworker this evening.

2 weeks

We are SO close now.  So close that I think my excitement is making it hard for me to sleep.  So many things are going through my mind.  We still don't have a "formal" plan for the hospital, but it's coming together.  This Friday I am having my second baby shower, at work.  That should be fun.  There really isn't a lot more to share.  We're just waiting.  Our b/m doesn't have another doctor appointment until the 17th.  That should be the last one before the BIG day.

3 weeks, 4 days

Our b/m had another doctor appointment yesterday.  Everything is still going well and we were happy to hear that she is supposed to start thinking about the "adoption plan", when at the hospital.  Our caseworker told b/m that Joel and I are very anxious in knowing at what point we would be able to join her at the hospital on the day of delivery.  We're supposed to meet for lunch after her appointment next week, so hopefully we'll know more then.

3 weeks, 6 days

I feel so touched by the recent generosity of a former high school classmate and his wife, Will and Lindsey Amos.  When they found out we were adopting, they reached out to us and offered us a very sweet gift.  Will asked his aunt, who makes christening gowns and heirloom baby clothes, to make an outfit for Makenna.  She used our pink and brown color scheme to make a very sweet little outfit and a blanket to match.

Joel and I are so grateful for all the kindness and support everyone has shown us.  We feel so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives and can't wait to share all of that with Makenna.  

4 weeks, 5 days

Today our b/m had a doctor appointment.  Our caseworker was trying to arrange for us to meet for lunch before the appointment.  That didn't work out, but that's ok because something much more special happened.  I was invited to the doctor appointment to hear the baby's heartbeat!  Hearing that sweet baby's heartbeat was like music to my ears.  I felt like I was actually a part of the pregnancy.  It was so nice of our b/m to let me be a part of that.  Makenna's heartbeat was nice and strong, 142 beats per minute.  We're now on the downhill slide.  The frequency of the doctor appointments have moved to weekly.  Hopefully our caseworker will find out, soon, what we can expect on the day of delivery.

6 weeks, 6 days

So it seems that I assumed too much.  After speaking with our caseworker on Saturday, I came to the realization that the events on the day of delivery won't be as cut and dry as Joel and I thought.  We learned to expect the unexpected.  Joel and I assumed (there's that word again) that we would just be there from the very beginning, but it could be that our b/m may not want us there at all.  We are at her mercy.  Joel and I will expect to have to wait on the "call" from our caseworker.  That's going to be so hard.  Our caseworker told me that she will ask our b/m what she feels like doing so hopefully we will know a little bit more when we meet with her in a couple of weeks.

7 weeks, 3 days

Joel and I received confirmation yesterday that Makenna Michelle Hendrix will be born via c-section on Monday, May 24th, 2010.  It's official, but it still seems unreal.  Our b/m had a doctor appointment yesterday and it was made clear that once Makenna is delivered, she will be taken out of the delivery room, straight to us.  That, I must say, was exciting to hear.  I'm curious as to what the hospital's procedures are, as far as adoptions.  I guess we just have to play it by ear.  We will be relying on our caseworker to direct us, for sure.

The next doctor appointment will be either the 20th or 21st of April (we will have to confirm that).  Our caseworker wants me, Joel, our b/m and her family to go to lunch before the appointment.  We'll see how that works out.  Our b/m has been on the outs with her family and things are a little rocky right now, so who knows what three weeks will bring.

I will be having my first baby shower on May 1st.  We are calling it a "necesseties shower".  It will be a rather small shower mainly for Joel's family, but my mom & niece will be there.  I am so excited for that.  Joel's sisters are doing a wonderful job planning it and keeping the details a surprise.  I like surprises.  :)

Again, we continue to wait.  We keep trying to plan little things on the weekends so we have things to look forward to during the loooooong weeks ahead.  My cousin is having her baby today, so hopefully we will be able to see them next weekend.  This weekend I have a baby shower for a wonderful friend, on Saturday, and I am really looking forward to Sunday and being with family, for Easter.  The OSU Spring football game is on the 17th so we'll probably be in Stillwater most of that day.  There are a couple of baby stores that a friend told us about.  I want to check them out!  Wiggles and Giggles & Butter Bean.  How cute are those names?!  On the 18th I am taking pictures for a family session.  Very excited about that!  They are such a cute little family.  We might go camping the 23rd & 24th or get away somehow.  There are lots of places in Oklahoma we haven't been yet.  Weird I know since we have lived here our entire lives.  Wow.  April is totally booked up!  That is so exciting.  Once we are into May, we will be on the downhill slide.

So, until next time.....................

8 weeks, 1 day.....

Joel and I had our 2nd pre-placement homestudy visit yesterday.  It went smoothly, just tying up some loose ends.  A couple of tasks we'll need to have done and the social worker can start writing her report.  Once her report is complete, she will show it to us for final approval and then it should be submitted to the courts.  This coming Thursday our b/m is "supposed" to have another doctor appointment.  Hopefully she'll be able to keep it and we'll have a finalized date for the c-section.

We've started receiving a few gifts for baby Makenna.  Here are some of my favorites (I love blankets).

This one I just fell in love with from Babies 'R' Us.  I thought it coordinated with the nursery theme.

This was a real surprise.  A co-worker of Joel's gave this to him.  His wife made it.  It's so soft & we can't wait to use it during football season.

Saving the best for last... this blanket was one of two that was made for Aaron when he was born.  The pattern is Precious Moments (little child-like angels).  It has never been used as Aaron (or  maybe it was me) was partial to the teddy bear blanket.  My mother was saving it for us and gave it to me.  I thought it couldn't be a more appropriate & special blanket for Makenna to have.

8 weeks, 5 days........

IF the c-section was indeed able to be scheduled for the 24th of May.  It still seems like such a long way off.  I'm glad March is almost over.  It's such a long month & getting past the end of the month is always kind of difficult, what with Aaron's birthday on the 30th and everything.  BUT, looking forward to all the great things to come, helps.

This Saturday we have our 2nd pre-placement homestudy with the LSW (Licensed Social Worker).  All of our personal references are in (thank you so much to our friends & family for that) & our finger print/background checks have been returned free & clear to us.  Once our visit is complete on Saturday, the LSW will begin writing her report to present to the Canadian County Court system.  That should be all that is needed for the pre-placement homestudy process.  Then it's more waiting.  Thankfully Joel & I have some fun things to look forward to, in the coming weeks, so that maybe the waiting won't seem so terribly long.  It's a lot harder waiting during this process than it is when you're pregnant (in my opinion).  Even when I was on bed rest for the last two months of my pregnancy with Aaron, the wait was much more managable. So we'll continue to wait.  We'll get the house organized and baby'fied' and enjoy thinking about all the fun things to come.

In the meantime, we'll also continue to pray for Steven, Jamie, & sweet baby Ellie and that she continues to improve in tremendous strides as she's been doing since her premature birth date of just over a month.  Elliott Grace Feisal was originally due to join us on April 19th, but graced us with her presence on Tuesday, March 16th.  She's had some minor issues that generally improve with a baby's growth and physical maturity.  Ellie is such a fighter, she's conquering all those issues with great strength.  God has been good to that family and we're so thankful.

Update....

Heard from our case worker today and discussed the chaos that is our b/m.  LOL!  Our b/m had to reschedule her appointment from last week to this week, but made it there yesterday.  Her c-section is scheduled for May 24th, IF they can get it on the books.  Her next appt. is on April 1st & our case worker said that she will keep us posted of any updates.  So if they can get the c-section scheduled then we're looking at just a little over 9 wks until D-Day!  :)

I'm finding it difficult...

not to buy up every cute little thing there is before the baby gets here.  I was on Old Navy.com and found these:

The two dresses are for next year, but everything else is for this Summer.  I loved the swimsuit.  Everyone sing now... "It was an itsy bisty, teen weeny, yellow polka dot bikini...."  LOL!

Week 28

12 more weeks to go.  We've added a few more things to the nursery.  It's almost complete.  We just need the ottoman for the rocker and well, little Makenna.  :)

Nothing new on the b/m or pregnancy itself.  Just more waiting.  I'm anxious to know when the c-section will be scheduled.  Hopefully the doctor will schedule that in the next couple of visits.

13 Weeks & Counting

Almost the 3rd trimester.  Haven't heard any NEW news from the case worker.  I guess no news is good news, in this case.  The wait is a killer!  Thank goodness I have some fun events coming up.  I have two baby showers to attend in the next two weeks.  Those should be a lot of fun.  My sisters-in-law are currently planning my first shower for May 1st.  It will just be a small, family shower so I will have some necessities on hand when the baby is born.  A bigger sip-n-see shower will be held a couple of weeks after she's born.  That will be fun because everyone will get to meet little Makenna.  :)  I believe I have finalized my registries too, at Babies 'R' Us & Target.

So, for now, I guess the wait continues.....................................

Yay for polka dots!

The nursery is really coming together now.  We received our wall decals today & I love how they turned out!

It's becoming more and more realistic.  2 1/2 more months!!!

2nd addition to the nursery

We finally received the last of the PBK furniture.  Looks great!

Now we just need a bookcase and the glider rocker.  We're still waiting on some wall decals for the finishing touches.

Once a store room....

now a nursery.  We cleaned, painted, assembled furniture, and put up some decorations.  The nursery is HALF finished.  We are still waiting on the dresser and changing topper, glider rocker, and bookshelf.  We'll also be adding some more wall decals and a shelf above the changing table.  Here is a first look at the transformation.

We also cleaned and organized the closet a little.  Thanks to not only me, but her Nonnie, aunts, and cousins, our little girl already has quite the wardrobe!  A girl can never have too many options.  LOL!

Our b/m had a doctor appointment yesterday......

and all is well.  Glucose test was done, healthy heart beat, and the baby is very active.  No concerns.  The next appointment is March 11th.

I also found out that the crib should be delivered to the PBK store today and we'll probably get to pick that up tomorrow.  The changing topper has shipped and the dresser should ship today.  We've picked out the paint and the wall letters are ready to be picked up.  I'm very excited to start getting the nursery together this weekend!  When I think about it, what a better way to spend Valentine's weekend that working on a project that is designed out of love and the fact that Joel & I are going to do it together, on our own, and in our own way makes it that much more meaningful.  I'll be taking pictures as we go and will post them once we're done.

We received our "travel system"

I'm very pleased with it.  Didn't know that it has little diamonds of pale blue & green, but that's ok.  Joel asked if people would think the baby is a boy.  I remember people thinking Aaron was a girl.  I guess sometimes some people just can't tell (even when it's OBVIOUS).  That's why I always just say, "What a pretty baby!"  LOL  It was fun putting it together.  Strollers have come such a long way in 15 years.  I can't wait to put it to good use!  :)

I found out today that the b/m's doctor appointment from last week is rescheduled for tomorrow.  I'm excited to go to that.  It helps with the wait and the feeling of uselessness I have.  Hopefully everything is still well with the baby.  The thought of Infant Nicotine Withdrawl has been on my mind a lot lately.  The poor baby is going to have a rough first couple of weeks.  They tend to be anxious, jittery, and hard to soothe when going through withdrawls.  I'm praying that it doesn't last too long and there aren't any other long-lasting or major affects on the baby.

Made a purchase

I have been back & forth so many times trying to decide on a travel system with a matching playard, high chair, etc.  I decided to coordinate instead and with everything that I like starting to sell out, we went ahead and ordered a travel set & playard last week.  They're neutral, but I think can definitely be girlie too.  Just no pink, which is perfectly ok with me.  :)

So, now we still wait on the nursery furniture.  Pottery Barn Kids is not getting a gold star at this point.  :(

Waiting....................

Ugh.  I hate this part.  Waiting on the nursery furniture, waiting on the next doctor appointment, etc.  Our b/m had to reschedule her appointment this week due to weather/road conditions.  We're hoping to hear back from the case worker soon on when the appointment is rescheduled for.  Joel & I aren't quite sure what we should be doing at this point.  I guess as long as we check in with the case worker each week, that's about all we can do until someone requests some kind of action from us.

I wish the furniture would get here so we could at LEAST focus on getting the nursery ready.  Besides, I already have some things I need to put away.  :)  And I've become obessessed with making tutus.  I need to control myself or we won't have any room to store regular clothes.  They're just so darn cute and there are so many combinations.  Maybe I can start making them for friends.  ;)

Step one...

The baby bedding was delivered yesterday.  I am so happy with it!  Can't wait for the furniture to get here so we can put it all together.

Fun stuff

The baby bedding should be delivered today and the furniture was ordered over the weekend.  Getting closer to being able to set up the nursery.  So fun!

Joel's cousin & I discovered that we can make our own baby tutus & flower barrettes for headbands & beanies.  They turned out so well.  Super easy & no sewing!  Can be pretty time consuming, but it's still really fun.  A plus... I loved spending time with Tammy being crafty!  ;)

First Glimpse

Our birth mother had an ultrsound this week.  To be there was so exciting.  It was no less exciting that I wasn't the one pregnant and a plus... I didn't have to mess with the gloopy stuff all over my belly.  :)  The baby is at 21 weeks and weighs about one pound.  Everything looked great, nothing out of the ordinary could be seen. 

We received our 2nd confirmation that the baby is a girl so we've gone ahead and ordered the bedding for the nursery. 

The furniture should be ordered tomorrow.  So excited to get started decorating!

Things are moving right along.  So about 4-4 1/2 months left.  That doesn't seem very far off at all.  She'll be here before we know it.