More Baseball!

Today the heat index was about 100 degrees and the boys still wanted Dad to go out front and pitch to them! What a good sport Dad is because Mom wouldn't be playing baseball in this weather! And even in the heat they insisted on wearing pants so they could slide like real baseball players! If they keep up this kind of practicing - watch out Barry!

Brian up to bat!

about to hit the ball
home run!
Dad pitching to Sean
Brian stealing second - with a slide!

sliding into home!

Sean likes to slide head first!

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Justin loves his bath even more than he did before! He loves to kick and splash and watch his feet! He has started putting his hands, and anything else he can grab, in his mouth all of the time and doing it on purpose! Brian and Sean love to watch him in the tub - Justin splashes and gets them wet!

checking out his toes!

trying to fit both hands in at once
still trying...
a smile while eating his hands!
there are those dimples!
eating his washcloth
trying to get it in with both hands!

Application Part 1- sent!

We sent the application by e-mail to our adoption agency this morning. We then got confirmation that it was received! Now we have to mail the rest of the required things. We need two 4X6 pictures - one of all of us together and one of the front of our home. We need a signed and notarized copy of the the agency's Adoption Services Agreement, a copy of page 1 of the last three years tax returns, signed copies of the Rights and Responsibilities Form, signed copies of the Corporal Punishment Statement - signing that it will not be used, and the signed Child Abuse Information form with a check for the processing fees - one for each of us! I want to have everything mailed out by the end of the week and then get our approval sometime next week!

And this is only the very beginning of our paperwork journey! When they receive all of this information it will be reviewed and hopefully accepted! Then we will get a call from our social worker to get started on more paperwork and the home study! Now all my organizational skills and my neatness are coming in handy! I am getting excited!!!

When we told people we sent the application - my friend Meg said that we are now pregnant with our little girl! That makes my eyes tear up! Here we are working so hard and she hasn't even been conceived yet!

Then and Now...

Here are pictures of Justin at 1 week and at 13 weeks! What a difference!

1 week!

13 weeks

Justin is 3 months old!

I just cannot believe that Justin is 3 months old! He is such a great baby and so happy! He is nursing every 3-4 hours and is awake after eating for an hour or so and then sleeps until he gets hungry again! At night he sleeps from 10:30 pm until 7:30am - and he goes down awake and after a minute or two of fussing he goes right to sleep! And he has been on this schedule for about 4 weeks now! Justin weighs about 14 lbs - Brian got on the scale and weighed himself - then weighed himself again holding Justin!

Justin is really "talking" all the time and loves to blow bubbles. He makes so many great sounds - but his squeaky laugh is my favorite. He is tolerating belly time a little better now and can almost roll from belly to back. He just needs a little push to get started - that darn arm keeps getting in the way! He has really turned into a little person - it is so neat to see his personality develop. So far, he is the more laid back as a baby than Brian and Sean were!

Oh - he does have a little scratch on his nose - 2nd boo-boo! I felt so bad because I kept meaning to cut his nails all day and just forgot. Then he wakes up with the scratch - boy do I feel guilty!

peace!

baby power
more air guitar
what a face!
stretch and a smile

Brian is growing up!

Brian had basketball camp at our town's high school this week and had so much fun. It was hot and no air but kids don't seem to feel the heat as much as adults! Today, the last day, they handed out trophies to some of the kids for various achievements. Well, Brian didn't get a trophy. I really expected him to cry and be upset that he didn't win. He was a little sad, which is okay, and walked over to me and said that he didn't win a trophy. I told him that it was okay as long as he tried his best and had fun. He said he did and I told him that was all that mattered. Before this never sunk in, but this time he just looked up and gave me the tiniest hint of a smile! I think he is finally realizing that you don't always have to win! I don't think this is the end to him being upset about not winning because that is his personality, but hopefully this is the start of him learning to accept not winning in a better way!

Triplets!

I went to visit my new friend Aimee today! She and her husband are about to be blessed by triplets! They have a son that will be 4 years old in December! We met on the internet in an infertility bulletin board and soon discovered we were both in NJ - and then both in South Jersey. After that we realized we went to the same fertility doctor. We got to meet once at the doctor's office and this is the second time I have been to her home. We only live about 45-50 minutes from each other. I think it is so exciting because we probably would have never met without the internet!

Aimee is 31 weeks and 1 day pregnant with triplets and looks so great. The picture really doesn't do justice to her belly - it is all baby and was so neat to see the babies kick! She has done such a wonderful job taking care of herself and the babies! I cannot wait to meet them - but I will wait a litttle longer so that they can be big and healthy!

Aimee and Justin

(no room on her lap!)

Me, Aimee and Justin

Houdini Strikes Again!

Well, the sleep wedge didn't work! He still managed to wiggle his way against the side of the crib. And this time he got both arms out of the swaddle blanket!

first smile of the day!

s-t-r-e-t-c-h!
more smiles