I can't really describe my feelings tonight. It's not the excitement of the night before my wedding. It's not like the night before the first day of school. Maybe not even quite like the night before Christmas...but maybe like the night before a big vacation or something.
In any case, it's a night of anticipation, of excitement, of anxiousness. Because tomorrow morning we take our family in our Sunday best to stand before a judge and pledge our lifelong devotion to Colton Thomas Alan Anderson and make official what we've believed and lived for almost a year now.
I can't wait. I am anxious and excited to get there, to stand up there. I'm worried I'll cry, I'm worried I won't cry. I'm worried Colt will be sleepy and fussy but I know the judge understands. I'm overwhelmed that almost every member of our family will be in the seats behind us, supporting us and loving Colt and quietly pledging their lifelong devotion to him as well. I'm thankful our wonderful attorney will be there to walk us through it.
What a culmination this will be. I never doubted this day would come, but I'm still ready for it to be here! I DO feel like a kid before Christmas morning. Laying out clothes, packing bags, making plans, charging camera batteries, ready to wake up and start the next chapter in our life where we're legally and officially a forever family.
I hope N is celebrating with us, not hurting at this final development. I know deep down she is happy that it is happening, she is proud of herself and Colt and of us and glad to see her family come together in this way. I'll be glad to send her pictures so she can see...we never backed down, we never wanted out, we will remain true to our commitment to her forever.
So, anyway, I guess I better get some sleep. To some it may seem cheesy, it's just a formality. But we do know we have an understanding judge who wants us to take pictures because he believes this is a momentous occasion. He wants us to celebrate, he wants our family there to be a part of it. This is closing a chapter on Colt's birth story and opening the chapter on his life story.
Colt is our testimony to love. So testifying tomorrow should be an outpouring of emotion for us. I can't wait.
Tune in soon for pics and a recap of the ceremony as well as our Gotcha Day party that night. Tomorrow is family and friends day and it's all about Colt...the most special day I can imagine!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Photography
I'm always up for free, beautiful photography! Would love to win a free photo session by Lesley.
If you live in the OKC area do me a favor and don't enter...increases my chances.
Kidding! (not really)
http://proctorspics.blogspot.com/
If you live in the OKC area do me a favor and don't enter...increases my chances.
Kidding! (not really)
http://proctorspics.blogspot.com/
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Colt at 8 months
So I never intended to take such a long break from blogging! Work has been so crazy that I don't have a lunch break to post, and (no lie) I've been going to bed every night between 7:00 and 8:00. I'm just that tired and worn out.
Our house has been a hotbed for sickness, Colt battling both tonsillitis and hand, foot and mouth disease in is little as two weeks. This has made him the grumpiest we've ever seen him, though we still enjoy excessive laughs and kisses! Add my physical exhaustion and overall icky feeling and you can tell John has his hands full.
Colt is now 8 months and 1 week old. I was just staring at him yesterday and realizing how crazy big he is. Especially his hands and feet. He's just grown into a little boy, not a baby anymore!
He's not crawling yet, though he's THIS close. I'm not sure he'll ever do much more than scooting as those chubby thighs make it hard to get up on all fours! You'll notice in the "fire chief" picture below, he sits with his ankles crossed. All the time!
Just in the last few days he has started greeting us after sleep and naps by being on his tummy in the crib, his head poked up over the side when he hears the door. He's also grabbing on to the bumpers for support and we know it's just a matter of days before we will need to lower his crib!
Still no teeth! We've loved missing the teething grumpiness, but really want the kid to eat steak one day so we're hoping for a tooth here or there soon...the gummy smiles are awfully cute in the meantime!
He says "dada" now, though it's more like babbling than really identifying Dada. "Dada, baba, gaga" are his favorites and I could listen to it all day.
I've mentioned the open mouth, sloppy, magical kisses he gives when we pucker for him, right? They are heavenly.
He is LOVING watching Faith, our cat. Any chance he sees her and he stops, reaches and laughs and laughs. She doesn't come close enough for him to grab her, but she sure loves to parade in front of him! It's fun to see him recognize and want things across a room.
He definitely is reaching for us, lifts his hands when we go to pick him up and dives for us when he's in other's arms. We're finding a little interest in TV like Blue's Clues, but nothing major. He does love to turn pages in books and to touch colorful pictures.
He is a master at picking up pieces of food or puffs now, we just need to get better at giving him the opportunity. Any time he sees Anna, whether at school or out, they both hold each other's hand and squeal and try to pull each other over. Anna also steals his toys, but whatev.
We took a trip to Missouri to visit my aunt and grandparents. He did well, but we can tell that long car trips are not his favorite. Everyone loved seeing him and he got spoiled rotten! We've also been going to the neighborhood park with baby swings and he adores that. He's bathing in the big boy tub and loves diving for bubbles.
He's outgrowing his clothes left and right. Loves to bounce. Started to dance and sway to music, which is funny because I think it's innate in kids. We haven't really taught him dancing he seems to have just picked up on it! It's beyond adorable.
So, there's your update on Colt. He's more fun every day, growing like a weed. Must start taking video of his babbles, his dances, his laughs, etc. And I'll attempt to be a better blogger soon.
On the pregnancy front, everything looks good, we heard the heartbeat again last week and scheduled our BIG ultrasound for September 22nd. The doctor says in about 2 more weeks or so I will regain the energy I've lost and I pray that's the case!
Our house has been a hotbed for sickness, Colt battling both tonsillitis and hand, foot and mouth disease in is little as two weeks. This has made him the grumpiest we've ever seen him, though we still enjoy excessive laughs and kisses! Add my physical exhaustion and overall icky feeling and you can tell John has his hands full.
Colt is now 8 months and 1 week old. I was just staring at him yesterday and realizing how crazy big he is. Especially his hands and feet. He's just grown into a little boy, not a baby anymore!
He's not crawling yet, though he's THIS close. I'm not sure he'll ever do much more than scooting as those chubby thighs make it hard to get up on all fours! You'll notice in the "fire chief" picture below, he sits with his ankles crossed. All the time!
Just in the last few days he has started greeting us after sleep and naps by being on his tummy in the crib, his head poked up over the side when he hears the door. He's also grabbing on to the bumpers for support and we know it's just a matter of days before we will need to lower his crib!
Still no teeth! We've loved missing the teething grumpiness, but really want the kid to eat steak one day so we're hoping for a tooth here or there soon...the gummy smiles are awfully cute in the meantime!
He says "dada" now, though it's more like babbling than really identifying Dada. "Dada, baba, gaga" are his favorites and I could listen to it all day.
I've mentioned the open mouth, sloppy, magical kisses he gives when we pucker for him, right? They are heavenly.
He is LOVING watching Faith, our cat. Any chance he sees her and he stops, reaches and laughs and laughs. She doesn't come close enough for him to grab her, but she sure loves to parade in front of him! It's fun to see him recognize and want things across a room.
He definitely is reaching for us, lifts his hands when we go to pick him up and dives for us when he's in other's arms. We're finding a little interest in TV like Blue's Clues, but nothing major. He does love to turn pages in books and to touch colorful pictures.
He is a master at picking up pieces of food or puffs now, we just need to get better at giving him the opportunity. Any time he sees Anna, whether at school or out, they both hold each other's hand and squeal and try to pull each other over. Anna also steals his toys, but whatev.
We took a trip to Missouri to visit my aunt and grandparents. He did well, but we can tell that long car trips are not his favorite. Everyone loved seeing him and he got spoiled rotten! We've also been going to the neighborhood park with baby swings and he adores that. He's bathing in the big boy tub and loves diving for bubbles.
He's outgrowing his clothes left and right. Loves to bounce. Started to dance and sway to music, which is funny because I think it's innate in kids. We haven't really taught him dancing he seems to have just picked up on it! It's beyond adorable.
So, there's your update on Colt. He's more fun every day, growing like a weed. Must start taking video of his babbles, his dances, his laughs, etc. And I'll attempt to be a better blogger soon.
On the pregnancy front, everything looks good, we heard the heartbeat again last week and scheduled our BIG ultrasound for September 22nd. The doctor says in about 2 more weeks or so I will regain the energy I've lost and I pray that's the case!
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Stuck with us!
It's been an emotional week on many levels. I won't go into it all, because what happened earlier in the week doesn't matter and it's water under the bridge after the news we got today:
We have a court date!!!!
As of September 1st at 10:00 a.m., Colt will be stuck with us as parents FOREVER. I mean, he's been stuck with us in every emotional and physical way since the first phone call we got on October 2nd, 2008. But this will mean LEGALLY he will be ours. I can't wait to have that weight off our shoulders...to know that nothing will ever take him away from us (even though, the possibility of anything taking him away was so minute...still, it's a relief).
That means that we will be his parents in every way you can slice it. So when he's 13 and grounded for texting too many people...too bad! We're your parents and you're stuck with us!
When he turns 16 and he's too grounded to get his driver's license because he stayed out past curfew...too bad! We're your parents and you're stuck with us!
When he's 18 and tells us he wants to go to some college like Oklahoma State or the University of Texas and we refuse to pay for it because it's not OU? Too bad! We're your parents and you're stuck with us!
And all those moments before the teen years when he's having a blast at his birthday parties, when he skins his knee and needs band-aids and kisses, when he is too sick to get out of bed and needs his mom and dad to crawl in with him, when he hits a home run in Little League, when he learns to sing "Boomer Sooner", when he teaches his little brother or sister how to walk, when he tortures our cat Faith with love, when he stays up too late at sleepovers, when he gets his new bike from Santa, when he straps on his backpack for the first day of kindergarten, when he says memory verses in Bible School, and as he keeps giving wet, sloppy, open mouth kisses like he's doing now....well, he's stuck with us then too.
What a blessing God has allowed us to raise. Hopefully he'll be glad to be stuck with us forever...because our life just isn't complete without him!
**I have to take just a moment and thank our fabulous attorney, Rachel Stoddard Morris. She stepped in very quickly to take over our case and got this secured. She's fabulous, and one of the things I'll do as long as I can is talk about her, spread the good news, and get her name out there! She's a fabulous family attorney if you need anything and a very fast worker...she got our case Monday night!! Thanks Rachel!**
We have a court date!!!!
As of September 1st at 10:00 a.m., Colt will be stuck with us as parents FOREVER. I mean, he's been stuck with us in every emotional and physical way since the first phone call we got on October 2nd, 2008. But this will mean LEGALLY he will be ours. I can't wait to have that weight off our shoulders...to know that nothing will ever take him away from us (even though, the possibility of anything taking him away was so minute...still, it's a relief).
That means that we will be his parents in every way you can slice it. So when he's 13 and grounded for texting too many people...too bad! We're your parents and you're stuck with us!
When he turns 16 and he's too grounded to get his driver's license because he stayed out past curfew...too bad! We're your parents and you're stuck with us!
When he's 18 and tells us he wants to go to some college like Oklahoma State or the University of Texas and we refuse to pay for it because it's not OU? Too bad! We're your parents and you're stuck with us!
And all those moments before the teen years when he's having a blast at his birthday parties, when he skins his knee and needs band-aids and kisses, when he is too sick to get out of bed and needs his mom and dad to crawl in with him, when he hits a home run in Little League, when he learns to sing "Boomer Sooner", when he teaches his little brother or sister how to walk, when he tortures our cat Faith with love, when he stays up too late at sleepovers, when he gets his new bike from Santa, when he straps on his backpack for the first day of kindergarten, when he says memory verses in Bible School, and as he keeps giving wet, sloppy, open mouth kisses like he's doing now....well, he's stuck with us then too.
What a blessing God has allowed us to raise. Hopefully he'll be glad to be stuck with us forever...because our life just isn't complete without him!
**I have to take just a moment and thank our fabulous attorney, Rachel Stoddard Morris. She stepped in very quickly to take over our case and got this secured. She's fabulous, and one of the things I'll do as long as I can is talk about her, spread the good news, and get her name out there! She's a fabulous family attorney if you need anything and a very fast worker...she got our case Monday night!! Thanks Rachel!**
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
In Defense of Daycare
I don't know why I feel compelled to say this: but I LOVE Colt's daycare.
You guys know daycare is one of those age-old things in mommy world we use to judge each other on, along with breastfeeding, working or staying at home, TV, organic food, cloth diapers, extracurricular activities, etc., etc., etc.
However, I think daycare gets a bad rap for the most part.
First of all, there's the whole piece to the argument that for some people, it's the ONLY option. Single parents or low-income families may not have a choice in the matter, they must work outside the home and have to put their children in daycare. So, if for no other reason than to support those who do not have a choice, I think everyone should open their eyes and realize what a blessing daycare can be.
But there's a whole other side of the argument that for some, it's simply a great option for their family. We LOVE Colt's daycare. We love the things he learns there, the kids he gets to play with. He has consistently exceeded developmental milestones up to this point. He has done so well in Bible class and anywhere in public that we take him because he's used to being around other kids. He is showered with love by his teachers.
As a first-time parent, I have personally felt a great deal of support from daycare to help me know what to do next, to help me with ideas of how to get him well when he's sick, even something as simple as when to move to the next diaper size. Would I have figured that out on my own? Yes. But I see it as a fantastic benefit to our situation and having the teachers and directors there support us has made parenting much easier.
I do know that not every daycare situation is like that. There are horror stories out there, I know. But we did research to find the perfect place, we found a place with family that came highly recommended, we have friends who trust their children to the center's care as well and that helps to keep us grounded, too. So I know it's all about finding the RIGHT daycare.
I just wanted to stick up for daycare. For a lot of families it's not just a necessity, it's a true blessing and if one of us were to lose our jobs, we would give up a lot of other things before even considering giving up Colt's daycare. The stability, love, support, and development they are giving to our family is a much greater need than providing us with a babysitting service. I dare say I'd give up cable before giving up daycare. And that, my friends, is saying a lot.
You guys know daycare is one of those age-old things in mommy world we use to judge each other on, along with breastfeeding, working or staying at home, TV, organic food, cloth diapers, extracurricular activities, etc., etc., etc.
However, I think daycare gets a bad rap for the most part.
First of all, there's the whole piece to the argument that for some people, it's the ONLY option. Single parents or low-income families may not have a choice in the matter, they must work outside the home and have to put their children in daycare. So, if for no other reason than to support those who do not have a choice, I think everyone should open their eyes and realize what a blessing daycare can be.
But there's a whole other side of the argument that for some, it's simply a great option for their family. We LOVE Colt's daycare. We love the things he learns there, the kids he gets to play with. He has consistently exceeded developmental milestones up to this point. He has done so well in Bible class and anywhere in public that we take him because he's used to being around other kids. He is showered with love by his teachers.
As a first-time parent, I have personally felt a great deal of support from daycare to help me know what to do next, to help me with ideas of how to get him well when he's sick, even something as simple as when to move to the next diaper size. Would I have figured that out on my own? Yes. But I see it as a fantastic benefit to our situation and having the teachers and directors there support us has made parenting much easier.
I do know that not every daycare situation is like that. There are horror stories out there, I know. But we did research to find the perfect place, we found a place with family that came highly recommended, we have friends who trust their children to the center's care as well and that helps to keep us grounded, too. So I know it's all about finding the RIGHT daycare.
I just wanted to stick up for daycare. For a lot of families it's not just a necessity, it's a true blessing and if one of us were to lose our jobs, we would give up a lot of other things before even considering giving up Colt's daycare. The stability, love, support, and development they are giving to our family is a much greater need than providing us with a babysitting service. I dare say I'd give up cable before giving up daycare. And that, my friends, is saying a lot.
Monday, August 03, 2009
28
Sometimes, after spending hours on the phone dealing with health insurance claims, paying medical bill after medical bill, talking to various attorneys, and preparing to see negative balances in our savings account it occurs to me...being 28 can really suck sometimes.
Today is a "glass-half-empty" kind of day so I won't go into all the things that really rock about being 28. Today I'm just going to dwell on how much it sucks to be 28; to be an adult. I think we all need those days every now and then.
Today is a "glass-half-empty" kind of day so I won't go into all the things that really rock about being 28. Today I'm just going to dwell on how much it sucks to be 28; to be an adult. I think we all need those days every now and then.
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