Welcome to Rob and Candy's Blog

We are going PINK- we are adopting a little girl from Ethiopia. We'll be sharing our journey to adopt our daughter!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Meme, road trip and Henry at nursery school

Rob's grandmother, Meme, has not been feeling well. On Wednesday night she was rushed to the hospital because she could not catch her breath. Rob and I talked it over and decided that Rob should go see her. When I mentioned it to Igor he said he wanted to go too.

This week Igor has gone to Ms. Joya's summer camp. When we arrived at camp I mentioned to Ms. Joya that Igor might not be there on Friday. Igor looked up and said, "I'm not going with dad, I'm coming here tomorrow." I thought to myself- Really? And then I knew why Igor wanted to go to be at camp on Friday. It's his favorite snack day- Corn, Noodles, butter and cheese. My boy has his priorities! ha

When I got home I packed a bag for Igor and Rob. Rob picked up Igor from camp then drove several hours to the hospital. Meme needs to have surgery but her heart needs to be in rhythm first. I hope to get more information later today on her condition.

Yesterday afternoon Henry and I went to the park. I thought there would be lots of children for him to play with but we were the only ones there. As we were leaving I noticed some money on the ground. I picked it up - it was $11. Normally, I would have asked the people around us if they had lost some cash but there was no one there. We rarely eat out so I decided that Henry and I would have a dinner date together since Rob and Igor were gone. We went to the local Mexican place for dinner. The food is so good! Our bill was $10.74- perfect!

This morning I mentioned to Henry that he would be going to Ms. Joya's for camp. Henry got a huge grin on his face, ran to his shoes as he was saying - lego, lego!! (let's go). I mentioned to Henry that he needed to get dressed AND eat breakfast first.

Henry has been to Ms. Joya's many times but only for quick visits or to drop off Igor. Today is the first day he will stay all morning without me! This will be a good test to see if he is ready for Nursery School in the fall.

The first thing Henry did when he arrived at Ms. Joya's was get in the bunny's cage so he could feed them parsley.







Then he played on the swing.



As I was leaving he was running to the baby pool to play with the other children. I think he is more than ready for nursery school. sniff, sniff...

Friday, July 17, 2009

Summer fun?

Igor and Henry (well mainly Igor) came up with a new way to cool down after playing in the backyard.

First you take a bowl and fill it with rain water. Then you pour the water down the slide so the slide becomes very slippery.


Then slide down and jump in the mud.






Repeat until you are soaking wet, covered with mulch, dirt, mud....

The boys had so much fun with their "new game"
Daddy had to hose the boys down before they came inside.



Monday, July 13, 2009

One Year Ago

A year ago we lost our first referral. It was a time of confusion and sadness. As I look back on the situation I still do not know why God allowed it to happen. Sometimes I speculate on why but I never dwell on it. I look at Henry every day and thank God he is our child. He is such a delightful gift to us. Henry is teaching Igor to love in a way I never thought possible.
Henry loves to give hugs and kisses constantly. He would sleep with Igor (in Igor's bed) if Igor would let him. Henry loves and adores those who are close to him. Igor has seen this and questioned why does Henry kiss you all the time. Why does Henry like to give hugs?
Last week I was doing something in the kitchen when Igor ran up to me and gave me three kisses then went back to playing. It was the sweetest thing but so out of character for Igor. Perhaps more of the Orphanage Dust is being swept away.
Thank you God for giving us Henry.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Worth it all?

Today I am in a very strange place. I wish I could identify exactly what I am feeling but I cannot. I have felt this way all day and I am ready to feel something different.

This morning I read an adoptive mom's comments about her adopted child. Their transition has been a difficult one. The mom wrote that the adoptive child, for the very first time, did something sweet and loving. The mom wrote when this happened "it was all worth it." I was stunned. Was the mom trying to say that finally she connected with her daughter on a more personal level so the pain of the last few months was worth it? Or was she saying that the adoption was worth it because her daughter showed her love back? I don't know this woman so I cannot ask her.

The phrase- it was all worth it- has been ringing in my ears all day. I know parents want their children to love them but what if the child doesn't show the love and affection the parent believes they should receive? is it still all worth it? Isn't the job of the parent to show consistent and constant love for the child whether the child shows us love back? Shouldn't it all be worth it when the child is placed into our arms? Do we as adoptive parents have our own litmus test for when it's all worth it? So, I continue to ponder these questions and the adoptive mom's comments. Feel free to tell me what you think. I am being too harsh? I know adoption can be trying and a major adjustment mentally and physically. I know that it's not always what we dreamt it to be.

The other thing on my mind is a parenting class being held tomorrow. When I first read the flier I was very excited. This sentence spoke to me : Do you ever wonder what you can be doing in this moment to help your child heal from traumatic experiences?
Ummm, why yes, I do wonder that, I have wondered this for almost 4 years. I started reading the speaker's blog and I'm no longer excited. When I read "...release your parenting fears.." and "...the light within yourself needs to be nurtured as well" on her blog I thought what is this woman talking about? I also thought, this woman is weird. I know it's judgemental but it's what I thought. So, when the words- is it worth it- weren't ringing in my ears, I was wondering if I should go to the parenting class. Will I be wasting 5 hours and several gallons of gas tomorrow? Or does this woman have some insight into wounded children?

Ahh... I finally know what I have felt all day- I am conflicted.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Vacation and more

We are back from vacation!

Before we left for vacation Igor had his first t-ball practice and Henry had his annual check-up. Igor said he LOVED t-ball!


The doctor is very happy with Henry's weight gain and over all development. She is slightly concerned about his height. He is not growing at the rate they expected him to grow. He is going down on the charts. This is something they will monitor. They hope it's just a blip and the next check up he will be taller.

Last week we went to the lake house for a mini-family reunion. This was also Henry's 6 month anniversary of being with us!

Igor and Henry took their first kayak rides on the lake. They loved it.

Igor caught his first fish!

Henry loved the pool and reading the Sunday comics.


Igor enjoyed the sparklers from aunt Christy.

Rob, Igor, his cousins and uncles went on a day hike - 7 miles. The views were amazing.


Henry enjoyed his boat ride but wanted to take the boat out himself.

When we returned home we had tomatoes, cucumbers and squash ready for picking.