Month 2

Selena Kate turned 2 months on March 12th and this month has been packed! Grandy came to visit and spent quality time with SK; Mimi and Papaw came to visit and did the same; Sk got her first set of shots much to my and her dismay; Chad has been in Airman Leadership school which has kept him busy and away from home a lot; Melanie came from Jacksonville for a beach weekend with us too! WHEW! Lots going on!

SK had her first photo shoot at the end of February too. She was such a sweet little model for Rachel. And if you have not checked out Rachel Wade Photography on Facebook. She is amazing!!!!


SK has been staying with friends for daycare which has been a lifesaver. I could not be more thankful for that because there is nothing worse than feeling awful about leaving your baby girl to go to work but then doing so with someone you do not know. I cannot imagine doing that. I am blessed beyond belief to have amazing people in my life and such a great family too that keeps my spirits up when they get down.

This month has been trying to say the least! SK has been an angel of course but between work and Chad having class daily from 6 to 6 sometimes, I have felt a bit like a single mom. My best friend, Lauren, which by the way just had her 2nd daughter Sunday night has been the most amazingly calm single mother. I realize, I am not a single mother but this has given me even more respect for Lauren. I have always thought Lauren was super woman. She managed to work 2 jobs and finish her business degree while managing to keep Taylor, her daughter out of daycare and with friends and family. Now she is doing this ALL over again and is again someone I can only look up to with her positive attitude and I cannot fail mentality. I wish I had more strength in me to be this way regarding all in my life. Thank goodness Chad's class is done and I have had a ton of help from friends and family while he has been in it.

April will bring a busy month for us as well. SK has her final court date in Orange County where she will officially (in the eyes of the law) be ours! She is already our and has been entrusted to us by the most amazing friend and woman I know, Michelle, SK's birth mother! We are anxiously awaiting April 20th and the significance this day will bring. While I contemplate the exciting and busy things happening in our lives, I still am reminded of the sanctity and preciousness of life. The joy that is brought to us may bring pain to Michelle. I hope that Selena will never question just how much love is there for her. And with that thought (because you all know how my thoughts flit around faster than I can even process) I am thinking (praying) for my other best friend Shannon who is in on bed rest with her son. He is not full term and they are trying to keep him from being premature. Please send prayers her way because as much as I cannot contain the excitement that all my friends and I have children within months of one another, I do not wish a preemie on anyone!


As far as Selena's milestones, this month has been a busy one! She can successfully hold her head up; sit in the bumbo; sit in a high chair (although we do not feed her solids, she likes to sit at the table with us!); She babbles NON STOP; Smiles ALL the time and even decided that it was time to giggle in Mass 2 weeks ago! So funny and of course Chad and I could not pay attention to mass  because she had never laughed before!!!!! She weighs 11 pounds and 7 oz now and is becoming one cute and cherub-like little baby. She has been to the beach twice already and loves to sit under the umbrella in her swing and just look and listen to the waves. She adores walking around the neighborhood in the stroller and has a very contemplative look on her face, almost as if she sees the clouds and is wondering what they are! Ok, here are some pictures from this past month. Enjoy and do not forget that life is precious and family is everything!

7 weeks and growing everyday!

These past 7 weeks have been a whirlwind that we would not change for a minute. February was a busy one for sure! We finally got settled into a routine in our home with Selena Kate, Chad went back to work, Amy went back to work and Selena Kate went to a babysitter. The day Selena went to day care was a tough day because we were not ready for our big girl to be with anyone but us. Luckily I only work 3 days a week and Selena is in great care with a close friend. We have been so very blessed with friends and family taking such great care of us. During our time off before we went back to work we celebrated my 27th birthday with friends, went to the beach and had a lot of fun playing dress up with Selena Kate. She has grown so much and is out of her newborn clothing and into her 0-3 month clothing. She is about to grow out of her newborn diapers too and is now eating 5 oz. every 4 hours. She has blessed us by sleeping for 6 hour stretches at night and we are so proud of what a big girl she has been sleeping in her crib too. She adores her swing and her nap nanny too! Here are some pictures from this past month's outings and events.

SK in her purple outfit Michelle got

Her preferred place to sleep

Loves to sleep on her tummy!

Navarre Beach. First Beach Day

The beach has worn her out!

Selena all dressed up for Mama's birthday

Birthday dinner with Mama and friends

Lindsay and Kellan and Mama and Selena

Mommy's little sweetie!

Holding hands <3

Bubba Singing To Selena

The Adventures of Selena Kate and Mama

This week has been a whirlwind and quite adventurous and exhausting! We had planned a trip to Byhalia, Mississippi to visit our families and show Selena Kate to the rest of our family who had yet to meet her. Due to the stupid Air Force, Chad was unable to go with us. I set out Thursday morning with Selena Kate. The morning itself should have let me know that this was the beginning of an adventure that would exhaust us both by the end of the weekend. Thursday morning, we both got up and got Selena Kate fed. Chad left for work and I began to pack the car. Minor problem...Where were my car keys? I ALWAYS put them in the same pocket in my purse but they were nowhere to be found. After over 30 minutes that included dumping my purse, checking my pockets of the previous days pants, I decided I had better look outside...maybe I left them in the car! Nope! I was baffled so as I went to go back in the house to call Chad and inform him I had lost my keys, I spot them in the front door! Very safe! The front door had been locked the previous night but apparently I forgot to take the keys out of the front door and had left them outside and available to the world! Great! Once, I recovered from my very unsafe move I was ready to finally begin packing the car. I had planned well. I made a ice coffee and ha everything packed except for SK who was waiting patiently in her car seat. I decided that I could grab her car seat handle on my arm AND hold my iced coffee and get out the door. NOPE! I spilled the whole coffee on us both. So yet another trip was made back inside in order to change my clothes and Selena's too. After this, we finally made it on the road. I got around 21 miles from our house only to realize I had left my coat hanging by the front door. I would not have normally returned for this but there was snow on the ground in Byhalia. I was not going anywhere that had snow without my jacket. I turned around, went home and got the coat. Now I got on the road for REAL!
The trip took 9 hours and usually takes 7.5. Selena is the best little traveler and does not make a peep unless she is hungry. When she did get hungry, I would stop and pull over and feed, burp and change her and we would be on our way. We arrived in Byhalia at dinner time Thursday night and were greeted by Sha, Helen Grace, Ben, Trish and Bubba. My cousins, aunt, uncle and grandmother. Helen Grace who will be two this May kept saying: "Pretty" and "baby" and she would rub Selena Kate's hands and belly and feet. She also spent a lot of time staring at her while lying on Bubba's bed.
Friday was spent with SK's "Sissy" and Auntie Em as well as cousin William, Ant Di and Uncle Bill eating pizza. She also visited with her Mimi and Papaw (Chad's parents). On Saturday, Bubba, Trish and Sha hosted a Sip and See for people who had yet to meet SK to come and see her. This was so beautifully decorated and everyone in Byhalia it seemed showed up to catch a glimpse of our sweet girl. She was an angel and stayed asleep the whole time for the most part.Later that night she visited the CrawDeLis restaurant with Amy's family. On Sunday, Selena Kate went to church and then watched myself and Bubba open all the gifts we were given from the Sip and See! We have been so very blessed with an amazing amount of generosity and gifts and have so much for Selena that I do not think we could ever run out! Today we drove back home and after a slight detour to get Chad ribs from Dreamland in Montgomery, we spent our first Valentine's Day as a family together. We arrived home to tulips and these beautiful glass bottles Mama has been eyeing at Celebrations in Pensacola and even a Valentine's sleeper for SK all courtesy of Papa. Chad also got sushi for dinner which was amazingly yummy! We are so glad to be home and settled. We have enjoyed our adventures and many travels but are happy to be back. Selena Kate was one month old on Saturday and we cannot imagine our life without her! It has been quite an adventure and we are looking forward for many more to come, but they will be occurring closer to home for awhile because Mama is exhausted from all these adventures!

"Kids not following the plan?!...Welcome to Parenthood!"

The title of this post is "Kids not following the plan?!... Welcome to parenthood!" This was received by my (Amy's) father after I sent him a text message stating we would be late coming down to Merritt Island this week. Apparently, we forgot to ask Selena Kate what time SHE would like to get on the road to travel! We had planned on leaving at 4 am which has been the typical time she wakes for her early morning bottle. Of course, the night prior to getting on the road, SK decided it was party time from 11pm until around 4:30 am. She was in good spirits, just refused to go to sleep! I sent my Dad a text the next morning and the above was the response! LOVE IT!

We did finally get on the road to Merritt Island at 10am! We arrived there at dinner time and got settled for the weekend. Saturday, I hosted a baby shower for my best friend Lauren and SK was able to attend with Chad and Grandy and Grandaddy (this was a couples' shower). SK had her first experience with Florida Seafood in Cocoa Beach! On Sunday, Grandy's friends gave us a baby shower and spoiled us rotten with McKenzie Child's rocking chair, clothing, picture frames, and all sorts of beautiful goodies! Sunday night, we drive to Vero beach and ate dinner with SK's Birthmom Michelle and her mother "Gammy" and friend at Ruby Tuesday. This was SK's first trip to Ruby Tuesday as well. The girl ate out (well not really) all weekend! On Monday, we drove back to Gulf Breeze to stay settled in  for a week or so before we make the trip to visit family in Mississippi.

This week Chad has to go back to work... BOOOO! This weekend, our friend and former roommate, Mike will be coming in town as well and Selena told me she cannot wait to meet him! No other real great news this week. Selena has been more alert and focused and responds by looking at you when you say er name. She can put her hands together in almost a prayer like position and can suck her fingers and thumb. Here are some pics from this weekend and week so far!

It has been 2 weeks!

I simply cannot believe that it has been 2 weeks since Selena was born. She had her 2 week check up today at the Naval Hospital Pediatric clinic in Pensacola. The Dr. gave her an A on her health but we do still need to follow up with the cardiologist for her heart. Selena Kate has gained 1 lb. and grown 1 inch! Crazy! I knew she was getting bigger but I did not realize this would happen so quickly in just 2 weeks. Our time off with her feels like it is flying by and I just want it to slow down!

This weekend, we are headed back down to Merritt Island to throw my best childhood friend, Lauren a baby shower. Her daughter is due in March. This is exciting for me to imagine our daughters being as good of friends as we have been for 23 years. Selena Kate will also get to see Grandy and Granddaddy and also her birth family. The following weekend, we will be making the trek up to Mississippi to see Chad's parents and Amy's extended family and grandmother. Selena Kate is quite the traveler in her first month of life! We know how very important it is for all of our family to meet her and are so excited to take her to the place where her Mama and Papa met and dated.

As I look back on my life and all of its many eccentricities and crazy turns in the road, I cannot believe that we are where we are. I would not have believed anyone if they had told me 10 years ago what, where and with whom I would be spending my time and energy. It is not that I would not have agreed, I just would not have believed it. Life can change in an instant but my life has evolved in perfect preparation for a plan that only God could see. There were so many times in my early adult life that I thought there was no hope for my happiness. As I look back on this, I feel so silly. God intended for me to be happy. There was no way I would truly appreciate this happiness for His glory, if I had not gone through years of what some may call unhappiness. Do not get me wrong, I am and always will be a happy person. We, as a couple, are happy and stay that way most of the time. I just mean there is a difference in being happy in trusting God's plan for your life and forcing yourself to be happy when you do not truly trust or have faith.

As we contemplate and discuss our adoption experience, we know that adoption is our call to ministry. Chad and I have seen that through adoption your will WILL be refined and fine tuned to hear and be open to God's plan for your life. Through adoption, you fulfill God's call to his people to take care of those in need. The amazing thing that occurs during this though, is that you end up the one who has been taken care of!

"You'll find success in life when you stop trying to include God in your plans and Instead ask God to include you in His." - Rick Warren

Here are some of this week's pics so far. More to come from our trip this weekend.

The First Week!

Selena Kate's first week with us has been busy to say the least. She has been from Vero to Merritt Island to Gulf Breeze. She has gone to Chick Fil A, Target, the pier on Navarre Beach, and even Ft. Pickens for a ride down the beach! She of course has not seen any of our chilly weather because she has either stayed in the car or had the bundle me on. This is a neat thing made for car seats to zip up around them in the car seat.
She has spent time with her Grandy and Grandaddy and Auntie M (Amy's Mom, Dad and Sister) as well as her Mimi, Papaw and Sissy (Chad's Mom, Dad and Sister). She has had plenty of baths and LOVES her hair washed. She moves her head all around under the water. She loves her MAM pacifiers and super soft blankies that our neighbor Kristy gave us. She has met all our neighbors and their children and become Marley's (our daschund) new snuggle buddy.

We have determined she is  allergic to Pampers with drymax and have had to switch her to Huggies natural care. She is still able to wear  her newborn clothing as well. She has been spending a ton of time being held by grandparents and also in her new glider, compliments of both set of grandparents.
She has a doctor appointment at the Naval Hospital to establish with her pediatrician this week and then will receive a referral to Nemours Clinic in Pensacola to see a cardiologist. The cardiologist from Arnold Palmer stated that the hole in her heart was small and would be expected to close by her 6 month check up, but we plan to follow up with the cardiologist here as well.
She has made herself a nice schedule of feeding every 4 hours and would honestly sleep through the night if we let her. She sleeps in the bassinet next to our bed at the present time but will transition to her crib as she gets a bit older. 

This week has been an amazing week of firsts for all of us. We are so blessed and in complete awe of this precious angel we have the privilege to raise. Tomorrow is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday and this is so very special to us as we think how her birth mother chose life for her daughter and made a life plan for her as well. How awesome is it she CHOSE us?! At night when we pray, we wonder what we did to deserve this beautiful child. We wonder how we could ever let her biological mother know how very brave she is. What we DO celebrate is a continued relationship with SK's biological family. This gives us comfort in knowing we will be able to show and tell Selena the love that has been for her from the beginning. We will always be able to show SK her roots and this will help her grow in a positive way with the confidence in knowing she is loved beyond a shadow of a doubt! Here are her week in pictures!