tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62593675895295137542024-03-05T07:14:34.356-07:00Journey to Baby LocklearBecca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-69649441697009635652011-08-23T21:10:00.001-06:002011-08-23T21:24:16.715-06:00Olivia's Birth Week<a style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; CLEAR: right" href="http://goo.gl/photos/hbc4hXKoe5" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-onk8gBsZJ-E/TgFhQQwpreE/AAAAAAAAAaM/E8WXtNEGlXE/s160-c/OliviaSBirthWeek.jpg" /></a>
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<br />To view the pics click on the photo above and it will direct you to my Google Web Album!!
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<br />Thank you for all your love and support during our infertility struggles, our waiting to be matched with a BM and all the way through Olivia's finalization!! We are truly LOVED and BLESSED!!!
<br />Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-48984077784470450482011-06-21T21:25:00.016-06:002011-08-23T21:20:27.617-06:00The week our daughter was born....<span style="color:#000000;">Last time I blogged was when we found out our baby was going to be born in 3 weeks.....well, our baby decided to surprise us and come early. </span>
<br /><span style="color:#000000;">Here's our story of that week:</span>
<br /><span style="color:#000000;">It was May 29th (a Sunday) and my parents had come to visit for the weekend to help us prep for baby Locklear's, aka Miss L, arrival around May 12th. We woke up Sunday morning at about 8:30am and just started to get through the first round of coffee and morning routines before the phone rang (30 minutes later)......It was our BM!! </span>
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<br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000000;">**Just a recap, we were nervous just 3 days prior because we couldn't get a hold of her and we were scared she had decided to not go through with the adoption**</span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">We were THRILLED to see she was actually calling us!! Dan picked up the phone, I was in another room and on my way to listen in when Dan's voice changed and say "REALLY?!?" My heart jumped and 10 seconds later I yelled at him "Is she in LABOR?!?" Dan didn't answer me, he was trying to listen to what our BM had to say. As soon as he hung us, he said calmly "She's at the hospital, in labor, dilated to a 9." I screamed....ran to my parents yelling "SHE'S IN LABOR!! SHE'S IN LABOR!!!" My parents were so excited and tears of joy began to fall.....THEN panic/overwhelming feelings hit me.....What do I do first, pack, book our airfare, take a shower...what?!? My mom said calmly "You go take care of the airfare, a shower and pack yourselves, I will take care of packing the baby's stuff." God bless my mother!! Since she's been through this (3 times) she was able to focus Dan and I and get us going. Next thing we know, we are on a plane 4 hours later to Phoenix, AZ.</span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">We arrived in AZ just 5 hours after our baby was born. We went straight to the hospital. We waited at the nurse's station for confirmation that our BM would like to see us....talk about a NERVOUS wait!! The nurse said that our BM would like to see us and took us to her room. We walked in and there we saw our BM holding the baby. I choked back my tears of joy and smiled and said "I'm so happy to finally meet you!!" Our BM was tired but seemed happy/nervous to meet us. We asked about her labor and delivery. It was went smoothly!! Then.....after a quiet moment in conversation, our BM said "Would you like to hold your baby?" Still choking back tears of joy, I said yes...nervously. And that was when we 1st held Miss L. After about 10 minutes in the BM's room we decided to leave her to rest and take the baby to a "family room" to bond. </span></div>
<br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000000;">**This is when we started photo documenting**</span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Dan and I took turns holding baby. We were so nervous/excited!! We were able to bond for a couple of hours before the nurse had to take her for testing. At that time the hospital social worker came to speak to us. She asked us if we had a place to stay, which we did not (we wanted to see what hotels were closest to the hospital). She gave us a list of suggested hotels within a 1/2 mile of the hospital. We then left the hospital and checked into the hotel. </span></div>
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<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Day 2 (Monday, May 2nd) in AZ:</span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">We woke up, got ready, went to find a very quick breakfast then headed to the hospital. We went to the nursery to check up on the baby . We were greeted graciously by the nurse who knew our situation and loves adoption!! Luckily the hospital wasn't very busy with babies so we were able to have 1 whole section of the nursery to ourselves the entire time we spent at the hospital that week.</span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">We were there a couple of hours when another nurse came in and said that the BM would like to say her good-byes to the baby and fed her one last time. We were slightly nervous but told the nurse to tell the BM to take as much time as she needed to say good-bye and that we would like to say good-bye to her as well when she was ready. </span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">While the nurse wheeled Miss L away we left to the "family room" and called our attorneys. Yes that is plural!! We technically have 3 (one from our agency, one in Idaho to represent us and one in Arizona to represent the birth parents). We need to get our paper work started on the TPR (termination of parental rights). After our conference calls, a nurse came back in and told us that J (birthmom) was leaving and being discharged. We wanted to see her before she left. </span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">We went to her room and she was freshly showered waiting on the bed with her stuff. I hugged her and started to tear up as I thanked her for making us a family and being so selfless!! I asked her if we could take a picture with her and J replied yes with hesitation....she was worried about what she looked like. So I told her that we can take a picture when she comes back in a couple of hours to sign the Medical POA to give us legal medical rights for Miss L. </span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">While we waited for J to come back, we took Miss L to the family room and watching the new parent videos (a hospital requisite) and took turns holding and loving on her. </span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">When J returned we went back to the nursery and took some pictures with all 4 of us!! It was so amazing!!! I'm so excited that we will have these photos to share with Miss L. </span></div>
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<br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000000;">**Also we were able to OFFICIALLY name her!! J decided to wait on putting a name on the birth certificate until she could talk to us and put the name we had chosen on the original certificate...again, the BM is truly AMAZING!!! We decided to name her OLIVIA LY!! Ly (pronounced Lee) is Dan's middle name and also Dan's mom's maiden name, it's Chinese. **</span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">We left the hospital later that evening for the night and went to Target. We need to buy the essentials for tomorrow since Olivia was being discharged to us. LOL....you should have seen us in the baby aisle....oh man, we were hilarious I'm sure. We had no idea what diapers, wipes and formula to buy....we eventually figured it out and left with a cart load of baby stuff, including the car seat. </span></div>
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<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Day 3 (Tuesday, May 3rd) in AZ:</span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">We got up and ready for the day pretty early and left for the hospital. (I'm so glad our hotel was so close to the hospital) We spend the morning in the nursery hanging out with Olivia (holding her, watching her sleep, feeding her and changing her). Around 11am the pediatric doctors started to make their rounds. Then after rounds they would come back and discharge Miss L to us. During rounds, Olivia was great and showed no signs or reasons not to be discharged. The doctors told us that they would be back soon to discharge.......well......soon turned out to be 4 hours later..... We finally got "home" and situated in the hotel for the night. Our first night went rather well for Olivia.....now Momma on the other hands was restless and kept checking on the baby every hour or so. </span></div>
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<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Day 4 (Wednesday, May 4th) in AZ:</span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Since we had no idea on how long it was going to take our ICPC (Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children) to be approve so we could leave AZ and head back home to Idaho, we decided to head to Tucson, AZ. My grandpa was so generous to have us use his winter home there. It was about a 2 hour drive and Miss L did well. It was nice to a home to settle in rather than a hotel. We had a beautiful view of the Catalina Mountains and the Ventana Golf course. We spent the rest of the day hanging out with Olivia....some much wanted bonding time. </span></div>
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<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Day 5 (Thursday, May 5th) in AZ: </span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">After another newborn night, I got up with Olivia and let Dan sleep in. We are both extremely exhausted not only from having a newborn but also all the emotions we have been going through this week. Speaking of emotions, shortly after Dan got up he received a phone call. It was J's attorney. He told us that both birth parents signed their TPR!! YAY!! What a relief!! We both had a good feeling about the signing but you just can't help yourself and feel slightly nervous that they could change their minds. We were so relieved to be able to fly home the next day. We called AdoptHelp and they were surprised by how fast our ICPC came through....it usually takes over a week!! We booked our flight out that night!!</span></div>
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<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Day 6 (Friday, May 6th):</span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">We got up and got to packing because our flight left out of Phoenix at 1:30 and we had to drive from Tucson, return the rental car and get through security with a newborn....EEKKKK!! </span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to check in and make our way to the gate with Olivia....or so we thought......</span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">We got to the check-in counter and the lady at the counter admired Olivia then asked how old she was. I replied "5 days"...she replied with a shocked look "wow, did you call us ahead to verify she can fly?"....we were like WHAT?!? No...why would we, we had no clue....</span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Come to find out that the airline could not let us aboard without a doctor's permission due to the liability in case Olivia's lungs weren't matured enough for the pressurization of the airplane cabin. We were freaking out....then the airline's Customer Service Managers came out and talked to us to help us in any way possible (they were awesome!!). We called the hospital pediatrician and of course the office was close for lunch so we had to wait and miss our flight until we could get that doctor's note. FINALLY after 30 minutes we were able to talk to the doctor and he faxed a note over. The airline manager came running over when he got it and grabbed our things, told us to follow him and then ran to the ticket counter to check our bags and book our flight for the next flight (which was set to leave within the hour). We finally made on the flight and Olivia was awesome!! She slept the entire time...through security, through the terminal and the flights!! </span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Of course we were loved and adored by all on the flights with our new little bundle of joy!! We were luck enough to have a layover in Reno, where we had Dan's sister Beth come to the airport to meet her niece for the first time!! So amazing!! My parents drove over that day (a 4 hour drive) just to pick us up from the airport!! We enjoyed having them there and meeting Olivia for the first time. </span></div>
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<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Day 7 (Saturday, May 7th):</span></div>
<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">We spent the day with my parents and Olivia, since they were leaving that day to go back home. </span></div>
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<br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000000;">**End of the week**
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<br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">We are very blessed and oh so thankful for all that everyone has given us!! We couldn't be more pleased and appreciative!! THANK YOU!! Thank you!! THANK YOU!! Our hearts are filled with all the love and support!! </span></div>
<br /><div align="left">I<span style="color:#000000;">f you'd like to see the photo documentation of our week check it out the post labeled: Olivia's Birth Week!!</span></div>
<br />Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-41159150833228170852011-04-27T18:24:00.010-06:002011-04-27T22:38:37.815-06:00This JuJu thing really WORKS!!<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">So this week and last week I have been crazy busy at work, I have been working overtime due to training a new hire for one of our branches....and then Wednesday evening happened!! I recieved this call from Meredith (I was actually still at work). She is with AdoptHelp....I was instantly excited when she announced who was calling!! She told us that we have been chosen by a BM and that she would like to send us the information to review. Of course I was jumping up and down and practically screaming YES!! As soon as we hung up I called Dan, who was also still at work. He was overjoyed too!!</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">We both quickly finished up our work and raced home to read the BM's info. The BM info was AWESOME!! She is a 20 yr old Hispanic living in AZ. She has 1 child who just turned 1 this year with a different father (who knows about the adoption but doesn't want to father a child yet). She is in great health and has been taking great care of herself during her pregnancy. The baby daddy is 1/2 Caucasian 1/4 Filipino and 1/4 Korean....I know what you're thinking....baby will look like US!! LOL!! BM wants to have a C-Section because she feels she will be less attatched to the baby at birth. Some of our mommy friends have agreed. She is cute and so super excited to give us a family!! We spoke to her on the phone on Friday night and it was truely amazing!! She was nervous (so were we) but you could tell she was smiling ear-to-ear. Her personality is shy but I can detect a sweet and fun loving side as well. She made me tear up several times with these statements: "this baby is yours" "don't be worried about me changing my mind, cause I'm not" "it's your choice cause this baby is yours" !! I was floored when she kept assuring us that this is our baby and that she wont' change her mind. Did she read my last blog post...LOL!! Anyway, after our phone call with her, we KNEW she was the one who was going to give us our lil' Locklear!! The 2 BEST details: it's a <span style="color:#cc33cc;"><strong>GIRL</strong></span> and she is due May 12th!! </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">May 12th is only 2 weeks away and that is her actual due date not her c-section date (still waiting on that date). So chances are pretty high we could have Miss baby Locklear in our arms next week!! *tear* *tear* </span><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Here is our first "picture" of her:</span></div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600430576632319570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1x7HPzMATaFnJ3sU4wrx3RXV0CQbnuVDTFpqWVCbSgVPS-w92B9qWNpmehs92sEhcuvuE2A5rAYcDQzUCwDu4Vm9MhhQC4xkAywI9V7t7s76w41zoyr9gs7kztYa9PShpY_DyVTar7I/s320/Ultrasound_Jessica+M.JPG" /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">So at this time we are planning like CrAzY!!! We are scheduling time off work, talking about what we need to get done before we leave to AZ to pick her up, we are researching daycares & peds drs and we are creating a list of names for her!! I'm so excited for this that I can't sleep at night...guess this will help prep me a little for the late night feedings...LOL!! </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Now onto the legalities of the situation: AZ state law is that the BM can not sign away her rights until 72 hrs after birth. The reason for that is they don't want the BM making legal decisions while on meds/pain killers/whatever....which is pretty typical. Once the 72 hrs are up and she signs the papers we will get a call saying Miss baby Locklear is OURS and we can take her home!! Which means she can still change her mind until she signs her rights away...which will be the L.O.N.G.E.S.T wait E.V.E.R!! The adoption will not be finalized in ID until we recieve a judical consent, meaning a Judge has to sign off on the adoption first. So once we get home we have to wait until we can get into court and appear before the Judge...our estimate wait time for that here in ID is 60 days, give or take. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">SO, thank you again for ALL your support thru this glorious journey of ours!! We are so excited to become parents and grow our family through adoption!! </span>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-7297087249522150252011-04-21T22:12:00.009-06:002011-04-22T19:15:54.101-06:00TV Shows & Positive JuJu!!<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">So tonight I thought I would catch up on my DVR shows that Dan isn't fond of since he was busy in the office. So I chose to watch <em>One Tree Hill</em> and <em>Parenthood</em> (don't judge, I have several guilty pleasure shows)...LOL, well...I chose the wrong episodes to catch up on. The <em>One</em> <em>Tree Hill</em> episode was the one where 1 of the couples are in the process of adoption and their BM going into labor and they are waiting at the hospital and being a support system for the BM during her labor. <strong>**</strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Spoiler Alert - if you watch this show and haven't seen this episode, don't read on cause I give it away</span><strong>**</strong> Also while this couple is waiting for their BM to delivery, their friends are at the same hospital delivering their baby. It ends up where the BM's boyfriend showed up during the delivery to "step up as the father" which causes the BM to change her mind on adoption......this FREAKS the HELL out of me!!! Then when their friends had their baby (& by the way the friends didn't know about the BM delivery let alone the </span><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">change of heart), the couple meet the friends baby and when she went to hold it it was just too much for me....I was bawling, while cooking dinner, and started to think about when our time comes to meet our baby, is the BM going to change her mind?!? Oh man....my mind is racing....To focus my mind on something else I decided to watch <em>Parenthood</em>. WELL....apparently 1 of the female characters is TTC for her 2nd child with her husband, she went to her dr to make sure everything was fine to concieve....well it turns out, she CAN'T concieve...WOW, hit another soft spot, once again crying (this time while eating dinner, but luckily I had Dan here to console me). Oh man, emotions are roll'n crazy tonight. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">We may be 6 months in waiting BUT I feel very blessed with the overwhelming amount of support we have recieved!! I know I've said it before and I will continue to say it...THANK YOU for your support!! It truely means the world to us!! I have also found an amazing group of women who are going or who has been through this same process to "lean on". This support group of ladies may be a virtual group BUT I feel like they are always close by and willing to listen and help me understand the feelings in which we are going through!! THANKS ladies!! ;0) </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Even though it's rough waiting, I look forward to when the time comes when we get to hold our baby for the 1st time, name our baby and bring our baby home!! This excitement bring us such joy and positive "juju" (yes, that's a technical term...LOL!!) for us to continue on our course to growing our family through adoption...it has helped our focus so much that we've even discuss that we are going to do the 2nd time around...LOL!! Ahhh, can't wait!! =0)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-41564436163925219882011-04-12T13:10:00.003-06:002011-04-12T13:29:06.526-06:006th Status Update & Approved!!<div><font style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" face="georgia">Well, here it is almost mid-April which means it's been 6 months since we've started to be presented to BMs. We haven't heard anything more than a peep since right after New Years from any BMs....which has been really difficult to endure. BUT we are excited that Summer is coming because we have a ton of activities planned, starting with this weekend: Going on the Yakima Valley Spring Wine Barrel Tasting Tour!! We pretty much have atleast 1 trip (mostly small, local trips) planned each month. I hear that our "CALL" will come when we least expect it....so here's to keeping our minds busy with travels!! </font><br /><br /><font style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" face="georgia">As far as being presented, we were presented to 5 BMs: 3/16 ~ S: Hasn't chosen a family yet; 3/18 ~ T: Has fallen off the radar; 3/25 ~ N: Hasn't chosen a family yet; 3/29 ~ S: Hasn't chosen a family yet; 3/30 ~ D: Hasn't chosen a family yet.</font><br /><font style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" face="georgia">Hopefully one of these selfless ladies will choose us to parent their child. We are so so ready to be parents!! Dan has been mentioning (every time we are around any baby/child) that he's so ready.....it still stings to hear those words since I am uable to have any control over making that dream a reality for him...BUT I have learned (through wonderful friendships and support) that it's NOT my fault, as much as I really feel it is, that we don't not have a baby yet. A big HUGE THANKS to my support system (YOU know who your are)!!! You've helped me in ways that a blogged/written/spoken "thanks" is not enough to show my appreciation. </font><br /><font style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" face="georgia"></font><br /><font style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" face="georgia">On another note, we recieved our Home Study back and BIG SURPRISE......we were APPROVED!! LOL!! We will be sending that over to AdoptHelp to add to our file. That way we will be presented to BMs who are further along in their final trimester. That last few BMs that we were presented to had between 4-8 weeks left in their pregnancy, so that should give you an idea of "earlier". </font><br /><font style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" face="georgia"></font><br /><font style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" face="georgia">I wish my readers well and thanks for following along in our journey!!</font></div>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-75171930510991581692011-03-15T20:09:00.003-06:002011-03-17T13:25:40.375-06:005th Status Update & a Crib!!<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Well, we have <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">received</span> our 5<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> monthly status update: </span><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">2/4 ~ Marta: Matched with a Family</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">We were only able to be presented to 1 BM due to the fact we ran out of profiles. Like I said in the Feb 17<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> blog, we ordered 15 more profiles to be printed. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">AdoptHelp</span> has <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">received</span> them and we are good to go...hopefully we won't need to print anymore (it's kinda <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">spendy</span>). </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">We bought our crib tonight!! I have been kicking myself for the last 2 weeks that I didn't buy "<em>the</em>" crib when I had a chance (it was regular priced $529 @ <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">JC</span> Penny, then went on sale for $349, THEN went to closeout sale of $279....and I waited to buy.....now it's <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">clearanced</span> out, for good) =0( </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Then I heard about this local baby boutique store (The Baby Daily) that is going out of business (actually closing their doors on Saturday) and I dragged, err, I mean brought Dan with me to check out what they had and how great the sale was, since it was a boutique-type store I was pretty skeptical of the pricing. We found a crib that was displayed (which was only a display for less than a week due to the fact they are clearing out their warehouse)!! We purchased the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bonavita</span> Hudson Lifestyle crib in chocolate!! Dan is picking it up tomorrow after work...best part, he won't really have to put it together!! Here is a picture of what it looks like...I will post what it looks like in the nursery later.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bonavita-cribs.com/products/cribs/lifestyle/hudson-lifestyle-crib_3.html">www.bonavita-cribs.com/products/cribs/lifestyle/hudson-lifestyle-crib_3.html</a><br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">And here it is.....the crib in the nursery!! =0)</span></div><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585131889796838306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMMiLETCkLEU4fHUBD5On97C2AhrWfKR8_-opTzNa5Cylmo6A5j0qyugJFqV5WyvAuXZJD3vXAkaQQUBSPD2TWVLVMLZAlLWnxYWG4racSL6deRpY8bxzCPCH3bdh4tNt4QHRr2cB2iE/s320/103.JPG" /><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">I hope this blog finds you happy and well!! Even though we need all the happy positive thoughts we can get to have our <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">lil</span>' <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Locklear</span> find us.....we'd like to share those positive thoughts and send them to those who need it more than us (You know who you are)!! HUGS!!</span> </div><span style="color:#000000;"></span>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-84271741988384591582011-02-27T16:22:00.002-07:002011-02-27T16:32:22.540-07:00Nursery Update!!<span xmlns=""><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#000000;">Well, here is an update to the Nursery!! Like I'd said before…we wanted to keep the main color gender neutral so when we find out the gender of our sweet bundle of joy all we have to do is add accent color!! So, take a look at the room so far (of course we will replace the twin bed with the crib once we purchase it). </span></span></span><div><div align="left"> </div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578516145211876834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvStlWyNSQz2CNY3muTDD47AKwF7WKHk1TnbxWQYQdfXT75NwDWHDigt4wqYXJNQbWQFznc5kXPoBkCR1cipbROA5pdiZxNbdGbXFFPL9awpx5I34YuBLWTDaZiVkT-UmtX3v4XHXqlI/s320/093.jpg" /><br /><div align="left"><span xmlns=""><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Dan built the built-in cabinets (the bottom portion will have doors and he is currently working on finishing the shelves), the board & batten, aka wainscoating which has a 4 inch shelf instead of the typical chair rail (we also place the shelf higher than a normal chair rail), and the crown molding (which we copied this idea from a friend – we placed the molding about 2 inches below the ceiling and then place dimmable rope lighting inside for ambiance and a "night light"). I did all the painting…which included base color, measuring, drawing and taping off all the lines and the touch-up (which is not fun). </span></div><br /><p align="left"><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578515843093892578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQmBAyo0Sl0IpY4eGwcy-lHke2Q5WRwSPtcCi7XgM9hz0ihqF6t9DyBFaT4TrgQIih7ruDQJmHfHIkqIwqUB_sR4ng72RxzknjhwvOkpMzvjOsNxP_Bo08xsmqaBisnWyE73Jre6HRRQ/s320/094.jpg" /></p></span></span></div>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-43845937877660805282011-02-17T13:43:00.002-07:002011-02-17T13:57:28.588-07:004th Status Update<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Guess what....We're still waiting.....</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">When will it end?!? Hopefully soon!! =0)</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"><strong>Status Update:</strong> 1/12 ~ Kelly - Hasn't chosen a family yet; 1/12 ~ Angela - We were her <span style="color:#ff0000;">3rd choice</span>; 1/17 ~ Julie - Chosen family & in the process of being matched; 1/28 ~ Autumn - Hasn't chosen a family yet; 1/28 ~ Gina - Matched with a family</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">AdoptHelp sent out all of our profiles, which means we were possible matches to 30 birthmoms. We contacted our printing company to print 15 more profiles to send to AdoptHelp for potential matches (hopefully we won't need to print anymore). </span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">We have also been added to another adoption website for more exposure. Check it out:</span><br /><a href="http://www.adoptionplanners.com/choosefamily3.php?id=195">www.adoptionplanners.com/choosefamily3.php?id=195</a><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">We are still waiting to have our home study approved. Other than that, that is all I have to report on the Adoption front....</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">~ HUGS & LUVS ~ </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-5603817236169019512011-01-20T13:22:00.002-07:002011-01-20T13:25:20.433-07:00Feelings & tissues<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">So Dan and I are getting a little impatient. It's been a month and a half since the last time we were picked and even though we've only been selected twice, the timeframe between them was about a month. I keep hoping that today is the day we get the call....We're still waiting.....<br /></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Well, as I was looking through some other adoption bogs I came across this video. It is so completely moving and oh so TRUE to most of the feelings I have been through or are going through.<br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">**Warning: If you chose to watch this video, please do so with a box of tissues**</span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><br /><iframe height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JqfGqOx2iDQ?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="425" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-36325467809629789542011-01-10T20:14:00.002-07:002011-01-10T20:29:51.241-07:004th Status Update<span style="color:#000000;">Well, we just received our 4th status update (for the month of Dec) and we are still getting a good amount of interest so...YAY!! </span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Here's our status update:</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">12/2 - Amber: hasn't chosen a family; 12/2 - Erin: hasn't chosen a family; 12/2 - Diane: hasn't chosen a family; 12/3 - Elaine: hasn't chosen a family; 12/14 - Leonore: "has fallen off the radar"; 12/30 - Stacey: matched with a family</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Although we are bummed that we are still waiting, I keep reminding myself (along with my mother, Miss Vicki) that it will happen when the universe deems it right....Miss Vicki has been a great sounding board through this experience. I love the way her face (and my dad's face) lights up when they talk about my adoption story....they were out of town and "back then" there were no cell phones so they were out of touch, finally they were reached and overjoyed. My parents tell me that adoption was so different back then....they got to see me right after I was born and then had to WAIT THREE MONTHS until I could come home to them...talk about learning the value of patience...LOL!! Well, as mom and dad remind me of my adoption story, I look at Dan and I and think....WE CAN DO THIS!!</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">I know I say it in about every post I post BUT....THANK YOU so much for being so supportive in our journey to our family!! </span>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-16933361793866671832010-12-28T22:29:00.002-07:002010-12-28T22:46:31.793-07:00Emotional Roller Coaster<span style="color:#000000;">Well....here we are again....we were PICKED again a few weeks ago and we were so SUPER excited because we thought it was the perfect match. So here's the story....</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">It was a Friday evening when we received the call, again we were so stunned and giddy!! We waited and waited for AdoptHelp's case worker to email us the information on the BM. We LOVED the whole situation and the Birth parents!! We actually got to talk to the BM over the phone and it was amazing!! We were nervous, scared...didn't know what to expect but we ended up talking for over an hour!! </span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Well, long story short, come to find out our BM wanted something completely different than we did with regards to visitations with the child after finalization of the adoption. So, a few days later, we were notified that the BM is seeking out other families to fit her visitation requests. Which is fine because we all want to be completely comfortable with the entire situation before all of us get too vested emotionally.</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">I'm not gonna lie....it hurts to have this match fall through but I know that our baby is out there waiting for us and we will welcome with open arms and warm hearts!! </span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">THANK YOU all again for supporting us during our family's journey!! </span>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-79868210900848470422010-12-28T22:18:00.002-07:002010-12-28T22:41:48.897-07:00Status Update for Nov & Dec<span style="color:#000000;">Hi all!! I'm sure you probably think I forgot all about my blog....well, that's not entirely true. As most of you know, I (Becca) started my new job November 2nd and just haven't had the energy to get on the computer...so guess I better update you, huh?!?</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>2nd Profile Update ~</strong> 10/5 - Christina (matched w/a family); 10/12 - Kim (hasn't chosen a family as of Nov 10th); 10/13 - Laura (matched w/a family); 10/13 - Amelia (matched w/a family); 10/13 - Cherice (hasn't chosen a family as of Nov 10th); 10/27 - Crystal (matched w/a family); 10/27 - Jessica (hasn't chosen a family as of Nov 10th); 10/27 - Catherine (matches w/a family). </span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Again, we were picked beginning of Nov (see blog entry: Decisions, Decisions...DECISIONS).</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>3rd Profile Update ~</strong> 11/30 - Laura (hasn't chosen a family as of Dec 8th); 11/30 - Amanda (matched w/a family)</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">We were actually picked again.....(please see blog entry: Emotional Roller Coaster)</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">We had our Home Study visit last Sunday and it was...um, interesting to say the least. BUT it went GREAT!! We have to finish up some of our paperwork and then it will be COMPLETE!! Another thing that will be complete.....is the NURSERY!! We have worked so hard on it and can't wait to show you our creation for our lil' Locklear!! </span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Well, now that I've updated you....I hope your holidays were filled with love, laughter and joy!! I wish you all happiness, peace and prosperity in the New Year!! </span>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-71987090319502268952010-11-10T06:58:00.002-07:002010-11-10T07:17:38.903-07:00Decisions, Decisions...DECISIONSHow do I begin to write about this, other than coming right out and saying it!! Dan and I were PICKED!! I was in the middle of cooking dinner one night and my phone rang. I looked at the number and thought "oh great, a telemarketer is calling me" (it was an 818 number) and YES, I do occasionally screen my calls...who doesn't...<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">LOL</span>!! Anyway, I decided to answer it anyway, the gal on the phone didn't sound like a telemarketer so I was instantly engaged in what she was saying and then the words came out......"You and Dan have been PICKED!" My heart started pounding so hard I thought it was going to jump out of my chest!! I stopped making dinner, ran upstairs to where Dan was and shook him like crazy...he gave this look like "why did you just do that and acting so crazy"!! I started mouthing the words "it's the call!! it's the call!!" while pointing at the phone!! He got this look of "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">OMG</span>, is this really happening". <br />So we listened to what the case worker had to say. She informed us of all the details of the BM and possible Birth Fathers...yes that is plural. She said to give her 15 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">mins</span> to gather all the info she just told us and compile it to an email. That 15 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">mins</span> felt like an hour! We finally got the email. The email included light history of BM, her parents and siblings, her health, the birth fathers status, a picture of herself (which Dan referred to as a total <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Facebook</span> profile pic) and an ultrasound picture and a list of her possible expenses. The ultrasound picture was the sex determination one....and it's a Girl. The case worker told us to review the info and get back to her with our decision. <br />The Decision: After careful consideration of all aspects of the BM match we decided to decline the match. This was probably one of the HARDEST decisions either one of us have EVER had to make. Here we have the chance to give this little girl a good home and we were rejecting her...also, what if this is our 1 shot and we get put back into the pool and then end up waiting over a year.....our conversations <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">regarding</span> the match was FULL of ifs. <br />We feel good with our decision and the case worker assured us that we will get picked again and it will probably be soon. As for the BM, the case worker assured us that they are working with her to find a good match for the BM and her situation. <br />So....here we are <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">again</span>, waiting for "THE CALL". The next time, we will be ready and not so shocked and hoping that it will be a good fit!!Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-66769210449709721062010-10-20T08:04:00.003-06:002010-10-20T08:18:31.631-06:001st Status Update<span style="color:#000000;">Well, we have <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">received</span> our first status update on how many times our profile has been shown to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">birth moms</span>. Here is what our case worker emailed us on October 8<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>:</span><br /><br />"Here is your September status update: 9/14 ~ <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Racquel</span>: hasn't chosen a family yet; 9/15 ~ Ester: matches with a family; 9/15 ~ <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Evi</span>: hasn't chosen a family yet; 9/17 ~ Blanca: hasn't chosen a family yet; 9/29 ~ Samantha: hasn't chosen a family yet; 9/29 ~ Kim: hasn't chosen a family yet"<br /><br />Now keep in mind, our caseworker <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">received</span> our profiles (birth mother letters) on September 14<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>....so in 3 weeks we were shown to 6 birth mothers. We feel that is a good start!!<br /><br />We are in the Home Study stage now. Our first home study step is to gather all our required paperwork, then we will have our home study case worker come and visit us in our home.Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-49524623700074510072010-09-29T09:12:00.006-06:002010-09-29T12:58:18.564-06:00Update & Sneak Peek<span style="color:#000000;">Update on Journey:<br /></span><span style="color:#000000;">Well, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">AdoptHelp</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">received</span> our package of 30 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">birth mother</span> letters (profiles) and our case worker sent the following email regarding the next step:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">"Your profile will now be presented to birth mothers who match your filters. Sometime during the 1st to the 10<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> of each month you'll <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">receive</span> a status update from me via email or phone or both, w<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">hich</span> ever you prefer. You will <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">receive</span> your first status update in October. This status update will let you know on what date you profile was sent to the birth mother, what her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">nam</span>e is and what her adoption status is. However, you will always be called if you are a 1st choice. If you are a 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">nd</span> or 3rd choice this will show up on your status update."</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">YAY</span>!! We have chosen who will be completing our home study and are in the process of completing it...its a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">llloooooonnnngg</span> process though, and masses amounts of paperwork.</span> Can you say...PAPERCUTS...ouch....lol!<br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Now for the Sneak Peek......</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522355904758321458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5Kh9riiUWwHlIeIEgn7nu87hgc-d9UcTQgLrUMtB4CbDczpIvzAQBMIY75-BNccvG8NMna7xXVy2DsG34cCgjWeoeRozmFUJa2PLeboLcXVopFm8cltFkGtGqkCVkRapFykcHUK9Z9s/s320/056.JPG" /></span> <span style="color:#000000;">Here's a peek from the nursery!! It's getting <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">soooo</span> close to completion!! The BIG reveal is coming!!</span>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-12070796937125972962010-09-09T21:22:00.006-06:002010-09-09T21:46:11.346-06:00Waiting....<span style="color:#000000;">Well, our birth mother letters (30 to be exact) are printed and mailed off TODAY!! Once AdoptHelp recieves them we are on to our next step.<br /></span><div><span style="color:#000000;">In the meantime, I have researched who in the state of Idaho and locally is the cheapest to provide our home study. A home study is basically when a social worker deems us fit to be adoptive parents....it seems simple but the paperwork is CrAzY!! The social worker told me that on average, most people complete their home studies within 60-90 days...WOWZERS!! It's a good thing I'm "working from home" to get it completed faster. My goal is completing it no later than 45 days from application. The first thing we have to do is apply for the home study which costs ($150 for the app and then an addl $950 for the completion of the home study). Eeeekkk! Good thing I had over 10 yrs in the banking industry to be knowledgable enough in managing finances...LOL!! </span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;">Also....since we are waiting for "The Call" ("the call" is where we get a call from our firm telling us that we are being presented to a birthmom and we have been picked)...we need to get the nursery complete (decor wise, not furniture). I kinda dropped the ball with the stripes. I started a section and then quit, here's what it looks like:</span></div><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515124394269995122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLwu65-abbgljarfn2lDaWAAPD1T_7rkA9xuw-4cVFB2VTEKHFWENP753lK94KEbAQAXo937wNAdSFrcuS4wfx1wSkg9_mLRaQrIOpoqR2msAvvjvhX-9RYNJIwd9JLwB1BSIIwaoerU/s320/008.JPG" />It's only a 3 foot section vertically....I did it to test the colors and decided, I didn't like it. I had a couple of people tell me that I was acting like a pregnant lady with my indecisiveness....LOL!! So, we are still doing stripes just in a different fashion. I'm so excited to get it started and hopefully finished in the next few weeks....my personal deadline is my birthday (Sept 28th)! We'll see how I do on that timeline...LOL!!<br /></span><div></div>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-72311116756218478452010-08-19T18:48:00.003-06:002010-08-24T09:11:22.122-06:00Babies are EXPENSIVE!!<span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#000000;">Ok, ok....I've always known that having a baby is expensive....BUT I didn't realize how much it cost just to get the nursery ready to go minus the painting. Dan and I went to Babies R Us today for the 1st time EVER!! I've been there to buy gifts but being in there with Dan and shopping for our baby...way too surreal!! Let's just say I was beaming!! We initially went there to look at furniture. Dan wanted to explore what types of styles there are and what the cost is. It was a fun experience and I look forward to more trips to Babies R Us and wherever else to buy our baby supplies. The furniture set (a crib and dresser/changer combo) we loved, cost in the range of $1000 - $1200...EEKKK!! Soooo, since I'm "working from home" I'm researching crib recalls, crib reviews and cheaper places to buy!! </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">UPDATE on Journey:</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">We are in the process of having our birthmother letter printed @ a professional printer. Once they are finished we will mail it off to AdoptHelp. We are also working on who to contact for our Home Study.</span>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-82892285714928862612010-08-06T10:13:00.004-06:002010-08-06T10:21:45.547-06:00Birthmother Letter.....DEBUT!!!<a style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; CLEAR: right" href="http://goo.gl/photos/ar0z" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_kQxV70umlTM/TFwu_pNaB1E/AAAAAAAAAEo/ZsyWXddr2H8/s160-c/BirthMotherLetter.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Well....here it is!! Our LETTER!! I have spent so many hours on this thing that common words started to look so weird and wrong to me. For example, the word "our".....I kept looking at that word and thought "Is that a real word or did I just spell it wrong?" <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">LOL</span>!!</span><br /><br />To view our letter, just click on the picture above. It will take you to my Picasa Web Album!! :0)<br /><br />THANKS again to everyone....Family & Friends for ALL your support through our journey!! It means MORE to us than you realize!! Sending BIG HUGS to you all!!Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-56138104618825027422010-07-25T22:21:00.005-06:002010-07-25T22:44:51.096-06:00Tears from the Heart<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">YAY</span>!! I finally got the help I needed to finish our letter!! The good news is that it was easy for my friend to figure out....the bad news, I pretty much have to redo all my pages since I created them in the wrong resolution....oops!! </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Well, with the re-creation of these pages I found myself googling adoption quotes and saying and found this one, which is so VERY, VERY true....it brought tears to my eyes, tears of joy because its how I feel as an adopted person. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Luck</span></strong></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">I didn't come from out of my mother.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">I don't have my father's green eyes.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">No one in my family looks like me.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">People are always surprised.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">I think we're a happier family</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Than if we were all kings and queens.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">We're so lucky we all found each other.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">That's what being adopted means. </span></em><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">--"Luck" by Pamela <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Espeland</span> and Marilyn Nelson (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Waniek</span>), from The Cat Walked Through the Casserole</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Here is another one that I just LOVE:</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Legacy of an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Adopted</span> Child</span></strong><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Once there were two women who never knew each other</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">One you do not remember, the other you call Mother</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Two different lives shaped to make you one</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">One became your guiding star, the other became your sun</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">The first one gave you life, and the second one <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">taught</span> you how to live it</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">The first gave you a need for love, the second was there to give it</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">One gave you a talent, the other gave you aim</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">One gave you emotions, the other calmed your fears</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried your tears</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">One made an adoption plan, that was all that she could do</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">The other prayed for a child, and God led her straight to you.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Now, which of these two women, Are you the product of?</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Both, my darling, Both, Just two different types of love.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span></em><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>--</em>Unknown</span></span><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span></em><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">We are getting closer and closer everyday.....once we complete the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Birthmother</span> letter we will submit it to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">AdoptHelp</span> and then we wait......</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">While we wait, we will be painting the nursery.....I'll post pictures when we start and when we finish so you can see what we decided to do. Thanks for all your support!! =0)</span>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-85079438240412151522010-07-06T15:08:00.011-06:002010-07-06T15:37:25.593-06:00Letter update and Nursery ideas<span style="font-family:lucida grande;color:#000000;">Many of you have been asking about our letter....it's going GREAT but on hold. I'm struggling with the Photoshop program, so until I can get 1 of my fabulous friends to come help me...it'll sit unfinished. =0)</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Since I have quite a bit of free time (haha), I've been researching uni-sex nurseries. Why uni-sex?? Most birthmoms will not find out the sex of the baby they are giving up since it can be an attatchment issue....so most adoptive parents won't know the sex of their baby until the baby is born. I have to say that, this day in age, MOST people find out the sex of the baby and so that means that MOST of the nursery ideas are specific to a boy or girl....it's been hard to find good ideas for greens and yellows. I've found a couple of different ideas that we like. Take a look and let me know what you think. </span></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000000;">This is our #1 favorite idea - Color and all</span></div><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490907379386310802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUn9BgncJs86rGHNhJ1UaAuc5hAjRdlB0hYfZMKnygUoDt_m-1sXL3UTGdNY4OvkyiMNc1UpUbcQPZgOyZvcjrAxLp4fu80KdaEBkxUr7Q21PWiYssBK9hyphenhyphenkfzA1yz6bz4wyTKn8o6j6M/s320/Baby's_Room%5B1%5D.jpg" /></span> <div align="center"><span style="color:#000000;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000000;">My 2nd choice, not Dan's - The color combo of yellow and black & white</span></div><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 287px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490906608236745122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvHCF6nAwpV4-7MQLIgvMdd9hJ94BJhT-lJmIbgoQzVXwaDqkDPWAasONdpVyghB3xxjghUoICEk_Y3psGgssLux6epZzGjY2_RmEsEjB9ysmaOYN2jIYEInMm80nZtSSF2KfD5Tpv4xE/s320/black-and-white-damask-dot-crib-bedding%5B1%5D.jpg" /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490906275167123906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppxBTyozwkcChqvANO7ucivjx2YBRzEgRe73pkDvoQ7rzczelHiJfB32yBespW-zaW2f71skQdWdDBjZqC6S7nPO2wBHfFYlHCzrd8ZVpzmj83YyGUo3Zn9Eq7RwcVSvSH1HV-IZFnoU/s320/black%2520and%2520white%2520nursery%2520714099%5B1%5D.jpg" /></span> <p align="center"><span style="color:#000000;">I thought this was cute and different...but not sure if it's uni-sex enough<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490906052195287330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9DaF0oa_OkzGFeDttaJDXav9cUFzxMgJjWfWVQ1YohplRUBFZMXDF1Q1RJ-a8C6ncUncFyh4phSgVvmJK1wBKkr1X0_wKrhZuTbRkMcSPjODKoOIUYZPio3W9JQujb44g3R-c72tFUc/s320/anna_2%5B1%5D.jpg" /></span></p>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-39023852466206776572010-06-09T07:31:00.011-06:002010-06-10T22:29:31.741-06:00Birthmother Letter<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">We are in the process of writing our Birthmother (Bm) Letter. This is a letter that will be shown to "matching" Bms as an introduction to us. It's full of pictures along with who we are as a couple and as individuals. We have a good rough draft going. Our letter must also be creative...meaning: full of pictures and color to show our personalities. I am currently using Photoshop to create a digital scrapbook for our letter. Here are a couple of pages (they are still in the works so bare with me....plus I'm still learning how to use Photoshop and scrapbook)!! Our (personal) deadline, the firm doesn't create a deadline it's purely up to us, to complete the letter is the beginning of July. </span><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">These are still "works in progress"</span> </div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 247px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480774669482294866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnQu5qAsEkJ1GbpT6C0MtB1anuHuSQhenpQYTQicYBaHlCjXlelLfDaFmWwBCzPoONWG6iWuHbaHf53oQID4wyzlp6j9RVcrxQbmR-xQtmhY15NYd-gNk10wXP20OgcjdbvEs7jCiWAQ/s320/Pg+10+Meet+our+home.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 247px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480774534261223138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYPsimCueZh25OrD5iBg0y2frBwjELKiEKYszO-AyYUuqF1KYUEDTeDzVGApxMD3_lfMMw44UXXNVrlod-9F3uBozj2lq7Dge9GKJRaUB_f1Ch5Z6HjIR1bZECgAzgLIBgQCrnf5_ZN8/s320/Pg+7+Becca+family.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 247px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480772703045301282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNicXvRHoVxa6lIPV_dtLp_ZMiRmFZJ6L-dQJ8wh8oRdMh6nbSnEYDBueeGYeHsWM199_0-o2gu5Od-01foeFDc4Q5gTxad9sYU9PnV1N9qUWNcUhEChEw3kpzapo9wXLuZKuPRnKdXZg/s320/Pg+9+Pets.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">AdoptHelp has GREAT stats for placement. Once a Bm letter is completed and approved the average wait is 6 months for bringing home our lil' Locklear. Another stat of theirs is their placement stat: In 2009 they had 132 adoptive parents enter the program and 124 newborns placed. =0)</span>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6259367589529513754.post-72681271131209478842010-06-08T21:56:00.004-06:002010-06-12T09:49:49.033-06:00The Beginning<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">Hello friends and family!! Since we have so many of you asking about our adoption, we thought we would create a blog so you may receive updates.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">As most of you may know, we have started the process for a domestic adoption for a newborn. We have picked the firm of who we will go through to adopt....<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">drum roll</span> please....<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">AdoptHelp</span>. They are out of the bay area of California. They are a law firm that specializes in domestic newborn adoptions. They have been great to work with and are very friendly!! We chose <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">AdoptHelp</span> because once a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Birthmom</span> signs up with them, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">AdoptHelp</span> will walk them through their pregnancy and all the milestones prior to "matching" with Adoptive parents. Once the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Birthmom</span> hits her 3rd trimester and has a clear understanding of adoption and that they are fully committed to adoption, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">AdoptHelp</span> will introduce the Adoptive parents. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">The way the process works: We complete a (lengthy) questionnaire about who we prefer for a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Birthmother</span> and child....everything from race to sex to drug/alcohol use. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Birthmother</span> will do the same and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">AdoptHelp</span> will review all questionnaires and then "match" us with a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Birthmom</span>. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Birthmom</span> will have 3 Adoptive parents to preview and choose from. Once "matched" we will meet....which our <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Birthmom</span> could be here in Idaho or she could be clear across the country....you never know. If it is long distance then we will meet via phone & photos. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;">We are pretty thrilled to go through such an amazing journey for our <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">lil</span>' <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Locklear</span>!!</span>Becca & Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16668555051430729902noreply@blogger.com0