Sunday, May 27, 2012


Alexa Turns Two – The Story of Her Life !!!!!!!!!

Brandon and I were thinking the other day.  We decided we wanted to retell the life story of Alexa.  It is and will always be etched into our memory, but as we all know, overtime small details can be forgotten.  Therefore, we will take this time to retell our story of Alexa so that someday when she wants details, she will always have them.  Note, this is quite long, but worth the read J

MY PREGNANCY:

 My entire pregnancy was extremely scary, for years prior I was told that I could lose a baby in my last trimester.  As you can imagine, that put a huge scare on us.  Especially considering that after 16 weeks I couldn’t walk well!  The fear of that coming true scared us every day of my pregnancy.  However, we were still able to enjoy ALL of the wonderful kicks and that exciting 20 week ultrasound, when we found out our little baby was a girl!

Brandon and I prayed every day, and every night for our baby girl to be born healthy!  Not many people know but I put holy water on my belly EVERY NIGHT and said a special prayer to God.  Every day, our little Alexa grew, and grew!  Towards the end of the pregnancy, I was on a leave from work.  My blood pressure started to rise.  I was told that I would probably have to be induced.  I kinda laid low for a week or two. Then came a Wednesday night, the 26th of May to be exact.  We went to the hospital thinking Alexa might be on her way.  I remember when the midwife showed us a concerned face.  I remember her not believing my doctors on the position of the baby.  She at one point said, “I would be my life and my career that this baby is breech.”  We both got freaked out saying that it wasn’t possible because I had two doctors in my office tell me otherwise.  The midwife was so sure of herself she decided to do an ultrasound.  Low and behold, they found that Alexa was BREECH!  How was that possible?  The doctors told us two days prior she was head down and ready to go?  SCARY!  Due to the fact I was bordering pre-eclampsic AND she was breech I was told that I would have a c-section the NEXT DAY!   I will never forget it.  It was 11 oclock at night, and I could only thing of two things, 1. I NEED TO EAT FOOD BEFORE MIDNIGHT OR I’M NOT GONNA EAT FOR A DAY, and 2. OMG I AM GONNA MEET MY BABY, THE BABY I PRAYED SO HARD FOR.   We ate pizza and I drank about 10 glasses of water, in an hour, hahaha!

I didn’t sleep a WINK that night.  I was filled with emotion.  I was petrified to have a c-section, SUPER excited that I actually made it to delivery day and would meet my precious baby girl, happy and scared (for the unknown).  I kept Brandon up most of the night, either tossing and turning in my chair (for I hadn’t been able to sleep in bed for months) or by getting up to go to the bathroom (didn’t I say I drank like 10 glasses of water hahaha)!  FINALLY morning arrived! I got called from Oakwood saying to come early, for they had a cancellation.  My mouth was so dry from nerves, but we got our stuff together and left for the hospital!

ALEXA’S BIRTH!!!

PREP took FOREVER! I remember at one point the nurse making me read a 10 page document and signing it…as I read it I got spooked out… Brandon actually took the form, turned to the last page, made me sign it, and handed it back!  HA!  My mom and dad, and Brandons dad were present!   I remember being so excited to have them there!  Once they made them leave the room, I knew it was time!
When we finally entered the surgery room, I remember it being ICE cold!  They removed Brandon for a while, to give me my spinal.  I remember being so nervous, and wanting Alexa to be ok!  At one point my doctor almost forgot to go get Brandon!  She said, ‘We’re ready, let’s begin.”  I was like, “Umm no, where’s my husband.”  LOL!  They brought Brandon in, who did everything in his power to encourage me.  But I knew he was scared to!!  When the doctor started I remember repeating, over and over again, “Is she ok, is she ok, is she ok?”  The doctor kept telling me things would be fine!  The doctor even tried to crack me up, and distract me by talking about America Idol LOL!  Then at one point I got nervous, for the doctor kept repeating to the assistant “We HAVE to get her out..”  They pushed so hard on my rib cage I thought they were gonna break HAHA!  I remember having tears in my eyes, and being so scared!  THEN CAME THE BEST MOMENT IN OUR ENTIRE LIFE!  Dr. Robinson said: “Hi beauty, welcome to the world.”  Within a minute we heard her beautiful cry! Both Brandon and I got very emotional, it was a beautiful thing!  I remember telling Brandon, “Go, go to Alexa, see if she’s ok.”  He left me and told me “She’s beautiful…she’s got a lot of hair.”  Then the nurse brought her over to me.  I got to kiss her beautiful face!  FINALLY, my angel was here…and everything was fine!  PRAISE GOD!

                                       


 (BTW, we owe that midwife SO much, for if it wasn’t for her Alexa and I might not have made it.  Thankfully we were able to thank her personally, when she visited the baby after she was born)!
After she was born, I had a lot of complications (eclampsia came, heart problems, autoimmune issues etc that lead to the conclusion that Alexa would be our only biological child).  That was OK, for she was a MIRACLE in and of itself!

ALEXA TURNED ONE!
 Every moment of her life from the second she was born is remembered….every piece.  We remember the first time she smiled at us, her first laugh, the first time she held a toy, the first time she lifted her head, the first time she stood up, the first time she crawled, then how she walked.  When Alexa turned one, she was full of life and SO MUCH FUN!  She started walking at 9 months old, and would say SEVERAL words.  Her favorite words were: mama, dada, ball, hi, milo, bye, oh ho, no, and juice!  When Alexa was one she thought Santa was pretty cool, but the Easter bunny was scary LOL!  She loved her cats, and loved Mickey Mouse.  She LOVED her grandparents (and still does) and her cousins. 



Alexa is TWO!
 Fast forward another year…Alexa is now a beautiful, smart little girl.  She knows so many words (to many to count), and says phrases and short sentences. She will say things like “Momma eat dinner too”, or “Hi dada, where Milo?”  She can count to four.  She knows the colors: blue, yellow, red and white (most of the time)! She loves animals, balls, her cats, toys, Mickey mouse, Imagination movers, Berenstein Bears, her grandparents, Aunt Carrie, her Uncle Jesse (Justin haha) her cousins and SO MUCH MORE!  She knows how to turn on and off the tv.  She knows how to yield a pretend sword.  She knows how to play the ipad.  She knows how to turn the radio on and off.  She loves starfall.  She sleeps in a toddler bed. She likes to cuddle with us, dance (this kid has quite the moves) and sing!  She is a tomboy with a little bit of girliness to her.  She loves to be outside and play basketball, baseball or soccer…yet she also loves to get all frilly and dressed up.  She is a dare devil and will climb like no other, and go down big slides without being scared!  At two her favorite foods are mashed potatoes, raspberries, chicken and peas.  Her favorite toys are balls, books, playdough, purses, dolls and bubbles. She is our pride and joy.  She is everything we have always wanted in life.  She brings us such happiness!  We cannot wait to watch her continue to grow!~
Happy birthday to our beautiful daughter!  Mommy and Daddy love you!!!!
(Thanks for reading our story and recalling one of the best times in our lives)!



Monday, May 14, 2012

Being a Mother!

I thank God every day for him allowing me to be a mother!  Having my daughter Alexa has been the best thing that ever happened to me!!  She has taught me the true meaning of love, sacrafice, giving, kindness....the list goes on and on! I wake up every morning to see her shining face, and go to bed every night looking at her precious face!!  Lots of people know that I have had some rough patches in my life...some times when I was really scared or really blue....but having my daughter has taken away all of those moments and made me realize just how great God is!!

On this mothers day I also think of my soon to be child....one that God is watching over!  I pray for that baby, and her birth mother (who is having to make the toughest choice in her entire life).  No mother should have to face the daunting fact of: give up my baby, or watch my baby die!  I hope that that mother knows that someone  out there (ME and Brandon) are willing to give her child the life she cannot!!

Next year at this time, our family will be complete!!!!!  Brandon, me, Alexa and baby!!!!!!


Thursday, May 10, 2012

THE WAIT LIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's OFFICIAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On my sisters birthday, May 10th, 2012 we were OFFICIALLY put on the wait list for our baby!  WE couldn't be more excited!  It should happen in approximately 6 months (give or take a few months)!

YAY!     We are number .......



The official countdown has begun!!!! :)

Monday, May 7, 2012

PREGNANCY VS ADOPTION!

Different Scenario, Same Feelings!

It is amazing to me just how similar being pregnant and adopting are!!!  I remember back when my sister was pregnant with my niece Jasmine, and she was adopting Isabel, she told me countless times that it was such a similar feeling!  I always wondered if that was true, and I am here to tell you IT IS!  It really is!

When I was pregnant with Alexa, the entire time I prayed, and was scared that something would go wrong.  I was always so worried (for I knew I had medical issues that could cause problems).  During this adoption, I pray constantly and hope and pray that nothing goes wrong!

When I was pregnant I was SO excited!  I thought of what the baby would look like, what she would act like, how I would feel when I first saw her!  During this adoption I wonder the exact same things!  I sit back and try to imagine my life with the baby here!

A baby is a baby...and yes the process might be different (along with less pressure on my body), but the love, excitement and feelings are all the same!!!

Cannot wait to see my baby, and for Alexa to have a sibling :)


Friday, May 4, 2012

FINAL APPROVAL AND SEND OFF!!!!!!!!!!

Brandon dropped off our papers today to get authenticated, and within a week they will be SENT OFF to ETHIOPIA!!!!!!!  SO excited!!!  We should (God Willing) be on the wait list for our second child very soon!!!!

Below is my conversation with Alexa:
me - Alexa, we are going to have another baby.
Alexa - Yes!
Me - Do you want a baby sister or brother?
Alexa - Yes, Baby!

Awwwwwwwwww, I love 2 year olds (well, she's ALMOST 2)!!!  I cannot wait till our baby comes home and Alexa will have a forever friend!!