Happy 3rd Birthday Stephen!

I didn't have this blog 3 years ago while we were waiting and hoping for you, so I want to tell you your birth story:

Daddy, Silas and me were a happy little family of three. One day, I felt God's tugging on my heart that we should try to adopt again. Daddy took a little longer to convince! But, in February 2006, we made our 1st call to Christian Adoption Services in Matthews, NC. We really felt this was the place for us. We did our preliminary application, then attended our first info session on March 16th. We completed all of the paperwork necessary, a little easier this time since we had already done it once with your brother Silas! Mommy was SO sick all that year, I had Strep Throat 5 times and was sick through most of our time trying to get ready for a baby. I finally had my tonsils out on August 17th, and we went active into the pool of waiting couples on August 22nd. And so the official wait began. We went to the CAS golf fundraiser in Sept, and then a pre-placement workshop in Oct. The first week of November, Doris called from our agency and said that someone wanted to meet us. WOW!! We were excited! We didn't know any details until we arrived at the agency on Nov 6. That's when we met your birth mom, Nikole, and her mom Barbara for the first time. We talked for well over an hour and we all had a good feeling about the match. Nikole had the priveledge of telling us that you were a BOY and that you were due in ELEVEN days! WOW again!! We left the agency and hoped that they picked us to be your parents. We didn't know for sure until the next Monday when Silas and I went to visit with them, so they could meet him and see what your big brother would be like! He and Nikole (and you too!) slid down the slide at Chick-fil-A. So then we waited. You didn't come on your due date, but 2 days later on Nov 19th at 5:00 in the afternoon. We found out about your arrival the next day around 11:30am, so I had to call Daddy at work and let him know you had finally arrived! He was so excited he cried in his classroom right in front of his students. We went to the hospital the next day at noon and met you for the first time. You were SO tiny! We met Nikole's grandparents, Jim & Willie, they had come in from Savannah GA for your birth. It was hard on the family to let you go, but we promised them that we would love you with all our hearts and take care of you forever! We left the hospital at 5pm that day, in the worst downpour you could imagine! I was so nervous driving with you from Salisbury to home on the interstate, but God protected us as he always does. When Silas met you for the first time, he wanted us to put you in a cardboard box so he could play with you! We had to tell him that you had to grow a little before that would be possible!! And now, playing with your big brother is your FAVORITE thing to do! We can't believe how much you've grown! You are so loved by so many people and we are blessed to call you our son! WE LOVE YOU LITTLE BUDDY!!

CAS Family Day, Camp Walter Johnson

This past Saturday, November 14th, our adoption agency had family day at the Salvation Army Camp in Denton, NC. We had a great time, just as we did last year, and the weather was just WONDERFUL! We had lunch at noon, followed by all of the new families who have received placement this year introducing their new little ones. Lots of flowing tears as you see God's hand in the forming of many new families and growing of others. Praise Him for his blessings!!

Ups and Downs...

Wednesday I took Stephen to an evaluation to see if he will qualify for preschool services related to his speech delay. We no longer think he has a delay, but you know you do what the professionals tell you to do. He has been receiving weekly "Play Therapy" since before he turned two. He loves this time each week with Kelly, and has had a ball with her. In the last 6 months, he has gone from putting only two words together, to becoming a little conversationalist. He knows his colors, most of his shapes, and pretty much tells you anything you want to know. So, back to the evaluation. I guess a lot of the kids that the ladies at the evaluation center see are poor, disadvantaged kids, and that may be me making a BIG assumption. I don't say that to lessen their reaction to Stephen, but they were very impressed with him. The psychologist said that he has "a very high IQ" that he is "very smart for his age". If I recall correctly, she based it on his reasoning skills and his pretend play. Yes, of course we know this already!! So...no, he does not need any additional help before beginning school. The speech therapist said that the articulation that he is missing will come as he develops further. He can't do "f's" so fork is sork, goldfish is goldsish, you get the picture. Anyway, that was the up.

This is the down. Silas is majorly struggling with 2nd grade, mostly the reading. Problem is, you have to be able to read well to do EVERYTHING else...like math problem sheets, science, social studies, etc. He is "Zoning out" on his teacher. She says he has "serious attention issues". He is SO not interested in what is going on in the class. I/We really don't want to go down the A.D.D. road, because we don't think that's it. However, it may be that we have to just to get that angle eliminated (hopefully). He can sit and play a board game, pretend play for HOURS, and remember things I don't remember. But....we will just have to take it one day at a time. Thankfully he doesn't seem to hate school, so that's a good thing. He is so smart and creative and you just hate to squelch that in order to make him "conform" to the structure of school. If I wasn't working, we'd be homeschooling...

Fall is HERE!!

It's that time of year where the leaves are changing and we had to break out the winter clothes! The view of our backyard has been very pretty this year! The boys enjoyed some scooter time when we got home from church and I made them suffer through a photo session, which resulted in the new blog header---I took at least 15 shots to get the one on the header! That's boys for you!!

Our new screened porch...

We're SO excited our new addition is done! We have been able to enjoy it some before the weather turns cold. Our deck was old and splintered, we never used it because the sun stayed on it from 10 in the morning until sunset, so we bit the bullet and turned it into a screened in porch. The boys LOVE it, and have used it every afternoon it has been warm enough. It will be wonderful this Spring, we're glad we got it done so quick!

Stephen....the silly side!!!

Had a photo session for Stephen today, man I needed a sedative after that one! There's more poses, but I'm not posting those yet. I did this session so that Nikole could have some new shots for the birth mother retreat she is going on in Nov that is sponsored by our agency, Christian Adoption Services. I think she will like them!