Mallory update

I went to the doctor with Amanda, Tony, and Mom today to see an ultrasound of the baby. It was nice of all of them to include me. I had a very hard time going. I really didn't want to at first. In the end I'm glad I went. It was truly amazing to see the heartbeat, the little hands and feet, even her mouth open and close. I was also amazed at how much she moves around. Amanda can't feel the movement yet. She is beginning to feel pressure down low though. I'm honored to have been a part of it all.

Adoption

I am very sad to say that our birthmother "match" has fallen through. She is a very sweet girl who still wants Kevin and me to be the parents of her baby should she change her mind before the birth. However, she just found out she is having a little girl. All of the other children and grandchildren in her family have been boys, even her two older children are boys. So, she's keeping the baby. We are heartbroken for that little girl. The mother's circumstances have not changed. She's going to have a very hard life. We know, however, that we will ultimately receive the child God intends for us to raise. It can just be so emotional at times. If you want to know more about our adoption, stay tuned to our blog. We'll share all the good news verbally. Sometimes it's just difficult to share the bad news over and over and over to all the people who care so much for us. We just need your prayers. Pray that we'll be patient while God works out all the details. Pray also for our baby and birthmother-to-be, as it is difficult to be on both sides of adoption.

WGU

I am absolutely loving my job! I still have so much to learn...3 pages of acronyms is just a beginning. I have already made so many friends. Everyone is extremely helpful. I got my roster of students today. Next month they'll add 20 more to it. The cool thing is that when I go to Atlanta with Kevin next Sunday and Las Vegas in November, I can still work from the hotel and go out with him the rest of the time. Woo-hoo!

Just when I made up my mind to route for the Houston Astros (even though my hubby once lived in Chicago) they started losing the World Series. The shows not over until the fat lady sings, though. Remember how things went for the Red Sox last year. Oh well...Go Stros!

Woo-hoo!

The Astros are in the series! I'm so excited. As soon as the Braves were eliminated, I had hoped that it would come down to the White Sox and the Astros. Not sure who I'm for now though. I'll get back to ya on that...poor Albert P...he's the only Cardinal I like.

Update

Wow, what a week! I have been gone from home since last Thursday morning.

KJ and I went to his mother's house for the big golf tournament she hosts as a fundraiser for the Sanctuary Hospice House. We raised about $20,000 this year. This was the Fifth Annual Jack Riley Memorial Golf Tournament. Then on Saturday, Kevin enjoyed participating in the annual Riley Open "friendly" golf competition. I'm so proud...my KJ won this year. They even have a plaque with little brass name plates for the winners of the tournament each year. My Kev has won 6 of the last 12 competitions. Those Riley men are so competitive. I think the Riley women might have a team of their own next year...if I could just talk Erin into playing with Joyce, NancyAnne and me.

Then the day after returning home, I flew out to SLC, Utah for mentor training with the university. I have been sitting in the "Cityscape" conference room for several days now on the very top floor of the building on the left in the photo below. What a magnificent view! I saw a flock of birds fly by during our meetings today. How cool! I met my training mentor, Melanie, today. I think we'll get along very well.

There is a lot of information to digest, but I can't wait to get started. It's nice to be treated like a professional. Everyone has been really nice.

Western Governors University

It's official!

I am the newest elementary education advisor/mentor of Western Governors University. I am so excited. I will not teach, grade papers, or make lesson plans. I will work strictly with advisees to be sure they are staying within their program and be available as a resource to them from my home via phone conferencing and email. My last day to teach in the elementary classroom setting is Monday. I travel to Utah for training next week. Salt Lake City is surrounded by these beautiful mountains. If you've never seen mountains like this before, it's absolutely breathtaking. I am so excited. I'm sad about leaving the classroom, but only the children...not all of the other crap that teachers must contend with. I'm excited to be getting my weekends and evenings back. Though my position is full-time, I'll be able to make my own hours. I can decide how and when I want to meet my communication protocol. Imagine that...a teacher actually being treated like a professional...a real rarity this day and time. I'm not losing any money at all and will have excellent benefits. Woohoo! Can't wait to learn more!

It's a girl!

...not mine and Kevin's baby, but Amanda and Tony's. They just found out this week and are so excited. They're going to name her Mallory Elizabeth. They're all doing fine. Amanda is enjoying feeling well right now. We can't wait to be mothers together. Amanda says she wants us to dress our children alike...we'll see. I'm excited for her, though. I can't wait to find out what my baby is going to be.

Amanda's at 17 weeks here. I'm not sure exactly how many weeks Tony is at, though.

I talked with my principal today about "retiring." It sounds so weird to think about that. I've been teaching for 10 years though, and I'm vested. So, I won't lose money. He was willing to work with me and was very excited about my new position. Monday will be my last day teaching in the classroom. I'll continue to make lesson plans for the sub until my retirement date though. I'm trying to get that done in advance...we'll see, I'm about 1/3 of the way finished and KJ is out of town until Friday evening. So, I think it's possible. I have enough sick days saved to get me through the end of November. So, my official retirement date is December 1. Of course I'll be working for the University by the end of October. So, for a little while, I'll be earning two salaries...just in time for the holidays...yippee! Also, I get to fly back out to Utah for a few days of training. I'm excited to see the mountains again. They're so breathtaking!

Two Mothers, One Prayer

Two women from different places
Share a common prayer,
Though different circumstances
Common is their care.

For these very different women
Will pray in one accord,
On bended-knee they ask these things
Their prayer begins "Dear Lord."

"Lord, be with this little child
Keep them close to you,
Guide them and direct them
In everything they do."

And even as I pray this
Another mother prays it, too,
May you always know her love-
To be genuine and true.

You'll forever have two mothers
Who share a single prayer,
One brought you to the world
Then placed you in the other's care.

~Susan Reardon

Our Baby

Kev and I are so excited about becoming parents. Our baby is due on Valentines Day. I wasn't prepared to be so emotional about the whole process on a day-to-day basis. I love our birthmother. We are still trying to get to know her. She seems like a sweet girl whose life has been turned upside down by a series of unfortunate events. She's very brave and intelligent. She's also having a difficult time with placing her baby for adoption. We have great phone conversations, and I can't wait to meet her face-to-face. However, knowing how difficult a decision this selfless act of love is for her makes me emotional and uneasy....and terrified. I am so afraid that she will change her mind about it all...and she very well could. I don't think she'd change her mind about Kevin and me, just about the adoption in general. There is nothing I can do about it, though. I just have to trust that God is ultimately in control. I know that he will send Kevin and me the baby he intends for us to raise. I think this is our baby, but I won't know for sure until the very end of this pregnancy. At any rate, our lives and this birthmother's life are intersecting for a reason.

I am thrilled to say that I am the newest mentor/advisor of elementary education students at a rapidly growing university. The benefits are awesome! I'll be working from home. I've decided that I will volunteer at the local elementary schools for an hour or so a day a few days each week to help out with struggling students. That is and always has been my passion. I haven't told my children at school, yet. I'm really dreading that. I fly back out to Utah for several days of training in October. I love it out there. The scenery is beautiful. I love that the university treats educators like professionals. That's something that doesn't really happen in the traditional elementary classroom. Most of all, I'm excited that I'll be able to stay in the field of education while taking care of my baby at home.

Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City is the cleanest, friendliest city I've ever visited! Everything (buildings, streets, etc...) is immaculate. It looks as if they pressure wash it all. The mountains are gorgeous. The city is nestled between two mountain ranges, the Wasatch and the Oquirs. So, you can see the beautiful scenery from any point in the city. Having grown up in the coastal plain of Alabama with millions of acres of pine trees, the view was quite different. There are no tree-lined roads or rich green vegetation. The smell is a more sanitized one, like a hospital, because the flowers are different. The climate is so dry and arid that even though it's not as hot as the desert the plants resemble those I've seen in desert photos. Half the people in Utah live in the Salt Lake City area. Everything is so spread out! The particular building I interview in had large window all the way around it. So, each office I went into had a panoramic view of the mountains. It was breathtaking.

I've been in Utah since Thursday night. What a busy two days! I came out to interview for an elementary education advisor/mentor position with a university. I had five interviews from 10:30 am until 4:00 pm yesterday. I'm so excited about our baby that everytime someone asks me if I have children, I tell them no but we will have one in February. They immediately look at my belly having not noticed that I'm pregnant. I quickly explain that we are adopting. Well, on the four-hour flight from Atlanta to Salt Lake City I sat beside an older lady who had been the host family to nine different birthmothers through the Latter Day Saints. Then, yesterday I met another lady who was a birthmother two years ago. She was so excited to hear that we're adopting. It felt good for me to be able to explain to her how much it means that a complete stranger is willing to carry your child for nine months, endure the pain and suffering that accompanies pregnancy and labor, and then give you a child. I'm sure most of you understand that adoption is very expensive. However, the birthmother gets a very small portion of the expense for her living expenses/medical care. The lady I met has two older children, just like our birthmother. She's also Hispanic, just like our birthmother.

We have a baby!

It's due on Valentine's Day...which was my first date with Kevin. We're so excited. We had a phone conference with the birthmother today. She was very nice, and we were all nervous. As usual, Kevin (and Tammy the Stork) did a wonderful job of buffering the tension. What a wonderful day! We're going to be parents in 4 1/2 months. Please pray that this mother will know what a fantastic, wonderful, magnificent, amazing gift she's giving us.

Kevin and I have been waiting

Kevin and I have been waiting for a birthmother call since Friday.  Those who know me well, understand that I am not the most patient of people.  I run to the phone when it rings to find out if it’s the agency calling.  It’s not.  So far, I’ve resisted the urge to call them.  I’ll wait a couple more days.  I know it will happen at the right time…but geez, I just wish it would hurry up.  At least when you can’t wait for Christmas you know that it’s December 25th.  You know, the funny thing is that even when we’re matched, I’ll change to being anxious for the birthmother to call with updates or for our baby to be born.  No wonder God doesn’t work on our timetable…we’re never satisfied.  

I dream of the day when I can hold our little baby and stare at it for hours.  I love watching all the little children at church.  Several of them run up to me afterward to visit.  Our neighbors across the street, Chris and Lisa, just had a little girl, Kate.  She’s beautiful.  I’ve been over to visit a couple of times.  Two other ladies in the neighborhood are expecting.  I can’t wait to join the motherhood club.  

Since beginning the quest for adoption, there have been good days and bad. It's very much a rollercoaster ride. You want to be excited, but then you're afraid to be. Now I understand how an expectant mother feels when she's excited to be carrying her baby, but afraid that something bad might happen, regardless of how likely the circumstance. I've often said to Kevin that I'd feel better if I had just one little, teeny-weeny, bit of good news. Well, it came yesterday.

First of all, we have a 3rd opportunity for a baby that is due to be born Feb.10. She received our profile yesterday. We are waiting for a conference call to be set up with the birthmother. Based on the background knowledge we have of the mother and her family we feel a really strong connection to her. We know that God will send us the child he plans for us to parent in his time, whether this one is it or not.

Secondly, I have been searching for a job in the field of education that I can do from a home office. I sent in a vitae for one this week. The university I applied to has already called for a phone interview. If all goes well I'll be flying out to meet face-to-face with the Dean of Education in a week or two. It has really good benefits and pay. I'm really excited about it and will share more when I know more. Our phone interview lasted for almost an hour and a half.

I'm gearing up for a big day of football. All is great and wonderful today.

MSO's Broadway Under The Stars Pops Concert

WSFA TV Montgomery, AL - MSO's Broadway Under The Stars Pops Concert

Kevin and I can't wait to enjoy the concert! If you haven't been to this local event before and you're a fan of the symphony, you're missing out.