Whirlwind of Wonderful

So remember how I was just saying how patient I needed to be?  Who knew that my world would change so quickly!!  Keep in mind, I wrote that last blog post on Sunday night.

On Monday afternoon, we had our regular staff meeting after school.  This time we were meeting in departments.  As I sat there meeting with the other school counselor, Kathy, my cell phone rang.  I looked down and saw, "Dawn Baker".  Now for those of you who are "Teen Mom" fans, you know that Dawn works for Bethany Christian Services as a pregnancy counselor.  I immediately got anxious as I went to pick up the phone.  Kathy quickly picked up on what was happening and ran to get Joel.  Thank goodness we work in the same building and he could get down to the office quickly to be with me.

Dawn informed us that there was a baby girl born at 1:50 AM that morning and that her birthparents chose us!!  Holy moly!!  We were told to come to the hospital on Tuesday morning to meet our baby girl!

We spent Monday evening frantically pulling out all of our baby stuff.  Every baby bin from the basement was strewn about our living room and kitchen.  (And if you ask Joel, there are WAY too many bins.)  We pulled out any clothing of Gus' that was gender neutral.  Brought up the pack 'n plays.  (Yes, that is plural.) Brought up the swing and the carseat and the changing pad....

I ran to Target to pick up the essentials like diapers, formula, Dreft, a couple of baby girls outfits (so she didn't come home in blue) and Tums (I knew I would need those to get through the next couple of days.)

I had Gus stay in my bed that night (I wanted to snuggle with him and it was our last night as a family of 3) as I laid awake the whole night worrying about everything that was about to happen and crying for my little boy who had no idea that in 12 hours his world was going to change drastically.  I spent half of my night worrying about our next adoption process, praying for this baby, praying for her birthparents, praying for our family.  I spent the other half watching Gus sleep and praying for him.  Praying for the transition that our family was about to make.  Soaking up the last few hours of his only child life and praying for him as the big brother that he was about to become.  Sad that I didn't have time to do something special with him on the last day as a family of three.  It was a very long night full of anxiety and tears....no sleep.

The next day, Gus went to his sitter's house and Joel and I headed to work for a couple of hours before heading to the hospital.  Once we got to the hospital we met up with Dawn who had some paperwork for us to fill out.  She then went to meet with the birthparents for what seemed to be forever long.  She came back to get us and we began the longest walk in the world.  The hospital we were in was huge and the room we were in was super far away from the room that "S" was in.  The walk seemed to be long, awkward and full of anxiety.  (Remember the movie The Green Mile....for some reason that kept popping in my head as we made this long walk down to meet the birthparents.)

Once in the room, we met the birthparents, his mom, her mom and her grandparents.  Nine of us in a tiny hospital room.  It sure was cozy!  We had a chance to talk and get to know one another a little bit.  I was jumping out of my skin!  Pretty sure that my nails were digging into Joel's knee as I held his hand.  We were then led back to the waiting room to wait....and wait...and wait....

While we were waiting, Dawn was taking care of some stuff with the birthparents and also introduced the baby girl to her birth family.  (They had not yet seen her.)  After what seemed to be a long time, Dawn came back to get us.  We went back to the room that "S" was in.  Once we were there, "S" made a point to hand this beautiful little girl over to me.  We held her and loved her and took some pictures with her, with the birthparents, with the whole family.  We gave "S" and "C", the birthfather, a few minutes alone with the baby before we got to take her back down to the room that we were assigned.

We spent the rest of the day hanging out in that room waiting to be discharged.  The baby was born at 36 weeks so she had to pass a carseat test before we could take her home.  We had to wait a long time before the NICU had time to do the test.  We FINALLY left for home around 8 PM.  We pulled in the driveway at 9 PM to meet up with Gus and introduce him to his baby sister!

We are beyond thrilled to welcome

PENELOPE LIN ELIZABETH

to our family!  She is absolutely beautiful and the sweetest little thing!  Penny weighed in at 6 lbs 8 oz and was 18" long.  We are cautiously approaching the next few weeks as we wait for legal placement, but we are over the moon and head over heels in love with this beautiful little girl!!

More info and pictures to follow in the upcoming weeks.  In the mean time, prayers would be much appreciated as we wait out the risk period.

Little Moments

I have discovered lately that it is the little moments that are becoming the most important to me.  The other night, I walked upstairs to discover a little boy who was up way past his bedtime.  He was entertaining himself by singing.  I took a moment to go in and snuggle with him while he sang.  I had so much fun that I HAD to record it.  I want to keep this fresh in my mind for a long time to come.  I want to remember him exactly as he is right now.  (And now I am obsessed with recording his sweet little voice.)  Of course I also want to share it with you!!  (Depending on your computer system, you may have to download the sound clip to hear it.)

The Whole World

ABC

And my Favorite....Little Lady (Gus has been calling me little lady lately...LOVE!)

A New Hat

If I had known that Gus would have this much fun with his cousins and a happy meal box.....

"An Idea Emergency!!!"

We took Gus to his first concert.  We went to see the Imagination Movers downtown Detroit.  It was AMAZING!!  (Funny...I never thought I would feel that way about a kids show.)  If you are not familiar with the Imagination Movers, I definitely encourage you to check them out.  We are big fans in the Stape House!  They are problem solvers who help solve "idea emergencies"!  I could sing their brainstorming song all day!

Gus actually sat still for 90% of the time.  The only exception was when he transferred back and forth between Momma and DaDoh.  He was just in awe most of the time.  Every once and a while, he would start clapping or yelling but for the most part he just watched in amazement.  (And once again...I sat in tears for 1/2 of it thinking about the fact that this was another first for Gus.  I get very emotional about those kids of things....heck, I get emotional about everything!)

Little did we know that we would have to wait in line outside to get in.  (Yes, I felt like the mother who dressed my child inappropriately. If I had known, I would have brought a proper hat and perhaps a blankie...it was windy and cold.)

Before the show, Gus loved climbing in and out of his very own seat.  It is a little irritating that they require you to purchase a seat for kids over one, but I'm glad that they did.  It was perfect for him!

Genevieve and DC from Choo Choo Soul opened up the show.

Clapping along.

MOVERS!!!!!

Hmmmm..... I'm not really sure what is going on at this time, but Joel captured this little face and I just think it is too cute not to share!!

WAREHOUSE MOUSE!!  We love this mouse and his love for cheese!  Our little mouse, Gus Gus, also loves cheese!!

HOLY MOLY!!! Mover Rich came out the door right by us.  We could have touched him.  (And yes, I LOVE Mover Rich!  He is my favorite!  I think I was more excited that any of the kids around us!)

Gus and DaDoh outside the Music Hall showing off Gus' new Mover's hat.

We had a FABULOUS time!!

I Gotcha Baby!

Cool Dude!

It has been a year since Gus officially, legally, became Lil' Stape!  I can't believe how quickly a year went by.  It seemed like it took so long for his adoption to become final.  I remember sitting in my office at school when I got the voicemail telling me that the agency had received word that it was final.  I could barely breathe, I was sobbing so hard.  We had been through a lot and this meant that all of my worries were gone.  I immediately felt a sense of relief.  The waiting was over.  He had our last name now.  Our names were finally on his birth certificate as the parents.  We could finally move on how and not thinking about the adoption process for a while.  I think that I sobbed most of the day after that.  I am the luckiest girl!!

I gotcha!!!

The Force

As I said before...I am a Ford girl all the way...but this little Darth Vader is ADORABLE!!! This was my #2 favorite commercial from last night. Raise of hands...who could see Gus doing this some day?? Or Joel (the Star Wars fanatic) doing this??

Halloween 2010

More to come....

Crunch, Crunch, Crunch

Gus and I decided to take advantage of this beautiful fall weather that we have been having and go play at the park.  Couldn't help but post some pics of my little man who LOVED crunching through the fallen leaves!

SASSY Babies and Blogging Mommas

I was extended a great opportunity to attend the 2010 Blogger Bash sponsored by Sassy, Inc last Friday.  And the best part...Gus got to go with me!  I got to spend the whole day with my little man and with being back to work, days like this are pretty special.  We joined a bunch of SASSY babies and their mommas who are bloggers for a couple hours of fun.  And speaking of fun!  One of the bloggers is a friend from college and it was super fun to see her there! 

I learned so much about this company and about their products and I have some new favorite items.  (I have found my new "staple" for baby gift giving....some of these items are AWESOME!)  Gus had a great time playing with all of the toys, running around like a crazy man and playing with the wonderful staff at the Bash.  It is obvious that the employees of this company truly do love kids and want to create great products for them.  Just watching them interact with Gus it was obvious that kids come first!  (Special thanks to those staff members who entertained Gus so that I could actually focus on the products being shown!)  I intended to show you just a few items...but you know me.  I tend to get a little carried away.


Water Filled Teethers

It is so silly why I love these.  Not only do I just love teethers in general because Gus loves them, but FINALLY a football one!!  Many of the Sassy products incorporate both a black/white pattern and a bright color which makes it easy for them to use a soccer ball with one of their rattles.  Gus was given one of those rattles when he was born...but if you have learned anything about our family, we are a football family through and through so the soccer ball did not go over well.  I was THRILLED to let Gus get his hands on this football teether simply because it is a football.

Vibrating Textures Teether

Okay.  This teether is just down right cool.  It vibrates when Gus puts his little mouth on it.  I have seen other teethers that vibrate but it is tricky to get them to work.  With this one all he has to do is bite on the water filled parts and it starts to work.  Gus tested it out in church on Sunday.  It kept him entertained for a good 10 minutes.  For anyone who has met Gus, you know that this little boy does not sit still for anything.  He is teething right now, so I am sure that it felt good, but I didn't expect it to entertain him for so long!

Look Book

My mom bought this little book for Gus when he was very little.  Unfortunately, we do not live near family and we really want to make sure that Gus knows who his family is.  Each page has a slot where you can slide a picture in.  Gus' book is filled with pictures of his grandparents, aunts/uncles and cousins.  I think that this is a great way for a little one to be able to start recognizing faces.  And if you don't want to put pictures in it, each page has a fun pattern for little ones to look at as well.

Fill and Spill Barrel

I'm not really sure what it was about this collection, but Gus LOVED it.  He carried those bananas around for quite a while and he loved to share them with the Sassy staff members.  He passed them around from person to person.  Who knew that my kid would like bananas so much?

Bumpy Ball

This was the very first toy that Gus got his pudgy little hands on at the Bash.  I liked it because he could easily hold onto the bumps and throw it around.  I also liked how when he threw it, it didn't roll away...it bounced around a little bit, but it didn't go too far which meant he wasn't off and running.  He was able to play in a smaller area.  This would be perfect for him to play with when he goes to cheerleading practice with me.  It wouldn't cause him to run off to chase it down.

Less Mess Training Spoons

These little spoons are GENIUS!!  I know that there is a lot of thought that went into them.  The holes in the spoon, there are little spots for little fingers but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the guards that they put on there so that Gus cannot jam the spoon down his throat.  Just recently we have started letting Gus use his own utensils.  I can't stand it when he gags himself.  1) Who really wants their kid to jam a spoon down his throat? 2) I hear him gag, and I gag...and I hate gagging!  I just love that someone thought to stop our little monkey from jamming a spoon down his throat.  (Thank you spoon creator genius!)

Crumb Catcher Feeding Bib

Okay.  I will admit.  I HATE plastic bibs.  I just think that they are yucky and tend to feel slimy or crunchy.  And I hate bibs with pockets.  They never seem to catch the food that Gus drops and they never seem clean enough.  I may just actually LOVE this one.  This bib has a soft back so it isn't as "crunchy" as others we have tried and it is machine washable.  The little tray actually comes off and can go in the dishwasher.  It actually makes sense and is Momma Stape friendly.

Modern Soft Sided Organizer

I HAD to add this.  It wasn't even one of their products that they were showcasing to us but I am so smitten with it.  They simply brought it full of toys for the kids to play with.  The cool thing is that it is soft.  No sharp corners for an eager little boy to bump his head on as he collides with it to get his toys out.  And it doesn't have any heavy lid or hinges where pudgy little fingers could get pinched.It also has handles so it is easy to move.  Shh...don't tell Stape, but this is something that WILL be finding a home in our humble abode.  It will be perfect!

Need a great baby gift? Be inspired. Visit www.sassybaby.com.  There are so many great products that new moms and dads would love to have for their new bambino.  Even if it isn't their first baby, they will still LOVE to have these items.  I know I would.  (hint...hint, Mom.  When your next grandbaby joins us, keep these items in mind.)

Sassy has some other PHENOMENAL products coming our way at the end of the year.  Stay tuned to my blog for more details or follow @SassyBabyToys on Twitter for all of their latest news.  You are NOT going to want to miss the new things that they are coming out with.  I am so geeked about these new items!

Do you love this brand as much as I do already?  Become a fan of Sassy on Facebook.  I have loved this brand for quite a while and consider myself quite a fan.  If you aren't a fan already, check out some of these products first hand and I know that you will be a fan.

I would love your feedback on these products, this brand or things that you wish they had.  Send me your thoughts!!



SASSY Gus

It is clear from some of these pictures that Gus and I had a good time and learned a lot.

Gus was smitten.  He chased this SASSY little girl around the whole time.  Trying to steal her toys, her bottle, her food, her shoe....poor little girl.  She was just trying to get away from this crazy little boy!

Gus hasn't quite mastered the idea of "SHARE".  How long until he understands that word?

They had a tub of water and some bath toys.  Anyone want to guess what happened to this pretty little girl when Gus came to play?  Let's just say that she didn't go home with dry clothes.  :(

I had many questions....Gus didn't care as long as he could play with whatever was in front of him.

We had a great time!!!

Fun Times and Breaking News

I have had so much fun this week.  Now that we are in full swing of the school year, I am finally starting to get back in my groove.  It is a little strange because I am not teaching full time this year.  I am counseling for the first half of the day and teaching only 2 hours at the end of the day.  It is a little bit awkward and I feel like I am being pulled in many different directions, but at the same time, it is the best of both worlds.  I get to counsel and teach!!

Unfortunately, Gus has been having a rough week with some teeth coming in so I am sure he has kept his babysitters busy while he is there during the day.  (Once again, THANK YOU Stephanie and Miranda!!)  On the upside, we finally found a second type of sippy cup that Gus will use.  WHEW!!  The other ones that he would use are really hard to find.  I am so happy to have FINALLY found another one suitable to my little picky one.  And speaking of picky...at what age do kids learn how to pick their own noses?  Gus has come down with a cold this weekend and I really hate having to pick his boogers.  But he doesn't know how, so what's a mom to do other than pick her baby's boogies? And thank goodness for Boogie Wipes!  If you haven't tried them for your kids, I highly recommend them!  (I wonder if I can buy stock in them?  That's how much I love them!)

Gus and I also had the opportunity this week to make a quick trip to West Michigan.  (I miss that place more and more.)  We literally went for less than 24 hours this time.  We got there on Thursday evening and my mom watched Gus while I went out to dinner with my friend, Tiffany.  I love getting a chance to catch up with her.  We don't get to see each other very often but when we do, we pick up right where we left off.  I love friendships like that!  The next morning Gus and I finally got to go to the 2010 Blogger Bash put on by Sassy Baby Co.  Oh baby!!  It was so fun!!  Stay tuned because I am going to tell you ALL about it.  But in addition to all the fun that we had, I got to see my friend, Stacy from college.  It was great to see her.  I am so impressed by her and the blog that she writes.  Maybe someday, when I grow up, I will be like her and have a great blog.  So stay tuned to hear about all of the fun that Gus and I had at the Blogger Bash.

AND IN BREAKING NEWS....
Brace yourself.  The link to our blog has changed.  This is a big step in our blogging life.  We originally started this blog as a way for friends and family to go and keep up to date on our adoption process.  (I was getting really tired of hearing, "have you heard anything yet?".  "Umm...no.  I'm pretty sure the whole world will know when we hear something.)  So instead of having uncomfortable conversations about the adoption, we started the blog.  And then it became a place for our family to chronicle our life together.  Recently it has opened up some opportunities that I never knew were possible.  There are a few adoption sites that have our blog listed on their site which have led some people to us.  We have been asked questions by people thinking about adoption but want a real life perspective.  And the coolest by far is the invitation I received to the Blogger Bash with Sassy.  I will always keep this blog as one for our family.  I don't do this as a career or any other monetary gain.  I do this for us.  I do this as a way to get some thoughts out.  But if I have a chance to help others, especially in adoption, then I am ALL for it!!  So a few things will be changing but the important things will remain...our family being the center of that.  But in case you have us bookmarked, you are going to want to change the link.  We can now be found at http://www.stapeshouse.com/.  Okay...how cool is that?!?  Really excited about that.  Please stay tuned.  I am sure that there will be a lot of really fun things coming at Stape's House!

Sassy Baby

We had open house tonight and I have been at school ALL day.  I couldn't wait to get home to jump on my blog.  (We can't access it from school.)  I received an email from Sassy, Inc.  This company makes such great baby products.  I think that Gus might own most of their products.  (And I LOVE that they are a Michigan based company!)  Sorry...I'm rambling.  Today I received an invitation to an exclusive party for blogging moms!!  I get to go (and bring Gus) to meet with their company representatives and learn about their products and see the new stuff that they are coming out with.  In return, all I have to do is blog about it.  Umm....how fast can I say "yes"??  Not only do I get to check out their great products, but I get to take a day off of work, go to my favorite side of the state AND take Gus with me.  Can it get it better?!?

I'm going on the 17th of September so stay tuned!  I am sure that I will have a ton to say.  Who knew that this blog would not only be a great place to talk about my family but also open doors to so many other opportunities?  Loving it!!

I wonder...

Gus, sometimes you are such a mystery to me.  Every day there is something new that I wonder about. 

I wonder....

...what on earth you are trying to say to me?  You talk a mile a minute but yet I can't understand your train of thought.  I am sure that you are saying really important things, I just wonder what they are.

...what are you thinking about when you stare at me with that "Perry the Platypus" expression.  (For you inquiring minds, Perry is from the TV show, "Phineas and Ferb".  I swear that my son makes the same face as this cartoon character!)

...why on earth you find it so exciting to pull every wipe out of the container.  What is it about that game that makes you happy?  Is it the fact that you like to throw them in the air or chew on them?  Really...that can't possibly taste good. Or is it the pure joy of wasting the good money that we have spent on purchasing the pack of wipes?

...why you are so picky about what kind of sippy cup you use?  Seriously, little man, they all have the same end result...juice.  But yet you have no problem eating grass...

...why is it that when you get really excited you like to bite your momma?  That is not the way we celebrate.  If you would please refrain from biting, I would really appreciate it.

...what you don't like about rolling any toy that is on wheels?  Why do you feel the need to slam it into the floor instead.  I promise that if you roll it, you will also have fun with those toys without denting the floor.

...why on earth you like to jump face first into your beanbag from the couch?  You scare the heck out of your mom now that you can climb up onto the couch and then you immediately turn to jump into the beanbag.  I shudder to think of the day that the beanbag (or Momma) is not there to catch your fall.

...what is it about the word "no" that causes one of two responses: an devilish grin with a sparkle in your eye or instant hysterical sobbing?  As much as I hate to be told "no", it isn't all that bad.

...how you are so smart at such a young age.  I know that every mother probably thinks that their child is a genius...but I'm serious.  You already have developed some fine motor skills by putting a straw into the lid of my Diet Coke.  You know that my keys unlock the door and you try each key on my key chain looking for the right one.  You put two words together the other day.  We heard you say, clear as day, "Hi dog!"  I am just amazed...what else can you do that I don't know about yet, I wonder.

...how your pudgy little hand in my hand as you walk down the sidewalk next to me can instantly bring me to tears of joy and pride.  I never want to let go of that hand.

...how on earth I will go back to work this fall, let you go to school, college or (gasp) get married?  I can't stand the thought of not being able to see your beautiful little face every day and hear that little belly giggle numerous times throughout the day...you make living life SO much better and you always keep me wondering!!

TORCH LAKE!!!

We were fortunate enough to spend a week up at Torch Lake.  Loved every second of it!!

Gus' 1st dip in the lake.  He wasn't so sure about it at first since it is cold...but eventually loved it!!

My Little Miss.  I LOVE how sassy this little girl is and how chaotic those curls can get.  Isn't she beautiful?!?

Gus and his mask...so he can go diving.  :)

Sunrise at the lake.

Two of my favorite boys!

All of the "kids" in the lake.

Gus FINALLY got to meet my cousin, Karen.  Loved spending time with her!

PEEK!!

Gus just adores his big cousin, Brendan!  They are so sweet to watch together!

Camera-shy, Alexis...I FINALLY got her to look at my camera!  HA! Gotcha, little lady!!  The Knight family came up with the Gyolai's and joined us for the week.  It was great to get to know them better.

Gus and his Aunt Sarah.

Gus getting a feel for the water.

Cousins!!  Love these kids!!  Can't wait until the Stoike kids come for the week and I can get a picture of all 7 of them in the lake!  That will be so fun!!

Had a great week with these 4 kiddos!