Growing the Stape Fam...

Big news!  We have officially started the process for our second adoption!  We dropped off the paperwork today at Bethany Christian Services.  I remember when it was just the two of us and we dropped off our paperwork for our first adoption.  SO nerve-wracking!  We had no idea what to expect and what we were in for...but we were excited.  We celebrated by going out to Texas Roadhouse afterwards.  Little did we know at that time how incredibly blessed we would be when Baby Spike (aka. Gus) joined our family!

Today, the three of us took our paperwork up to the agency to submit.  And then as a family we went out to dinner at Red Robin.  Joel told Gus we were going to dinner and asked him what he wanted for dinner.  Gus' response?  "Bugger (burger), buh-byes (french fries) and....A DIET COKE!"  We haven't laughed that hard in a long time!  (And no, Gus doesn't really get to drink diet coke.)  He definitely offers some comic relief!!

We can't wait until the day when we get to post on here about Baby Stape #2.  You will hear  about the baby on here as Sassy or Spunky depending on if it is a boy or a girl.  We welcome you to join us on our journey and follow as we update you on our blog.  We ask that you keep our family and our future baby and his/her birthparents in your prayers!  This can be a very rough and unpredictable road to travel down.  We are preparing for a long wait, but we are very excited for the Stape Fam to grow again.

Strolling Around

DISCLAIMER- None of these companies asked me to endorse these products...I just really love them!!

So, I discovered this weekend how much I REALLY LOVE my strollers.  I didn't invest in a full travel system when we had Gus because it just seemed overwhelming to me.  In fact, the only stroller we had when Gus was born was this one....

It is a light weight frame that Gus' carseat fit right into.  The best part was that we had one and I borrowed one from my friend, Amy, so that our Gus-sitter (his Aunt Sarah) could keep one and I could keep one.  That way we weren't transferring the stroller back and forth all of the time.  It was perfect!!  I strongly recommend this option.

When Gus was three months old, he won the Baby of the Month contest at Tip Toes, in Holland, MI.  As part of his prize, he got a great discount on anything in the store.  One of the items that we chose was a set of new wheels...A MCLAREN stroller!!

LOVE this stroller!!  I love how there are extenders so that the little flap there at the bottom can come up and Gus could put his legs out straight in front of him instead of dangling.  I love how it is light-weight and easy to maneuver.  I also love how it reclines.  For being an umbrella stroller...it is pretty awesome!

Recently, I have been trying to go on walks with Gus.  When I am trying to work out as opposed to stroll, I tend to kick the stroller with my foot.  And let's face it, that hurts.  So this summer, Gus and I happened to be at Babies R Us and I saw this...

It was already marked down to almost 1/2 off because it was the floor model.  But then it was missing a small attachment for an iPod to connect so that meant more money off.  And THEN they let me use a coupon on it.  I spent about $40 on this stroller.  Are you serious?!?  Who gets such a great deal?!?  I have discovered that I LOVE this stroller! It moves really well.  Gus loves the cup holders.  It is much better for when I am out on a walk.  (It is called a jogging stroller but there is no jogging yet.)

Who ever thought that I would be so passionate about strollers??  Before I know it, Gus will be looking for a new set of wheels.  Watch for that post in 14 years.... ugh...can you imagine what a nervous momma I will be when he is driving?!?!  YIKES!!

Everything to Me

Tonight, on Facebook, I saw that a friend attended a Mark Schultz concert.  This reminded me of my favorite song of his....and for obvious reason...it is about adoption!  We were shown this video at one of our adoption meetings and it still hits me like a ton of bricks.  Just listen to the words....brings tears to my eyes every time.

I hope and pray that we are able to raise our son to have the same level of gratitude for his birth mom that Mark has for his.  I hope that he grows up to be the man that I dream he will be.  Honorable, respectable, kind, compassionate, passionate about life, a man of God, loving husband, devoted father....the list goes on and on and on.  In addition, I hope that everything that we teach him leads him to be very thankful and appreciative of "J" and the choice that she made.  I know that I am extremely thankful for her and the choice that she made.  And the moment I met Gus, I told him that I would make sure that he knew of his roots and that I would answer as many of his questions that I possibly could.  "J" gave me my everything, my beautiful little boy,...and I will make sure that Gus always knows that!

Basket Case

Tonight I stared in awe at my little boy.  I am still amazed at how quickly he is growing.  And how much he is learning!!  Today he said to me, "come with, momma!"  My heart swelled!  He wanted me to follow him!  I would follow him to the ends of the earth if he asked me.  He dragged me to the kitchen, pointed to the box of crackers in the pantry and said, "PEEZZZZ!!"  He then ran over to his drawer and got out his own bowl to bring over to me.  Seriously!!  When did this happen?  And as I watched him walk carefully with his little bowl of crackers, I got to thinking about what his life would be like if "J" didn't choose adoption for him.  What would MY life be like?  I shudder to even think about it. And you guessed it....by this time, I was bawling!

Earlier today I was talking to our principal about his day yesterday.  He rushed home to get his boys off the bus from their first day of school.  He thought they would be excited....nope....no big deal.  Even that morning, apparently going to school for them seemed like no big deal.  His 6 year old basically said, "Bye mom! Thanks for the waffle!" and was on his merry way to school.  This brought up the conversation of Gus going to kindergarten three years from now.  Of course, I get emotional thinking about it...good grief.  The poor kid will be picking his mom up off the ground when he goes to school....I will be a mess!!  My boss and I agreed about how important it will be for me to miss the first part of my first day of school that year in order to get Gus off to his first day of school. If I am a mess now thinking about it....imagine what I will be like three years from now!!

After I put Gus to bed tonight, I jumped on Facebook and immediately noticed the pictures that my sister-in-law posted of her kids on their first day of school.  Again...the waterworks.  How on earth are they in 1st and 3rd grade already?!?!  Doesn't seem possible.  My poor niece and nephew...they have a crazy, sappy Aunt Beth.  I cry at everything with them.  I remember watching my nephew during his first t-ball season.  I was the aunt who was crying when she saw that little peanut playing ball.

Poor Gus...will grow up with his crazy, basket case of a mom.  I'm sure I will embarrass him quite a bit with my sappiness....but I think that is part of my job as his mom.  But at the same time, I am thinking that this first week back to school is hitting me hard and I am exhausted, therefore, making me even more emotional....I should probably go to bed early tonight.