Nathaniel Roger

Whew, I finally have a couple of minutes to get some pictures posted. Nate is such a little love bug!!

Sleeping on Mom's bed in the "hospital hotel room."

Getting ready to leave the hospital. Wish this pic had turned out better. His outfit has a dragon on it. I loved it because I think Nate is such a fighter, kind of like a dragon slayer.

This is Beth, his nurse. She was the one who discharged him. Those nurses sure took good care of him the whole time he was there. I wish I had a picture of all of them together!!

Nate's first visitors! We were so excited that Howie, Teri and Gabi were here when we got home! Somehow Howie escaped this picture.

This is my favorite picture because Emmalee is sooooo excited!!

Snoozing in his new glider chair. He loves it!

I am a bit obsessed with baby feet. His are adorable! I will have to get some better shots.

I will post more soon!!

Nate Is Home!!

Yes, it's true! We got home last night around 6:00. HOOORRRAAYYY!!

So, I must admit that I am tired. I think I had forgotten the sleep deprivation part of having a new baby. :) Actually, Brent stayed up with him most of the night last night because I was up on Friday when I stayed with him at the hospital. Nate is a pretty easy going boy, loves to eat, LOVES to be held, and is generally pretty happy. Ty and Emma are so funny with him. Ty isn't too sure what to think and has tried to poke his eyes out a couple of times! Emmalee is in love. She holds him and kisses him and rubs his head and calls him Ate. She keeps telling me "thank you for bringing him home, Momma." Last night before going to bed she said, "don't take him back, Momma!" She was very happy to see him again this morning when she got up. She was afraid to take a nap this afternoon though, and wanted me to put him in bed with her. I know after a couple of days she'll realize he isn't going anywhere. Cutie bug. The cat is very, very curious....too much so almost. She kept jumping in his bed last night and I finally had to put her downstairs. Hopefully she'll settle in as well. All in all, things are going well. Just trying to get used to the feedings and such again. Not that I'm complaining! We are so happy to be home and life is good. Nate is a miracle!!

I'll post pics soon....Nate is calling.

I Am

I saw this on Michelle's blog and wanted to give it a shot myself. Check it out and then try writing your own "I Am" poem.

I Am

I am Brent’s wife!
I wonder how I ever got so lucky!
I hear him as he plays the piano. There is nothing I love more than listening to him play!
I see how I have changed for the better since marrying him.
I want to be the best wife possible.

I am a Mommy!
I pretend with Emmalee while we play dolls.
I feel love beyond measure for my beautiful children.
I touch their noses and fingers and toes and love to make them giggle.
I worry that I am not the best Mom I can be.
I sadden to think that I may not learn all that they are here to teach me.

I am a daughter of God.
I understand that He truly loves me.
I dream of the day that He will welcome me home with open arms.
I try to do all I can to show how much I love Him and how thankful I am for Him.
I say the things that are in my heart through prayer.
I hope that I am making Him proud.

I am me!

On The Mend

Finally! We are feeling better and we are truly thankful! I was beginning to wonder if my cough would ever go away. I am just hoping this was the last of it for the season. Somehow I have a feeling that is wishful thinking. But, for now, we are healthy and doing well. Thanks to everyone for your emails and phone calls and prayers on our behalf.

Tis the Season

Blah! I am sick, Brent is sick and Tyler is sick. Luckily, (knock on wood,) Emma seems to be doing well. This has been a bad fall/winter for us as far as illness goes. Seems we just get over one thing and then move on to the next. I have bronchitis and pneumonia, Brent is on his way to bronchitis and poor Tyler has strep throat. Sheesh!! It's like Germ Fest 2007 around here!

Here's hoping for a healthy Christmas and 2008 is a Happy, HEALTHY New Year!!

Today's Emma-Ism

That girl just cracks me up sometimes!

Tonight she was mis-behaving and really not listening. I was trying to get her to listen and do some task or another. She looked at me and said, "Momma, just bee-lax." I just couldn't help but giggle at her. She is something else!!

Need A White Elephant Gift?

This may gross you out, but it must be said... Did you ever wonder why they bother to add scents to soap? You know -- scents like "lilac morning" or "grapefruit splash" or "evening dew" -- those kind of smells? Soap companies don't want you to know, but here's the ugly reason... They do it so you won't notice how disgusting the soap smells once you've washed your butt. Studies show that 93% of people begin their showers by soaping the lower regions and working upwards. That means that 9 out of 10 people rub something against their face that, only moments earlier, was gliding and probing where the sun don't shine. So now you know... The scents are added so you won't realize you're washing your face with tush-tainted soap. But before you puke into your keyboard, check out Butt / Face Soap. This brilliant cleanser solves the problem by clearly defining which side of the soap is for the face, and which side is for the butt. The words BUTT and FACE are clearly molded into the sides of the soap. And, to make sure there's no confusion, the Butt side of the soap is brown. Crude? You bet. But it gets the job done. Now that you know the dark secret behind soap scents, how can you possibly return to your old soap habits? For your next shower, switch to Butt / Face Soap -- And when it comes time to wash your face, fear not and breathe deeply. (just make sure you're sniffing the right side).

**This comes from a hilarious website called stupid.com. I am going to have to check them out for my white elephant gifts!**

Prayers for Rhett, Too

Another awesome blog friend is Pam, mom to Rhett. Next to my Tyler, Rhett is probably one the cutest boys I know!! He is going in tomorrow for a bronchoscopy. Please say a little prayer for him as well.

Good luck, Rhett!! We're praying for you!!

Prayers For Macy

When I first started my blog I would never have guessed how many amazing friends I would make through the blogging world. I have been blessed to get to know Emily, mom to Macy. Macy has Down syndrome and she is the most beautiful baby!! I only wish we lived closer to them so I could go and snuggle her. She is a love!

Macy is having open heart surgery tomorrow. She is not quite six months old. Please say a little prayer for her and her family. She has two adorable big brothers who are going to miss her so much while she is in the hospital.

Good luck, Macy! We're praying for you!!

Sometimes Life Just Is

You know what I mean? Right now all is fine. Not great, necessarily, but certainly not bad either. Just life. We're busy with kids, work, etc. Nothing overly exciting going on but all is well.

I suppose I should be more thankful for the times when life just is. It means that things are going well, even, comfortable. The kids are happy. We are happy. Life is.....well, I guess right now life is good. Right now it is comforting to know that sometimes life just is.

Please Vote for Ty & Emma

I entered a photo contest and you can help us win! Just click on the links and vote for Tyler & Emmalee. Thanks!!

http://www.picture.com/display.asp?ID=7548362

http://www.picture.com/display.asp?ID=7548361

Emmalee's First Haircut

Those of you who know Emmalee know that she doesn't have a ton of hair yet. But, what she does have was starting to grow in a little unevenly. We decided she had a bit of a mullet. My friend Gwen came over a few nights ago to give Tyler and I haircuts and Emma was determined to get her's cut as well. She was so good! I couldn't believe she sat so still. Gwen trimmed it up and evened it out in the back and it really does make a difference.

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard

Happy Fall!

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard

More Emma-isms

Here's today's dose of Emma-isms....

A little bit ago I could hear her playing in her room. Suddenly she yelled and started saying, "help me, help me!" Of course, I ran in there and asked what was wrong. She had a perplexed look on her face and said, "Momma, I just re'tending!"

Fall Back -- Blah!

There are three things I miss about living in Arizona. Family/Friends, good restaurants and CONSTANT DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME! Yes, it's true, apparently Arizona is one of the only states in the union that actually knows what it is doing as far as daylight savings time goes. They simply don't change.

Personally, I despise leaving daylight savings time. Why can't they just make it one way or the other and leave it? I know, I know, there are all those "scientific" answers such as energy savings and being able to spend more time outside in the summer evenings. I say Bah Humbug and hooey! (Picture me sticking my tongue out!) All it does for me when we change the time back or forward is throw off my kids' sleep schedules for two weeks. Plus, I seriously get depressed when it starts getting dark at 3:00 in the afternoon during the winter. Who cares that it is lighter in the morning, I'm not a morning person. I LOVE that is it still light outside at 9:00 at night in the summer. I wish it were that way in the winter as well. If I'm ever elected president, I will make daylight savings time permanent. Too bad that will never happen.

Halloween Excitement

Tonight we enjoyed a Halloween Carnival and Trunk or Treating at the church. The kids had such a great time! Emmalee caught on to the free candy in a hurry and was practically running from one car to the next.

Make your own slide shows and scrapbooks

Breath of Fresh Air

Many of you will remember my Argghhh! post from last December. I was so frustrated by looks and reactions we sometimes have to endure because of Tyler's special needs. I just had to post today about having the exact opposite experience. I am still in tears just thinking about it.

I took Tyler shopping with me this afternoon. We went to two different stores and in both stores, I had soooo many people come up and talk to Tyler, say hi, wave to him, smile, etc. Many people told me what a beautiful boy I have, (of course!) and what's more, people actually spoke to him. I honestly can't tell you how touched I was by this. All too often, people look at Tyler and fail to acknowledge him. That breaks my heart. That was not the case today. He must have really been turning on the charm today because so many people -- young, old, men and women took the time to say hi or wave or smile. He was in his element waving, blowing kisses, saying ta-da! I am always proud to be his Momma and today it was doubly so. He is just such a blessing to me and to our whole family. I can't imagine my life without him in it.

Emma-isms

My sweet friend Teri is mom to Gabi. Gabi is an older version of Emmalee. We call Emma Gabi's Mini-Me. Teri often posts Gab-isms on her blog and I couldn't resist posting some Emma-isms.

Emma is trying to potty train. She sits on the potty and she wipes over and over and over. However, she doesn't get that she actually has to do something. We're working on that. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago we were having a loud thunderstorm. Emma was sitting on the potty doing the usual million wipes. Suddenly there was very loud thunder. She got a strange look on her face and said, "did that come from my butt?" If only I'd had the video camera -- we'd have won on America's Funniest Home Videos for sure!

Tonight I asked her whose girl she is and she said, "I'll tell you later."

Yesterday we were sitting together on the chair and out of nowhere she said, "Momma, you making Emmy nervous."

I sure love that kid! Stay tuned, I know there will be more Emma-isms to come.

Super Cute Tyler

I just had to share this picture of Tyler. He is such a cutie!!

Hooray For Friends

We are so excited that our friend Alex is going to start hanging out with us every Wednesday. Alex is four and she and Emma get along so well. I LOVE having her here because she keeps Emma entertained. :) Here's some pictures of the two of them watching a movie this week. So sweet!

Pardon My Cynacism

Having spent all but the last year or so of my life in the west, I am more than accustomed to hearing about drought and forest fires. I've even seen several from a less than comfortable distance.

The past couple of days, I find myself glued to the internet reading the news and looking at the countless pictures of the fires in California. The images are frightening. Knowing that there is so much destruction, so much devastation, is overwhelming. (We have some dear friends that are there and are, thankfully, safe.)

Being as obsessed with the stories as I have been, I was more than a little disgusted today to see this headline..."Stars Whose Homes Are In Danger." Really? Do we really live in a society where we are more concerned with which tv, movie or music star's home may be destroyed by fire? Please don't get me wrong, I do not want to see anyone's home destroyed. I hate the thought of anyone losing their home, their possessions, their memories. The story itself didn't bother me. It's the absence of the other stories that disturbs me. What about John Q. Public and his wife Jane who worked for forty years to finally afford their dream home? What about Sara, the single mom of three children who lost the only rental home they could afford? I'm sure all those folks who could afford their $17 million or more homes aren't too worried about whether or not they have enough insurance coverage. It's the average folks who are laying on a cot in a shelter somewhere praying that they will be able to re-build. It's those people, who struggle to make ends meet, that I feel sorry for. It's those people whose stories should be headlines. I really don't care that John Travolta was overwhelmed by the smoke when he flew in to attend some awards show. Or that Tori Spelling gave an exclusive interview to Access Hollywood about how her gardener had to pack up and leave the estate. I do care about the little children who can't attend school because of the smoke. I do care about the thousands of people who have had to evacuate and don't know if they will have homes to go home to. Those are the stories that are worth reading. What a shame those stories aren't the ones being printed.

Field Trip!!

Tyler had his first field trip today to Gro Moore Farms. It was so much fun!! The best part was seeing his reaction when he realized I was there. He laughed and clapped and cheered for several minutes! So nice to know how much I am loved.



The tractor ride started out kind of boring.....



A little better now that we're actually moving....



Holy cow, this is so fun!!!



I LOVE IT!!!! YAHOOO!



Down the slide with Miss Carolyn



Check out my perfect pumpkin!!

Feeding the goats was a blast!





Walking through the straw maze with Miss Carolyn

21 Things About Tyler....

October is Down syndrome awareness month. Down syndrome is also known as Trisomy 21. In honor of this, I am following the lead of my fellow bloggers and posting 21 things about Tyler.

1. Tyler is generally very, very happy! He is easy going and super mellow most of the time. He is the easiest three year old I have ever known!

2. Tyler has very beautiful chocolate brown eyes. I love them!

3. Tyler's smile can light up a whole room. It is impossible to be sad once he flashes that smile.

4. Tyler has silly little laugh when he is truly happy. We call it the "W" laugh because it sounds very similar to George W. Bush.

5. Tyler is adopted and yes, we chose to adopt a child with special needs. (We get this question a lot!)

6. Tyler had cataracts in both eyes when he was born and had to have them surgically removed. Because of this, he now has glasses.

7. Tyler gives the best kisses ever!

8. Tyler is learning new words all the time. He is also learning to combine the words with the sign which is awesome!

9. Tyler loves to sleep on his tummy with his hands tucked under him. He does a little sort of shimmy to get into a comfortable position.

10. When Ty wakes up from a nap or in the morning, he rarely cries. He usually just starts "talking" until someone comes in to get him. Once we go in his room he either claps or yells, HEEEYYYY!

11. Tyler loves to go, go, go! He will ask to go about a million times a day. He really doesn't care where we go, as long as he's invited along.

12. Tyler loves to pull hair and thinks it is really funny when we tell him no.

13. Ty loves his Daddy!! He is a Daddy's boy through and through and will spend hours laying on Daddy on the couch watching TV.

14. We are all in the habit of calling him Bo Bo because that's what Emma has always called him. Now he will pat himself and say "BO BO!" It's adorable!

15. Tyler LOVES music. Any kind of music but especially Brent playing the piano. He will stand next to the piano bench and dance and clap. He is Daddy's biggest fan!

16. Tyler love the Doodlebops and gets really excited when they are on TV. Again, I think it is all because of the music.

17. Tyler loves to stand on the couch and look out the window. He likes to wave to all the cars.

18. Tyler loves the cold! He is truly a winter boy. He loves the cold wind on his face. He really dislikes being too hot and that is one of the few things that will make him really unhappy.

19. Ty has a huge crush on his speech therapist, Tasha. When he gets home from school I always ask him, "did you see Miss Tasha?" and he always giggles and gets really shy. I love it!

20. Tyler can make even the crankiest person smile and giggle. He can melt the hardest heart.

21. Tyler is perfect in every way and we are truly blessed to have him in our family!!

And Then There Were Two....

Tyler's little fingers continue to heal. He got his cast off on Friday. I must say, it is a good thing the doctor prepared us for how they would look. They were really scabbed over and sort of yucky looking. However, as the days go by they start to look better and better.

I still find it strange to see two separate fingers. He is using them more and seems to be getting used the idea. He is so amazingly resiliant and easy going. Such a good boy!

What's Your Name?

Stephanie over at Adventures in Babywearing had this meme posted on her blog and I thought it was too cute not to play along. You all should do the same. :)

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Freckles Chevy Malibu

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Cookies and Cream Thin Mint

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) Jgar

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal), Chocolate Brown Polar Bear

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, hospital where you were born), Lee Lander

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first), Garjo

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink),The Burgandy Diet Coke

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers), Donald Harold

9.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ), Loretta Lee

10. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter), Hunzie Houston

11. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower). Spring Daisy

12. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)Mango Socky

13. HIPPIE NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree), Cookie Crab Apple

14. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”), The Reading Snow Storm Tour

October Is.....

Just a reminder that October is Down Syndrome Awareness month. It is a great time to ask questions and get to know someone with Down syndrome. So, if you have any questions, please ask! I am always happy to share stories about Tyler and information on Down syndrome.

Such A Trooper!

Wow, Tyler is just amazing! Of course, we already knew that. His surgery went great. He went in about 9:30 this morning. The surgery itself took about two hours. They told me that he would then move to the first recovery room where they would help him wake up all the way, etc. Then they would move him to the second recovery room to make sure that he could hold down some juice and crackers and make sure his pain was under control. They told me to expect him to be groggy and fussy. I knew they would be wrong. And they were! He got done with surgery and the nurse came to get me to take me to the first recovery room. She said they were all amazed at how well he was already doing. He was happy and chatty. He was so excited to see me! He did fuss a bit but I think it was more a desire to leave than anything else. They brought him some juice and he promptly drank the entire cup. He smiled and waved at the nurse. He was happy and cheerful. So much so that they let us come home without having to move him to the second recovery room. That kid is something else!

After we got home, he ate some lunch and slept for several hours. Then he got up, ate some more and went to bed. He isn't complaining, not fussing, not crying. He's happy. And that truly makes us happy. We know he will have some recovery time but if today is any indication, he should be good to go!

Here We Go Again!

As you may recall, Tyler was supposed to have surgery in July to separate his "Spiderman" fingers. But, because of a new heart murmur, we had to cancel.

http://jodiegirl.blogspot.com/2007/07/tyler-keeps-us-hopping.html

We rescheduled and the big day is tomorrow. We aren't necessarily nervous about the surgery but still. :) Please keep him in your prayers, especially as he recovers. I'll update again soon.

Tyler LOVES School!

Tyler and Emmalee have both been sick the past few days. I kept Tyler home from school on Monday and Tuesday. I don't think Tyler was too excited about that. On Saturday when he woke up I went into his room and he was doing the "GO, GO, GO" chant. I told him there was no school that day and he cried. It was so sad! On Sunday we had the same conversation with the same results. Monday he did pretty well. Yesterday he didn't ask at all. Then today when I went to get him he was doing the chant again. I told him, "today, you get to go to school!!" He clapped and said, "YAY!!" He was so excited to see the bus driver that he nearly jumped out of my arms before I could hand him off. His teacher sent home a note saying that he was so happy in school this morning.

I am just thrilled that he loves it so much. I hope he always feels this way about school.

Strawbeddy Mecadine For My Heckache

The kiddos both have bad head colds. Blah! I feel so badly for them. I knew this would happen as soon as Tyler started school. He has such a weak immune system and anything he gets, Emma seems to get as well. Poor littles.

We have been giving Emmalee cold medicine at night to help with her symptoms. (We'd love to give it to Tyler also but he refuses to take it. That's another story!) Anyway, at bed time I asked her how she was feeling and she said, "I need some strawbeddy mecadine for my heckache." Talk about just plain adorable! I love her sweet little voice, even with the added nasaly sound due to congestion. What a little love bug!

Here's hoping they both feel better soon!

Play, Play, Play!!!

On Saturday we went to Strong Museum of Play with some of our friends we've met through the miracle of adoption. It was a total blast! The kids had so much fun and boy, did they ever take good naps that afternoon. :)

And she's off. They have a mini Wegman's grocery store to "shop" in. This picture reminds me of that old game show, 'Supermarket Sweep.' Emma was in her element.

Sibling Love

Tyler just got home from school. Emmalee and I went out to get him off the bus. We came in and I took Ty's shoes off, turned around for a second and then turned back to see Emma taking his socks off and rubbing his feet. (He isn't a big fan of shoes.) Then she said to him, "I miss you all day, Bubba!" Talk about making your heart melt! He gave her a big smile and giggle. I think he missed her too. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the love my children have for one another.

Pre-School, Day Two

Tyler was so excited to go this morning. In fact, at about 2:00 this morning he was laying in bed giggling and laughing. Brent went in to get him and he said, "go, go, go!!" He was ready for school! He finally went back to sleep around 4:00 and we figured he'd sleep in a little past his usual 6:00 to 6:30. Nope. He was awake and ready to go, go, go again. He is such a hoot. When his bus driver got here, he gave me a kiss and hug and went right to Larry! He will do well at school and I am so happy for him.

Emmalee was not so happy this morning. She told me, "Bubba not going to school anymore!" And then after he left she said, "Momma, I want to see Bubba again." Poor girl. This is going to be tough on her. She already asked if he has to go tomorrow. I was happy to be able to tell her no.

As for me, I think reality is setting in. I cried last night and again this morning. I miss him already. Thank goodness it is only a few short hours until he is home!

Tyler's First Day of Pre-School

Click to play Make your own Smilebox

Yes, it's official. Our sweet little guy headed off to his first day of pre-school this morning. (Or, as Emma says, "big boy school.") I knew this day would come, I have thought of it and planned for it. But, I certainly couldn't predict how I would actually feel. I did really well. I didn't cry. I didn't feel sad. I didn't get overly emotional. Well, at least not until I started looking through the pictures and realizing that it truly did happen. He really did get on the bus and go to school. He really did spend almost three hours away from me. I really did turn my little baby over to others and trust that they would take care of him and teach him and love him. I really did. There's no going back now. My baby is no longer a baby. He is growing up and there is nothing I can do to stop it. Not that I would want to.....but still. It seems like yesterday that I held him in my arms for the first time. Time flies, as they say.

Honestly, the morning went by rather quickly. Emma and I got a chance to spend some time together and run some errands. We got home and waited for the bus to come. Tyler was so happy! He went on and on trying to tell me all about school. I wish I could understand what he was telling me. It was beyond adorable and I could not have been more pleased. I know he will love school and will learn so much. Of course, that won't stop me from missing him every single day!!

Nice Matters Award

My sweet friend, and future in-law CJ honored me with a Nice Matters Award. She is so awesome!!

“This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you’ve been awarded please pass it on to 7 others who you feel are deserving of this award.”

My seven nominees are --

1. Sue

2. Teri

3. Molly

4. Lanna

5. Sheryl

6. Paulette

7. Bethany

Sleepy Heads

Our kids sleep in the funniest positions sometimes. I love it!! Did you notice Emmalee's shoes?

Tyler's Adoption Story

Click to play Make your own Smilebox

Saturday, August 11 was our three year anniversary of Tyler's Happy Adoption Day! It is hard to believe that it has been three years already. I have been thinking so much about that day and the time before Tyler came home. So, here goes.....Tyler's adoption story. :)

Brent and I had been married for five years. We tried and tried to have a baby. We had a devastating miscarriage about a year after we were married. I was heartbroken but undeterred. We continued to try.

In September 2003, while living in Utah, we were asked to work with kids and adults with special needs for our church. We were a little bit apprehensive but excited. We went the first week and fell in love. It was amazing! It was a weekly get-together of approximately 200 individuals with all different types of special needs. They ranged in age from 12 - 80! There were so many wonderful people and we got to know and love all of them. One in particular was a boy named Willie. Willie was in his early 20's and had Down syndrome. The three of us clicked immediately. He was just a ball of energy and had a personality that could melt even the hardest heart. Willie kept telling me that he was praying for me to have a baby. He said that he wanted me to have a baby "just like him." That really got me thinking. A few months into it, I told Brent that I thought we were meant to have a baby with special needs and working with these kids was our preparation. At that time, I was still convinced that we were going to have a biological child. Adoption was still on the back burner for me. I prayed and prayed and opened my heart to any child that Heavenly Father was willing to send. I left it in His hands and asked Him to guide me in my endeavors.

A couple weeks later I came across a website about special needs adoption. It was like a switch turned on in my heart and I realized that this is what we were meant to do. This was my answer to prayers. Willie was right, we were meant to have a baby just like him. I remember calling Brent at work and talking a mile a minute about how I knew this was the right thing for us and we needed a home study and we needed to do it right this second. I was ready, it was time, God had answered my prayer and I was on fire! I'm sure Brent thought I was a little nutty. I honestly don't remember a word he said except that he told me to look into it. That was all the prompting I needed. I started making phone calls. I found an agency that would do our home study for us. Brent and I talked it over some more after he got home from work. We prayed about it together and separately and both felt good about things. I made the appointment for the home study and we set to work on our paperwork, background checks, finger prints, etc.

We had our home study done in April 2004 and I got to work finding adoption agencies that placed kids with special needs, specifically Down syndrome. Brent and I were open to most special needs but I know we had our hearts set on adoption a child with DS. I spent countless hours online and on the phone. I faxed our home study to many agencies. Late one night I came across the website for Adoption STAR. I emailed them and went to bed. The next morning I had an email from Sara. She said that they were working to find a family for a baby boy due in June. He had Down syndrome. She asked if we would like to be considered and if so, we needed to call her right away. I called and spoke to her and she told me a little more information. I faxed her a copy of our home study. She said that we needed to overnight our adoption profile to them so that they could send it along to the birth parents. The birth parents were hoping to make a decision soon. I sat up all night and created an adoption profile. That is probably one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do. I wrote our "Dear Birth Parent" letter, said a prayer and Brent and I overnighted it the next morning. And then we waited. And waited. And waited. On Friday Sara called to tell us that the birth parents had narrowed it down to us and one other family but they wanted to have the weekend to make their decision. I think that was one of the longest weekends of my life. Late Sunday night I told Brent that I didn't think they were going to choose us and I was okay with that. It was just a gut feeling but somehow I knew. On Monday morning the phone rang. It was Melissa from STAR. She said she had some news, that the birth parents had chosen the other family. I told her that I somehow knew and that we were okay. We asked her to convey our best wishes to the birth parents and let us know when the next situation came about.

I started looking again. I sent more emails, found more agencies, faxed more home studies. I kept thinking of this little guy and wondering if he had been born, how he was doing, what was happening. It was always in the back of my mind.

On July 31, I turned 29. I made a wish on my candles that our baby would come home soon.

On August 2 I received an email from Sara at STAR. She asked if we were still interested in a baby with DS and if so, to call her ASAP. I picked up the phone and called. She said that it was the same baby we had been profiled for in May. He was born on June 1. The birth parents had placed him with the family they had originally chosen. But, things had not worked out and the adoptive parents had decided not to parent him. My heart broke for them! I could not imagine how difficult that decision must have been. The birth parents asked STAR to contact us and see if we were still interested. We were thrilled!!

Things moved very quickly over the next few days. We spoke to the birth parents on the phone and really hit it off. We made travel arrangements and got our finances in order. We had the fun task of choosing a name for our son. We decided on Tyler Jacob Charles. We love the name Tyler. Jacob Charles was his name already so we wanted to keep it. Charles is his birth dad's first name and we really wanted that to be included.

Most of those nine days is a total blur. On August 10 we flew from Salt Lake City to JFK and on to Buffalo. We got in kind of late and got a few short hours of sleep. On August 11 we went to the STAR office. After mountains of paperwork, we were finally escorted into the nursery. Michelle brought in our beautiful little boy and placed him in my arms. I remember looking into his eyes and telling him that I was his Mommy. He was so beautiful! All the years of heartache and pain melted away and at that moment, it all made sense. Tyler was the one we had been waiting for. He was the answer to all our prayers. He was the reason we had to go through all the trials and pain of the past five years. And my goodness, he was so worth waiting for!

We spent the next ten days in Buffalo waiting for clearance to travel home. It was great! We had so much fun getting to know Tyler and bonding as a family.

Now Tyler is a happy, adorable, fun three-year-old. He is growing and learning so much. I can't believe how quickly the time has gone. I still thank my Heavenly Father every day for this little boy, this gift and miracle. I can't imagine how I ever made it without him and I am forever thankful that he is part of our forever family!!!

So Much To Catch Up On!

Wow, it has been a busy couple of weeks for us. We had a great time at our friend Gabi's fourth birthday last Saturday.
Her party was at the zoo. She is a love bug and we're so happy we got to celebrate with her!

We didn't see many animals that day but they had a splashing stream and the kids had a great time.

Emmalee's dress got so wet that we had to exit the zoo with her wearing nothing but her bloomers, her shoes, her hat and her backpack! It wouldn't have been a big deal at all except that she is in this new phase where she has to yell "BYE, BYE" to everyone we see when we are leaving somewhere. She loves attracting attention to herself! We think she's a future Miss America!

Deep Thoughts....

Those of you who are around my age likely remember the 'Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey' that used to run on Saturday Night Live. I loved them! Well, Brent's sister gave us a funny calendar for Christmas. It isn't Deep Thoughts, but similar. I turned to this month's page and found the funniest one yet and had to share it....

Wishes

When you wish upon a falling star, your dreams can come true. Unless it's really a meteorite hurtling to the Earth which will destroy all life. Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for. Unless it's death by meteor.

You can find more of this stuff at www.demotivators.com

Amy From California

You know who you are, "sister!" :) Email me again. Every time I reply or try and email you it comes back. I don't know why???? Can you try it from a different address? I got your last one....Elmo is down permanently! LOL We love you!

Tyler's New Trick!!!

Man oh man, I love this kid!!!

www.tylergardner.com/video/Tyler_walking1.wmv (13.5 mbs)

Prayers Please!

My sweet friend is in the fight of her life to retain custody of her son. Please read this article and pray, pray, pray!!

http://iammykidsmom.blogspot.com/2007/07/prayer-athon-for-young-mother-and-her.html

Here Comes The Bride, and Groom!!!

This totally adorable little boy is named Tyler. Tyler loves to drink milk and listen to music. He is often found dancing around and begging to be tickled! He has been known to pull hair wants to constantly go, go, go!

This totally adorable little girl is named DramaChild. DramaChild likes to eat whatever she can fit into her mouth (especially pop corn), is known to tease her sister mercilessly, loves long walks on the beach and apple juice on ice. She is also often found jammin’ to music and dancin’ like a queen!

Tyler's sister and DramaChild share the same name. Same spelling and everything! Tyler and DramaChild are both adopted and they both have Down syndrome. They share the same birthday (month, day and YEAR).

Therefore, DramaChilds mother, CJ and I have decided Tyler and DramaChild are to be wed in the far off future. They're just too perfect for one another and we'd like to have in-laws we not only tolerate, but like a great deal!

You Know You're Getting Older When.....

I am closing in on my 32nd birthday. Yikes!! How did I get here? I am actually IN my 30's now. Sheesh. Anyway, I realized yesterday that some things in my life certainly point to my advancing age. Just to name a few.....

You know you're getting older when you receive a wedding announcement for a girl you used to babysit!! Holy cow, I nearly died!

You know you're getting older when you don't get carded anymore. Before your imagination goes crazy....the kids have colds. I went to Tops last night to get some cold medicine. I used the self check-out and after scanning the cold medicine it said, "please show your ID to the cashier." I'm sure they have all those weird laws for some reason. Anyway, I started taking my ID out and the cashier says, "no, you're okay." I was seriously almost offended. Please card me, lady! Don't you know my fragile ego is on the line here?

You know you're getting older when everyone calls you ma'am. The girl at the McDonald's drive through, the aforementioned checker at Tops, even the obviously older-than-me lady in the toll booth on the thru-way. I despise being called ma'am.

Well, I suppose it is inevitable. I am getting older. No matter how I try and deny it, it is happening. I'll try not to cry!!

Love For Parker

Please click the picture for information on how to help Parker. This beautiful little boy has many special needs and his family is in need of help paying for his extraordinary medical bills. He is a love!!