Hello...My Name is Jeff and My Son Wears a Sleep Sack

My son wears a sleep sack to bed.  What is a sleep sack you ask?  A sleep sack is a cross between a sleeveless snuggie and  a floor length dress that is sewn at the bottom(pics below).   It is an embarrassment for a young boy.  It is an embarrassment for a young boys' father,  but every night I dutifully zip him up.  His innocent face not realizing the shame I bring upon his tiny reputation.   He doesn't see to mind though and even learned how to navigate fairly well in the cumbersome fashion faux pas.  He's worn the sleep sack since arriving from Russia last year. It was a gift from Catherine's mom because she thought our house was too cold and Hayes kicks off his blankets during the night. The sleep sack is the solution because it cannot be removed by said toddler.

Why so much hate you ask, for such a harmless piece of sleepwear?  I'm not sure myself..it just seems wrong, like a wipes warmer, or overpriced baby snacks(I'm looking at you Gerber Banana Raspberry Puffs).  Like I'm turning my son into some sissy. When I was a baby we had a blanket, cheerios and our butts got wiped with room temperature wipes.  Is a sleep sack turning my son into a sissy? 

So if I don't like the sleep sack, why don't I just take it off of him?   Here's the rub.  I tried.  Once.  One night, Catherine was out, I decided enough was enough, the sleep sack had to go.  So down he went sans sack o' sleep.   My son sleeps in until 8:30 or 9 in the morning, every morning(I know...don't hate me), and since I'm the one who has to get up with him in the mornings that works out perfect.  The night I put him to bed without the sleep sack, the next morning he woke up at 7:15am.  Coincidence?  I don't know because the next night I made sure he was wearing that sleep sack.  I don't care if it's pink and has a tutu, if it's going to let Dad get some sleep then slap it on, tuck it in and zip it up.  Hmmm...7am without a sleep sack or 9am with one.  The choice is...well there really isn't one.  So son, if you turn out to be a bit of a sissy, well, at least you'll be a well rested one. 

Having a Ball!

Bocce Ball has to be one of the first games ever invented.  I mean can it get more basic than throw your ball closer to the little white ball than anyone else.  The evening was sultry, the bugs were biting, the ball jokes were flying("Dad, Delaney has my balls..."- insert punchline) and the teams were set(boys vs. girls).   We usually play boys versus girls when playing teams.  Even playing Pinochle with my grandparents, the teams are still drawn along gender lines.  Max would say we split teams up this way because "Boys Rule!".   Anyway the boys did not rule this particular game of Bocce Ball, blowing a sizable lead to lose by a few fractions of an inch as you can see in that last picture.   Although I think I won where it counts...

                                       

                                                           Mosquito bites

                                                            Catherine:   5

                                                                     Jeff :   0 

 

Little Blue Bear

They say the sense of smell is the strongest of the five senses tied to memory. With that in mind, my adoption agency suggested that I give my son a stuffed animal rolled in my scent, so that I would be somewhat familiar to him when I picked him up from the orphanage on his Gotcha Day!
So I traveled 5,105 miles from Peoria, IL to Moscow, Russia in July of 2010 with a little blue bear tucked under my arm to deliver to my son. I slept with that bear for a week straight. It sat in my lap on every flight connection we took, every hotel room we stayed in, every nap on the couch I attempted.

The first day we met Hayes, I was in such a frenzy, I forgot the bear in our hotel room. The second day we saw our son, I was thrilled to give him his very first present. I saved this bear in hopes that he'd have a keepsake of that special year we met him. These pictures were taken exactly one year apart--July 23, 2010/2011. Same bear. Same dress. Same little boy. But now I'm officially his mom. And that is the sweetest gift I've ever been given. I'm thankful every day that the Lord chose to complete our family through the miracle of adoption. I'm humbled to be entrusted with the task of raising such a precious life. My son is the great love of my life. My greatest wish for him is that he knows the love of the One who created him...and that he lives out of the confidence and abundance of that love.

A year ago...

So it was a year ago today that we met our son, or so Catherine tells me.  I remember him crying a lot at first but once we brought him outside he calmed down.  We walked around the outside of the orphanage holding this little bald person and wondered what it would be like for him to be a part of our lives.   It all happened so quickly what with having to fly to Russia with just a little over a week's notice.   Our flight was delayed, our appointments pushed back, and then a paperwork problem but once we got to the orphanage and spent time with our son it became tangible,  like maybe this was all worth it, maybe we were supposed to be here,  maybe God was working.   Of course a year later we can look back and replace the "maybe" with a "definitely" -  A year ago I'm glad I got to meet that bald, babbling baby we named Hayes.

The more things change...

The more they stay the same.   I was looking over past blog posts and noticed this picture from a 2008 blog post about a trip to the Wisconsin Dells and our stay at the Wilderness Lodge.  Wow that picture looks familiar, I said to myself.  Well that's because I took the exact same picture of Max on the same waterslide when we went to Wilderness Lodge this month.   Max still has the same forced smile he does when he knows your taking a picture of him.  Well, the Dells are always fun for the kids and that was no exception this year.   If you want to check out the 2008 blog post there will be a link below as well as a link to a slideshow of our pics from this year. 

 

2008 Blog Post

A Lot of Hot Air

A dozen hot air balloons soaring 80 feet high...
35 pilots from all over the country...
Three Sisters Park was the place to be Saturday night.
We wanted to give my parents a taste of Central Illinois. So we tromped through fairgrounds in 100 degree heat to get a closeup of these golden orbs in the sky. :) The kids were nonplussed but Jeff the photog gave the experience a glowing review.

Evening at the Riverfront in Pictures

With the folks in town,  we decided to enjoy an evening at the Peoria riverfront.    It wasn't too hot and Hayes got to enjoy some time at the playground. 

Doctor Speak

1. Remarkable = BAD. I smiled like a doofus when my doctor kept commenting on my "remarkable" ankle and "remarkable results." Turns out he wasn't complimenting my bloated limb. He meant to say, this chick who's been hobbling like an 80 year old with a swollen ankle is screwed.

2. A tap is not a gentle strike on the shoulder. When my doctor suggested an "ankle tap" I still had that goofy smile on my face. He called me brave. No sir, it's pure ignorance. When he left the room my stepfather (a physician himself) explained that the doctor would be making a painful insertion of a needle into my ankle to extract fluid. HUH? Ok, something was definitely lost in translation!

3. You'll just feel a little pinch = it'll hurt like mad for a few seconds but once we've suckered that needle in your vein, there's nothing you can do about it...so go to your happy place as we take upteen vials of blood. I thought of the day Hayes was officially declared my son. I re-lived that moment about 20 times today as the friendly vampires at Proctor bled me dry. I prayed for his birth mom, I prayed for those babies in our son's group that we left behind, and I prayed for my healing. Harder than I ever have in my life!

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and also

 my(Jeff's) winning board in the card game 7 Wonders that we played  tonight.  This is one of our families favorite games we play together.  

Max & Laney All Smiles Until the Scores are Added Up!

Schools in Session

Max and Laney were interested in learning how to take pictures.  So tonight I gave them a quick lesson in photography(shutter speed, aperture etc..).  Here's a couple of their shots that turned out pretty good. 

Florida Vacation 2011 Slideshow

Memor

Memor: the Latin word for grateful defined as: mindful, remembering, prudent.
I've been the recipient of so much love and grace this past week. Amid my present state of pain, my heart is overflowing with gratitude for good friends and family. When I was healthy, I took for granted the fabulous support system I have. I'm thankful for friends who've dropped off meals so that I don't have to cook, I'm relieved that I can count on a select few people to pamper my son when I'm unable to provide him adequate care, and droves of friends have sent messages of encouragement and prayer support. For that I am so grateful.
For an on-the-go girl like me, it's hard to be still. But I've been forced into a state of stillness and given an opportunity to take an honest look at my life. Are my relationships authentic? Am I investing in things of eternal importance? Would I rather be right or would I rather have peace?
I'll be honest. I've stood my ground in my blended family situation on many occasions because I believed I was in the right. Still do. :) And I'm a real justice-oriented person who believes in fairness. But frankly at this point in my life, I'm going to try to choose peace over being right. Not because I want to give up and be a push-over. But because life is tenuous and short. And I'd really rather spend my good days enjoying peace of mind and peace of heart. I want to live in that state of grace. Having gratitude for the rich relationships I have, grateful for another day to serve the Lord, and just having gratitude for my life, however messy it can be.

Hayes' First Guys Night

Welcome to my world

My bones are on fire. It's 5am on a Saturday. Normally I sleep in until 10 but on this day, a radiating pain from the tips of my toes to my fingertips startles me awake. I crawl to the bathroom. The pain in my joints won't let me crawl. I lay still as glass in the hallway, half hoping my husband hears my plaintive cries for help. I think about my son in the next room. The most important thing I have ever done and will ever do is nurture his precious life. I desperately want to get healthy so that I can be the mom I want to be. I think of my husband. The vows "in sickness and in health" take on a whole new meaning when you're sick. I'm glad I married a man who takes his marriage vows seriously. I think of my friends who've lovingly cared for my son in my absence, those who've dropped off meals so that I don't have to cook, and those who've offered words of encouragement and support. I love my friends. I'm grateful and humbled to be rendered helpless by pain. I'm praying for healing, for answers and for the courage to face whatever comes my way.

Pool Pose

Hayes 2011