Super Steelers!!

For those of you who don't know...I am a HUGE Steeler's fan. I grew up just outside of Pittsburgh, though I didn't really like football when I was there. I did have the opportunity to go to a game or two at the old Three Rivers Stadium, but I didn't appreciate how exciting it was at the time. When I got to college and really starting enjoying football, the obvious team choice was the Steelers. No one could call me a fair-weather fan...I'm cheering during wining seasons and losing seasons. Fortunately, we've had a lot more checks in the win column the last several years!

Shawn, on the other hand, is a big St. Louis Ram's fan. And for those that don't know, Kurt Warner (now the quarterback for the Cardinals) took the Rams to the Super Bowl twice and won it with St. Louis once. This meant Shawn was rooting for the Cardinals last night. Too bad that didn't work out for him!! I won the battle, though, on what team colors Laura would wear. I mean she has black hair that looks perfect with a gold bow in it...red just isn't her color:) Laura was very excited to being experiencing her first Super Bowl. She waved my Terrible Towel and watched everyone respond to big plays on the screen. And then it was time for her to go to bed...

Laura usually does pretty well going to bed at other people's houses. We just set up her pack-n-play, give her a bottle and lay her down. She cries for a few minutes and then is sound asleep until we are ready to leave. Last night, however, there was just too much going on. There were 12 other kids at the party making a lot of noise! Laura fell asleep just fine, but about an hour after she went down, we were informed she was crying upstairs. Shawn tried to comfort her...I tried to comfort her. There was no comforting for Laura. Then came the big parenting decision. Do we let her stay awake so we don't miss any of the game or do we go home so she gets a good night's sleep? Well, as you can see from the picture -- Laura was up WAY past her bedtime last night!! She doesn't seem any worse for the wear this morning and we were able to see the rest of the game. Oh well, bedtime rules are made to be broken sometimes:)

Hodge Podge

Things are finally getting into a routine around our house, which means...we are back to Sunday night blogging! It seems like it has been forever since I've written a post ... so sorry for the scattered nature of this one:) We are absolutely loving being parents of little Laura. She is the cutest baby, full of life and personality. She is a really happy, content child who loves to play and eat!! Laura and I spend our days hanging out together doing random and assorted things. She loves to go grocery shopping with me and has really enjoyed story time the last two weeks at the library. She has also learned the fine art of walking the mall!! We have enjoyed hanging out with our other stay-at-home mom friends and their kids as well as spending time with Nana and Grandad. I can't believe I go back to work (part-time) in just 5 weeks...the time is flying!!

Last Sunday was Baby Dedication day at our church. We were one of about 7 families dedicating their children. Laura did a great job and didn't make a peep the whole time we were standing in front of the church. We went out to eat with my parents after the service and we were again surprised at how well Laura does entertaining herself at restaurants. I know once she learns to crawl it will be hard to keep her in a highchair for an hour or two...but for now as long as she has a full belly and lots of puffs to keep her entertained -- she is happy as a clam!!

Shawn has every-other Friday off from work and since the weather was almost 60 degrees this Friday, we decided to take a trip to Maymont (a large park here in town). We also had the ulterior motive of trying to get some really cute pictures of Laura for our adoption announcement. Laura loved being outside and was quite the model for all the pictures we took! She ate her first leaf and tried to eat some grass...I tell you this child puts anything and everything in her mouth! We also went to the indoor nature center where she watched the turtles and fish swim around in their aquariums. She is very observant and follows everything with her eyes. I was surprised she stayed so interested in the animals at the center.

One of the most noticeable and talked about features of Laura is her hair...it stands straight up and never lays down!! Shawn went for a run yesterday morning and when he pulled his hat off, his hair was standing straight up, too. We decided to take a picture -- Like Father, Like Daughter!! My mom (Laura's Nana) bought some bows for Laura's hair a few weeks ago. I thought that Shawn might think they were silly, but now he is crazy about the bows, too, and we never leave the house without one in Laura's hair!!

As you can see, we have been keeping busy. We are always looking for a chance to take pictures and it was really hard to narrow down the choices for today's blog post. Next Sunday night, Laura will be watching the Super Bowl in her very own Steeler's outfit (complete with a gold bow!). Be sure to check back on Monday for the latest updates and new pictures!

Fatherly thoughts for Laura

Recently, I was asked to share some of my thoughts about the adoption process in a first-person article for a package of related stories. Here is the article I wrote. To read more of these stories go to bpnews.net. After Monday, you'll need to type "Adoption" in the keyword search to find them. -Shawn

I accidentally put your shirt on backwards the other day. The buttons and ruffles looked normal to me in the back.You didn't seem to mind.

Fortunately, your Mother caught the mistake before we introduced you to some of our friends. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm still figuring out this whole parenting thing. I probably will be for the rest of my life.

One thing I do know is how excited your Mother and I are to have you in our family. As I write this, you're 7 months old and probably still sleeping right now, clutching your pink blanket and sucking on your two favorite fingers. You don't really have much of a clue how your life has changed in the past month.

You've had quite a journey so far.

A little more than a month ago you didn't know your Mother and I existed. You were spending your days in an orphanage in Bogota, Colombia. While visiting the orphanage, we met the people who cared for you. We took a picture of the room you slept in, and we played with some of the other babies who are awaiting parents. By all appearances, you were well cared for -- and for that, your Mother and I are thankful.

We'll never forget the first time we met you. I remember seeing that black spiky hair. It stood straight up with you smiling all the way down the hall as they carried you to us. I remember thinking how much darker and thicker it was compared to the first picture we saw of you.We remember thinking how in the picture you appeared to be on the verge of tears with those big watery eyes. Your Mother and I wanted to jump on the first plane we could find down to Colombia to hold you. Instead, we ended up waiting two months for the final paper work to be approved.

So far nothing has really turned out the way we expected.

For the first few years of our marriage, your Mother and I wondered if we'd ever become parents. There were difficult days when we asked God, "Why don't you want us to have a child?" Selfishly, we expected things to go exactly like they seemed to be going for just about every one of our pregnant friends.

"Our plans" never surfaced -- and thankfully so.

Through all of this we learned that all children truly are a miracle -- a gift from God.

Laura, you are a miracle. In a world where so many young women choose not keep an unexpected pregnancy, your biological mother chose to carry and bring you into this world. So many other women in similar positions would have chosen to abort their child. Your biological mother made the right decision. Because of that, you have blessed our lives.

We've found joy in even the simple things of parenting -- watching you sleep, giving you bottles and baths and saying our nightly prayers together.

One thing you can know for certain is that we love you and will do everything we can to raise you in a godly home.

You also have wonderful grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends who are excited -- to say the least -- that you are in their lives. I remember how you cried when my family practically stormed our car to get their hands on you.

Maybe someday you'll want to return to your home country and learn about your biological family and heritage. If that day comes, you have our word that we will do everything that we can to help you. Until you're 18, your Mother and I plan to give you a small gift from Colombia every year on Dec. 1, the day you joined our family. It's our way of saying how blessed we are to have you in our lives.

Some family friends have asked if you feel like "ours" or do we feel like your parents. Our answer is always "absolutely."

I'm sure at 2 a.m., when we wake up to feed you and change your diaper, we feel exactly like most parents do -- overwhelmed, tired and overjoyed. It's a wonderful mix. We can't imagine loving you more than we do or living without you. There's nothing like being your Mom and Dad. We're thankful that things didn't turn out like we expected. We wouldn't have it any other way.

A New Post...Finally!!

We have been getting lots of complaints about the lack of updated pictures as well as requests for a new post. Well, I'm finally getting around to it. Unfortunately, Laura and I have both been sick so not much has been happening around our house. She is much better but I am still in the middle of all the coughing, sneezing, and nose blowing!! Laura seems to really like her home. We got back to VA last Friday and spent the weekend at my parents. They just love her!! We got to our own home on Sunday night and have been adjusting well ever since. I know most people just want to see pictures, so here are some of the best since our last post. We'll write more soon!

Laura's first plane ride...she loved it! Laura loving her carseat!

Laura with her Mema (Shawn's mom).

Laura with my grandparents and Aunt.

Laura with Nana and Grandad (my parents).