quick post before we go go

Later today, Todd's mom, Mercer, and I fly to NJ.


Rose Marie came for a visit on Thursday. We walked to the square and had dinner.


The next day (a very hard day) we went to visit several different day care facilities. Ugh. Not ready for that yet, but it's something that needed to be done. There are a few others to visit after we return from NJ, but she and I found one that we're both comfortable with. It's a montessori school that does care for infants (to take siblings of their students)... but she said she was touched by the adoption / she will have room for Mercer this year if we choose to place him there. (Rose Marie is part owner of a nursery school and her insight into the various centers was extremely valuable.)


Saturday was more fun than Friday... we went to a friend's house who was having a party for lil' M. Our friends Sara & Mike had us and a group of others over at their place so that a bunch of folks could meet and hold Mercer. He's really good in crowds. Todd took his camera, but did not take any pictures because someone else there was snapping a lot of shots. We'll see if we can get some for the blog.


Sunday was a low-key day. After a night out the previous evening and a nice big brunch Sunday morning, we didn't do too much. Probably good to have a low-key day before a big travel day? We did have a couple of visitors -- some who needed a baby-fix & neighbors just stopping by (to drop off a load of hand-me-downs.) yay! And, we did some of the "required" adoption stuff... finished filling out some of the paperwork (long overdue, I'm sure) and worked on the 1 month scrapbook for the birthmother. [contractually, we're required to send her picutres & updates at 1 month, 3 mo, 6 mo, 9 mo, 12 mo, 18 mo, 24 mo, 3 yr, 4 yr, etc] Honestly, things hit me Sunday on how much there is to do and how my maternity leave is slipping by. I'm a bit stressed out too that the nursery's not done and we have our first social worker visit 2 days after we get back from NJ. There's no way to finish it... which I'm sure isn't going to be a problem, but personally, I want it to be right! Dammit. (can I curse on the blog?)

On a happier note: Mercer is responding to me. I can talk to him & tickle his face and he's starting to smile now. (bliss.) ; - )


I'm planning to take the computer on the trip and will see if I can blog while in Jersey. 'Til then, enjoy a few pictures:


1 - Mercer and ReRe (that's what some of the relatives call Rose Marie)
2 - Mercer in his new swing (it's a frame that the car seat snaps into -- much like his stroller)
3 - Mercer taking a snooze on a boppy pillow. (The blue & white striped outfit is a little baseball number. Todd was pleased to see I put him in it Sunday because it was the opening day of baseball season. such luck!)
4 - Another picutre of the little sprout on the boppy (wearing one of my favorite gowns -- blue with dots -- so SWEET!)

hmmmm.... a common theme in a bunch of the pics: a pacifier. Lil' M is having issues "down there" again... we are experimenting with prune juice. Things get working too well. Then no prune juice. The poor little guy hasn't been feeling his best the past couple of days. (wish us luck on the plane ride!)

I was a little sad yesterday....

I put away one of the last preemie outfits that Mercer wore earlier this month. Oh - he's growing so quickly. He's a month old and is in the 8 lb range... so looks like a newborn to most people, but to us -- he's transforming right before our eyes.

Here's a shot of Grandma Gloria holding Mercer before she left out house / headed back to NC.

Here's a shot of Todd chilling on the couch with Mercer and Pigg.

And - a final shot.... Mercer is swaddled in one of his uncle Jim's tie-dye blankets. In the pack-and-play with Mercer is a wobbly wooden penguin. Looks like he's taking a nap with the baby.

It was a hectic week. I went into the office Monday morning to go to part of a team meeting (ended up staying the whole time & doing a little work with a colleague afterwards on a project we're consulting on). I mainly went in to take care of insurance stuff -- which we got hammered out. As it turned out, one of my other co-workers had a death in the family and our team was in a pinch. There was a 3-day training I was supposed to be doing in North Carolina this week, but my "back-up" was filling in. A couple of other trainers were to be in Mexico doing some work. And, there was one other training on Tuesday here in town. Since I'm out & my other co-worker was out, we were two trainers short... so - I ended up doing the full-day training here in town on Tuesday!

My company hired a baby-sitter to come to the training center and watch Mercer in the next room. I hung out with him on breaks and during lunch. It was crazy taking overnight duty (as Todd was out of town for his project in Asheville)... getting the two of us ready in the morning starting at 5:30 after only a few hours of (broken) sleep... leaving the house by 7:15 am... and leading a full-day training. It was a HUGE reality check to what work is like with a baby. WOW.

Todd's mom is on her way into town now. She should've been here around lunch time, however, her flight was cancelled with all of those wiring inspections Delta was doing. She got on another flight and will be here around dinner-time instead. Mercer is excited to meet another member of the family. (He is Rose Marie's 9th grand-child!) We'll post pics from her visit in the coming days.

I'm going to take the little guy out for some errands today. He is SACKED out. Just gave him a bath and I've heard that completely wears them out for some reason. (Maybe because of all of the screaming when washing his hair takes so much energy out of him?!)

ok... one more shot. Mercer sleeping while I'm blogging. LOVE his cute little snore. It's the best! - c

Happy Easter, y'all

Mercer is 1 month old today. What an unbelievable first month he has had! Actually, what an unbelievable first month WE have had!!!

We are thankful for so many things... this amazing gift from a young, but brave birthmother out in Colorado... our incredible neighbors who have been on this journey with us as soon as we got back home... and the outpouring of support from our family and friends.

We have never felt so loved. It is such an amazing feeling. We are grateful for everything that has been done to welcome Mercer into our lives!

This blog entry (now that all of the gushy stuff is out of the way) will be short and sweet. Quite frankly -- I ramble a lot -- and all most of you want to do is see pictures!

Here's a shot from Friday where our friends Susan & Chad and their 3 children stopped by to pay Mercer a visit. hmmmm.... looks like they want another baby brother or sister -- doesn't it?! (Not to worry... Mercer is not being visited by savage animals... the kids had their faces painted earlier that day!)

My mom is in town visiting for Easter weekend. She is a proud (first-time) grandma! Saturday, we went to lunch with a group of friends who we still keep in touch with from our days living in Gwinnett -- but snapped a quick 3 generation photo while out.

Today, Todd & I are planning to work on the nursery a bit while "Grandma Gloria" holds Mercer. We are also having a neighbor over for Easter lunch.

Have a wonderful day with your loved ones.

-- candice

all geared up...

I was teased by a couple of people about bathing baby in the bowl... and was asked to post more pictures... lots of pictures, so -- here you go:



Here are pics of M in his new bouncer. It's a scandinavian piece & uses "healthy" plywoods in the construction. We got it for a steal off of craig's list... it had never been used (it was a duplicate shower gift for a mother if a 14 mo old who lives near by... she said her daughter LOVED it.). We put Mercer in it but he's not big enough (heavy enough) to bounce it and make it move yet -- so he just fell asleep in it.

Also got this the same day: his pack-and-play. One of Todd's parent's friends generously got it for him & it was at the store ready for us to pick up! A couple of things that we're ultra-thrilled about: The fabrics are organic (so so soft) & the changing table feature that's on it. Wow -- changing diapers standing up is fantastic! We moved up from a blanket on the floor once we got home from the hotel (until a couple of days ago, we were using the blanket on the bed, but it's only 1 1/2 - 2' off of the ground / we were still hunched over. ) The pack-and-play is set up in the living room... and it's a bit too cluttered for my taste to have all of the diaper stuff visible, but when the changing table that we ordered a couple of weeks ago comes in, we'll resume to changing diapers in the nursery.

We're going to be visiting some family in the coming weeks & the pack-and-play supposedly travels well. The diaper changing station will certainly go with it! Here's a shot of lil' M in the bassinet portion of the pack-and-play. (Ahhh.... this may be one of the last times he's wearing this sweet little footed pajama. It's a toile pattern with little rabbits on it. There's only a couple of his preemie clothes that he still fits in. So sad!)




Finally -- stop the ribbing about the bath in the bowl. (you know who you are!) Here he is in his "real" tub. Picked this up this piece of gear yesterday also b/c he was just too slippery to give a bath in the bowl / it made us nervous! This "euro" tub has been formed to support an infant (with a piece between his legs so he can't slide down and things that go under his arms to help him stay upright in the tub and not slump over). As you can see, he's a little bit too small to fit around the arm pieces, but he'll grow into it. Every now and then, we'll update the blog with a (tasteful) shot in the tub so you can see how he's growing. After about 6 months, you turn the tub around and he sits up in the other portion which is formed to help support him as he sits.


Just got off the phone with a girlfriend of mine who I only see a couple times a year. Found out she had a baby boy a few weeks before Mercer was born! We're going to get to meet him in about a week. Can't wait!


A couple of other things of interest (to us, at least):

- Mercer went to his first birthday party last night. Of course, after he ate, he sacked out in the sling, so he missed a lot of it.... but that's ok. I'll see if I can get a picture of 2-year-old Holden eating his red velvet cake (with red icing). It was quite amusing to see what all turned red after he dived in.

- Mercer sucked his thumb for about 10 seconds today. He couldn't wait for me to get his pacifier and popped it in for a bit. We'll have to keep an eye on that one. I hear that if he gets started on his thumb, that he'll have a harder time breaking that habit later (more so than the pacifier) and may mess up the formation of his teeth?

- Kitty has begun to take an interest in Mercer. When giving him his bath today, she cried and cried outside the door (b/c he was crying at some points -- especially while washing his hair). I brought him out in a hooded towel to dry him and she came over / kept looking inside the towel. A little later, she came to snuggle up with him as he was hanging out on the couch.

baby's first....

** baby's first....tears were shed yesterday. It's interesring to see ordinary things we take for granted developing day-to-day with Mercer! We were reading a few days ago that the tear ducts should begin to function around 3 weeks of age... and so they did! (they happened while changing a diaper... first one eye... then the other.) They weren't major tears -- they just rolled out of the corners of his eyes.

** baby's first....throw-up happened yesterday morning too-- and what a way to start! I was leaning back holding him / calming him after a cry. He was positioned "just right" to throw up on my neck.... and right down my shirt. EEWWW! At 5:45 am, I went and woke Todd / asked him to hold Mercer so I could change and shower. It was gross -- but at least I got a shower that day!

Mercer & I had lunch with some girls up on the square... then he & I ran some errands -- one of which was taking "Flat Cooper" to a local landmark: the Big Chicken.

Flat Cooper was sent to us as a school project that my cousin's son is participating in. It's a Geography project based on the book Flat Stanley. In the book, Stanley is flattened by a falling bulletin board, but - since he's flat - his parents can stick him in an envelope and mail him across the country to visit friends. The class is tracking where all of the flat students are going.

Flat Cooper is waking Mercer (above) up from a nap to hit the road and go see the local flavor of May-retta.

My hope is that Mercer will meet the "un-flat" (regular) Cooper next month when visiting NC.

baby's first REAL bath!

Ahhh... Mercer's moving on up. He took his first bath last night (don't tell him, but it was in a large bowl that we have at the house!) It was cute, but - boy - did he get slippery! All went well 'til we washed his hair. He ALWAYS screams. He hates that part! (That was a 2-person job, so Todd couldn't snap a shot of him with a wet head.) Notice how round his belly is becoming. His cheeks are starting to get a little chubby too.

The previous evening, we went to dinner with a bunch of neighbors and some "former" neighbors. Our friends Scott & Shelli were in town to close on their home (diagonal across the street from ours). The ol' gang went out for one last hoorah while they were here -- before they returned to Mississippi. It was a chance for a few neighbors to also meet Mercer who hadn't seen him yet. Finally - it was a chance to celebrate our other neighbor's recent prognosis of *remission* from a rare pre-cancerous disease he had be undergoing treatments for. The other couple of kids (below) are from the next street over - but will be some of Mercer's friends growing up, I'm sure! Glady is a cutie -- and may be Mercer's first crush! Jackson is only 4 months older and will be showing him the in's and out's of the hood.

We ran some errands yesterday -- and bought Mercer's mobile. We have really been feeling bad that he didn't have any toys. We were reading that you should take the mobile out of the crib around 5 months old (when they can reach up / pull on it) -- so we figured we should go ahead and get it. I don't think he really noticed it yet, as he sleeps somewhat on his side. He did get a rattle from a neighbor (and we got him one too). So, hopefully, we will be keeping his mind stimulated and developing.

Got some storage bins too so that we have something to put his clothes in. (They have been laying in stacks on the bed 'til his changing table / dresser comes in.) It has really been bothering me in there having it so disorganized. These bins will help organize the clothes by size & season... but can be used later to store toys in. We didn't get to work on the trim work in the nursery (again!) this weekend... so we're shooting for next weekend. My mom will be here. Maybe she can hold & rock little M while we work on trim / paint / etc?

I should go now. I have lunch plans with some of the girls from Keep Marietta Beautiful. I need to wake up Mercer so I can change him, but hate to do that b/c - quite frankly - he did not sleep almost all night (which means I didn't either)!

Now, he's sacked out. Lucky dog.

We're ok here in Marietta

Got a call this morning from family in DC, NC, & NJ to make sure that we weren't close to the tornado that hit downtown Atlanta. Nope. We are fine. Pretty crazy though! They were talking about on the news how the SEC basketball game being played in downtown went into overtime with a miracle shot right at the end of the game. If it didn't go into overtime -- the game would've let out & thousands of people would've been walking around on the streets during the tornado. The newscasters said that we would've been talking about a number of fatalities if that game had let out w/out overtime. WOW.

I haven't blogged in awhile. Hope that's ok with "Mercer's public." Things are going great -- we're just enjoying him so much and want to spend a little more time with him than with the computer.

I forgot to mention in the last blog that his umbilical cord fell off Sunday afternoon during a diaper change Todd was doing!. (Whew!) It's healing nicely... and we think he'll be an "innie" as his belly is growing around where the cord was. Innie / Outie... either one would've been cute of course!

We have had a number of visitor stopping by to visit little M. In this picture Cristina (8 years old), is feeding him. She called when we were in Colorado and was so excited she could hardly talk. She also wanted to know if he could be her cousin!! so cute! (hmmm... 6 more years 'til she can babysit?!)

I take Mercer out just about every day (running errands mainly). Thursday was the first day we stayed at home. Only took a walk to the top of the street and back. It took me an hour and a half to go 1/4 mile and back! Mercer had to meet a bunch of the neighbors and talk. It is so great to see how many people are taking an interest in him. We love it!

Made up for his day at home on Thursday by taking him out ALL DAY Friday. He had a pediatrician's appointment in the morning. He now weighs 7 lbs 12 oz... and is still 20.5" (as measured last week). The doc says all is great -- and that she doesn't need to see him 'til his 2 month visit. Afterwards, we went to The Coffee Park (a play place for youngsters (9 months & up in one area & 2 years and up in another) and coffee-house / lunch spot for moms who want to catch up with other moms or just have some time to themselves once the kids are checked in and playing in the enclosed area. A group of mothers from the neighborhood were meeting there -- but many didn't show up b/c of colds that their kids had / they didn't want to pass it along. Only one other mom from the neighborhood was there -- someone I don't really know -- so it was good being able to get to know her. She has twins just over 2 years old and a 4 month old son.

Hit a consignment sale after that and got some great summer clothes for Mercer. Some swim trunks. Shorts. beach /pool type of outfits. etc. Great quality stuff at a fraction of the price as new clothes (although many things I picked up were new w/ tags on them still). LOVE the consignment wear! Also picked up a couple of Baby Einstein videos and a couple of books about play. I want to make sure we're keeping him stimulated and developing his mind at the rate we should be.

Took Mercer to Todd's office to meet the gang... then took him to my office too. At my office, they were having their annual conference this week & we went to the closing reception. It was great to see everyone -- I haven't been there for several weeks!

We came home and some of our former neighbors stopped by to visit Mercer. Scott & Shelli had their house on the market for awhile & finally sold it. They came back into town for the closing. We all went over middle names. We've narrowed it down to several choices. Todd & I need to finalize this at some point soon.

Time to run. Thanks for all who are checking in on us. We are grateful for all of your love and support. It means so much!!

Candice

better late than never....

Sorry for the delay in blogging... been busy!

We don't have too many pictures to post right now, but probably will later this week. (Getting some "professional" shots done later today -- we'll see how that goes. Thankfully - a friend / neighbor has offered to go with us to this first photoshoot.) Speaking of photo shoots... Did I ever mention anything about Zoolander on the blog? Todd (jokingly) says we should use "Magnum" as Mercer's middle name b/c he has this Ben Stiller (actor) modeling "look" down to a tee from the movie Zoolander. We're making a list of potential middle names -- but that one hasn't seriously made the list.

The only shot I have to post is a photo from Mercer's first party on Sunday. One of our neighbors hosted a "sip and see" (coffee / tea / punch / refreshments) for a dozen or so families to come meet Mercer. It was fantastic to see the outpouring of *LOVE* for the little guy so soon in his life. Honestly -- We've never been this bowled over by support and great feelings as we have going through this experience with Mercer. It's such a great feeling to see how much people care! In this picture a neighbor was holding Mercer. I was holding her 13 lb son -- and for people who came to the event -- they were really freaked out by the size of "my boy" until I explained that the boy I was holding wasn't Mercer at all... but a future play-mate who is a few months older than Mercer!

Mercer also had visitors before and after the party come by our house... so - he was definitely the center of attention Sunday.

I found out on Monday that my grandpa had a heart attack on Sunday afternoon. He was in the hospital for a couple of days -- and they have put a stint in one of his arteries. My mom let me know that he made it home late last night (Tuesday). I was worried all day Monday 'til I heard the prognosis of his chest pains Sunday.... SO relieved that hewill be ok and that it was found at atime when there was a solution available! He is such a character... so funny in a reserved sort of way! I have such great memories of going up there / visiting the farm / visiting Liberty Farm & Garden store that he owns / etc. I am so glad he's doing well... and I can't wait for him to meet little Mercer. Actually, I bought a cute little outfit with cows and barns on it & a cow burp-cloth specifically for his first visit up to the farm in North Carolina. I will try to get up there next month to visit grandpa and the rest of the family. My grandpa turns 83 early next month - although - I'll have to pay a visit later in the month. Can't wait to go up there!!!! I have always loved this picture of grandpa and my cousin (although I feel like he's a nephew b/c he's a great deal younger than I). Please keep Melvin in your thoughts and prayers while he's working on recovering. Mom said that he can't eat his sausage & biscuits anymore. I think I'll take him some veggie sausage, turkey gravy, and maybe some whole-wheat biscuts... see if that does the trick? Oops - don't know if he's reading this and will be privy to my suggested food "sneak." (Mom's been printing out the blog for my grandma to read. An aunt has been taking my other grandma to the public library to read the blog. I am so thrilled that Mercer's Great-Grandparents are able to follow along. SO COOL!)

Todd went to Asheville Monday. I kept busy with visiting people & attending meetings. Sounds crazy but I went to back-to-back meetings late Monday. I didn't anticipate going to the Keep Marietta Beautiful board meeting... only planned to visit and introduce Mercer to the gang... but the exec director of the organization wouldn't put him down. Literally. She is so smitten with babies and loved on Mercer Monday!! Afterwards - I went to our neighborhood association meeting to attend a session that I helped coordinate / I was very interested in: a Red Cross presentation on Disaster Preparedness. Pertinent subject... and - especially now that we have started a family - this is something I'd like to get more in order for our household. (As well as a will & trust, look more at insurance, etc. I feel like we're "officially" grown up with the addition of Mercer in our lives.)

Mercer is so great to take to outings at this point in his life b/c he just hangs out & chills for the most part. NO ONE believes me that he's fussy many nights & causes a lack of sleep on our part... but I promise - he does. He sacks out during the day and is the perfect little angel. It's all great, though -- and it's worth every sleepless moment!

ps... while Todd was away for his project meeting in Asheville, please note: he got a full night's sleep! I think he will start to enjoy these site visits more now b/c of the peace & quiet he gets at the b & b!

2 weeks old and baby's 4th snow

There is a flurry of big fluffy flakes outside. I'm certain that the snow that's falling here now will be nothing like those storms that Mercer got to experience his first week and a half of life in Colorado.

Mercer is 2 weeks old today. So far, he's doing great. If you skipped all of the text in yesterday's post - he is now a hefty 7 lbs. He has gained just over a pound in the past 2 weeks.

We think - for the most part - he's happy. But - he's having a hard time pooping (evidenced by his many "pained" facial expressions & change in substance in his diapers).

The problem began the day before we flew home -- and we took the advice of the other adoptive family who we met in CO. (Their baby had to go to the hospital while in CO b/c he was constipated.) I reviewed their recommendation with the pediatrician when there a couple of days ago & she was fine with what we were doing. She suggested a couple of other things that we could try. Little M is going to the bathroom.... we just feel bad b/c it looks like it's hard on him. We just don't want him to be in pain!

Today's plan: I'm going to yoga this morning. Then, we both plan to clean and work on the nursery. When we make some progress on that -- we'll post some pictures. 'Til then -- how about more pics of Mercer?!

Mercer in the cradle "Poppy" (my grandpa) made. He likes it and is sleeping soundly.... but again has wriggled out of his swaddle. (Love this series of onsies... each one has a cute puppy on the front.)

Todd feeding Mercer -- with the supervision of Pigg (the cat). It's so funny to watch Pigg with him. Anytime Mercer cries -- Pigg runs over and rubs on him/ tries to soothe him. We're both kind of amazed, actually. We're keeping an eye on him, though, anytime he's near the baby & are being cautious just in case. In the meantime, it's really cute to see this new side of Pigg.

10 years ago today....

Todd & I were married in Savannah, GA. Many of you were there and we're happy you're still here with us and involved in our lives 10 years later. And - aren't you glad you stuck around?! We are.


Another thing we're glad about: to share our special "anniversary gift" with you. We were supposed to go back to Savannah this weekend to celebrate... stay in the swanky B&B that we were married in... take a horse & carriage ride around town b/c we were not able to do so on our wedding day due to the rain (hmmm... it's raining here now ironically).

But - the arrival of Mercer into our lives is the only excuse I could think of to cancel our trip. This is the best gift either of us could have ever asked for.

(scroll down for pics if you want to skip over the "ramble" of text)

I got close to 8 hours of sleep last night (in 2 shifts) and feel great! Yesterday -- different story. We went to the pediatrician's. The CO social worker said we had to set up an appt as soon as we got home. I think it shows the state of GA that we're taking care of him / giving him the medical attention he needs. The appointment wasn't that different from the one last week -- except that Mercer did not "mark his territory" like last time. He did weigh a bit more: 7 lbs even. Went to babies-r-us for close to 3 hours. You really can spend a lot of time in there. When Mercer screams for food.... they're cool with you feeding him there. When he needs to be changed.... you go into the mother's room and there's a changing table, couch, diapers, wipes, etc. When he needs to settle down... you go to the section where they sell rocking chairs and gliders and you rock him (and almost yourself) to sleep. It was quite chill. Finally, we ended our outing with a trip to the grocery. You know when you've been away on vacation & all of the perishables in your 'fridge are bad? We left in such a hurry we didn't get to eat those thingsbefore we left & there are a few experiments going on in the 'fridge -- but the house is slowly turning back into a home instead of a dumping ground for all of the stuff we've been using over the past 1 1/2 weeks.

Today, I did laundry, started to unpack the suitcases, and set up the diaper & bathing portion of the nursery. There's still a long ways to go 'til the nursery is finished -- but that's ok... Mercer is staying in the cradle my grandpa made and it's in our room right now. Unfortunately - the changing table we wanted to get this weekend has a 3 - 4 week lead time... so I guess we'll be changing his diapers on the blanket on the bed (at least it's a step up from the blanket on the floor). It will come together in due time. Lucky for us -- I think his memory is only about 3 minutes long at this point so he won't have any idea that he didn't have the "ideal" setup from the start.

Here are some pics.

Left: Last day in CO -- checking out some architecture (in the background) before we head out. Mercer was in the sling - again - as it was too cold for him to get out.

Right: Mercer's last night sleeping on the floor. (No - nothing is over his face -- I think he was wriggling out of the swaddle wrap and his elbow is up in front of his face in the shot. Todd thought that his middle name should be Houdini b/c he is masterful at getting out.



Left: Mercer snoozing on the plane. He's wearing one of my favorite articles of clothing... "Chilly." Feels soft as silk, dons a ice-skating penguin, and is constructed like a ski bib. I found it at a consignment store last month & "had" to have it. It fit nicely over his outfit (it was a little big, tho) We put it on him b/c it was 30-something in Denver when we left and snowy.




Right: Mercer in his coming home outfit (a cute little blue star quilted number paired with a cotton star tee underneath. Apparently, Mercer is giving the ensemble a thumb's down, although mommy loves it!

i want to blog, but i want to sleep!

Our last day in Colorado (Tuesday) was spent making arrangements to get back home... taking a QUICK tour of a few downtown Denver sites... and having dinner with "uncle" Josh & "uncle" Dan. (Technically Josh is my cousin -- which makes Mercer his 2nd cousin?) but uncle sounds better! We came home / packed / got through the night / got up early on Wednesday to find another blanket of snow on the ground (Mercer's 3rd snow!). We finished packing / ate a speedy breakfast (incl lil' M) and hopped in the car on the way to the airport. We made it fine - but it wasn't without some stress due to snow, traffic, making a wrong turn off the highway etc. We literally only had 10 - 15 minutes to wait at the gate (not long enough to be comfortable!)

On the plane, Mercer did AMAZING. We had heard about giving babies pacifiers to help them with the pressure, but got advice from a mom on the way to the airport that a bottle was the way to go -- so we made him a small bottle when we took off and went through the 30,000+ feet of elevation change and did the same on the descent. He only fussed 3 times for a total of a minute each?! We were so relieved. (We didn't want to be "that" couple on the plane with the screaming baby. C'mon... you know what I'm talking about!)

Getting all of our bags off the plane / off the baggage claim turnstile & back to the car -- now that was comical. We had TONS of stuff and were so afraid it all wouldn't fit. (in fact, we bought a duffel bag the night before we took off b/c we didn't have luggage space... guess we bought a little too much stuff while there?!) It all fit in the car... we zoomed home to beat rush hour and were welcomed with ballons & banners on the front porch. Mercer definitely had a warm homecoming!

We introduced Mercer to the cats. (Kitty ran as soon as he made a squeal. Pigg - amazingly - stuck around as to not miss any of the action.) We showed him the room that will be his nursery. We washed the sheets that thankfully came in that day (custom-sized organic cradle sheets that I had ordered a month before to fit my grandpa's handmade cradle). We also moved th cradle into our room. We ate dinner by the pond and introduced him to the back yard where he will play a lot. (Plus after being in hotels and on the plane -- we figured he could use some FRESH / WARM air. 60 deg instead of the 30-something he's used to.)

He also got to meet several of the neighbors who came over to greet him.

Everyone has been so wonderful and it is a joy to see how much Mercer is loved and welcomed into this world. We are so lucky to have great friends, family, and neighbors.

I am going to dash -- try to take a nap before taking him to the (local) pediatrician.

Thanks, all!!!!!!!!!!!

Candice, Todd, & Mercer

Big Change... we're free to go HOME!

Just got the call from the CO social worker... we're free to go!

So much to do.

-I just booked a flight & have the same one as Todd.

-Talked to Susan about her not flying over (boy -- I feel so bad about that b/c I was looking forward to spending time with her & learning some parenting tips / she really wanted to meet little Mercer!)

-Need to cancel the add'l nights here at the hotel

-We planned to bathe him tonight... do laundry tonight... etc etc. We should add re-packing to that list. yay!

ps - here's a picture from today.

(we put him on the bed after Todd fed him)

Our Day Monday...

I think I pretty much wrote about what we were going to do Monday: the big items were to move to Denver and to meet with the Adoption Agency's attorney.

Before we left Colorado Springs, however, we stopped by the hotel next door and met the other couple from Atlanta who's baby was born in the Springs 4 days after Mercer. They (Paige and Larry) are also working with the same consultant, same agency here in CO, and same social worker in CO. It's amazing that we were all there at the same time. They knew about their birth ahead of time & drove to CO with a car full of gear -- including a bassinet. Their room had a bar which was enclosed on three sides so they turned it into a changing table. They made friends with the kitchen staff in order to get their bottles sterilized. So - it was kind of funny to see how they were "making do" with their home away from home.

Their baby was 7 lbs 4 oz when born. He did look pretty big compared to Mercer. He's got those big chubby cheeks that are really cute -- oh yeah -- and maybe this is normal for babies (we thought Mercer had this unique trait) -- they said that their baby, Nicholas, "belches like a trucker." It's just so funny to see something so small make such a big noise!

The hotel we're staying in now is a Residence Inn. I groaned when making the decision to stay there b/c of all of the hassles I went through in designing the Res Inn in Atlanta! But - we decided to go for it b/c it is also an extended stay with kitchenette. This one doesn't have a separate room - but it does have swanky modern furniture -- which helps me with the transition to live here this week!

Unfortunately, Mercer had a rough night (I think this is the 3rd time out of the past 8 nights) where at some point in the middle of the night he would cry even if you held him. Even if you fed him. Checked the diaper - nope - the culprit wasn't there. In fact, I changed 2 wet diapers in the middle of the night. (I suppose Todd got the worse end of the deal on his shifts?)

Todd & I are still working shifts, but since "the nursery" (the blue blanket & co-sleeper on the floor) is in the same room, we were both affected by Mercer's cries throughout the night. I still feel sleepy - although I got more sleep (around 6 - 6 1/2 hours of broken sleep) b/c I went to bed at 7:30 and started my night early. I don't think there will be an opportunity to catch a nap this afternoon b/c we're going to explore downtown, so I'll try to go to bed early again.

When we went to the Attorney's office yesterday, we filled out more paperwork - but have a document that is a court-ordered "temporary custody" of Mercer. The Adoption Agency still has legal custody until our post-placement visits & reports are finished in Georgia. The attorney thought that the whole process would take 4 - 5 months 'til we were finished and could go to court to finalize the adoption. (betcha' didn't know it would take this long - did you?! We're learning as we go along too.)

We were the first couple that this agency has dealt with from the state of Georgia since the laws changed Jan 1st (lucky us) - and they were having trouble with the folks in GA wanting "all" of the med records from the hospital including labs from the bloodwork that was taken. The social worker here in CO was really upset b/c she called the hospital and they said that they should have that info within 30 days. 30 days?!!!! We called our social worker in GA and she talked to them / called back / said they only needed the discharge papers, footprints, etc. Hopefully we're back on track -- and the state of CO can get the documentation to Georgia today. And - I think things will be easier for Paige & Larry in this regard b/c we're working out these new kinks.

I think that's it. I didn't think I'd have a lot to blog about (b/c we spent a lot of time on the road). I hope to have some cool things to blog about tomorrow from our adventures of the day. (Notice I didn't blog overnight?) I decided that - instead of doing stuff like this at night - I should force myself to sleep and only do computer work during the day. Maybe I'm onto something here?!

Thanks for all of the emails, comments, and phone calls. We're really having a lot of fun with Mercer even though we're a little sleep deprived -- it's GREAT!

Last day in Colorado Springs

Our last day in "the Springs" (as the locals call it) was very snowy and blustery. Don't know if it was classified as blizzard-like storms... but it's the closest thing I've seen to it. It snowed all day and the winds were in the 30 - 35 mph range. The snow didn't come down vertically.... it was blowing around horizontally. It's bizarre b/c the previous day this area hit (I believe) record highs -- in the 70s!

We had a pretty low-key day Sunday. We had visitors: my cousin Josh and his partner Dan. They drove down from Denver in the bad weather to come visit Mercer, Todd, and me. We all hung out here for awhile (Josh held Mercer a lot) then we all braved the weather to grab some lunch. We put Mercer in that gray bunting thing over a thick footed onsie.... I love that bunting thing! (The one pictured in a previous post where his arms are sticking out to the side... reminds us of the Christmas Story where the kid was so bundled up they couldn't move their arms) And - to top that off - we had a blanket over the whole car seat so that no wind would get near his face. He really seemed unaffected by it all.

We haven't caught up with Josh and Dan in such a long time. They are so much fun and we really enjoyed talking with them. Much like Saturday night's outing... it was relaxed... focused on something other than adoption (although we talked about it of course)... and it felt more "normal" to us in terms of going out & having a good time. We both realize that our lives will be different now with Mercer, however, we don't want to stop going out. We want to incorporate him in the things that we do -- as much as we can. We'll see how it all goes. Right now, it's fairly easy. During the day (when we'd be out) he'd fuss a little bit when it would be time to feed him - and afterwards - he'd go back to sleep. (Night time is a little bit different story, however.) We really have been blessed with a good baby!

We spent much of Sunday doing laundry and re-packing our suitcases. Also, Mercer spent a lot of time looking out the window as seen here during this feeding. I don't know if he could see snow -- or -- perhaps he was intrigued by the quality of light? (I've never fed him like that -- usually he's in my arms -- it's just that he kept turning his head, so figured put him in a position to look out.)

Later today, we're on the move towards Denver. I didn't realize 'til last night, but we're still a little south of the city. We're staying in another extended stay hotel -- and they don't really have them in the city center. I'm excited, though, to be going to Denver and do hope that we can explore the city a bit. The new Denver Art Museum was designed by a famous architect -- and we will check that out at a minimum. I'd like to explore "LoDo" (Lower Downtown) the area where I've stayed before when doing work in Denver. Probably won't be hitting the microbrews though on this trip.

We also have a meeting with the adoption agency attorney this afternoon which is just west of Denver. The social worker said yesterday that the road out there was closed b/c of weather. We'll see if it's passable today.

Be well. Candice

Baby's first Sushi

You know how there are all of those "Baby's first" milestones.... wonder why you don't ever hear "Baby's first Sushi?" Mercer didn't really eat sushi, but he had the next best thing: a bottle in a sushi restaurant! Wonder if he gets tired of formula? We imagine that the bottle he ate yesterday morning was an omlette? The one he ate a couple of hours ago - chocolate cake? We were joking around about the different levels of sleep and his dreams. What could he be dreaming about at this age? BOTTLES?!

Here's a picture of the whole gang from L-R: Doug (Kyle's dad), Mercer, me, Todd, Kyle, Cynthia (Kyle's aunt). It was really nice having a "normal" night out. We have been out to dinner and lunches and stuff a lot since we've been here -- but the majority of them are facilitated. This was light, fun, and a great break from all of the serious adoption stuff we've been doing the past week. Wow - has it only been a week?! It feels like much longer. Kyle did well at the day's event, but Academy didn't win this meet. I believe BYU won. Kyle hit a Personal Record earlier in the week, though.

Here's another shot for the family in Florida.

Spent a lot of time with the birthmother...

Yesterday afternoon, I met Danielle and we went to the mall... walked around and talked a bit... got a mani / pedi... and then went to grab take-out dinner to bring back to the room so she could visit with Mercer.


This morning, Danielle, her father, and her brother came to the hotel for a final facilitated meeting with the social worker. Her dad wanted to meet us. It went well and all of us had a bit of small talk and he told us a few things about Danielle when she was a baby. I did talk to him a little bit one-on-one and he said the most important thing for his daughter is that we keep things open and stay in touch. We can definitely do that.

We played with her little brother for awhile and left Danielle and Mercer to spend some alone time together in the next room.

Danielle brought us a book called Games Babies Play that someone gave to her when she was pregnant -- telling you how to interact and stimulate the baby at various stages. She also brought in her sonograms for us to make copies of. She definitely cares very much for him and we know this is hard on her. We promise to keep in touch... write, send photos, visit occassionally, etc.

Todd & I need to split soon. My step sister's son attends the Air Force Academy here in Colorado Springs. He's about to stop by so we can go to dinner. He runs track for the Academy and his dad and aunt are in town for a match he was in. Some of you who are reading this may have met him a few years ago -- Kyle stayed with us for awhile (he thought he wanted to be an architect) and he came to work and jobsites with us. He's in the Academy studying Civil Engineering instead. He's a great kid. (well, technically, he's not a kid anymore.)


Also, tomorrow (depending on how much snow we get overnight) we're going to meet with my cousin, Josh, who lives in Denver. We're "moving" to Denver Monday, but with his work & houseguests... we may not be able to connect - so Sunday's a time that we all can meet.


Things are going well. Things were finalized on Friday with the state of Colorado and we heard that the paperwork went out today. There is a concern (on mine & Todd's part) that the birthfather could not be found, however -- per law -- the attorney puts a legal notice in the paper and he has a couple of weeks to respond. Danielle told me yesterday during our afternoon of beautification that we shouldn't worry about the birthfather. He didn't want anything to do with the baby... and he won't pose a problem -- even if he is found. I feel bad for her that this was his attitude, but it bodes well for us and presented us with this amazing opportunity. The social worker here, our social worker, and our adoption consultant are not concerned... this is very typical. We'll see -- and we'll be sighing a huge sigh of relief in a few weeks if all goes as is planned.