Friday, November 30, 2012

The Adventures of Cousins

Dear Zell and Hen, 
The weekend prior to Thanksgiving we had an awesome weekend with your cousins.  We picked them up on Friday when the boys got off from school.  That night you played Spider Men creating lots of great poses for Daddy and me.  
You played so hard, immersed for a couple of hours in LEGOS.  
Henry's first Lego ship!
It got late so you went to bed and watched a movie falling quickly off to sleep.  The next morning we had breakfast at Waffle House and enjoyed the company of three goofballs instead of just one.  
Hazel is still working up to being a goofball.  That day we hung out and played at the Wonder Lab and stopped by Chocolate Mouse to get a drink.  
Daddy and Tony met us and we had time to play at the Third Street park before darkness set in.  
We picked up a big pizza and set off for home.  After pizza you boys played LEGOS a bit and went to watch the Muppets.  You took a break and helped me make chocolate chip cookies, far later than I would have liked you to have all that sugar but what is a night with cousins without fresh cookies?
After cookies you returned to your movie and Mama went to pick up Tony from a show he went to.  I went to check on you later that evening and the two of you were wrapped up together like pretzels!  Jonny sprawled his long skinny body across yours with his arm bending around and underneath your leg. 
You ended up in our room.  In the morning neither of you woke up early nor could you recollect how you got so tangled.  It was funny and cute!  We had to get you up to Indy to meet Uncle Gary and so we choose a great park on the southeast side because I had seen on Facebook that IVY Tech was doing a pumpkin chuckin' trebuchet demo there.  It was a beautiful afternoon!  
We all had chicken and played in the park a while while the pumpkins flew.  After the cousins and Uncle Gary left we stuck around a while and watched some more pumpkins.  As were got in the van I thought it could be fun to go downtown to the circle.  We had a great time making a new discovery, Rocketfizz, a store for all ages of sweet toothy kids and adults.  Candy! Candy! Candy! Soda, Soda, Soda Even a Judge Wampner soda from The People's Court!  
Which you would have no idea what that is because you are a little boy that didn't grow up in the 80's.  You did however clearly know what gummy sharks are and grabbed a bag for your candy treat while dancin' and shakin' your butt around the store to 50's, 60's, 80's music.  We picked up some wonderful sodas.  We especially loved the Huckleberry from Ameracana Soda and the Hank's Gourmet Rootbeer.  We can't wait to return and buy some other flavors.  The song as we left the store was your all time favorite, The Power of Love and it took you off guard so you froze in the doorway and then decided you needed to run up the monument steps.  We got you back and went through the museum at the base.  You had lots of questions, which we answered.  We came back outside and you ran up the steps gain, I chased after and we rode the elevator to the top.  We didn't like how tight it was and Hazel just stared around so we came back down quickly to meet back up with Daddy.  
At this point tired was beyond us and we got back home feeling very fulfilled with our weekend adventures. You're spending this weekend hanging out with Jonny Cakes again.  You were so enthused to get to see each other, your best buddy.
Love, Mama 

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Birthday Times Two

Dear Henny Cakes, 
Last weekend we invited your JoJo and your birth siblings Uriah and Tommy over to give them a little surprise celebration for their November birthdays.  We went out the night before to gather up the decorations.  Your words were, "I'm so extremely excited the boys are coming."  You hopped around the house giving me every detail of how you wanted things hung up and arranged.  Time clicked away in the morning just way to slow for you.  When our guests arrived you were twisting with anticipation to tell them.  So I unveiled our plans quickly.  The boys weren't so sure of how to take it I think but they saw the cake and were excited.  
Mama finished cooking the spaghetti while you guys ran circles around the house and dug into the legos.  It was a great time.  
We laughed a lot and when they left you passed out, fast asleep in minutes.  When we first met JoJo and Tommy he was almost exactly your age now.  I can't believe how quickly time has moved.  You have a lot of similarities with the boys.  You are a quick talker with a fast and strong little body, you're are eager to help when asked and you're cuter than snot.  This is why we have an open adoption.  I love being able to share this with you, for you and for us.  It was a nice afternoon together with family. 
Love, Mama   

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Little Glow Worms

Dear Cupcake,
I really love you next to your little glow worm, complements of your little friend Abraham.  I think you kind of look similar.  
 Love, Mama

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Hair Follow Up

Dear Cupcake, 
You're hair is growin'!  Your body is growing too!  Looks like you're edging out of the 0-3 months and fitting into 3-6 months.  Man babies grow quickly!  Well, your hair situation isn't as tame as your disposition.  Those cowlicks are still dancing at the back of your head creating a perfect mohawk that any devout punk rocker would envy, and without the glue or aquanet.  I try to pacify the up swoop with a little barrette but it works its way out of the clamp of the barrette and pops right back up.  
 We are in love with the smiles you've been giving freely.  
This is your hair's natural state!
This is just after a bath
Quite a few times we've had lil' cough exchanges or woops.  I love this.  I bought you a little snow suit for the cold weather coming.  It is still a little big but you were soooo cute in it.  Here is one with your pointy tongue making an appearance, just like WW's. 
We danced in front of the mirror today to your delight.  Henry came in and brought us pillows to sit on.  You still love the light and your eyes are always glassy with shine.  We are loving getting to know you.  You've just slid into our family as if your slot was just waiting.   I took this one to send to Bahboo just before his ankle replacement surgery.  
Shirt says, 'My Grandpa is a Hunk'
We love you babycakes. 
Love, Mama      

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Thanksgiving...

Dear Cupcake and Peep, 
Let's face it, sometimes the complications of life can get in the way of remembering all that we do have to be grateful for.  The holiday seasons the last few years have immeasurably been a trigger for me to jump to emotional extremes.  It was just before last Christmas that Daddy was hospitalized for extreme pneumoni As scary as those months were it is very real in my heart to be grateful that he is home with us doing well and life is back to normal.  In my spiritual mind I often practice the meditation and prayer on being grateful for the challenges.  I learn and grow so much in those times I can't loose sight of the brightness that guide us through the turmoil.  I hope to pass this quality on to you guys.  Looking at the "bad" things in these terms has helped me cope and move forward many times.  It does seem though lately those tests of my resolve have been coming regularly.  The Thanksgiving and then just after the New Year in 2011 we lost both Papaw Elmo and then a couple of months later Mamaw Mergie after stays in hospice care.  That was rough!  Just after Papaw's funeral finished totally out of the blue on the way home we heard that Grandpa Tim was in the hospital awaiting major life or death heart surgery.  That was a rough one!  The year before that, 2009, we lost Great Aunt Judy a few days before Christmas REALLY out of the blue.  Then this year Daddy was so sick, Grandma LaJean got blood clots after a hip replacement,  GG passed, Daddy's young Aunt Kelli passed a couple of days after GG proceeding a grueling battle with cancer, Mommy's Uncle Buzzy died two weeks ago from a ruthless lung disease!  There are other things but you get the point!  In the middle of all of this crap Daddy has a contagious intestinal thing.  He is pretty miserable and sad that it will keep us for the first time, ever from spending Thanksgiving with extended family.  It has been hard approaching GG's birthday and the holidays without her.  We are going to make the best of it with the Thompson four here at home.  Mommy is gonna bake a chicken and several sides and we are going to spend it together here.  I am so grateful we have the funds to buy such yummy fixings and prepare them under our warm and cozy roof.  That all seems like so much doom and gloom but damn it!  I am still very grateful.  Daddy made it through his illness last year!  Grandpa Tim recovered well from that surgery!  All of our relatives who died in hospice's care were in control of their end days with dignity and peace.  My Uncle Buzzy changed so many lives just before the holidays with organ donation (I am in such awe of this).  Bahboo just successfully underwent his 4th joint replacement, an ankle, with no complications.  Uncle Gary and his family are closer to us now.  WE HAVE BABY HAZEL WITH US THIS YEAR!  I mean holy cow!  Who saw that coming?  
Cousin Nellie and Ryan have a baby boy due in a few weeks!  We have continued positive relationships with Hazel's birth mom WW and Henry's birth mom JoJo.  We are so grateful to learn the depth and caring of our friendships this year, as well as the level of continued support from our families, special mention to your Aunties Krispie and Curry who are there at a moment's notice in an emergency with special touches and love.  I am grateful that after a decade of building our family we have a perfect little set of a Henry and Hazel.  That is what I am going to focus on today. 
Love, Mama

Friday, November 16, 2012

Families to Be Made

Dear Kids, 
This past weekend we went to pick up your cousins in FishersWe decided to meet up at an old friend's restaurant in Fishers, Tijuana Flats.  I've known Shannon since middle school!  In recent years we've met up on facebook and when they were thinking about how they'd start their family they decided adoption would be their avenue too.  The cool thing is she e-mailed us to ask how we went about it.  They are currently a family on the Independent Adoption Center waiting family's list.  They are completely ready to welcome a baby and birth family into their lives as they are down with the open adoption idea completely.  Hazel, they finally got to meet you after being there at the annual agency picnic when we connected with WW.  
I wanted to put them on our blog to perhaps draw some attention to their pages and a possible connection to their child.  Shannon has always been a warm, friendly and genuinely bubbly person and will make a wonderfully caring mama.  In getting to know John he seems gentle, easy going and easy to get to knowPeep and Cupcake, I won't ever forget the wait to becoming a family.  I don't mind taking a few minutes to give back to a family waiting for theirs to happen.  
>Here are several links where you can learn more about them, send encouraging words or pass along their information.  
http://www.adoptionhelp.org/family/4838
http://www.iheartadoption.org/users/johnshannonadopt
Like their facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/JohnShannonAdoption
Love, Mama

If you know a woman looking to make an adoption plan for her baby or could use some support from compassionate professionals to think about her options please have her contact the Independent Adoption Center.  They are supportive of any choice an expecting woman wants to make without judgement or trying to sway their choices.  1-800-877-6736 or www.adoptionhelp.org