Buddy Round Up!

Dear Henny (and sleeping Hazel), 
You both may not know it yet but you've been getting to grow up with the most amazing kids and adults around you.  Henry, in the same time period as your adoption three other families adopted too (and later 4 when Nissy and Jim adopted their daughter).  It has been a giant blessing in our lives to have these families a part of ours (as well as Doug and Peter who's journey to parenthood took different paths and concluded with a decision to not to become parents.)  Without these ladies Mommy would be much more wack-a-doo.  We can all now say we've met at least once a month for the last several years and more accurately in recent years it has been at least once a week. You do not tolerate long stretches with out your buddies.  Soon you will all be on a preschool schedule of Tuesday and Thursday and I see Wednesday becoming our regular play date.  Last week we met up at the Children's Museum in Indianapolis.  We all have passes so when the power went out and we had to leave early we didn't sweat that we basically watched you guys load and unload fake rocks in the Egyptian for an hour and a half while we chit chatted.  This week we met up at the park and for lunch.  

Keegan and Etienne dancing

A great time running in the field, throwing rocks and playing on the playground makes for a sleepy Peep at bedtime.  I love seeing how much you all care for each other.  

You had to bring granola bars for everyone

Zombie babies

Even if you scare Keegan by playing too rough or Sylvie bonks you in the head with a stick or Etienne sits up at the lunch table with a ring on his forehead from leaning on his straw or Lily runs away from you to play with her new girlfriends she made on the playground you're all still buds.  

Next week we plan on having movie afternoon at our house complete with popcorn and juice.  We can't wait!
Love, Mama

An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [17 of 26] Q is for Quality Time with Henny's Friends

Dear Peepsthelonius,
Just as the leaves made a huge drop from their branches Mama Brook invited us over for a crunchy afternoon of play outside.  An ethereal glow beamed golden and warm.  Gold light, amber leaves, and soft halos around the babies' hair; the day was perfect.  The kind of light us mommy's dream of because it is kind to our features and skin.  We first met indoors where Brook was fixing up some English muffin pizzas and butternut squash.  It was so good! Mama hasn't a clue how to make butternut squash but I was in love with it and we did start making the English muffin pizzas at home with mini pepperonis.  After eating you, Lil, Sylvie, Etienne, Brook, Heather and myself went outside.  So, of course I brought along my camera, which I had a big nightmare about it breaking last night, and we made our way to visit the little chicks.  I thought you'd be really excited about the chicks but you wanted even more to explore their new camper, however, days later you would see little chicks in books or on TV and state, "Lily's chickens!"  The twins crawled their way through the carpet of leaves and much like you did last year Etienne loved shoving them into his mouth.  Heck, this year, you still did it but more for comedic effect than the love of the taste and texture.  Lily showed you her fence, pumpkins and faucet.  Sylvie tried to wrangle out of her hooded sweater and cracked herself up when she fell backwards.  We all ended up sitting out on the lawn playing for several hours.  It was a beautiful day.  It was wonderful to share friendship and to watch your friendships grow.  As we were leaving we found you and Lily by the cars and you were both missing a single shoe with your sock all stretched out off of your foot.  I wondered what was in the air that day.  I know you slept a long while after we made it back home.  I hope that the spring time brings many more of such outings.  Mama loves those mamas and babies so much, we've all been on this adventure together the last couple of years, it is only right that we are able to find time to share it.  

Q is for Quality Time with Henny's Friends

Love, Mama

Hank and Lily; Encounter 2

Dear Henry,

On Tuesday we ventured to Greenwood with Brook and Lily to get more baby accoutrements from Babies R Us. Before we left Daddy gave you some advice on talking to girls. It cracked Mommy up because it was his very strategy that made me feel like he was not interested in me at all, leading me to nearly give up. You took Daddy's advice and "played it cool and were a gentleman." You are pretty much always cool and a gentleman so it was not a big leap for you. Daddy and I spoke on the phone while we were in Greenwood and he asked if you and Lily were playing okay. I am not sure you know that the other exists but you did fine. As mentioned on Babbles by Brook when we went to lunch at the Cheese Cake Factory we were thrown off when the hostess asked, "table for four." We looked at each other and had to have the lady tell us, "the babies count." !!!! Of course the babies count! You and Lily waited patiently for a table and as you can see from the photos your "be cool and play hard to get" was not keeping the lady's attention. You look at a loss as to what you should do. No worries, you'll learn to be more social I am certain, especially once you learn to talk. Honestly, I would probably be a little quiet and low key too if I had a wet diaper. We had a great lunch and some decadent cheesecake, Mommy had lemon raspberry and Mommy Brook had banana. YEOW! It was good!

















Mommy Brook and Mommy took the two of you by the Independent Adoption Center to say hello to the people that helped us all to get together. Kim and Kathy were excited to see you both.

They thought you were getting really big and growing quickly and they thought Lily was a beauty, of course. Kim and Kathy were there with you and J the day after you were born and supported us all in this process. They were training a new counselor for the North Carolina office and were happy to take a break to see the babies. I showed you your photos on the wall, our old birth mother letter, you wrestling sock monkey, and your name on the list of about 54 adoptions completed by the IAC so far in 2009.


After this we went to Meijer's to take back some things Lily was too big to wear even before she was able to wear them. The two of you sat side by side in the cart and were chill through out the store. Mommy Brook was looking to buy a book for Lily and found the one she was looking for which happens to be your special book, "On the Night You Were Born." This is the book that Mommy and Daddy try to read to you once a week, but we can't make it to the end without barrels of tears in tow. We headed home and to our delight Daddy was getting in at the exact same time.

We spent the rest of the evening relaxing together. It was a fun day! Mommy had lady time and you had some Lily time, albeit it was a little distant you warmed up to each other in the end.

We can't wait to spend more time with Lily and Brook. How fortunate we are to have good friends...Those Rieman women are sweet!

Love, Mommy

The Friendship Train Rolled in WOOOT WOOOT!

Dear Henry,

All aboard! The friendship train rolled in for you this weekend and the first passenger's name is Lily Rieman. Mommy and Daddy's friends, Brook and Corey, brought their baby girl home from California last Monday. We had to wait to see her because Brook and Corey were busy entertaining all of their family, remember when you first came home? People were in and out of the house touching and holding you for the first two weeks. So the Rieman three were on their way to town and gave us a call to see if they could stop by, to which we replied, "OF COURSE!!!" They brought Lily in with a sweet yellow duckie sleeper with hints of pink trim and a slight frilly on the neck. She has buttercup yellow fuzzy chicken hair that juts forward in the middle and out on the sides due to her swirly cowlicks on the crown, a la a blonde Joan Jett. Her sweet little features handle this edgy look well. Her petite lips and little dimple are irresistible.

As we both rushed to whip our camera's out, Brook and I realized we may have the most photographed children in the country. After about 15 minutes Lily finished her bottle and I decided there was enough time for you to get accustomed to each other in the same room and Mommy Brook and Mommy put you each down on a blanket next to each other. At first you turned your heads away from each other and you retreated to your thumb. Then slowly but surely Lily reached out and started wackin' you in the face a little. Mommy Brook was worried she'd poke your eye and then it happened. Then Lily appeared to want to eat your arm. I caution you though Henry, because she is just a couple of weeks old anything near her face makes her feel like she wants to eat, you did the same thing with much gusto up until about 2 weeks ago. The two of you got more comfortable and locked arms, and then you locked hands together for a few seconds.



The mommies melted. Your Mommy felt SO excited that this moment was here after a year of meetings where we spoke about the group turning into a playgroup, to the agonizing waits, Brook and Corey's two really difficult matches that didn't work out and them BAM! Two months apart Henry and then Lily are here, on our floor, clutching hands. Mommy Brook and I started talking about who might be next and so we decided to start a tradition of lining the babies up on a blanket and putting a question mark at the end of the line until all of the 6 babies have arrived.






One day we will look at this post and think, "OH Man!, Remember those days when we were waiting for our friends to come!?!" By then it will seem so hard to imagine all of the kids not being here.

We look forward to future play dates with Lily when you both do a bit more than eat and pee pee.

I'm so glad that you are here baby Hank.




Love, Mommy

Dear Lily

Dear Lilly (Lily_ mommy and daddy spell it two different ways?),



Henry, Steve and I wanted to welcome you to the world and into our family of friends.



Your Mommy Brook and Daddy Corey have waited a long time to meet you! I don't think they ever thought it would be so quick a meeting! I am pretty sure they thought they would have the opportunity to prepare for you... but I think they have been preparing for you as long as they've been together. Your parents and Steve and I started to prepare for our children even before we started trying or started searching for you. Your parents and Steven and I have had lots of conversations about the things we'd love to do when you and Henry get here. Their hearts were full of hope and anticipation thinking you'd never show up... then BAM!



You're a beauty.




At home you also have two dogs, some cats and a handful of chickens waitin' for you. How cool is that? There may even be a goat there for ya too... I can't remember. I do know that your mommy will protect you with every breath of her own life armed with knowledge she'll make sure you're always getting everything intellectually and emotionally you could be as well as making sure you are healthy, loved and crafty. Your daddy will make you feel like a princess everyday you live and make sure you love and respect nature, cooking and life. They will raise you to have a conscience, to be a good person and to be confident in yourself because this is the people they are. They are fortunate to find you, and you are fortunate to be their daughter.



I wanted to share with you a couple of first comments your mommy made because as she gets to know you she may forget these little moments, as I was reading over our first moments with Henry I had already forgotten some of his.



"Its 3am and I'm walking from the hotel to the med center. I need to be with my girl. It's so hard because we do not have a private place to be with her."

"She is AMAZING. I can't say more now except you are right... It I'd like I'm dreaming." (excuse Mommy's errors, she'd only had 30 minutes of sleep.)

"I am wearing the little Mrs. in your wonderful sling. We
were released from the hospital early! Yay!"

You're going to have a life full of love, attention and adventure with Mommy Brook and Daddy Corey. We are so happy to have a new little friend and buddy for Henry and can't wait to meet you! We love you already.




(two l's or one in Lilly guys??)
Love,
Lisa, Steve and Henry

Introducing The Riemans

Dear Henry,

A wonderful thing has happened. You future best friend was just born a couple of days ago!
Our good friends and fellow IAC support group buddies Brook and Corey received a most exciting call on Monday. Mommy and Daddy were meeting with Kathy from IAC for our last follow up meeting and a call comes in. I answer and it is Brook cursin' like I've never heard her before. She is so excited to tell us they are getting on the plane to California as soon as possible to pick up their baby girl!!! WHAT!!!!!!! Heather, another friend and support group buddy, jumped into action and got our butts to the superstore to get the Riemans what they needed to be ready for Lily in California and when they get home.



Here they are holding you right before we left. Look at all of their suitcases back there!

Lily's birthmother and birthgrandmother were waiting to meet them with open arms. They are now in a hotel with Lily where when I last spoke to Brook she was hanging out in your little peanut shell sling super happy. In one of the first photos Mommy Brook had Lily wearing the special hat Heather knitted for you before you were born. It is a new tradition to pass it on to the next family.



Here you are week 1 in the hat.



Here is little Lil in the hat Day 3... I think.

Mommy Brook and Mommy look forward to play dates and fun with the two of you. Someday you will both get to share your special birth stories together and all of the miraculous things that fell into place over years of searching and in the final minutes to bring you and J to us and sweet Lily to Brook and Corey. She's a cutie! I'm so happy our support group is turning into the playgroup we all hoped for about a year ago. Now sweet Henry we wait for the others to find their babies. You and Lily will be the big brother and sister for them. I hope the other couples don't have long, Lily is a big 7lbs 15oz so it won't be fittin' her head for long. Once again I am humbled with gratitude that we are with you, I know our son couldn't have been anybody else but you with your lil butt chin and turned up nose.



Love, Mommy