Wanted: Pig Nanny, Pig Similac, and Bottles :)

Eli and I laughed as I typed this blog post title.............hee! hee! hee!

Last weekend we all went out to watch our niece's and nephew auction their 4-H pigs off at the fair- My niece Kate told me how cute some baby pigs were and we went to go check them out............
So........The baby pigs were absolutely adorable- almost cute enough to bring home and raise as a pet.......What I could not get over was how many piglets that poor mama had to nurse- all those baby pigs hanging off her all the time............BLAH!!!
I'll bet she was wishing for several nanny's, pig Similac (formula) and Dr. Brown Bottles!!!!

This little guy was showing me his ribbons :)

SO SO cute!!

My niece and her pig Oreo(wish it would have been clearer)

A Conversation With Heather, Our Birth Mom

Just an FYI as you read this post- I confirmed with Heather that it was ok I posted the conversation below-
Thank you to all of my blog readers who take the time out of their busy day to read these posts- May you be blessed as much as I have been as you walk along the journey of open adoption with our family-


Proverbs 16:9- In his heart a man plans his course, BUT it is the Lord who determines his steps.


Dear Ellie-
My precious girl.......... I will print this post off and tuck it away with other letter's so that you and I can read it together someday-
I think tonight's blog post is especially important because your birth mom Heather and I talked today about how you came to be part our family-

Below are the text's that you birth mom Heather and I sent back and forth today:

Heather: "With Ellie, things are so different, I did not get much time with her- I was in so much pain (from the birth).  It's very strange though- the adoption has not hit me like I thought it would- I am looking forward to our next visit as the time to dedicate to her.  I want her to feel the bond and love I have for her- Anyhow, I am going on and on and getting emotional :)

Mommy: Crying as I read your text.  I don't know how to explain how I know this, but, it is the same feeling I had the first time I saw your profile and knew immediately that you and Ellie (plus Caiden and Joshua Justice and Fam) would be a part of our lives- but as sure as I was about that I am sure that Ellie will know that you love her- she may not completely understand your love for her until she is a young woman but none the less- she will (understand)

Heather: Well.......the truth is that if you guys were anyone else it would not have happened.  When I first started calling adoption agencies it was out of desperation for money..........after talking to you guys on the phone (Matt and Steph) things really started feeling right- But I was still not sure if I wanted to place or keep her- I was more sure that I was going to keep her.  

Mommy: Both Matt and I are in awe of how things worked out- I know that Ellie, you (Heather), Caiden, Joshua Justice (and Family) were meant to be a part of our family- If this is not to personal to ask, what made you change your mind and place Ellie with us?

Heather: Things really just felt right with you and Matt.  I still really needed to see her before I could make the decision- I was hoping that everything that I felt for Caiden would be there- I felt love and that deep connection with Ellie.....everything that a mother feels for her child except that I did not feel like I was in the position to take care of her.......It really did just feel right to give her to you.  Everything about you and Matt feel like the right life for Ellie.

Mommy: Heather, I know I have told you this before- but from my heart to yours thank you for the gift of Ellie.  She is so so so loved and treasured.  We are absolutely sure you made the right choice.  I value so much that you take the time to let me into your life.  I feel like I will be able to share with Ellie a clear picture of your love because of it.

Heather: All I can say is that I felt like I was not giving Ellie a good life, but the right one- I would have given Ellie a good life if she would have stayed with me- But it is the right life for her to be with you.  Things just led that way and I want to be able to tell her that this was the life that she was meant to have.  I look forward to seeing Ellie grow and being able to be here for her and have a relationship with her and have our families share love for her.  I am very excited about her future and her life with you- and me.  I can't wait to see her again!

Mommy:  We are both so blessed to share a daughter as precious as Ellie Marie!

Heather: I love her (Ellie) and I love you guys.  While all children are given life and a path to start off on I feel like hers is extra special and perfect for her!

Mommy: We totally 100% Agree!!  Love you Heather..........

Ellie- If you look in your baby book you will see a this yellow sticky note- I
wrote it to you and then took a picture of mommy holding it just before you birth mom Heather
and Caiden arrived on their airplane- We were so excited to meet you all!!!
The Note Reads "Ellie Marie, We are so excited to meet you- Love Mommy"

You, your birth mom, and Caiden just flying in to meet us

The 3 of us :)

Ellie Rolled Over!!!

Ellie went for her 2 Month Check Up yesterday- At the Appt., she was getting her first round of shots (thus the band-aide's on her legs in the pics).  As the doctor and I are talking about mile stones that Ellie has/should have accomplished by now she asks me if Ellie had rolled over yet................um..........nope- Or so I thought.  She laid Ellie on her stomach right there in the room and we both just kind of looked at Ellie, me not really sure what to expect, and her doctor standing there with all the expectation in the world that Ellie was just gonna roll right over.  Before I knew it Elle's had raised herself up on her arms and rolled over on her back- All the while she had a completely shocked look (Ellie did)................that 'what just happened look'-
Needless to say we have had our girl down on her stomach rolling over for us!!

How has 9 weeks flown by so fast-
She has gone from 4 lbs. 12 oz. to 9 lbs. 8 oz.
She has grown from 17 and 3/4 inches to 21.5 inches
Her head has grown from 11 inches to 13
She has gone from taking 20cc's of formula every 2 hours to 120 cc's every 2-3 (depending on the day)

She is such a gift and we thank God so so so much for her and her birth family!!

Good Reads!

If you are looking for some GREAT books to read- Here are a several that I have read lately and have really enjoyed- Just an FYI.....most of these I have gotten from the Library!!

Have a Great Friday.

• Lynn Austin- While We're Far Apart
• Lynn Austin- Eves Daughters
• Karen Kingsbury- This Side Of Heaven
• Francine Rivers- Her Daughters Dream
• Francine Rivers- Her Mothers Hope
• Kathryn Stockett- The Help
• Sandra Dallas- Prayers For Sale
• Sandra Dallas- Whiter Than Snow

Message me or make a comment at the bottom of this blog post if there is there is a book you would recommend I read :)

O.K. so totally random pictures on tonight's post.....
Below are some pictures I have taken of flowers over the years-

In my front Yard

Lining the Down Town Streets of our City

My Front Yard 2 Houses ago

hee! flowers my boys picked for me

This and the next........Hawaii

Was totally amazed that these flowers could grow where there was only rocks

Flowers at Matt's Parents 50th Anniversary

Flowers on a grave at Punch Bowl National Cemetery- Oahu 

Pictures of Ellie For Heather and Caiden (also for Carolyn and Joshua Justice)

To all of my blog readers-
Our Ellie is blessed to have not only her birth mom Heather but also a 1/2 brother Caiden and a 1/2 brother Joshua Justice as biological family- Caiden is parented by Heather and Joshua Justice was blessed with a forever family just as our Ellie was- This blog is an update for Heather (as part of our open adoption plan) how Ellie is doing with our family- We are so grateful for our open adoption as we believe Ellie will benefit from knowing her biological family as she get's older-
____________________________________________
Heather!!

Sat. (8/13) was Ellie's 8 week birthday :) We can not believe how fast Ellie is growing- Since her birth she has almost doubled her weight (she is currently 10 pounds) and grown almost 4 inches (from 17 3/4 inches to 21 inches)..........Her favorite thing to do, besides eating, is being held and snuggled-  Ellie has just figured out that she can smile- For the most part she is pretty serious- preferring to watch everything going on aroung her without to much of a reaction-  She goes to the doctor later this month for her 'well baby' check- I will keep you posted how that all goes.  Below are some recent pictures we thought you would enjoy- Please tell Caiden Happy Early Birthday from us!!
Love,
Matt and Steph

P.S. The pictures of Ellie without bows in her hair are for you Carolyn :)

Ellie's Growing Out Of Newborn, Molly Had Her Twins, and Babble

I've got my precious Ellie laying on my chest as I write this blog- She is sporting a white mini/shorts with a pink top that has an elephant on it- The girl is growing out of Newborn in a quick hurry- I noticed that Newborn size was looking a bit small at the beginning of this week and has progressively gotten smaller as the week wore on (is this even possible).........WHOO HOO!! Go Ell's!!!!
Not sure if you remember me mentioning that my cousin Molly was having twins this month- SHE HAD THEM!! Greyson and Linnea (how cute are those 2 names) were born late last week- I wish I had pictures to post- Will get some when I see them :)
I watched Soul Surfer for the first time last night.........Honestly guys- I cried from the minute Bethany was bit by the shark until the end of the movie- I was psycho analyzing what made me cry so hard........I haven't cried that hard since watching Sweet Home Alabama (which I still have no clue why I cried in that movie- I remember looking around the movie theater and being the only one crying.........wait I also cried really hard in Marley and Me- Which I watched flying from Hawaii to the Mainland- It's kind of funny looking around the airplane and the majority of the people are crying)......ok back to Soul Surfer.......I came to the conclusion, after some significant psycho analyzing myself that..................I'm weird and cry at weird things :) LOL
Hope you all are having a great Friday night!!

I just saw this picture as I was doing some organizing on my computer-
hee! hee! hee! hee! I was eating a chili dog at Ryan's Birthday Party-
Matt said he was so grossed out he had to snap a picture (without me knowing)......
hee! hee! hee! hee! hee! click on it for a close up

Worms Overtaking The Trees And The Waterpark

So.........I kid you not, I looked out of our front window last week and noticed that there was a weird webbing covering one of the branches of a tree in our front yard.  It passed my mind to go get the hose and spray it off but I was busy doing other things and forgot all about it.  The next day, as I was driving into my driveway I could not believe my eyes..........The 'spider web' was now quite a few branches and the branches were all dying where the web was- I went in for a closer look and saw these worm/Caterpillar type things eating the leaves while engulfing the leaves in a silky web (I wish I would have taken a picture that day cause the pic I took today does not do any justice)- If you stood really still by the tree you could HEAR THEM CRUNCHING!!!!!!! EEEWWW!!!!!!!!
Off to the Local Feed and Farm Store to see what they recommended.  We bought Sevin Bug Killer- Sprayed it all over the tree.  The worms died and then we cut most of the affected branches out.  I guess it is really spreading around here.  If you have something like this on your tree and you want to keep your tree- TAKE CARE OF IT cause the feed and farm store said it can kill a tree really fast.

Along with the picture of our tree is some pictures of a water park my sis and I took our kids to today- It was really fun!

Also, after much deliberation I decided not to use a crib bumper- I was going to have my friend Val make it to match the blanket that already sit's in Ellie's crib- Thanks so much Val for being willing :)

Hope your Wed. is going great!! I can not believe how fast this week is flying by-

Pic of Ellie this past Sun. in our Church Library

The Water Park!! Ryan is in the shirt, my nephew Cole is all the way to the Right
and my nephew Shad is standing with his arms crossed with water pouring on him

My sis holding Ellie with my nephew Caleb looking on

My niece Sienna 

Sienna getting ready to run through the sprinklers