1:31

I CAN'T STOP WATCHING THIS VIDEO OVER AND OVER AND OVER! MARK 1:31 IS THE CUTEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whether you watch the whole thing, or just FF to 1:31, you have to see Layla's facial expression. Caution.... you will LOL :) Enjoy!

BABY STEPS

LAYLA 10 WEEKS

I always figured I would look foreword to the time that I wouldn't be in close contact with a birthmother. Before we met our birthmother (KM) and brought Layla into our family, I assumed that I would always be afraid of her ability to control the outcome of my life. However, since establishing such a loving, healthy relationship with our birthmother, my emotions tend to catch me by surprise. We are entering a new phase in our adoption, one that limits our communication through email and focus's more on written letter and picture updates. A little piece of my everyday life is missing. For the last 7 months I have religiously checked my email and kept in close contact with KM (our birthmother.) I have a deep and eternal love for this woman, she has given me an opportunity that nobody else on this earth has been able to do. She specifically chose me to be the mother of her perfect, tiny, innocent baby..... for eternity. 100% Christ like selflessness. Though I am anxious to move foreword in our place as Layla's parents, I will miss her. I will miss the chance to just send a quick little email expressing my love and gratitude toward her. It will be hard to wonder how she is coping and progressing into her new life. Layla is so lucky to have had KM as a birthmom who took such amazing care of her in-utero. Layla is beautiful, I can't take the credit for her outer beauty, but I hope to someday know that I helped her find her inner beauty. I love being a mom. Being an adoptive mom is hard, as it comes with it's own set of extra worries, stresses, and emotions... but it also comes with REALLY profound amounts of gratitude, appreciation, and deep love. I will take a baby step toward this new phase, but it will not change the place in my heart that KM will forever reside in.

THE FIRST TIME I MET MY DAUGHTER

THE FIRST TIME I HELD LAYLA AS HER MOTHER, AFTER RELINQUISHMENT PAPERS WERE SIGNED

MY CUP RUNETH OVER!

THERE'S A REASON WHY THE WORD "LOVE" IS PART OF SCORING IN TENNIS

LOVE

Met up this morning at the High School Alma-matter courts with an old buddy to slap the ball around a bit. Kevin brought Little Lady and Kashi down to watch as their mom attempted to maintain some dignity while missing a lot of shots.

My game has a long way to go before I'm back to my baseline level of play, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. My service game is a disaster, my backhand timing is off, my forehand backswing is unacceptable, my footwork needs a lot of work... otherwise I felt great :) I play again on Tuesday morning and I'm hoping to still win the fight against the USTA ranking system so that by spring I can play on a competitive league. It's never work... it's all play on the tennis court. I love love love it.

UP AND RUNNING

A KNOCK ON THE DOOR.... AND A MAN DRESSED IN BROWN BROUGHT ME THIS!

AND I PEEKED INSIDE TO FIND THIS....

SO I PUT IT TOGETHER AND SHOWED IT TO LAYLA...

AND SHE LOVED IT!!!!

We opted to bypass the idea of a regular strolling system and held out for the Chariot. It's a stroller, jogger, bike trailer, and ski caddy all in one. I've taken it out on a couple of practice runs and love love love it! I haven't taking Layla bug in it when I run yet because we still waiting for the baby support system to ship, but she's been out on a few strolls. For more info on what the Chariot has to offer click HERE!

WEEK 8 BRINGS NEW MILESTONES!

This morning after Layla's second bath (she pooped up her back all the way up her shirt right after the first bath) she was laying on the change table for some tummy time while we re-grouped and picked out a new outfit. I looked over and she was totally propped up on her elbows and holding her head up for 3 minutes!

We made a big production and clapped and cheered and she loved it!

The world from a new point of view!

A GIRL AND HER SOFTY, A MOM AND HER BABY

Little Lady loves her softy's. Loves to pull them up over her face in order to fall asleep, loves to be tickled with them, loves to grab on and hold on! 

 I don't know if it's just a matter of being a first time mom, or an adoptive mom... but everyday I try to remind myself that Layla is my own daughter. Not anyone else's, no strings attached... I am her mom. I get butterflies in my tummy whenever I think of her, smell her, hold her, or see her. We fit.

Lucky #7

So I'm a bit of a freak about the numbers 7 and 9. Why are they my lucky numbers?
*Kevin's birthday has two 7's and a 9 in it
*If you add up the numbers in my birthday it equalls 9
*Our address is 542, 5+4=9-2=7
*Engaged 7 months
*Married on 9/7
*Lucky year 2009
*Waiting on the LDS adoption list for 9 months when we met our birthmother
*Married 7 years when we adopted Layla
*Layla's birthday month 7 of 2009
*Layla is the 7th grandchild
The list goes on and on and on!

Layla is 7 weeks old this week and has really started to blossom. She's smiling at us all the time now when she's awake. It's not just "gassy" smiles as she'll wait until we walk into the room and say hello and then she'll break out the big grin that melts our hearts! She's starting to find her soft little voice as she's cooing to us now. I can't wait to see what week 9 holds!