May the 4th Be With You!

We haven't updated in a while!  We recently experienced another loss.  We just got results back from our doctor, and it appears the loss was caused by trisomy 18.  This news leaves us somewhat relieved that the heparin and progesterone were probably working.  We were able to go longer in this pregnancy than ever.  However, it also brings in worry that there may be yet another issue we have to face in our infertility journey.

We will have to meet with a genetic specialist to get further testing to see if either of us have anything to worry about.  We are still trying to stay hopeful.  Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

On a more positive note, we are completely geared up for spring and summer!  We have a few backyard projects that I can't wait to share!  I am really wanting to build a little playhouse for Zoe.  We are also adding some large planter boxes and another patio/seating area to the backyard.  If the awesomeness in my head can be put into reality, I think it will be great!

Zoe has been growing so much! She is talking well and starting to form sentences with her words.  She can almost count to 10.  I know every mom thinks their child is a genius, but I think Zoe is a pretty smart cookie for doing all of this at only 21 months old! After the jump, check out a few pictures of what we've been up to for the past few months!  Thanks for reading our little blog and following our journey.

Me Sew Crazy!

I picked up sewing in 2015.  I've had my sewing machine for years, but never really did much with it besides sew a few tote bags or easy skirts.  When we moved to our new house in 2013, it kind of just sat in a closet for forever.  Well, Zoe changed that.  She has been my muse! Plus, most kids clothing only take 1-2 yards of fabric, so it has been a money saver as well!

I've fallen in love with PDF patterns.  They have better directions than paper patterns.  They also are re-printable.  So I can just print out the next size when Zoe gets bigger!

Here are a few of the clothing items I've sewn in the past year.

Hello 2016!

We've taken a break with posting since we adopted little Zoe. So much has happened in the past year and a half! Zoe has grown so much! She is super smart and learning to say more words each day.  She is such a little jokester and loves to be silly to make everyone in the room smile. Zoe has been such a joy and is truly a perfect fit for our family!

We will try to post more about how our family is doing, what we are up to, and things that make us happy and joyful!

Until then, Happy New Year from the Thomas Family!

A week of joy

Well, here we are a week after bringing our daughter home. Of course the cliche goes "words cannot describe"; however, it is true here. Seeing Mommy in action is just awesome! Seeing Zoe smile at her and know that she is content and her needs are met is breathtaking. The love that I hold for both of them is beyond words. I am sad that I have to continue to work through this important time in Zoe's life, but I honestly look forward to her waking me up in the middle of the night because this is my chance to get to spend time with her. Her facial expressions and personality makes us laugh. I know everyone thinks their child is the cutest ever, but our baby girl is the CUTEST EVER!

She is going to grow up so fast. I enjoy having her sleep on my chest, but before I know it she will be too big to do that. Mommy got out some toys yesterday and Zoe had a blast talking to them and playing with them. Before we know it she will be crawling, walking, talking, running, going off to school, graduating, and moving out to start her own family. Everyday is a miracle to us and we will continue to cherish it.

Love. Love above all else. Love is all I can think about when I think of Zoe, Mommy, and our family.

Instant parents!

The last 48 hours have just been amazing. Thursday, we went to the last education meeting to finish our home study. On the drive home, we get a call from our social worker. We were just thinking it was a call about how the class went and a congrats about having our home study done/next steps to get our profile up and stuff. 

Well, she also told us about a little 13 day old baby that needed a forever home. We were the only family that met the criteria the birth mom requested for her baby's family. We were just in shock. We never expected to get a call to adopt our baby only hours after having our home study complete. We were expecting to wait at least 6 months to a year. 

We thought long and hard about this life changing decision on the way home. We prayed and spoke with family, friends, and our work. We soon realized that we had overwhelming support and love from our family and friends. This crazy idea of being parents with only a 12 hour notice started to feel right. 

So at 3pm on July 25, we got to meet our little Zoe. We fell in love instantly. She just fits in our family and was born to be a Thomas. We feel truly blessed to have her in our lives. 

Thanks so much to everyone for the love and support. We truly appreciate it and love all of y'all for it! 

Holy crap, we are parents!!! :)

Our Adoption Profile Book

Throughout the home study process, we have worked on our adoption profile book. Now that we are just waiting on signatures to finalize our home study, we can finally post our profile book!

This book has taken many months to create... many months of us re-writing pages, choosing which pictures to include, and praying that our personalities, our love, and our lives shine through each page. We hope this book sums up our lives well and speaks to the parents that will bless us with the greatest gift anyone could give us.

We can see the Home Study finish line!

Things have been a bit quiet on this blog. This is mainly because we are wrapping up the home study. We have a meeting to attend later this month, then we are done! After that, we work on our online profile, get our profile books printed, and our adoption profile goes live!

We are so excited to be at this stage. We cannot wait until our home study is complete and approved. The home study process, while long and tedious at times, has served as an insightful tool at looking at our lives, our marriage, what we envision our family to be, and what we envision our parental style to be. Sometimes I think this four year process of trying to build our family has given us an opportunity to prepare for parenthood more than if we were able to get pregnant soon and just have 9 months to figure it all out. 

I've spent many, many hours and days and years researching different parenting styles, types of diapers, the best cribs, the best carseats, the best day cares, and the best foods for babies. I've had a chance to watch my friends and family raise their children and learn from what they've done. We've been able to go ahead and purchase items for our future family member.

I know that no amount of research and preperation can truly prepare you for the chaos that parenthood can be. I do think that it helps to have these ideas handy to help in creating the most loving, caring, and nurturing environment to raise a little one. 

I just cannot wait! I am looking forward to our little family and all of the memories we will create!