A Family, Created

All better, and with teeth too!

2008-07-09T09:11:00.003-05:00

thanks for the well wishes . . . Coop's rash resolved quickly and he was just fine! Then, on June 29th, he finally sprouted a tooth! Not to be outdone, tooth #2 was just behind it on July 5th! He turned 10 months on the 3rd, and celebrated by climbing up one step on the stairs. Here comes trouble. Oy!

J's b-day is tomorrow, but his party is on Sunday. I'll leave you with a few pics until I recap the party.

J's first fish!

Coop's first trip to the beach:

Poor baby

2008-06-23T08:06:00.002-05:00

Not chicken pox, but amoxycillin allergy. Enough to scare the shit out of me.

Too cute

2008-06-16T07:38:00.003-05:00

Can my kids be any cuter? And I can say that, because I have no biological input to either of them . . . so I am impartial (yeah, right)!

A few pictures from the weekend

2008-06-04T08:48:00.002-05:00

In order, Coop and maternal Grammy, Coop, Cooper and bio-dad, Coop and bio-sister

The miracle continues . . . .

2008-06-02T07:48:00.004-05:00

Our journey with embryo adoption continues . . . we spent this weekend in NH visiting with Cooper's biological family, and had an unbelievably wonderful time. Like, warm and fuzzy feelings for everyone. We met his bio grandfather on the maternal side, and his paternal grandparents who let us stay in their house while they were away for a wedding that night! Can they be any nicer?? Cooper also met an aunt, an uncle, and 4 cousins.I always seemed to have my camera in the car, but I will post some pics when Sue, Coop's donor mom, sends them to me.

We spent Saturday BBQing and meeting everyone. Then J* spent the night with Coop's bio-siblings . . . his first successful sleepover ever! Major milestone here . . . he usually starts off with good intentions at my in-laws, but ends up crying and coming home, so this was a BIG deal for us!

Sunday morning, we had breakfast together, then went "fishing" at the pond (really just catching frogs and crayfish with nets, and throwing them back). After that, we all went out to lunch, had local-made ice cream (yum!) and went to play in the park until the grandparents returned from the wedding to spend a bit more time with them before we traveled home. It was just too wonderful for words.

Now, road-tripping 4 hours each way with two kids was NOT fun, but well-worth the effort. Once we recuperate from that, hopefully we'll plan on more fun stuff for the summer.

3 milestones in 3 days

2008-05-30T09:08:00.002-05:00

OK, someone stop this kid from growing up! Cooper learned to push himself to sitting from laying down on Tuesday. Wednesday morning I watched him pull to stand in his crib, and last night he decided it was time to crawl. No more log-rolling or commando crawling for him. Now I am in real trouble! If he would only start to say mama . . . .

Rapidly approaching adulthood

2008-05-23T07:56:00.005-05:00

OK, maybe it should say rapidly approaching 4 years old and nine months old, but I feel they are growing up so fast!

Last night as J* was going to bed, he asked, "Mommy, where did you get married?"
I replied, "on a pretty island called Jamiaca. Where did you get married?"
He said, "I didn't get married MOMMY!"
So I replied, "oh, well, who are you going to marry?"
His exclamation, "JULIA"!
Now to break that to Julia's mom, my friend Erica.

Cooper still has no teeth. But he is certainly not letting that stop him. Check out those legs! Michelin Baby! And he is still the sweetest baby on earth. Just edible.

Happy Mother's Day to all in blogland!

2008-05-11T19:39:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone has a very special mother's day, whether you are a mother or not. I dreaded this day for too many years, so I know how it feels to be a "mother in waiting". But it will happen for all those that want it.

I just wrote this as an entry to a mother's day contest, and I thought I'd share it here:

I feel so blessed to be a mom, for several reasons. We tried for many years to get pregnant, and did many IVF cycles, and spent way too much money. Nothing ever worked. I dreaded every mothers day and baby shower during that time.

I am a mom now. But only through the sacrifice of two other mothers. I am blessed in every way, by the grace of two other women.

One young girl picked us to be parents to her baby boy a few months before he was born, and we adopted him when he was 11 hours old. He is now almost 4. I think of her everyday, and pray that she is at peace with her decision to place her child in our family. She made me a mother, and I thank my lucky stars for that.

Another wonderful woman and her husband made me a mother for the second time, but pregnant for the very first (and only) time. They gave us their frozen embryos that were left over from their IVF cycles, once they were done building their own family through modern medical science. We transferred her embryos into my uterus and I gave birth to a miracle baby boy 8 months ago. He had been frozen for 9 years! He has met his biological parents and siblings, and we have a wonderful relationship with this "extended family".

My heart skips a beat every single time I lay eyes on my boys. They were always meant to be ours.

Sorry for the silence

2008-05-08T13:56:00.002-05:00

I've been so busy! I've sold 6 Swarovski hearts this week! Hurray! It gives me a lot of satisfaction that people like my work.

In the middle of it all, Cooper turned 8 months and I didn't blog about it. Bad Mommy! as J* would say when he was younger (when I'd tell him no to something). Now J* really is a big boy, helping Daddy in the yard collecting weeds or twigs, riding his Spiderman bike, or watering my plants.

The Coop is clapping hands, saying Da Da, commando crawling all over the house, and just being so damn cute. He LOVES his big brother, and when J* is in the room, Cooper doesn't take his eyes off him. Only J* can make him laugh that deep belly laugh of his:

Coop laughing

My new hobby

2008-05-02T07:23:00.001-05:00

Etsy Shop

Recap

2008-04-25T10:19:00.003-05:00

See, not a thing accomplished this week, b/c of that darn Bloggy Giveaway Carnival! Well, I did manage to cast-on to make a froggy hat for Coop's BFF who was born on Leap-year Day. This is what it will look like eventually:

Cooper is sleeping pretty well - from 7pm to 5am on most nights. He's eating solids like a little piggy, just as his big brother used to. We have been enjoying the weather, spending most evenings outside playing baseball in the yard or eating on the deck. What a difference the sun makes!

Limited productivity expected next week

2008-04-18T06:32:00.001-05:00

Bloggy Giveaways Carnival again!

We may all lose our jobs, but at least we'll have fun!

MORE Giveaways!

2008-04-10T08:45:00.001-05:00

The twins are at it again! 5 Minutes for Mom is hosting a two week giveaway for toys for kids of all ages! Go over and enter to win some great stuff. I'd wish you luck, but I wanna win too!

Surprise, surprise

2008-04-08T04:33:00.003-05:00

For some reason, I got a bug up my ass about Cooper not sleeping, so the night he turned 7 months, we took away his binky and started some serious sleep training with hand-held coaching from AZJenn. He did GREAT and it didn't take more than a few nights, which weren't so bad either! Now he's pretty much sleeping through from 7pm to 6am . . .

I feel like a NEW WOMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In seven months . . .

2008-04-03T11:57:00.003-05:00

He's won our hearts (that took seven seconds),
he's learned to sit up
he's gotten no teeth
he's begun babbling da-da and ba-ba
he's had all his first holidays
he's grown up too fast
he's never slept a full night through.

I guess 6 out of 7 ain't so bad. Happy 7 months COOP!

Sorry for the "off-color" joke

2008-04-02T07:22:00.002-05:00

You are all probably wondering why an infertile would play such an April Fool's joke as that. But, let us all remember . . . I am a rude New Yorker first and foremost!

AZJenn had it right . . . that was the +hpt from Cooper's donor embryo cycle. It was such a great day and my first +hpt ever, so why not recycle the picture. Hell, I should frame it!

I do apologize if I hurt anyone's feelings. The joke was really for hubby. He didn't believe it for a second, probably because he knows he hasn't "gotten any" in quite awhile, and I'm not the type that God would choose to create the 2nd immaculate conception!

The "oops" I finally wasn't hoping for . . .

2008-04-01T11:29:00.004-05:00

Um, HELP!

Easter

2008-03-25T07:35:00.004-05:00

We had a blessed Easter, despite Cooper having 103 fever and possible roseola, with an ear infection along for the ride. Poor thing. He was sent home from daycare on Thursday, and since they were closed on Good Friday, by Saturday I was stir crazy with the kids. We headed to the mall to work off some steam, and I got roped into the above picture, which turned out the be the perfect Easter card for the grandparents.

On Easter sunday, we went to mass with Nonno and Nonna, and Cooper slept through the entire thing (1 1/2 hours). J* fell asleep on me just before communion, so I carried him on my shoulder to receive the eucharist. Saw some wonderful friends at mass and chatted a bit.

Then we headed home for an Easter egg hunt. This is J*'s last year where all the eggs are his, b/c watch out for Cooper next Easter!

We tried to take some family pictures, but mommy looks so tired in all of them (I even deleted the one of mommy in the post below, b/c boy did I look zombie-ish!).

After that, we went to Grandma and Grampy's for Easter dinner. My parents outdid themselves with this meal! We had a crown roast of lamb with sausage stuffing, hand made pasta with sauce, asparagus, sugar snap pea and feta salad, and a chocolate chocolate chip cake for dessert. We lazied around for most of the afternoon, and headed back home about 8pm. Both kids fell asleep on the ride home, and didn't wake up when we moved them from the car to their beds. Gotta love that!

First-time Irish!

2008-03-18T13:51:00.005-05:00

Not only did we celebrate our Match Day as a family, but we also got to celebrate Coop's first St. Patrick's Day! He is the only true Irish in the family, but we all pretended anyway, to make sure he had a great first holiday! We headed to Daddy's restaurant where it was a busy night, with party favors, corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread, and local bagpipers. Here are some pictures . . .

Four short years ago

2008-03-17T07:42:00.003-05:00

I was at work, trying not to think about the profile that we finally submitted to our adoption agency 5 days before. I had stalled and stalled sending it, b/c I just didn;t want to be in that limbo "waiting" period of unknown length.

My cell phone rang. It was the agency but I missed the call, and there was no message. I checked the voicemail at home, and the agency said they needed me to call ASAP. I just knew this was it.

I called the agency from the staff lounge at work. There were a few other co-workers there, but only one knew what was happening. I spoke to the agency, and after peeling myself off the floor after hearing we were tentatively matched, I was on the phone with the birthmother in less than 10 minutes in my boss' office. After 15 minutes, the birthmother said she liked me, but the agency wanted her to speak to my hubby too.

Well, it was about 11am on St. Patrick's Day . . . and the manager of an Irish pub on that day is not only crazy busy, but sometimes drinking alcohol somewhat early in the day! I was going to just drive to his restaurant and surprise him with the news, but I knew I had to stop him from imbibing before the phone call to the birthmother later that afternoon. I scrambled to call hubby, and make sure he hadn't had a sip yet (he didn't), and after he peeled himself up off the floor, we made sure he could get coverage for the time of the call. Luckily his aunt lived a mile away, so we went to her house to make the call. By 4pm that day, we were matched with our son, and had corned beef and cabbage to celebrate!

We'll be back there tonight to celebrate again as we do every year. Happy Match Day my son!

March is National Crochet Month!

2008-03-10T11:57:00.003-05:00

Who knew?? I better get moving on some projects. Boy, between this and it being National Nutrition Month too, I'm on absolute overload!

I gotta finish this sweater that's been a WIP for 3 years!
Cabled Sweater

Also, I have 3 other things on the hook, too: A teddy bear, another cable sweater, and a cute patchwork cardigan for a girl. Someone help me get motivated!

BTW, I'm now on Ravelry too. Come see me, I'm suzzcq7o there too!

Ultimate Blog Party

2008-03-10T07:05:00.005-05:00

Join in the fun!

5 minutes for Mom is hosting the annual blog party that gets everyone buzzing!! Over 1000 blogs and 100 prizes! And look, I am #1001 . . . love that!

I am Suzzcq70, mom to two wonderfully special boys who made us a family by joining us in two very special ways. I also work full-time, while working on a PhD part-time, while crocheting and crafting in 5 minutes bursts between all the other stuff I just mentioned! My husband runs a restaurant, so at least I don't need to cook. Who has time for that! But it does mean I am home alone with the kids most nights. That's why I blog . . . to keep my sanity!

Thanks for coming by and meeting us! I'll be back to post some party pictures and get our own party started over here . . . so come back a bit later!!

Oooh, I am oogling over the prizes at the Party! My top three favorites are these beauties:

#7 Bead Dangle Photo Tile Necklace
#136 Crafty Mom's Knitting Goody Bag/Joann's Gift Card
#78 50 photo cards from PolkadotBumblebee

Also would love #9, 14, 37, 39, 55, 59 as well. Check them out here:Prizes

Party on!

A wonderful poem

2008-03-05T10:04:00.002-05:00

Just when you least ecpect it, you come across something to help you heal a little. For me it is this poem I found on a new blog I am reading. It has touched me for some reason.

What Makes a Mother
Written by Jennifer Wasik
In Memory of Zachery Wasik

I thought of you and closed my eyes
And prayed to God today
I asked "What makes a Mother?"
And I know I heard Him say.

"A Mother has a baby"
This we know is true
"But God can you be a Mother,
When your baby's not with you?"

"You, you can," He replied
With Confidence in His voice
"I give many women babies,
When they leave is not their choice.

Some I send for a lifetime,
And others for the day.
And some I send to feel your womb,
But there's no need to stay."

"I just don't understand this God
I want my baby to be here."
He took a deep breath and cleared His throat,
And then I saw the tear.

"I wish I could show you,
What your child is doing today.
If you could see your child's smile,
With all the other children and say...

'We go to Earth to learn our lessons,
Of love and life and fear.
My Mommy loved me oh so much,
I got to come straight here.

I feel so lucky to have a Mom,
Who had so much love for me.
I learned my lessons very quickly,
My Mommy set me free.

I miss my Mommy oh so much,
But I visit her every day.
When she goes to sleep,
On her pillow's where I lay

I stroke her hair and kiss her cheek,
And whisper in her ear.
Mommy don't be sad today,
I'm your baby and I'm here.'

"So you see my dear sweet ones,
your children are okay.
Your babies are born here in My home,
And this is where they'll stay.

They'll wait for you with Me,
Until your lesson's through.
And on the day that you come home
they'll be at the gates for you.

So now you see what makes a Mother,
It's the feeling in your heart
it's the love you had so much of
Right from the very start.

Though some on earth may not realize, you are a Mother.
Until their time is done.
They'll be up here with Me one day
and know that you are the best one!"

Babies abound!

2008-03-03T08:31:00.003-05:00

Our closest friends gave birth to a leap-day son on 2/29/08! She was exactly 36 weeks, but needed to be induced b/c of pre-eclampsia. The little Kermit is 4lbs 14oz and 18 tiny inches, but he will forever be known as Cooper's best friend. You see, Cooper's daddy and Kermit's daddy were best friends at birth too, b/c their parents were friends, and so on, and so on. Their daddies' closeness is still tight . . . so much so that after getting over her surprise that Kermit wasn't a GIRL, his mom exclaimed (literally minutes after birth), "OMG, the trouble that Cooper and Kermit will get in to, just like you guys did!" Romantic, huh?

BTW, he's not really named Kermit. That's my Leap(frog)year nickname for him. I will forever be buying him frog stuff. His real name is Asher, and I can't wait to meet him today!

Honor your grief - 2/29/08

2008-02-29T20:17:00.002-05:00

Calliope of Creating Motherhood has asked for the infertile blogging community to post about grief, loss and remembrance on this Leap Day. I don't come near having the grief and loss of many recently that I follow in blogland. Perinatal and neonatal loss are ones I will never experience, and I cannot imagine their hurt. But I grieve too, for a few things:

1) I grieve the loss of the biological child never born to us. I was going to say never conceived, but we did create 10 rotten embryos form the two IVF's combined, but they never made it back into me, and died in the lab. I lost hope after that second IVF. There was to be no baby that I could give my husband with our DNA. I have recently observed the clear resemblances of my friend's kids to their parents. We went to a birthday party last weekend, and I could pick out of the crowd the parents of kids I ha never even met. So I grieve that too . . . the loss of never seeing what our biological child would look like.

2) I grieve for my son, J*'s birthmother. She has had the loss of not one, but two biological children to adoption. Yes, it was her choice, but (I hope) she grieved her loss. I also grieve for J*, and the grief he will inevitably feel one day when he comprehends adoption.

3) Cooper may grieve in a similar way too one day. He is not our biological child, but I gestated him. How will he feel when he learns the truth of his origins? He may be fine with it, but I will worry until the day I know.

4) I grieve for my grandmother, that she didn't live to see me graduate high school, college, grad school, get married, know my children, and share the joy in all those events. I miss her, even though its been almost 23 years. She was my first best friend.

I wish peace to everyone else who is recognizing and honoring their grief today.