One Year Old!!

Our sweet baby Kaycee Jaselle turned ONE October 29th!! One already! Ahhhhhhh!!!!! Time sure flies when you are having fun! We had a wonderful birthday with family and friends. We were so happy Kaycee's birthmom was able to come too! She gave me permission to put her pictures on here. I'll post more later but for now here are some pictures from the wonderful day!!

Magical Families

Last weekend we had the awesome pleasure of being one of the 30 some odd adoptive families to gather at Disney World for the FIRST Annual Magical Families weekend. What is Magical Families you ask... According to their blog at http://magicalfamilies.wordpress.com

"Magical Families are people passionate about adoption. We have adopted, been adopted, or are planning to adopt – internationally or domestically – or we simply have a passion about children finding forever families.

We’re people who love getting together with other adoption advocates to support, encourage and celebrate the unique opportunities and challenges adoption brings."

It was such an awesome, rainy, fun filled weekend! We didn't even do the parks this year and loved it!! We met up with several families on Friday for dinner at the Boardwalk Inn. It was so cool to meet a few families I really only know through Facebook. One couple was in our adoption class in May 2010 and we haven't seen them since but I feel like I know them through their blog and FB posts. Another couple from Myrtle Beach I only knew through Facebook connections and that was great to meet them! Then on Saturday morning a friend of mine from high school (who I haven't seen in 20 years!) came by our hotel suite with her 5 year old son whom she adopted from Guatemala. She found out about Magical Families from my posts on FB and she lives in Miami. It was so great to catch up and hear her adoption stories.

(Becky, Aiden, Me & Kaycee)

Saturday I went to the Mom's Meet Up at
Beaches and Cream (at Beach Club Resort).

That was super cool! I LOVE hearing adoption stories. We sat around a few tables in one big circle and introduced ourselves and then told our adoption stories and how we heard about Magical Families.
I was in awe of the God Centered stories. My heart was so full of gratitude and amazement of these women and their families. I am so excited to begin our final adoption journey in 2012!!

My Magical Baby!!

Interesting Encounter

Recently I posted on FB that I had my first encounter of unsolicited hair advice from a woman in the Target parking lot. So here's what happened:

I'm putting Kaycee in her car seat and this woman comes up to me and says:
Lady: "Is this your daughter?"
Me: "Yes she is" (smiling)
Lady: "ya know you have to take care of her hair. It's not like yours"
Me: "Um I think I do. I use moisturizer and special creams in her hair.". (I think her hair looked cute- just like the pics I recently posted for her 11 months)
Lady: "You have to use special creams. Our hair is fragile and it'll break."
Me: "I do"
Lady: "What do you use?"
Me: "this" (I whip out my iPhone and show her a pic of my products that I recently posted on this blog)
Lady: "You need to use Pink moisturizer. I am raising my granddaughter and that's what I use."
Me: "Ok thanks I'll keep that in mind. I have a lot of friends that help and I follow different blogs that offer advice on hair care.".
I write down Pink moisturizer in front of her. She leaves.

Phew. I actually go and buy Pink. It's ok. Not better that the other stuff I have. Now I have one more bottle on my haircare shelf and Kaycee isn't even a year old! Geeze.

So I believe she was trying to be helpful. I find it very rare that people are intentionally mean-- usually they are just unaware that their comments can be hurtful. It wouldn't have done any good if I came up with a snarky comment back and I want to be a good representative of transracial adoption and parenthood in general.

I really try hard not to take adoption questions or advice too personally but on occasion it bothers me or even hurts my feelings (my mom says I'm sensitive-- she's right I guess).
I try to pray and ask God to "Bless them and heal me." So that's what I'll do for today....

11 Months Old!!

I can't believe my baby girl is 11 months old! I actually love it when they grow because each new stage is more exciting and fun!! I know I'm one day closer to hearing her call me Mommy or take her first step! I don't really get too upset as the kids grow because I love to watch them develop!! Our sweet Kaycee girl is a super speedy crawler and loves to cruise on the furniture. She has started this thing when she is holding something but wants to move she scoots on her butt or does this funny bear crawl thing-- I really need to video tape it! It cracks us up! She loves her brothers and they love to make her laugh! She and Zack have started fighting over toys which actually made me chuckle a little!! She is my sunshine and I love her to the moon and back!! I know this month will fly by which is why I like to take lots of pictures and videos. I'm working on her First Year digital scrapbook and hope to have it done by her birthday party!!
This weekend we are going to Magical Families at Disney! http://magicalfamilies.wordpress.com/
We are excited to see some local friends and families but I must admit I'm very very excited to see a friend from High School (who I haven't seen in 20 years) who adopted her son from Guatemala a few years ago and is in the process of adopting a child from Taiwan! We are also super excited to be meeting a family I met through Bethany Christian Services Facebook Page last year. They who adopted their son with Bethany in North Carolina and I keep up with her on FB and her blog http://amandajaneshope.blogspot.com/ It'll be so fun to meet in person!!!!
I love love love the connections we have made this past year and a half since we began our adoption adventure!!

Stuff

So when we thought there might be a chance we could adopt an African American baby I started researching hair. Reading books, looking at websites, reading blogs, etc. Last night I told my husband I was so glad God gave us Kaycee "because this is sooo much fun!!" (referring to hair stuff) Challenging but fun! She is only 10 months old and I have loads of products. First is skin care-- no one told be she was going to peel like crazy when she turned 1 week old!! She was so scaley and Aquaphor was the best! I don't use it that much now. My favorite thing right now is Body Butter that my mom brought home from the Canadian Rockies. I have learned never to put baby powder on a black baby-- she looked awful! Poor thing-- I had to wash it off and put on lotion. So here is a picture of my current skin care products-- still need to do more research on this stuff.

Last night I watched a couple videos on YouTube on making lotion and decided I'd rather just buy it!!
Next is shampoo and conditioner. We only wash K's hair once a week and then rinse with just water or with conditioner and water-- a term called "cowashing" a couple times a week. She just loves to run her hands through her hair easpcially while shes eating!! AHHHHH!!!! I only have a few of these products.

Next there is the maintenance hair care products. Now this I have a ton of different options! Funny thing is I often like my Mango Butter I got at the Dollar Tree Best. It's greasy but it holds her twists good and she doesn't get too frizzy with it. I just got Ecostyle Olive Oil Gel last week because one of my patient's caregiver told me about it and it was only $2 at Dollar General. I really get into different products but think I really should just finish up what I have but it could take me years. I was recently thinking that I should get some small jars and trade product samples with some of my friends who have also adopted transracially! Here's my maintenance/ styling products:

Then there is the detangling-- I always detangle in the bath when the conditioner is in her hair. I LOVE my tangle teezer (far right)!! It works awesome! I'll use the wide combs when she gets out of the bath after I pat it dry a little. Then I have a gazillion regular combs I got from the Dollar Tree for parting hair. Just trying what feels most comfortable and they were cheap so I didn't mind getting a pkg of a million gazillion. I also put a few of the clips I bought at Sally's in the picture because they are awesome!! They help hold K's hair when I make the parts.

I didn't include of the bows or bands or any of that because I have a whole drawer full. Did I mention she is only 10 months old?? I'm hoping to learn how to put in a few beads soon but must learn the way that she can NOT pull them out!!
Anyhow, lastly there is the preservation of the hair do-- I have been reading about sleep caps and all. I tried a sleep scarf but had a scare when she woke up playing with it. I got nervous that it could choke her so after reading blogs about it I found these stocking caps at the Dollar Tree (yes, I really like that place!) and they are working beautifully!! I had to put a knot in the end because when I went to get her out of bed the other day she had it down over her face!! I put it on when she falls asleep and then she still has it on when I get her in the morning!! We have less frizzies and longer style preservation!!


Well I'll post about my favorite hair books next post! That's it for now!

Oh-- PS KBM finally got back to me-- yeah!! Phew! We are good now! Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!

Open Adoption???

So Open Adoption can have twists and turns of emotions and feelings. I have felt that we've had a "wonderful" openness with Kaycee's BM. We have only had a couple moments of miscommunication but it was ironed out once we picked up the phone and stopped texting. We have had a great texting relationship. I told KBM that anytime she wanted an update or picture of Kaycee just to send me a text and I'd get one to her right away!! She did this quite a bit in the beginning and then I texted pics to her at least once a month if not once a week! We were writing/txting weekly and have had several visits. Our last visit was in May when she and Kaycee and I went to Sea World together. We had a great time! She made some comment there that she thought she might want to close the adoption when Kaycee is 5 years old-- no real reason but I just replied "Why don't you just wait and see how things go..." I got a beautiful text from her in July that read:
*** I Thank God everyday for sending me you guys for Kaycee. Cause as I'm going thru the things I'm dealing with in my life I'm glad she's not here to see me go thru them cause a child can detect when somethings wrong and that's how I want her happy...love you guys and have a good day.***
She called us to chat about a week later from a different phone number and said she was having phone problems. That's the last I've heard from her. OK so I know it doesn't sound like a long time but when we were texting weekly it seems like forever! I feel like a teenager wondering why my friend hasn't called. I even sent her sisters a text (yes I have their numbers too) and asked her to contact me-- one called me and I told her it wasn't anything bad but I needed to talk to her soon. She never called-- no text-- no email--- hummmm...
This adoptive mom who wasn't sure she could really "do an open adoption" is now sad she hasn't heard from her daughter's tummy mommy. She said she was coming to Kaycee's first birthday party-- I really hope she will. It's not until October 29th.
If not, I'm glad I made Kaycee a special "Tummy Mommy book" and I'm so glad I have lots of pictures of them together at birth and this recent one at Sea World. I faded out part of her face for her privacy.

Meet Naomi

Yep-- I bought it...
http://amzn.com/B000NJE4UA
I am in a Yahoo group called Adoption Hair & Skin Care and read about someone practicing braids on a mannequin head so they could get faster at it and make it easier on their child. So I ordered Naomi and I'm looking forward to watching my saved YouTube videos and practicing! My favorite haircare blogs include:
http://kjbraids.blogspot.com/
http://www.happygirlhair.com/
http://beadsbraidsbeyond.blogspot.com/
http://bellescurls.blogspot.com/
http://www.chocolatehairvanillacare.com/
http://www.natural-hair-care-info.com/
http://www.twistbraidsnap.com/

I feel like I'm missing something but it's late so I should just go to bed!! I'll keep you updated on my progress!!