Yoga Baby

Yes, Ben is a yoga baby.  Today was our second of a six week session at the Wichita Y, and the class size doubled from last week-yay!  Ben enjoyed today a little less than the first class as we arrived very early (to eat) and spent a bit of our happy smiley window before the class began.  We have already put to use some of the techniques we learned last week with amazing success.  At only $15 for six weeks, I plan to continue from Baby Itsy Bitsy to Toddler Bitsy and beyond.  Ben will need these techniques to deal with his type-A, stress mess mom, and maybe I'll be a little more relaxed in the process, too!!  The instructor also offers a free stroller yoga on Wednesdays, so look for a post about what that's all about-coming soon to a blog near you!

Chair Pose

Cadyn getting ready

"Ladies, Ladies, Don't fight!"

Charlotte checking out Cadyn sitting with her boyfriend

Jewish?

I mentioned to Ryan's Mom as we were leaving church Sunday morning, "maybe this is his way of telling us he wants to be Jewish."  Not sure she thought it was as funny as I did.
This was a weekend of many firsts for Ben; his first visit to church, his first wedding (reception), and his first inconsolable breakdown (in church.)


Ben started fussing a little as soon as we sat down at church and Ryan took him back to the "cry room."  After one more attempt to sit with us, we did not see them again.  I walked back to find Ryan and take over  so he could receive communion and could not find them anywhere.  I even walked out to the car where a sweet older lady followed me and asked if I was looking for my husband.  She mentioned they were in the kitchen.  That's where I found a distraught husband, a mostly naked screaming baby, and the contents of the diaper bag strewn about the floor.  Ryan left to get communion and Ben instantly fell asleep in my arms.  I think he finally felt a safe place to give in to sleep and sensed my calm that had long since left his Dad.  Ben had spent most of Saturday hanging with Dad and Grandpa while I cooked and cleaned and then had Nana Pat and Grandpa Jim oogling over him Saturday night and Sunday morning.  I think just too many new and different things all at once and church was sadly the breaking point.  We will try again next week.


Sunday evening we attended the wedding reception of Tasha (Ryan's Co-worker) and Josh who were married two weeks ago in Central Park (tre romantic, the tic there is pronounced "teek.")  Ben did super great during the reception and allowed Mom and Dad to socialize and relax a bit.  Thanks Buddy! and Cheers to the many other firsts ahead!

Cuddling with Dad Saturday morning

Friends Onie and Jay at the wedding

The happy couple cutting the cake

Ben at the wedding-unfortunate but typical bib attire

Animoto Video that Grandpa Jim made

http://animoto.com/play/MpHPt0WbK6ISqEOFpXM8Aw

Lots of the pics have already appeared in the blog, but the video is too cute!
Thanks Grandpa Jim for keeping us the forefront of technology!!

Perfect Day

Today is Yesterday was one of those perfect days.  See, so good I couldn't even get to a blog post.  And no one needs to remind me that no one and nothing is perfect-it was, as good as it gets.
Ben slept in while I sipped coffee and showered and he and I joined Tisha and Cadyn at the Gap friends and family sale.  We procured Ben's holiday outfit and some other great deals, stopped at Cocoa Dolce for some AMAZING hot chocolate, and meandered about to some other shops.  Did I mention the rain?  This whole time it was cold and misty and drizzly and wonderful.  Again, as good as it gets short of snow, which rarely comes to Wichita.
With all that cold and rain we had no choice but to snuggle on the couch in the afternoon and box Christmas gifts to send, (second warning procrastinators.)  Chrystal stopped by for a cup of decaf and to let Ben hang out with his yet to enter the world buddy, Baby Boy Johnson.  The Wilson family welcomed baby boy #4, Harry David-Congrats guys!!
Risha's calzones from the freezer for dinner meant the only cooking was the salad.  My studly husband came home from making the money so I could procure the outfits and joined me on the couch for dinner and Grey's.  All topped off with a bubble bath that I fell asleep for nearly an hour in while previously mentioned studly husband put angelic baby to sleep.  The End.

Finalization-Final-Finally

Yes, that's right, Ben is finally, fully, legally ours-as of 10:15 am last Wednesday, November 3rd.  Fitting that November is National Adoption Month-will always give extra meaning to our celebrations.  His actual finalization in front of the judge was quite anti-climatic, but that was ok with us!!
The whole process was quite bittersweet really and stressful in ways I can't begin to describe.  Like child birth and taxes, I think it's something you have to experience to understand.
In this process I was blessed to meet another adoptive Mom who shared a mantra of hers with me. "we go through what we go through to help others go through what we've gone through."  This rang true throughout the process but never more than at the end.  We learned a lot, and more importantly, learned what not to do if there is a next time.  I can promise that I will try like there's no tomorrow to educate other child seeking couples about our experience and what they should do differently.  In the end, if I can just successfully help one person have an easier time than we did, our experience will have been worth it.
Not to say that in the end we would change anything!!  We are SOOO aware of the blessing our Ben is and the thousands of people in the world waiting to experience that love.  We will never take that for granted.  Well... remind us when he's 16 and crashes the car the first time!
The hard part is behind us now and the good stuff is just beginning.........

Shhh! No crying babies!

Happy Family

Judge Ballinger was warm and charismatic

Lunch after at La Gallette-Ryan's first time in person

My cute shirt from Aunt Rikki-good thing I'm big and it fit early

This one sums up how we all felt

christmas....

is just a few short weeks away.  Ok, don't panic all you procrastinators, you have a little over a month to prepare.  Christmas happens every weekend for me right now.  That's right!! That's what I proclaim each Friday morning knowing Ryan has night duty for the next two nights, "Christmas has come again!"


That's how it feels for me-letting go-having a drink (or two)-really sleeping-wriggling in the sheets to wake Ryan up if I happen to hear Ben first (which is often) and then burrowing back under the covers and drifting back to dreamland.  Christmas isn't something I take lightly either.  I've already started listening to Christmas music and yes, at thirty, I still struggle to stay in bed until 5 am when I am allowed to awaken the Mollusk and run to our stockings and Santa gifts.  Just so you get the level of extraordinary amazingness each weekend night now brings.  And they say kids take all the fun out of weekend nights!?


I hope that soon the excitement returns to only coming once a year because it means Ben is sleeping through the night, 
and because each Sunday I have to deal with the depression of Christmas being over.

Xmas 2006-Newly Engaged 

election day

Today was election day in this great nation and Ben's first trip to the polls.  I still remember going with my Mom to vote when I was younger and even then thinking it was a way to be part of something big.  I am as disenchanted with politics in America as everyone else, but as with many other things in life, you do the best with what you have while you have it.  Therefore, I vote!  I listen to the speeches (not just the tv ads,) and try to make informed decisions on election day.  Ryan wasn't raised talking about politics and the political process but I hope he'll join me in teaching Ben what it all means and that for now it's the best way we have for our voices to be heard.  Afterall, no voting = no complaining and I can complain with the best of them!!

I voted, did you??

1st Halloween

Ben's first Halloween was pretty uneventful-oh! how I wish they could stay that way.  We decided weeks ago he would simply sport the cute Halloween themed outfit Janis sent, but came across a clearance giraffe costume Halloween morning at Old Navy.  We were successful in surprising lots of the family as they all expected a simple black onesie.  Ben's buddy Cadyn the duck stopped by with parents Caleb and Tisha to trick or treat and got in on some good photo ops.  Ben was fast asleep within seconds of Cadyn's departure and the Heimer house was quiet for the rest of the evening.  I bought the perfect amount of candy (none left!) and I'm pretty sure there were no more ghouls and goblins about on our block after our candy supply ran dry.

Scary pose

World's First Giraffe with no neck

Cadyn the duck

Mere seconds after the TS family's departure