Maya Drew

All of my posts up till now have been all about our adoption journey...but I just have to add some about my little nut, Maya. I know we will be waiting for a long time for news about our son...and there won't be much to blog about. So this is dedicated to my Maya...and I'm sure there will be more to come.

I just simply can't believe how old she is getting...I know aging in inevitable...but it just happens so fast when they're little. Maya will be 21 months at the end of July. She just went potty on the toilet for the first time this week, which blew my mind! I had been letting her sit on it for about a month and a half, because she asked to, not because I wanted to start potty training her already. I thought, what they heck, it's a good idea just to get her acquainted and comfortable with the potty. Little did I know that she would start using it at 20 months! I guess I shouldn't have been surprised since she has been a little go getter since she was born. She NEVER wants to be left behind with anything. She walked early, talked early, got teeth early. HAHA, not that she had any control over the last one. She is just constantly trying new things, being a monkey, mimicking everyone, and being goofy. She makes me laugh about 6, 000 times a day. You would think I would have better abs by now.

I wish there was a way to document all of her life so I can always remember every little detail. I want to remember how she sticks her tongue out to the side of her mouth when she is really concentrating on something, how she says, "Mmmmmmmuah!" whenever she gives kisses, how she hops EVERYWHERE she goes instead of simply walking, how she is finally saying, "Yuv you." I want to remember how she uses her spoon so diligently to scoop the marshmallows out of her lucky charms and is very careful not to get the actual cereal on the spoon, and how she loves macaroni and cheese, and loves hot dogs, but if you mix them, she won't eat it, and how she asks for a "manana" (banana) about 15 times a day, and would actually eat 15 bananas if we let her, and how she gives everyone in the room a hug and a kiss goodnight before bed, even if she doesn't really know them. I even want to remember how she likes to do things she shouldn't, just to see my reaction. For instance, climbing onto the coffee table and jumping off of it onto the couch, or walking over to a very unsuspecting boxer just to rudely awaken her with a swift kick. Or when she gets onto the kitchen table and just as I see her, she grabs the closest cup of water from one of the childcare kids and dumps it all over the place. And how when I ask to change her diaper, she starts running away laughing as if she wants me to chase her down....which I always end up having to do.

I love that she is getting to be so full of her own personality. She is so goofy and fun, and so loving! She loves hanging out with "the big girls" during our smut nights where we watch The Bachelor, American Idol, or So You Think You Can Dance, or any other trashy show that the Lindseys and I can't get enough of. She thinks she is just one of the girls...and she is. She loves to dance, and sing too! She has liked music since she was a baby. I wonder if she will be more musically inclined than her dad and I. Neither of us cansomuch as read music. I can play Mary Had a Little lamb on the piano!

She is also sooo athletic! She LOVES going to gymnastics with her friend Karissa, and can run, kick a ball, and climb onto just about anything she can reach. She hangs and swings from the kitchen table. She can swim like a fish, as of last week. I know she doesn't probably remember the pool from last summer. She liked the pool the first time we got in it this summer, but was leary of letting go of mom or dad. She didn't want anyone else to hold her in the water either. But after a few times of being in it, she is now swimming on her own with just swimmies on! She will jump to me off the side of the pool, and will swim in off the steps all by herself. She's actually really good! She is using just her legs to get around now, but I'm working on getting her to doggie paddle with her arms as well. Maybe by the end of summer;)

I never knew the pride I would feel as a parent. You always think of the love, and responsibility you have....but don't think about the pride you feel. I am SO proud of my daughter. She is an amazing child and I feel so blessed God chose us to be her parents. I'm so glad we have Maya to keep us so busy and to focus on while we're on this adoption journey. I really want to focus on our time with her...she won't be an only child ever again...I want to enjoy this time with her. I think it will help the adoption wait not feel as much like waiting. Time will just pass naturally as the timeline of our life. Nobody really has complete control over when they will add to their family. It's all in God's hands, whether adopting, or trying to get pregnant.

Waiting for approval

Well it's been just over 3 weeks since our final home study meeting, which included the home inspection. It went great. The home inspection was very laid back. We pretty much just showed our case worker around our home and went over where our new son's room would be and things like that.

She let us know it would take up to 6 weeks to write up the homestudy. After it is written up, it will go through an approval process. Once it is approved by numerous members from Bethany's staff, we will officially be "waiting" for a refferal. I can't wait to know we are finally waiting. I know it will be quite a wait....our case worker told us to plan on anywhere from 8-12 months. Everything is, of course, subject to change and they cannot make any promises. We are just hoping and praying the wait goes by quickly and that our son will be happy and safe while he is also waiting.

I'm hoping to get word from our case worker in the next few weeks of our approval. We will be ready to celebrate when we hear the news!!!!:)