Soccer Daddies

Yesterday we bought a new (used) car... much more baby friendly. We got a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. Talk about nice! It will be good to have a 4x4 and the extra space is great.

It is in great shape and runs like a beast! OK, it is a V8 so the mileage probably won't be great, but we will use the Focus as our primary distance vehicle.

Pickle Pops!

If you read a few posts earlier we referred to the baby as "Pickle" and may wonder why.

Britnei has been craving pickles and pickle juice, lots of it. We joked that the baby was going to come out pickled, and we started calling it "Pickle" of course.

Todd found a company that sells pickle pops-- Bob's Pickle Pops. He had a case of pops sent to Britnei this week. She is set for the rest of the pregnancy for sure.

Grammie and Pop-Pop Know- and Advice from Friends

Last night was a big milestone for us. We called Mark's parents and told them our plans. It was nerve wracking! We were excited to tell them, nervous about their reactions, and overwhelmed with the emotions of the situation. We think they were surprised by the news, but sound very excited and supportive. We both know we can't progress without the love and support of everyone in our families to make this happen.

We spent the earlier part of the evening with our friends Ray and Matt. They adopted two children (Jenny and Aaron) a few years ago. We saw them when the kids arrived, but it was great to see them in their home and in their 'natural habitat' as it were. Ray and Matt gave us some great advice and helped us solidify our desire to do this. Having a family is what we really want in our lives. That we know!

OH! We went to Babies 'R Us today-- talk about overwhelmed. We have certainly opened the door to a whole new world!

Britnei First Appointment

An update on Britnei's first appointment with the OB/GYN, from Julie. By the way the attorney that the doctor recommended is the one we have already contacted! Talk about coincidence!


Britnei's appointment went well. The mobile unit is pretty cool - it's an office inside of something that looks like a semi-tractor-trailer. We met with the Dietitian first thing. She wants to make sure Britnei stays within 25-35 pounds of gaining weight. Lorin, the nurse took her vitals and her blood pressure and heart rate are of normal range. Dr. Michelle Morris came in and did the ultra-sound and we saw Pickle as a little sack within a sack and then she was able to zoom in and we saw the heart beat. It was really cool to see Pickle. She said 'all is healthy'. The ultra sound put Britnei at 7 weeks, 4 days so the due date is 04/24/2009. Dr. Morris then did a pap test and then Lorin came back in and took blood. Unfortunately, Britnei doesn't not do well with them taking blood so she felt nauseous. We then met with the social worker and everything on that avenue is fine. We got her a prescription for her prenatal vitamins that she'll only have to take once a day, preferably in the evening before bed.

Her next appointment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 7th. They will pick her up at home and take her to the mobile unit that will be at Brookhaven High School. They will take her to school thereafter. I asked if either one of you can come to any of the appointments and they said that one person can meet Britnei there at the mobile unit. They will listen for Pickle's heartbeat at the next appointment and all of them going forward. I do not need to be there, but will only go if either the two of you cannot make it. Let me know what you decide - Britnei does want someone there with her.

As far as the ultra sound - the only one they plan on performing is the one today. I have the pictures, but it's too dark to scan to send over (already tried). I will make sure that they are safe until we see each other again. So - Todd - you get your wish in not knowing what the gender is because, as Lorin put it, 'we won't do a peeksy just to see the gender of the child'. I, of course, promote that but it will be a challenge for the baby's room (I sense a Disney theme going on possibly).

The staff has been told about the two of you. Dr. Morris - since she adopted two of her five children - asked if we had an attorney. I told her that the two of you were seeking out referrals so she also gave me an attorney name - Thomas Taneff. She said he's been an adoption attorney for 20 years and was his attorney.
I think that's it. If I left anything out, I'll let you know but I'm pretty sure I captured everything.

One step closer.

About this Blog

I am Mark, and my partner is Todd. We are creating this blog as a means to document and communicate with the world as we take on the process of adpoption. We hope that this site helps our families and friends keep in touch with us, and provides us both with a way to document what will surely be an amazing journey.

Being parents is something that we have talked about for a very long time. I think we both knew from an early age that we wanted to be fathers, but that did not seem easily attainable. We both knew that the effort and expense would be well worth it, but we were both hesitant to take on such a monumentous undertaking. We read books, talked to friends and always kept the thougths in the back of our mind.

Last week (Friday, September 4) we got a call from Julie, a long time friend of Todd's. She let us know that her 17 year old daughter Britnei is pregnant. She had already made up her mind that she wanted to put the baby up for adoption. This was going to be very hard for Julie, as she would have a hard time knowing her grandchild was in the world somewhere, and not know the kind of life it was leading. Todd said "Would Britnei consider Mark and I as parents?" That's all it took.

We are now looking into the right attorney to help out, making sure that Britnei and the baby are taken care of and that we all understand how this new extended family will work. Todd and I are blessed to have Julie as an active partner in this go forward. We know that we can't do this without her. Britnei is making a wonderful sacrifice and realizes that this is what is best for the baby. At some point we all know that the baby will know her as the biological mother, and Julie will always be Grandma Julie. We will figure out the rest as it unfolds.