Happy Valentine's Day!

OK technically this post is going in on Friday the 13th but Valentine's Day has a much better ring to it. Before I get started I want to wish my parents a HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY! They are the most amazing couple we know and really admire them and their relationship.

Britnei had the first of her now bi-weekly OB appointments this week. See most recent ultrasound posted here as well. It sure is different from the peanut shaped blob we saw so long ago. He has her nose we can tell. It sure is cute! Todd went with her since Mark had to go to New York for work. Britnei and "Pickle" are doing really well, her BP, glucose, and other levels are all looking good. Her ankles are swollen but that is to be expected and the stairs at school are getting rough for her but she is really doing well overall. She is preoccupied with her upcoming 18th birthday. Dinner at House of Japan is the plan, and oddly enough childbirth classes the next day. We will be present for both. She is getting a bit moody about this stuff, she keep asking why she needs to go to the doctor so often and complains about having to talk to the nurses or social worker. Not sure what to tell her, it is part of the process.

We had great news from the attorney today. The legal process should be pretty painless for us, and based on a meeting she had with the new Probate Court judge. His statement to her: "Alternative families will not have any problems adopting as long as I hold this seat." She submitted 2 gay couples in the last 3 weeks and had no issues at all. Good to hear but sad that we have to worry about things like this.

So, here is the plan:

• Finalize our pre-placement application


• County contacts us and holds the first of 3 visits


• County does background checks


• County meets with Britnei


• County approves us for placement (we certainly hope)


• Pickle is born (YEAH!!!)


• Mark and Todd take Pickle home under "babysitting agreement"


• 3 days after birth Britnei signs over custody


• 6 months later adoption is finalized by county court


• Todd applies to be co-parent


• THE END

Not to oversimplify this or sound overly confident but this seems to be going very well for us, and we know that there are still warning spots, pitfalls and disappointments that can happen. We are staying postive and focused on this and making our dream of being a family come true.

We did experience our first "Oh, we can't do that we will have the baby" moment. Etta James is coming to Columbus, we both ADORE her and seeing her live would be amazing. The concert is May 2... hey she was on "Austin City Limits" recently we can just watch a re-run and be happy at home with our son. It's a much better way to spend a night! Ask us how we feel after 6 months or 6 years. By then getting a sitter for a night won't be a big deal. Two weeks, we want to be by his side.

That's all for now... more in 2 weeks or so after the next appointment or blog-worthy event.

Happy Valentine

Quick Update

Well, we are now certified in CPR... let's hope we never need it but we are at least prepared. The class was quick. It was scheduled for 3 hours but we were done in an hour. It helps that the American Heart Association has simplified the CPR and choking procedures. When I was first certified as a lifeguard there were several different procedures depending on the age of the victim. It is all pretty universal now.

Another fun fact is that the instructor was gay, and the owner of the agency that provided the training is a lesbian. I am sensing a trend here. The GLBT community is really cashing in on this adoption thing!

Late January Ob/Gyn Update

Hey everyone! Todd and I are back from our vacation to Disney. What a trip, with the cold snap in Orlando it felt like we were back home in Ohio. Then again it was certainly a lot colder at home than in Florida. We are now dealing with back to back snow storms. UGH.
While we were gone Britnei had a little scare and had to go to L&D at the hospital to be checked. It turns out she was dehydrated, and that caused some cervical stress. We keep reminding her to drink more water but you know how well that is going.
Today's appointment went well. She had a glucosa test, and received a RhoGAM shot since she is RH negative. We will start going to the doctor every 2 weeks now, not monthly. Next appointment is 2/10.
Todd and I have CPR training on Saturday, and we recently signed everyone (Todd, Julie, Britnei and Mark) for child birth training on February 28. It is an all day event, sounds intense. I sure hope Britnei is ready for this!
That's all for now...

Oh for anyone keeping track we are 87 days to the due date. :-)

100 Days and Counting

As of today we have 100 days until the due date-- it is hard to believe that it is so close! Julie signed us all up for childbirth classes. We will spend the better part of the day on Feb. 28 learning all there is to know about giving birth. Todd and I will both be able to attend, and be in the room during the delivery. I really hope that Britnei takes this opportunity to learn about what to expect so she can prepare herself physically and mentally. Julie, Todd and I are all nervous about how she is going to handle this. We will all be there to support her, but she has to be the one to go through with it.

Other than that there is no more information to post. I sent a series of questions to our attorney nearly a month ago, and resent them this weekend and still have no answers. I am getting a bit antsy if nothing else, and I want to be certain we don't run out of time to complete the required inspections and approvals.

That's all for now. Todd and I will be at Disney next week. I'll be sure to post a picture!

Better late than never

Here are some more images of the last ultrasound. You can really see his face and spine!

Happy New Year!

WOW I haven't written since December 8, I guess that makes me a bad blogger. Mostly there hasn't been too much to write in the last few weeks. This is the first posting of 2009-- the year we will become parents! It is so funny the number of emails and messages I have been getting lately "enjoy your sleep while you can, this is your last Christmas before you become parents, etc." To everyone I say "BRING IT ON" we are ready.

We had another appointment on Tuesday, things are just fine. Baby is growing very well, Britnei's weight gain was under control this month, and we are progressing normally. Her next appointment they will give her the glucose test to make sure her sugar is OK. We also found out that the new Labor & Delivery facility at the hospital won't open in January as planned, but will open in March. We will still deliver there, but we will probably tour the old facility in January/February to start getting a lay of the land.

After the appointment Britnei and I (Mark) spent the day together. I took her to Target to do some shopping as a Christmas present from us, then we went to Babies R Us so I could show her some of the things we are picking out for him. Let's just say we have different taste. Britnei is a big fan of the Care Bears-- that is not going to happen.

We want to wish you all a very Happy New Year, and pray that all of our families and loved ones have a fantastic 2009.