Back to Work

So as most of you know, I've headed back to work recently.  It's ok, it's work.  I like my job but still, it's work, not the freedom I've been used to having for the past 9 months.  Grace however is doing great!  The mornings are hectic (still trying to get our departure down to under 2 hours from wake-up!  What I do in those two hours I couldn't tell you but they fly by!!)  
Grace is with my parents for the time being and she's loving it.  As soon as I get her out of the car seat, she starts her day by walking around outside looking for Grandma, who is usually busy in a garden somewhere around the yard.  She then spends the rest of her day following them around, getting filthy dirty, pushing baby around in the stroller, "helping" with the gardens and getting Grandpa to take her for ride after ride on the Gator/tractor.  She's loving it and coming home exhausted every night!  
Today for the first time she didn't protest or need a distraction in order for me to leave.  I called her over to say good-bye and asked for a kiss.  Grace smiled, kissed me and then took off to find Grandpa, no hesitation, no tears, just a kiss and a big smile and off she went.  Sigh, I love it, it's the independence and confidence I want to see in her, but still it's a little bittersweet for me.  My baby's growing up so fast!

Summer? Where are you? Come back!

Ok I truly loved this hat on Grace this past winter, but I swear, if I have to put it on her one more time.....
Summer, hurry up and get here already!!!!!!

Sorry if you are confused!  This was actually a post from last week when it was SO cold on Thursday and Friday!

Birthday Boy!

Happy First Birthday to my newest nephew, the K-man!!!!  We had a great birthday celebration at my parent's place.  The weather was fantastic and the kids had a blast running about the yard playing Man Hunt, catching frogs in the pond (Brrrr) and of course eating!

Can't go anywhere without my ball!

I can't believe he's in that water!!!  It must be ice cold!

FROGS!  Don't worry, they let them go!

Grace had to take a little break from all the partying!

You want me to eat it???  What is this cake stuff anyways!

What have you been eating man!??

My nephew loves his sports!

Last Day of Freedom, sniff, sniff...

Today is my last official day of parental leave.  I return to work on Tuesday after our holiday weekend, ugh.  I've totally enjoyed the time away from work and of course getting to know Grace.  I wanted to spend the day just relaxing with Grace and enjoying each others' company so we hung out at home all morning, playing outside and planting flowers.  Later we went for a nice long walk in the stroller, 2 hours!  It was such a gorgeous day!  Of course we had to make a couple of stops at the local playgrounds so Grace could get out and stretch her legs!  We went out and bought more flowers for the garden (I love my gardens!!!!) and stopped for ice cream at McDonalds, yummy!  Grace always forgets that she likes ice cream, pushing it away initially until I can get a spoonful into her mouth, then she devours it!!!!  Too funny!  The day ended with a visit at Heather and Brian's place and a quick stop in at mom and dad's.  It was my nephew's first birthday and we had a mini celebration with cupcakes.  The big party is coming on Sunday, yeah!

Mother's Day

It rained, it snowed, it hailed and sleeted and the wind blew so hard it knocked my wicker furniture off the deck, but today was a great day.  I drove home and it was 1 degree, the ground was white with snow on May 12 and yet it was a great day.  It took an hour and a half to get Grace to sleep tonight,  I wasn't able to get out to put out the garbage or bring stuff in from the car until after 10:00 and Grace is now not in her crib but in my bed, and yet today was a great day.  

The view from our living room window this afternoon, ugh.

My first Mother's Day and I couldn't have had a nicer day.  Here's how it went:

Grace and I woke early (like every day!) and we snuggled and played in bed for a long time, singing songs and goofing around.  For breakfast I made pancakes, Grace's favourite, and we turned on the furnace to warm up! (Man, it was cold today!!!!).  Grace surprised me with a beautiful gift, a red carnation plant.  She has such good taste and knows me so well to know that I would like a flower for Mother's Day!  Look how she decorated the pot with pink ribbon (she's crafty like that!)  

We made it to church on time (yeah!) and finally, after 6 years of being a mother-to-be I was able to stand up when the priest gave his blessing to the mothers at church. On the way home Grace fell asleep in the car and she napped for an exceptionally long time for Grace (yeah!).   I had almost two hours of peace and quiet to enjoy my Mother's Day (I folded laundry, paid a few bills and cleaned the bathroom, but hey, it was quiet and I got to eat lunch sitting down!).  Afterwards, we headed out to do some plant shopping for the garden, my favourite, but it was too cold, even I wasn't interested in looking at geraniums in this weather!  We eventually made it out to my parents' place and had a nice visit with family and a great dinner.  My dad had called me on Friday to tell me he was "BBQing dinner for all the mothers"  how sweet!  Thanks Dad!  My sister Lynda was celebrating her first official Mother's Day as well this year and she was so kind as to buy a little gift for Grace to give me.  It melted my heart and was very thoughtful of her.  

Grace's surprise gift for Mommy

For our first Mother's Day, I bought a necklace for Grace, something that she can wear when she's older.  It has two hearts attached.  We will break them apart and then have one each to wear.  One says Mother, and the other Daughter.  I like to think she would have picked out something like this as her Mother's Day gift to me.

I feel exceptionally blessed to be Grace's mother.  She has made my life complete and like I said a few months back, I can no longer imagine life without her nor remember life before her. 

Lovely weather!  Hang on Grace, we're trying to get a picture!!!

Giving nose kisses, her latest trick!

Overall a great day.  After all the years of waiting, when my patience faltered and my hope faded, when I thought it might never happen, I kept picturing this day, kept picturing me as a mother and it's what got me through.  I know Mother's Day is contrived, mostly pumped up by card companies and stores and restaurants to get us to buy stuff, but the sentiment behind it is still important to me.  I appreciate my own mother and I shouldn't need a day made up to tell her that, but somehow we all do.  Happy Mother's Day mom and I love you!

A little quote I found posted on facebook by another adoptive mom sums up these past two days beautifully for me:
"A child born to another woman calls me 'mommy.' The magnitude of that tragedy and the depth of that privilege are not lost on me this weekend."  
Jody Landers

Birth Mothers Day

Today is known as Birth Mothers Day.  Grace and I were out for the evening (pictures to come in a later post!) but when we got home and I had carried her sleeping little body up to her crib, I lit a candle and sat for a while at the computer, thinking about Grace's birth mother. I thought about the loss she endured to give me the best gift of my life.  I want to think she wanted a better life for Grace and while I don't know if that were true and what the circumstances were for her, I want to think that.  She chose life for Grace and for that, I am grateful.  I wish there was a way to let her know that Grace is a wonderful little girl, beautiful both inside and out, full of smiles, and very much loved by me and my family.  It feels strange to be so grateful to a stranger, but I am.  Grateful that a woman on the other side of the world made a courageous choice for her baby, that choice making me a mom to the most precious little girl.  I love you Grace and one day we'll think together about your birth mother on this day and find a way to honour her.

High Park with Friends

The weather here has been truly beautiful and Grace and I have been taking full advantage of my last precious days off work.  Today we headed off to Toronto to check out the cherry blossom festival at High Park.  It was a great day with great friends and the cherry blossoms were truly spectacular!!!!

Somebody has a shadow!

 These are the cherry trees lining the walkways, breath-taking!

Grace loved playing at the playground even more than seeing the cherry blossoms!  Go figure!

Looking cool in her shades

 And this is how we left the park.....

Spring Has Sprung!!!!

Well, spring has finally sprung in my neck of the woods and I couldn't be happier!  Today was a beautiful day and Grace and I enjoyed every minute of it.  Here she is enjoying the sunshine on the back deck, eating her cookie while mommy tries to make sense of one of the gardens.

I love spring!!!!

Not sure what my girl is looking at here.  Enjoying the blue sky maybe? :)