What is for Dinner?

Okay-some will laugh at me and that is okay laugh, but I have a problem. I don't know what to cook for dinner. I try to plan our meals for the a month and it seems like I get into a rut. I go through all my cookbooks to find new and different meals and then make my grocery list. For some reason it takes me hours to do this. So I found this web-site www.e-mealz.com and it does all work for me. They give you a weekly menu (they have special diet menus like Wieght Watchers, low-carb and low-fat), recipes, and a grocery list with the prices. I know I am paying someone to do this for me, but the price is like $1.25 a week. And then to top it all off I found a coupon on line which reduced it even more. I figured with the time I save and the fact that they plan the meals around what is on sale in the grocery store you pick, I can make up the $1 and change. I just printed out my first 2 weeks and I am excited to go grocery shopping.

How we got to this point

I wish that every adoption is as easy as Bailee's was. I know and have said before how lucky Jim and I are.

We have always tried to get pregnant. I knew that I had PCOS-Poly-cystic ovarian syndrome since I was 16 and that conceiving would be difficult but not impossible. Jim and I married in 1998 and have never ever prevented getting pregnant. In 2000, I had ovarian drilling done with no success. That is when they burn holes in your ovaries and hopefully making it easier for your eggs to release. Well that didn't work for me. So in 2002 we decide to visit a Reproductive Endocrinologist. She did lab work on both of us. Jim had a low sperm count which he took medicine for. I did about 3 rounds of clomid, then we did Artificial Insemination. In 2006 we moved on to IVF. We did one cycle but it was cancelled due to the fact I didn't respond to the meds fast enough. A couple of months later we tried again and got thru the whole cycle, but the weekend before Father's Day we found out I was not pregnant. I was so frustrated, depressed and broke it took every ounce of energy for me to put on a happy face and face the world everyday. And trying to be happy for the people around me that either just had a baby or found out that they are pregnant, I just fought back the tears.

I had received a phone a call one day in June 2007, asking if I would be interested in a part-time job. I wasn't due to fact I needed health insurance. Well one day my boss had put me over the edge, I called Jim and told him I was quiting. I was going to see if that part-time job was available and I was going to take it. The job was there, and they offered health insurance to part-time associates. We had decided to take money out of my IRA and do another cycle of IVF. Well the Saturday after my last day of work I broke my leg. I was supposed to start my new job, which consist of standing 6-7 hours a day. So luckily they kept my job for me and in October I finally started back to work. However the money we had set aside for the IVF was gone. We had to use all of it to cover bills and my health insurance for 4 months.

In January came the call that changed our lives forever. It was a Friday night, Jim was at a Basketball game and I stayed home to watch Friday Night Lights. The phone rang and usually during my show I don't answer it, but I did. It was Jim's Father, he said that his step-daughter is pregnant and wanted to give up the baby. And was wondering if we wanted to adopt it? We did a lot of praying, thinking and talking and we said yes.

We met the birth parents in February 16th. They said that they just can't afford to take care of another child. They already have a little boy. The birth mother told me that she didn't really feel any emotional attachment to the child and she said that it is ours. We were so excited. We found a lawyer and got the ball rolling. And finally on Feb.19th Bailee will officially be ours. We go to court for the last time to get the adoption finalized. The whole adoption has taken exactly a year. After many ups and downs that Jim and I have faced I really don't think I would have changed to much to get to this day.

Fireproof

Jim and I have heard about this movie and it finally came out on DVD. I would strongly recommend it to anyone in a relationship. The creators and producers of this movie and Facing the Giants, which I also highly recommend, are from a church in GA. This film deals with marriage and how to love your partner and God. You can rent Fireproof at any Redbox, we got ours from the McDonalds here in town. I hope that everyone watches these movies and if you do please let me know what y'all think. Or if you have any question let me know.

My Snow Experiences

The first snow I ever saw was when I was around 10. It actually snow in South Texas. You would have thought that the world had stopped. Everything had closed and I mean everything, nothing was open not even Wal-Mart. My brother and I made a pathetic snow man. My mom made us go inside every 15 minutes so we wouldn't freeze to death.

So then when I was in High School our Church Youth Group took our annual ski trip to Colorado. It was the last full day of skiing. I was coming down the mountain and was going a little too fast and hit a icy patch. So, I went down the mountain on the left side of my face. I ended up going to the emergency room, having x-rays on my face. I didn't break anything but I ended up with a concussion, scratched face and a black eye. I remember being the last person off the bus and my mom just stood there and laughed at me.

When I moved to Missouri, I realized that life goes on when it is snowing and you have to go to work.

Valentine's Day

I went to work today and went to the Valentine's aisle. I can't believe the stuff they have for this holiday. They have a stuff animal that sings "I'm too sexy..." and a huge card that plays 1 song for $10 for that price you could go buy a whole CD. Back to my point. I love Valentine's Day, yes you should always make your significant other feel important all year long, but really do we do that everyday? Too much of life gets in the way. Lets face it Jim is not nor never will be the romantic type. So I usually look forward to this day. It is usually not the gifts that I enjoy it is the cards that I love. Knowing that he sat down and thought of his feelings about me and wrote them out, is better than anything singing stuff animal.

Favorite Thing

My new favorite thing to do in the morning is listening to Bailee talk to herself when she is still in bed. I go to the bedroom across the hall and listen, while I check email, read blogs or get ready for work. When I am done I go in there and sing to her. I sing good morning to you, like the birthday song. I hope that this will bring a good start to her day, because she brings one to me.

Jake

I finally got over 8 hours of uninterruped sleep last night!!! Jake didn't get in bed with us last night and Bailee slept until 7:30 this morning. I feel like a new person. Jake is our dog that is 10 years old. He must of ate something that he is allergic to. His neck swelled and he itched all over, but today he is doing fine. I love my dogs and the thought of losing Jake someday is very upsetting. Bailee loves Jake to, she tries to pet him but she mostly grabs his ears and tail. Jake however doesn't like Bailee touching him. I try to mediate the situation. Jake has never snipped at her, just growled. When we brought Bailee home for the first time we let Jake sniff her and when he was done he looked at us and I am telling you if dogs could talk he said "Is it staying?" He just left the room with his head down. I have had many dogs over time and Jake will always be my baby.