tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291911832024-03-14T00:13:58.893-04:00William & John's adoption storyThis is the blog of two men who hope to adopt. Look back through the posts to get a glimpse of our lives, and some of the things were interested in, during our adoption journey.W, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-53511058222244978542009-11-22T20:49:00.002-05:002009-11-22T21:01:25.134-05:00Two Dads, One GirlWe've received several emails from friends asking us to continue blogging. I know, I know... it's been awhile since we posted. So, without much fan fair I announce the creation of our new family blog: <a href="http://www.twodadsonegirl.blogspot.com">Two Dads, One Girl</a>. Hopefully you'll find it fun to read. Thanks to all of your who've read this over the years. While in the midst of our adoption search we had consistently about 2000 unique visitors a month - so hopefully a few of you will follow us over to our new blog.<br /><br />Thanks for you support throughout our adoption journey!<br /><br />~W & JW, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-15594037809456712572009-09-19T19:56:00.015-04:002009-09-20T13:08:55.846-04:00Riley Susan Kinnane-Petersen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR10JNN59fq2dioCMRZXMU23QE2x2HuIfrtXGPhxP5j67mKXaUhUuuop7i5rEdsDxAsTIevygHjEqo4tU4Qx1j2seRJ6H5828ZGgzeqDyn6t-7N6yYkawa7GjreJUZJvqgo1rZ6w/s1600-h/IMG_0196.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR10JNN59fq2dioCMRZXMU23QE2x2HuIfrtXGPhxP5j67mKXaUhUuuop7i5rEdsDxAsTIevygHjEqo4tU4Qx1j2seRJ6H5828ZGgzeqDyn6t-7N6yYkawa7GjreJUZJvqgo1rZ6w/s320/IMG_0196.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383418215958565954" /></a>We're very happy to report that three weeks ago Riley Susan Kinnane-Petersen came into this world. It was the most amazing experience and I'm quite confident that I will never really be able to explain in words the awesomeness of her birth, or how happy we are to have her in our lives. She is perfect in every way - healthy, beautiful, wonderful attitude, and if her ability to control her daddies is any sign, absolutely brilliant.<br /><br />On a Wednesday afternoon about a week ahead of her due date, we got the call from R saying that the doctor said she was already two centimeters dilated and that the baby could come at any moment. She went on to say that if she didn't go into labor before Friday, that the doctor had said she would induce her as Riley was clearly ready to meet the world. For a few moments I think I probably stopped breathing. As we were only a week out from the due date we'd told ourselves that it could happen at any point, but hearing the words really hit home. I asked R if she thought we needed to take a flight out that night, or the first flight the next morning. She said the next morning would be fine, we discussed where we'd be staying while in California, we both said how excited we were to meet in person for the first time, and than we hung up the phone. <br /><br />I took a deep breath and called John who was still at work. "Hello - what's up?" He said in a tone which stated he knew there was only one reason why I'd be calling him at work at this time of the day.<br />"Tell your co-workers that you're going to be out of work for a little while." I said.<br />"Really? What's the story? Is everything okay?" he said. I went on to explain to him what R had said; that everything was okay and that we needed to get out there ASAP. Then I jumped onto the internet and bought our flights, changed the dates for our hotel and called my boss to let her know I'd be leaving a few days earlier than I'd expected. Of course, my boss being the consummate friend, mother, and professional had nothing but positive things to say. The rest of the evening was spent running around the house not really doing anything, but seeming really busy.<br /><br />The following morning at the early hour of 3 am we woke so that we could catch the first flight out to LA. We grab our stuff - two large carry on bags, and two smaller "personal items" (that's what the airlines call small bags) so that we didn't have to check any luggage on the way out there. We didn't want anything to slow us down. Once we landed we ran off the plane and tried to wait patiently for the rental car bus to pick us up and take us to our car. Turns out the long wait for the bus was only the beginning our waiting with the rental company. Between waiting for the bus and then waiting for our car to be ready it probably took close to an hour and a half. I don't think I've ever waited that long for a rental car in my life (which is a bold statement considering I traveled for two years for work). While waiting we called R to let her know that we'd arrived and would be headed her way as soon as we could. She advised that she'd had a few contractions during the night, but that she was feeling well and was looking forward to meeting us.<br /><br />So, off to the inn that R had been staying at to meet her in person for the first time. We were nervous, but mostly excited. We made decent time and called her when the GPS said we were about 10 minutes away. She was just finishing up getting ready and said it was fine for us to come directly to the inn. <br /><br />Meeting R in person was amazing. We'd seen many pictures of eachother, but she was even more beautiful in person and her calm demeanor and welcoming smile made us all at ease. Without even asking she quickly reassured us that she was feeling wonderful both physically and emotionally and that seeing us in person just made her feel even more confident in her choice of adoption. We all went to lunch and talked about general things; our families, etc. The food was really good. After lunch we went to the grocery store and, with R, we went to Babies-R-Us to pick out a few outfits for Riley to bring her home from the hospital and the hotel stay. It was great to have her there. Later, when we went back to the hotel R gave us a whole bunch of amazing family clothes that we'll be able to dress Riley in. It will be so great for us to be able to put her in some outfits and explain to her that these were some of the same clothes that her birthmother and birthsister wore when they were her age. R's generosity really is quite impressive! We had also brought a small gift for R. In anticipation of Riley's birth we'd had two identical lockets made and engraved. They were simple copper lockets that had the words "Love Is There" engraved on the front. As those of you who've followed our story know we believe that adoption, and particularly open adoption, is all about love. Anyway, we can certainly attest that in our adoption the love in the air is almost palpable. Additionally, the "wedding" bands that John and I wear are both engraved with the same words. We made two of the lockets so that both R and Riley can both wear them whenever they'd like. Just one more symbol of the fact that R made this decision with thought and love. We also got to meet R's friend T. T is a great guy, and clearly is a great friend to R. We were happy to meet one of the many people who have been there to support, and at times be supported by, R. <br /><br />We'd hoped to meet her daughter V, but prior to our arrival she wasn't sure if V would be able to visit with us as it was her first week of the new school semester. As luck would have it, she didn't have any classes for the rest of the week so V arrived that night by train. V was everything her doting mother had said she was; beautiful, intelligent, confident, polite, well adjusted - the list goes on and on. Needless to say we were impressed. She hopes to study marine biology, and John has already suggested that she come out to Atlanta to see our truly impressive aquarium. That night we went out to dinner at one of Vs favorite restaurants and enjoyed some great food and even better conversation. <br /><br />After dinner we dropped them off at the inn and returned to our hotel. R advised that she'd call us if anything happened in the night. R had said and done everything she could to make us feel confident that she was going to follow through with the adoption plan, but perhaps as a result of our previous unmatch and reclaim we were still quite anxious. <br /><br />The next morning we grabbed a bite to eat and then headed over to the inn to pick up R and V. As she hadn't gone into labor yet, she was scheduled to be induced at noon. We arrived at the hospital, and after a little bit of confusion about where we needed to enter (emergency vs. standard admission) we made our way up to the maternity ward where R was shown her room. It was a two bed room, but luckily there were no other mother's to be in there. The signage on the walls stated clearly that only two visitors we're allowed. The nurse who showed us the room pointed that out to us, but R worked her magic and convinced them to let us stay. <br /><br />The nurses at the hospital were all very nice and professional.. and with only a few minor exceptions seemed competent and able to do their jobs well. One small exception was the that first nurse was unable to successfully hook up an IV to R. She made several attempts which was rather difficult to watch, not only because the idea of being pricked multiple times isn't fun but also because R particularly dislikes needles. Finally, the nurse left and called in a more tenured nurse. This nurse was clearly tenured (probably fairly close to retirement) and new what she was doing. I don't think she smiled once, or even looked anyone in the eye. She simply got the needles she needed, grabbed R's wrist and started assessing which vein she would be using. It was clear she was only going to make one attempt and that it was going to be successful. When she found the vein of her choice, she got out the needle and simply said "don't move, this is going to hurt" and with those words stuck the IV in with one quick motion. It worked, and within a matter of minutes the drug that was to induce labor was appropriately being administered. And so labor began...<br /><br />I won't go into all the details of the labor beyond sharing that it was a) long - basically 12 and half hours, and b) the most amazing and beautiful thing I've ever seen. R allowed us all to be there for every minute of the labor and birth. About half way through R's friend S showed up and stayed the entire time to help. S has a child of her own and having gone through child birth herself really helped the rest of us know what we should be doing. <br /><br />And so it was that at 12:37am Riley was born. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeQiskhepZKojjBUFNlnhEuzrkfwEoYQO7VnxNoBJJx9o1eAOjJgoSfFmyhbfUeT55lfWkeJlfJjUuaS0llClGpg09RW9OwIoS8W7-HOjPA5yG1Nh_yZ_GgAPszlvZpTgZCoAMQ/s1600-h/P8290022.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeQiskhepZKojjBUFNlnhEuzrkfwEoYQO7VnxNoBJJx9o1eAOjJgoSfFmyhbfUeT55lfWkeJlfJjUuaS0llClGpg09RW9OwIoS8W7-HOjPA5yG1Nh_yZ_GgAPszlvZpTgZCoAMQ/s320/P8290022.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383419344504333314" /></a>Just as previously discussed R asked that we be the first to hold and be with Riley. We stood over her as the nurse cleaned her off, smiling, crying tears of happiness, and thanking R. It was an almost surreal experience. I kept looking back to R to see her calming, confident smile. R asked the nurse to give us both the bracelets so that we would have constant access to the baby, and then asked to go to another floor so that she didn't have to be in post partum with other mothers. We were taken to our own room on the pediatrics floor where we spent the next 48 hours caring for Riley. As the pediatric floor didn't normally see newborns (and especially not newborns being adopted by two men) we we're quite the celebrities. I think every nurse came in and introduced themselves and gazed at the beauty that is Riley. At one point we had an entire class of nurses in training stop by. There was, of course, a nurse and orderly specifically assigned to us. We we're particularly pleased with the day nurse and orderly. Not only did they do everything they could to make sure that Riley was safe and adapting to life outside of R well, but they also hooked us up with all the supplies we could dream of for our hotel stay. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJta3h-7Nt-oW2bSrMOh5qYEy1wOpqNMFEl5KEauljoQ2zCS4BL_ctZ4DoK2Mop9gsH6Ch61WFVmwXMOO3pEOeY8jaKzSp8pGwFA8UB6r5b6Be2ke6s0fc0_0gyl9iErc7pQXKA/s1600-h/IMG_0081.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJta3h-7Nt-oW2bSrMOh5qYEy1wOpqNMFEl5KEauljoQ2zCS4BL_ctZ4DoK2Mop9gsH6Ch61WFVmwXMOO3pEOeY8jaKzSp8pGwFA8UB6r5b6Be2ke6s0fc0_0gyl9iErc7pQXKA/s320/IMG_0081.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383418478389722866" /></a>We visited with R, who had a bout of nausea after Riley's birth, the next morning and we stopped by a few other times as well. We weren't allowed to bring Riley to her (as one really shouldn't be moving a new born about the hospital), but we did our best to make sure R knew that she could stop by and visit with Riley as much as she wanted. R's daughter V and her friend S stopped by several times as well. It was great for us to be able to take some many great pictures. They will be great to show Riley when she's older.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUpyYfp6-Hm2C0wR8WJhYRi1mFwO6Sk-F22hw-Oz-HagXOw4VYxj77cmpilFOkInCH3toBOxsdFjK-Ba674wka0hYyrCG61n1GjP2DC_UPFjZFMPIM4E_iTXV7Sqm8vk7nLm20A/s1600-h/P8300078.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUpyYfp6-Hm2C0wR8WJhYRi1mFwO6Sk-F22hw-Oz-HagXOw4VYxj77cmpilFOkInCH3toBOxsdFjK-Ba674wka0hYyrCG61n1GjP2DC_UPFjZFMPIM4E_iTXV7Sqm8vk7nLm20A/s320/P8300078.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383419894839783122" /></a>On Sunday morning R was released from the hospital, and Riley was released into our custody that afternoon. Although all the hospital staff had been great to us, it was such a great feeling to be able to take her back to the hotel. Riley slept through the entire ride to the hotel and I drove more carefully than I think I've ever driven before. The day after being released from the hospital R signed the paperwork required to relinquish her parental rights and place the baby in our custody. And so we went about the next few days cherishing our little one and the moments that R could spend with us. We did take her out of the hotel once to see a local pediatrician for her first follow up appointment. As expected no issues.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaISNnGEFXdm4R_UoFwR2yMbtkTnnYSnQTbUrb2TTysM6CbNA7EfDgYM0yPpVw-jWVfMAhyphenhyphenpEug2brsKuGoHNk6L2mw9N5CrE44PtfiUmyHUj_KzbKxW3-4yEKl2mZzUWp03BbQ/s1600-h/P8300085.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaISNnGEFXdm4R_UoFwR2yMbtkTnnYSnQTbUrb2TTysM6CbNA7EfDgYM0yPpVw-jWVfMAhyphenhyphenpEug2brsKuGoHNk6L2mw9N5CrE44PtfiUmyHUj_KzbKxW3-4yEKl2mZzUWp03BbQ/s320/P8300085.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383420184525293346" /></a> <br /><br />R was amazingly generous with her time while we were there. Each day should would come over and spend a few hours with us. Enough time for us to take pictures and talk, and for her to get to know Riley while at the same time allowing us to take those first days to bond with Riley (even though we'd bonded basically instantly upon laying eyes upon her). :) We were also fortunate to have two of my long time friends from high school stop by to visit with Riley and us. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnw9W8ylJpU8-0OfKRXWmloGNMwlDzIK-QaHPPq4pl1afVTxiDBUf4fSxMKLuf2fmLL9jrFzF9yroDMlpx7aFEnNtyLmBrxNe22i4mJxayUZDu8Mdan38SEPwBh40puvzTX9lp9Q/s1600-h/P9020123.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnw9W8ylJpU8-0OfKRXWmloGNMwlDzIK-QaHPPq4pl1afVTxiDBUf4fSxMKLuf2fmLL9jrFzF9yroDMlpx7aFEnNtyLmBrxNe22i4mJxayUZDu8Mdan38SEPwBh40puvzTX9lp9Q/s320/P9020123.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383420784900276610" /></a>Several days later we were given clearance to return to Georgia with Riley. We packed up our things, and R came by to say goodbye for the time being (we will definitely be seeing her again in the future). R read her the book Love You Forever. It was a beautiful moment. We said our goodbyes and had a few hugs, and then we were off to catch a plane home. Being new parents with a new born we were very nervous about the flight. We'd spoken with our pediatrician before hand who'd said that although not ideal to fly with a newborn it was certainly better than driving long distances. She said just to make sure that Riley was covered so that peoples germs were less likely to get to her. So, armed with several small bottles of Purell, formula, and some diapers we ventured on to the plane. In the airport we carried her in the car seat which worked fine until we got security. We knew that we'd have to take her out of the car seat to get through security, but we didn't know that at LAX there is a specific way the car seat is supposed to go on the security belt. The nice security lady kept telling me, please turn the car seat the other way. I'd turn it, and then she'd say "no, the other way" and then I turn it again. This happened probably nine times - at which point I'd "turned" the car seat in every possible direction. Finally, another security lady moved it one more time and then sent it through. I didn't point out to anyone that the position the car seat was in was the second position we'd had it in. Then we proceeded to to the gate.<br /><br />As we hadn't been able to book our flight more than a few hours ahead of time John and I were not given seats next to eachother, and worse yet we'd both been given middle seats. We figured that if she threw a fit on the plane that would be the worst possible configuration. In the middle of strangers, crying new born, and no one to help with whatever the issue might be. As we were boarding we asked the gentleman sitting in the window seat next to me if he'd be willing to switch with John. Again, having traveled a great deal I just assumed he would say no, but it seems that the prospect of sitting next to a newborn increase your chances of a positive response. Out of fear or kindness the gentleman said yes, and moved to another seat. We thanked him profusely, and offered to buy him a drink once we were in the air. <br /><br />We should have known there'd be no issues on the plane with our perfect little Riley (even the doctor had said she was perfect). She didn't cry once the entire trip, she slept for most of it and enjoyed one little meal just before landing. Once again, she was a star. Nearly everyone on the plane congratulated us on our new arrival.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29PlY9sP8Tu_-izeP-cG7eGR1sE5m7sqD5Qdkxrcro1vaJf0MExty30XCTKW3A9EsL5bENHt2Bo0cWcHLBC_QMbbn2MZFr4PYZ6fJry6TCnZZkf-0SFP4e1js9zCqIGQlaMq5Qw/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29PlY9sP8Tu_-izeP-cG7eGR1sE5m7sqD5Qdkxrcro1vaJf0MExty30XCTKW3A9EsL5bENHt2Bo0cWcHLBC_QMbbn2MZFr4PYZ6fJry6TCnZZkf-0SFP4e1js9zCqIGQlaMq5Qw/s320/photo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383421422635578034" /></a>So... after more than three and half years of waiting R brought to us our little baby girl, Riley. She is all we could have asked for, and we feel even more blessed to have the additional pleasure of having R and V in our lives. It really couldn't have worked out any better than it has. As always we are thankful to R for being an amazing person, all of her family and friends for their support of her, and to everyone who has supported us along the way. We couldn't have done it without you.<br /><br />Thank you for reading.<br />~ W<br /><br />P.S. It should go without saying that throughout all of this the IAC was there to support all of us. We stayed in pretty much constant communication with IAC counselor who - just like the entire time - was there in any capacity that she needed to be for R and for us.<br /><br />P.P.S. Apologies for not updating the blog a little more frequently in the recent past. I haven't decided exactly what to do with the blog going forward. I will continue to blog, but might end this one with a last post which will link over to our new family blog.... or I might just keep on with this one. Part of me really likes the idea of just having this blog as a record of our journey up to Riley's birth.... so, we shall see.W, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-26564741643077603512009-06-05T21:41:00.004-04:002009-06-05T21:52:52.438-04:00Thank you...Being matched with such an amazing birthmother is almost like a dream. She is - to put it simply - great! Knowing that within a few months we could be parents is an amazing feeling; a feeling that can only be trumped by the arrival of our little girl. We're so thankful for her finding us!!<br /><br />We're also thankful for all our friends and family who have supported, and continue to support, us throughout this amazing journey. Since we posted about being matched we've received countless phone calls, emails, Facebook posts, etc from people (some of whom we've only just met) who are happy for us and how close we are to becoming parents. All we can say is... <br /><br />THANK YOU!!!<br /><br />~WW, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-71430441322408193012009-06-03T15:54:00.007-04:002009-06-03T16:27:55.450-04:00Atlanta Center For Puppetry Arts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOxqHOgSVnKDdl02I9NLcunYQ2BIgEWyLoT6z_sD3BTmRdUxQlnpgYQajlYvbpJiE3O3QqTeVuXwo999FMncwwGiY42EQfpDmMhZMO6gjkeQarqlFXavSjnDrp8r5_5S0sYSDtA/s1600-h/img_henson.jpg.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 169px; height: 117px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOxqHOgSVnKDdl02I9NLcunYQ2BIgEWyLoT6z_sD3BTmRdUxQlnpgYQajlYvbpJiE3O3QqTeVuXwo999FMncwwGiY42EQfpDmMhZMO6gjkeQarqlFXavSjnDrp8r5_5S0sYSDtA/s200/img_henson.jpg.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343199197523947026" /></a>One of the great benefits to living in the metro Atlanta area is that there are some really interesting museums. Just when you think you've seen them all you realize that there's another one out there that you haven't had the opportunity to visit yet. Last week I went to the Center for Puppetry Arts (www.puppet.org) to see a Jim Henson exhibit I had read about in one of the local Atlanta magazines.<br /> <br />The museum and the exhibit were amazing! Walking through the exhibit, it brought back all sorts of memories of the first time I had seen Jim Henson's films. My favorites were Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, Fragle Rock, and of course the Muppets. The detail that goes into the puppets - some of which you don't even notice in the films - is really quite something to see. There was also a behind the scenes film that they were showing as well. It was really neat to see how they made some of the puppets, and how their ideas came to life.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFsZOAPLRv8mQ5YZ2QdvwV38VGuf444kekpl1zG4_F68ZCw4t9KmW753VwH_o6vVhqMgaI8zICxImYJ7ogBtiRq0xuuDtrHl8vQ7HsVxnhfLGbg-CJS4jEVsluf_HEiKrAt73xg/s1600-h/img_hensonworkshop.jpg.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 169px; height: 118px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFsZOAPLRv8mQ5YZ2QdvwV38VGuf444kekpl1zG4_F68ZCw4t9KmW753VwH_o6vVhqMgaI8zICxImYJ7ogBtiRq0xuuDtrHl8vQ7HsVxnhfLGbg-CJS4jEVsluf_HEiKrAt73xg/s200/img_hensonworkshop.jpg.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343199390075295010" /></a>It is not a huge museum, but they managed to fit in allot of the puppets from Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal. That was really neat to see them in person, after having watched the films so many times.<br /> <br />The museum has been around for almost 30 years, and I hope that it will be around for many more years to come so that we can share some of these great puppets with our child!<br /><br />JOHNJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13945173706168756805noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-91773317695890810372009-05-12T21:17:00.002-04:002009-05-12T21:33:23.212-04:00Matched!We are very happy to report that we are matched with a potential birthmother from California. She is all that we could have hoped for! For her privacy we won't go into the details, but intelligent, kind, caring, thoughtful, creative, unique and beautiful are just some of the words we use to describe the amazing woman who has chosen us. We are so thankful that she found us!<br /><br />As many of you may remember, nothing is final with adoption until the baby is born and the appropriate paper work is signed, but we're so lucky that the potential birthmother we're matched with seems very confident in her adoption plans. The baby (A GIRL!!) is due in early September. We're SO excited!!!!<br /><br />Thanks for all your support!<br /><br />~William & JohnW, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-60141484996134576992009-04-11T09:47:00.001-04:002009-04-12T10:29:42.147-04:00Park City Ski Trip '09<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGa_sEnw4VeD-DrB70DYOP4cz275m2mMxukDDt_liMwFqpvGSV7acWiheSwVSl99wGwRciiZTdvE7Tu4dQuLALdJqDuQUSkzFP2QhL60W1hWPn8dUXG0y-Fx0CxeAN8MEEIV2OfQ/s1600-h/2638_57498638773_500903773_1441149_955632_n.jpg.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGa_sEnw4VeD-DrB70DYOP4cz275m2mMxukDDt_liMwFqpvGSV7acWiheSwVSl99wGwRciiZTdvE7Tu4dQuLALdJqDuQUSkzFP2QhL60W1hWPn8dUXG0y-Fx0CxeAN8MEEIV2OfQ/s320/2638_57498638773_500903773_1441149_955632_n.jpg.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323805945916614994" /></a> It's about a month later, but I am finally getting around to posting about our ski trip! It was awesome! The weather was perfect. Sunny, about 50 degrees, perfect snow on the mountain, and really great friends with us. As described the hotel that we stayed at was literally on the mountain. In the mornings we would just get up, put on our skis, and skied to the lift. It couldn't have been a better location. We'd never been to Park City before, so we were really impressed by the the resort town that had been built up there. Very easy to see why the area had hosted the Olympics a few years back.<br /> <br />As children, William and I liked to think that we were world class skiers. In actuality, what that meant was pointing our (at the time) tiny skis down the hill with no worries about falling. It was with those memories, and a few more memories of us skiing in high school and college that we decided to take this trip. Naturally, as William's earlier post said, we were really excited about going skiing again!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmg7xv04r8rSXOQ3-FrXZ0H7ztz-bj9_bGxrLlkXCTtyBM9laTZkWm3Yr6a9Ik-V1tNgulNoFvz8G3-cW_6fx87h8-k_8wSBL35xJLXcVh3QbaYn5EF3B6AyW0rk3kJusFie7TA/s1600-h/IMG_0477.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmg7xv04r8rSXOQ3-FrXZ0H7ztz-bj9_bGxrLlkXCTtyBM9laTZkWm3Yr6a9Ik-V1tNgulNoFvz8G3-cW_6fx87h8-k_8wSBL35xJLXcVh3QbaYn5EF3B6AyW0rk3kJusFie7TA/s200/IMG_0477.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323808279346265426" /></a> <br /> <br />It had been about 7 or 8 years since I had been skiing. I hyped myself up to William and our friends; saying that I was going to be going down double black diamonds by the end of the day. Sadly, that was not the case. It took William and I a few runs to get the hang of it again. And by mid-day, William was leaving me in his ski trails!! Just kidding... well, not really.<br /> <br />Our friend Brady, who is still a beginner at skiing, was somewhat overwhelmed with the fear of falling. She had mastered the snow plow, and every six feet or so would take a turn in the opposite direction to ensure that she would never go very fast.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYLVHdP9ZGFZWN3UTlOWKTcXN-xbhnVs90bCsVL6v1eNDfocnfrPCY10UyBmwkNRVpVsCeqpMl-PF1PZZjwu0hTnKuR30ipSRC8VnyJ_UNU-g-9jdYbkdXmBOGlvg2ZiDq69_1Q/s1600-h/IMG_0487.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYLVHdP9ZGFZWN3UTlOWKTcXN-xbhnVs90bCsVL6v1eNDfocnfrPCY10UyBmwkNRVpVsCeqpMl-PF1PZZjwu0hTnKuR30ipSRC8VnyJ_UNU-g-9jdYbkdXmBOGlvg2ZiDq69_1Q/s200/IMG_0487.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323808058050853186" /></a> Her boyfriend and William were a perfect match at how fast they could go, so that left me watching out for Brady some of the day. The funniest part is that I would ski down the hill in front of Brady, come to a complete stop, look back at Brady, just to make sure she was okay.......and then I would fall on my face. Haha. I think I actually fell a totally of 6 times. Brady never fell once, her boyfriend never fell, and I am pretty certain I saw William doing back flips off the mountain, so he certainly didn't fall.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32hrIgzpG4LuAaEoCMr-Ri-0tkXT3Oo6Mj4RbIkxKiMe4fQmWae8Z3JEZW-HGQsTfAgYnwMXRo9S9JBQjVJ9GTOHs5HNaIJ-ZnX2C9Jb8iJWdc4lBmx539w109QK8st57vpH0wA/s1600-h/IMG_0265.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32hrIgzpG4LuAaEoCMr-Ri-0tkXT3Oo6Mj4RbIkxKiMe4fQmWae8Z3JEZW-HGQsTfAgYnwMXRo9S9JBQjVJ9GTOHs5HNaIJ-ZnX2C9Jb8iJWdc4lBmx539w109QK8st57vpH0wA/s200/IMG_0265.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323810169716352402" /></a> <br /><br />Just like our childhood memories there were lots of families and kids on the mountain. We noticed lots of little kids with helmets, no ski poles, a tinny pair of skis zipping past us with parents right behind them this year. The only thing missing on this trip was our little one, we cant wait to start a family tradition of going skiing once a year with our child!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnij1roDL01LeFPZ6vPk662-l_FK8lRhUjqDwb99yDMdAI0Re8Ofqr3mD86eg4LxJALdrf139hX-x-7vK2bYGt1GxFAMLGPxB-wpuk__ELZEhnhsCNj9n4LURqOLXjQHok_BtA1w/s1600-h/IMG_0497.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnij1roDL01LeFPZ6vPk662-l_FK8lRhUjqDwb99yDMdAI0Re8Ofqr3mD86eg4LxJALdrf139hX-x-7vK2bYGt1GxFAMLGPxB-wpuk__ELZEhnhsCNj9n4LURqOLXjQHok_BtA1w/s200/IMG_0497.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323808741693459682" /></a><br /><br />All in all, we had a great trip! Great friends, great food, and lots of great skiing!<br /><br />Thanks for reading!<br /><br />JOHNJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13945173706168756805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-55973614499231214352009-04-04T18:34:00.005-04:002009-04-04T19:01:00.527-04:00Callaway Gardens<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-lqfVSx9Rx3KyNtJ2X6BEgbfnJrFKCC4_x4KBuxc5YlQkYB3JUAL8R6iDzvfmlUGwbSRujJ-BLxX-1jQdJ9Yr5Onqh6noNpXEETWOrLLGRGc2JCWKyxZCTMMPvIRd0QtzEjmoQ/s1600-h/P4040007.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-lqfVSx9Rx3KyNtJ2X6BEgbfnJrFKCC4_x4KBuxc5YlQkYB3JUAL8R6iDzvfmlUGwbSRujJ-BLxX-1jQdJ9Yr5Onqh6noNpXEETWOrLLGRGc2JCWKyxZCTMMPvIRd0QtzEjmoQ/s320/P4040007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320974292525044930" /></a>Anyone who knows us, or has read our blog, knows that one of the many things we're looking forward to doing as parents is taking our child to museums and parks. Today we went to the beautiful Callaway Gardens (www.callawaygardens.com) which proved to be another great place for kids to explore. Callaway Gardens is truly an amazing place. It's a huge garden that's spread over many acres of land (plenty of open space for kids to play and explore safely in), it also has a golf course and a Butterfly center. It was so nice. The weather, after many days of clouds and rain, was beautiful and it was great to see the azaleas and the butterflies. We started with the Butterfly Center. There were so many different kinds of butterflies; some were at least the size of an average bird. Then we went the to Azalea Trail which had acre upon acre of azaleas.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfZ_daQFq5CUVwbMlJriw15eMGpGeoC96Bz8ZxqLhMFhl_YgNlowRqHqOpspGZD2y-_uhyf0KvCSU-e8N8Ud1GuscIEOfcF9zPQQKB0E_jbP-SwGOigo0jW96ZE_mIekRE1BVOA/s1600-h/P4040015.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfZ_daQFq5CUVwbMlJriw15eMGpGeoC96Bz8ZxqLhMFhl_YgNlowRqHqOpspGZD2y-_uhyf0KvCSU-e8N8Ud1GuscIEOfcF9zPQQKB0E_jbP-SwGOigo0jW96ZE_mIekRE1BVOA/s200/P4040015.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320974595575031730" /></a> Really beautiful! In the middle of the azalea area was a little man made pond that was full of turtles. They were resting on the shore in groups of five or so. It was neat to see them, as I hadn't really seen that many turtles in one place since I was a small child. Anyway, it was a lot of fun and a place we definitely look forward to taking our little one to some day!W, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-26415930531517988412009-03-02T20:14:00.000-05:002009-03-02T23:35:05.303-05:00Snow in Atlanta!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrCjkamwQP-7vEvy_oBMm0g7m6Ul7u8aYzTaa51HNAvoLRwSPnA_H-jRPFm8zQYFZDjIclQRSfdHCTLxIuXjLOOx7b0nqCwv2TP0tfLP7qHOcLfjDM9cEBEoK-caD-NoSmqCr_A/s1600-h/n500903773_1388805_3309121.jpg.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrCjkamwQP-7vEvy_oBMm0g7m6Ul7u8aYzTaa51HNAvoLRwSPnA_H-jRPFm8zQYFZDjIclQRSfdHCTLxIuXjLOOx7b0nqCwv2TP0tfLP7qHOcLfjDM9cEBEoK-caD-NoSmqCr_A/s320/n500903773_1388805_3309121.jpg.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308814813682767186" /></a>We see it as a a great sign for our upcoming ski trip that it snowed in Atlanta yesterday. Having lived here for the last several years it's really strange to see the snow. At our house we got just about three inches of snow, and it managed to last most of today before it melted away. We made snow men, and basically everywhere you went people were excited. When it first started to snow, and the temperature was pretty high so nothing was sticking to the ground or road, John and I drove around town seeing how beautiful the heavy flakes of snow made the world seem. After awhile we called our friend Brady, and had lunch at a great restaurant that sits on the Chattahoochee river. The first picture is of the snow just as it started to accumulate.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOaBE-BUpuZ2cHfovf0fFzvy7-e8F1ZsNnpBbPsA1YXHoUS_VO6mezT_uLOzuCAX8U31nbEju2WEV24dOYIFLfCoLiz1i7avY6a7bno-ncr69rzr903hlybXZV53Yd9v57rahuw/s1600-h/n517401452_1514504_8353.jpg.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOaBE-BUpuZ2cHfovf0fFzvy7-e8F1ZsNnpBbPsA1YXHoUS_VO6mezT_uLOzuCAX8U31nbEju2WEV24dOYIFLfCoLiz1i7avY6a7bno-ncr69rzr903hlybXZV53Yd9v57rahuw/s320/n517401452_1514504_8353.jpg.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308814994426894338" /></a> That's in stark contrast to the second picture of my mother's drive way (where I grew up), where they have had snow storm after snow storm and have had several feet of snow this year. I guess when you have one or two snow storms a week snow isn't quite as much fun to shovel and play around with. I have many, many memories of shoveling snow. You know you have a lot of snow, when you literally have to shovel your way out of the house!W, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-19478387370514748692009-02-26T20:06:00.008-05:002009-02-26T21:15:35.481-05:00Skiing.John and I are going to go on ski trip in mid March. We are very excited! Although we both skied a lot when we were younger it has been many years since the last time. We're going with our good friend Brady and her boyfriend David. David found a great place for us to stay... if it lives up to it's description it is literally on the mountain.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCC-poipBX_7zafwV5gJ2dWidpzw02ym7QsydGod9hTp4YHsKXyUrbQ-tQqvzcCnRm1UER2UOPTR6wfDEKFPAlkBE2QwkrQATaR3N6rSnildaXPXuGj7omNwPHw4VtendaTpIsTQ/s1600-h/JMP+Ski.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCC-poipBX_7zafwV5gJ2dWidpzw02ym7QsydGod9hTp4YHsKXyUrbQ-tQqvzcCnRm1UER2UOPTR6wfDEKFPAlkBE2QwkrQATaR3N6rSnildaXPXuGj7omNwPHw4VtendaTpIsTQ/s200/JMP+Ski.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307290941261249890" /></a>Being that we live in Georgia you might imagine that we don't really have that much cold weather gear anymore, and you'd be right. John called his mom and asked her to send some of his old cold weather gear. She sent a few sweaters, some gloves, and a few hats... and at the bottom of the box was this picture of John. <br /><br />As my mother put it when she saw his photo "he's always been beautiful, hasn't he!" He certainly was a cute child. My mom also reminded me that somewhere in the pile of old pictures she sent me was this photo of me at a young age "skiing." It was more like falling, or sitting.. not sure which. Both of the pictures are a little blurry (they are pictures of a pictures), but I think it's neat to see them.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoMYBJH0cG5QSaAzFQz6Az-Cn3GwSFumHRzqrPmahM7HhA0e3yNRkaR-8yXiYCYrQK6ZtGD5fDssjUl-LPD5GPaHUZFxwxEm2-l1q9SRtPNLhPIgm0o4AfRq2-KRXZPaoFt09UQ/s1600-h/WCK+Ski.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoMYBJH0cG5QSaAzFQz6Az-Cn3GwSFumHRzqrPmahM7HhA0e3yNRkaR-8yXiYCYrQK6ZtGD5fDssjUl-LPD5GPaHUZFxwxEm2-l1q9SRtPNLhPIgm0o4AfRq2-KRXZPaoFt09UQ/s200/WCK+Ski.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307294076910790610" /></a><br />We can't wait until the day that we'll be able to capture little moments in time of our little one... our little one just can't come to us soon enough!<br /><br />Thanks for reading.<br />~WW, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-51854787988453056192009-02-09T14:08:00.004-05:002009-02-09T14:23:16.054-05:00Working out - a family affair.I recently joined a new gym (or fitness club as some call it). Having spent most of my exercise life at smaller gyms I am amazed at what this club has to offer. It has almost every fitness activity you could think of! Water slides, pools, weights, spa, basketball courts, and even an indoor rock climbing wall. <br /><br />It was during a recent trip to the club on a Friday afternoon that I realized one of the neatest benefits to having such a wide array of activities. There were so many families there, it was easy to see that at night and the weekends that families use the club as a family night out! I watched a dad play with his toddler in the pool, I watched 2 families play basketball together, and I got a great laugh as I watched a 10 year old try and keep up with his father on the treadmill. The highlight of the gym is the rock climbing wall. The kids love it, and so do the parents. I've been on it a few times, and it really is quite fun!<br /><br />As a result of my new found interest of indoor rock climbing, I was doing a little research on line and found this picture of a really cool take on a rock climbing wall. It seems to be a combination of standard rock wall grips, and then some other more creative things to hold on too. (Although it's clearly missing the safety harnesses!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJEuLR4WT-6yFta0uxaG2AGhEP-kEwvKu_Xtt4Mu3-lebBKhJANFxYRdQopoclIp0X0cvUwxDDxzUF4W5kw-i6lSjltYuqZUILJflaD1xNQD3sYUJDDo812jukqN0nzsUNw14jg/s1600-h/02_05_nendo_02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 361px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJEuLR4WT-6yFta0uxaG2AGhEP-kEwvKu_Xtt4Mu3-lebBKhJANFxYRdQopoclIp0X0cvUwxDDxzUF4W5kw-i6lSjltYuqZUILJflaD1xNQD3sYUJDDo812jukqN0nzsUNw14jg/s400/02_05_nendo_02.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300880174873265330" /></a><br /><br />William doesn't know it yet, but I'm going to be doing some renovations soon to add this into our house!!! (Just kidding)<br /><br />JOHNJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13945173706168756805noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-69426345240417230482009-01-28T20:03:00.001-05:002009-01-28T22:32:44.782-05:00Such a cutie!!John was going through some website when he came upon this picture and showed me. It's a picture of a little guy with his mom at some sort of event. I'm glad the parents were thoughtful enough to protect the little one's ears. He's just so cute I had to post the picture.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNcoFXfkg6BKMIoSOGmEo2Nz0ukNboiQhvhbUp7dq0mqpM6w_oujIHLB9yynXBcvC0nehlR5DtsXwObhkDyBwYuxMLobw_2OTQWErk2YTGE52C0D29jw013Iu5p7r_x8mKZgCEg/s1600-h/1279BabyWeb.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNcoFXfkg6BKMIoSOGmEo2Nz0ukNboiQhvhbUp7dq0mqpM6w_oujIHLB9yynXBcvC0nehlR5DtsXwObhkDyBwYuxMLobw_2OTQWErk2YTGE52C0D29jw013Iu5p7r_x8mKZgCEg/s400/1279BabyWeb.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296552927252144290" /></a><br /><br /><br />Thanks for reading. We hope you're having a great day!!<br />~WW, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-26634087907233684942009-01-11T22:20:00.004-05:002009-01-11T22:33:21.329-05:00The future is here!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9A9JNyViYj_Gz6wa8eRKU126NHYAEQxb7-bb12kYWFFwufDiMiU7sy2s2WPzi0sSQJCUA30GBDZGTlat_pSvLgpeCsGMUH5ueX4Ig2Xj9I0QIsrM1kRO8NRmHqSZ7acArmDZUA/s1600-h/art.radioflyer.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 292px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9A9JNyViYj_Gz6wa8eRKU126NHYAEQxb7-bb12kYWFFwufDiMiU7sy2s2WPzi0sSQJCUA30GBDZGTlat_pSvLgpeCsGMUH5ueX4Ig2Xj9I0QIsrM1kRO8NRmHqSZ7acArmDZUA/s320/art.radioflyer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290244444345405634" /></a>One of the many things that John and I do to make the time pass during our adoption wait is browse through the toy sections of stores. During a recent look at some of the new toys that are going to hit the market we discovered that the future is here. Like John and I, many of you may remember the little red wagon you played with as a child. You probably got pulled, or pulled around others, in this little red wagon called the Radio Flyer. The Radio Flyer wagon of our childhood was utilitarian at best... If, even for second, you've wondered whether or not we're in the age of technology take a look at the radio flyer of today. This is not the little red wagon of of our childhood. It comes complete with seat belts, comfort seating, speakers, iPod connection, and - you guessed it - cup holders! Wow. We've come a really long way since the days of lawn darts!<br /><br />Thanks for reading.<br />~WW, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-25578576213282751282008-12-21T13:16:00.002-05:002008-12-21T13:29:31.752-05:00Happy Holidays!We just wanted to wish everyone a very happy holiday season!!!! We also want thank all of you for reading our blog and spreading the word about our hopes to adopt. Our adoption journey has already been one of the most amazing experiences of our lives and we don't even have a child yet! The amazing support and love shown by our family, friends, readers of this blog has been more then we ever could have hoped for. <br /> <br />This year we really lucked out, as we get to celebrate the holiday at three different places. That means dessert on three different nights!!!! But, most importantly we are lucky to be able to spend the holidays we people we love.<br /> <br />Below is an old story (1998) we read on CNN about an adoptive family that is finally together for their first Christmas.<br /> <br />Wishing you all the best!<br />John and William<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Adopted twins see their first American Christmas</span><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Two little girls and their new parents </span><br />December 25, 1998<br />Web posted at: 8:59 p.m. EDT (0059 GMT)<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">(CNN) -- On October 30 at the Miami airport, John and Robin Zarrella wondered whether they would ever see this day.<br />Nearly six months had passed since a video arrived from Los Ninos, a U.S. agency specializing in international adoptions.<br />On it were two little girls. identical twins. Based only on the tape, some basic medical records and a leap of faith, John and Robin decided Anastasia and Angelina, orphans half a world away in Russia, should be theirs.<br />"It was hard to imagine the suffering they had already endured," said John. "Our road was nothing like theirs."<br />At 2 months old the girls were taken from their mother. They recovered from abuse and malnourishment in a hospital and spent a year in an orphanage.<br /><br />To protect orphans from falling into bad homes, the governments of Russia and the United States required extensive paperwork. The Zarrellas were fingerprinted, and their backgrounds were checked by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. They took physicals and AIDS tests, and met with a caseworker who evaluated their home and interviewed their sons, 9 and 11. Then came a big break. The Zarrellas could go to Russia to see the girls. Adoption was likely, but not guaranteed.<br />"After six months of paperwork and a year waiting, we couldn't get there fast enough," said John.<br />Flying to Russia, they brought three boxes and a suitcase filled with donations of clothing for the orphanage, and another suitcase with diapers and baby clothes for the twins.They touched down in Moscow, where they piled their luggage in two cars. Suspicious of the packages, a police officer stopped one of the vehicles briefly, looking for drugs. They then flew east over the Ural Mountains and at midnight arrived on the edge of Siberia in the town of Chelyabinsk. John and Robin had gone through 10 time zones in 21 hours.<br /><br />"Our first glimpse of the city came ... through the double-paned glass of the apartment (of) our host," said John.<br />"Somewhere in the distance beyond the tenements was an orphanage and two little girls who were about to change our lives."<br />The next afternoon the family held the twins. A caretaker brought Angelina Kseniya first. Awoken from her nap, Anastasia Marie came next. There was some confusion over who was who. A red string tied around Anastasia's wrist told them apart. Tamara, an adoption agency employee in Chelyabinsk, and Mila, an interpreter, told the couple they would sort them out eventually.<br />"You will see. They are different. When you take care of them every day, you will see," Mila said<br />"We held them and played with them. Somehow they just seemed to know Mom and Dad were here at last," John said. "It was just meant to be."John and Robin spent an hour with the girls but then had to leave. The children wouldn't be theirs to take until the Russian court approved the adoption. That afternoon they had an early celebration. Their first stop was a local food mart to pick up vodka and pickles, a Russian tradition. They went to the dacha, or summer home, of their driver Victor.<br /> <br />The next day the Zarrellas spent 2 1/2 anxious hours in court. Snow fell as they left the building, but inside they were warm. They were officially the parents of Angelina Kseniya and Anastasia Marie.<br />"We didn't get much sleep that night, or any other night for that matter," Robin wrote in her diary.<br />They spent the following day going from agency to agency to complete numerous documents like adoption certificates, birth certificates and passport applications. By the time they finished, it was too late to pick up the girls. They spent one more night apart. The next day on the way to the orphanage, they stopped at a church to buy pictures of the Russian saints for whom the girls were named. At the orphanage they took part in one final event. With champagne, cake and candy, they celebrated with the staff. The gathering served as a symbolic birthday for Angelina and Anastasia.<br /><br />On Friday the twins celebrated Christmas, still enjoying the gifts of November: a new country, a new home and a new family.</span>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13945173706168756805noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-88313813806853572952008-12-21T12:55:00.004-05:002008-12-21T13:14:56.855-05:00Super Star<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0sUgwFHlL8uWrcvuNcQ7uvrhPmdlvSPSk3x_eVFFbmTUlnJCWIzZh2nco_QEuYRqVFwlmLfcMy2SXzID4d3NTgermXA8oxakkNEb4LSAgs9FPu8yuodTsdEHgdQzqr-xeHGcKg/s1600-h/TrinPhoto.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0sUgwFHlL8uWrcvuNcQ7uvrhPmdlvSPSk3x_eVFFbmTUlnJCWIzZh2nco_QEuYRqVFwlmLfcMy2SXzID4d3NTgermXA8oxakkNEb4LSAgs9FPu8yuodTsdEHgdQzqr-xeHGcKg/s320/TrinPhoto.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282308389146562034" /></a>One of John's co-worker's daughter had a piano recital a few days ago. Here is his daughter at the piano, and to quote her very proud father "here is the next super star in training!" We very much look forward to the day when we'll be able to support our future little one in any and all endeavors she takes on!<br /><br />Thanks for reading!<br />~WW, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-75464462566369309372008-12-20T12:42:00.000-05:002008-12-21T12:51:00.265-05:00How cute are these two!?!Obviously, fashion is not that huge of a deal in the big scheme of things but I am always amazed at the role that fashion plays in our world today. I always enjoy seeing the new looks that come with each season. With that being said, I found this picture as a looked through a few of my favorite fashion blogs. These two are clearly a little tired (hopefully, after this picture was taken they got to go home and take a well deserved nap!) but they are just so darn cute, and oh so fashionable! I give them the 2008 best dressed under 3 years old award! Hopefully, these little guy's parents engaged them and made getting dressed something fun and creative to do. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacWZjQDBGLwJTZnrZ7OS9kW1abHr2QSem_yLUAt8GRPAcMFy40s1S8dxAEJ1eouhKP7-f1X1SDwm4ApBxNdfT6renNmI6-dCVtpMoH5rC66ZmaJDVKQpuRV5w0STSEZZndjYqqw/s1600-h/3106_83b898531ae4a1b6676afef750362cff.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacWZjQDBGLwJTZnrZ7OS9kW1abHr2QSem_yLUAt8GRPAcMFy40s1S8dxAEJ1eouhKP7-f1X1SDwm4ApBxNdfT6renNmI6-dCVtpMoH5rC66ZmaJDVKQpuRV5w0STSEZZndjYqqw/s320/3106_83b898531ae4a1b6676afef750362cff.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282301517745394050" /></a>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13945173706168756805noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-51890157746675500012008-12-14T19:31:00.003-05:002009-03-02T23:12:14.880-05:00Hugs and stickers.One of my favorite parts of my job is when I get to hand out stickers to the kids while their parents are waiting. Often, right when they walk in the door they start running to the desk to get their sticker! Today I realized that everyone of those kids always say “May I please have a sticker?” and “Thank you!” Small stuff like that will go along way with those kids, so a pat on the back to their parents! Today I gave one of my favorite clients children a sticker and as they were leaving he walked over to me (he is about two and half years old) and said “Hug.” He then put out his arms for me to bend down and give him a hug. Made my day!!! Such a cute little guy. <br /><br />I just can't wait to be a dad!!!<br /><br />JOHNJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13945173706168756805noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-10871234585116811182008-11-25T19:22:00.002-05:002008-11-25T19:35:10.849-05:00ThanksgivingNearly every Thanksgiving we spend the day with my aunt Sue. Even before Sue moved to Atlanta we would go to her house in Connecticut, or Omaha. It has always been such a fun and relaxing day for everyone. Like many families, we spend the day cooking, chatting, and watching the Macy's parade on TV. So much fun, and so relaxing! Some years lots of other family members will join us, and others it will just be five or six of us.<br /><br />Last night, in preparation for Thanksgiving, I pulled out a few CD's for the annual "John Petersen Holiday Hot Mix". I like to think of myself as the DJ for the holidays. So, as I was going through our CDs, I found an Elton John album that I used to listen to pretty often. There is one song called "blessed" on the album and I remember hearing it for the first time about 6 years ago. AMAZING! <br /><br />This morning, I played the song again in my car and it just fills me with so much hope. I know that our adoption journey has had some ups and downs, but hearing this song again helps to remind me just how excited I am for William and I to be dads. <br /><br />For those of you who haven't heard the song, here are the lyrics:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Hey you, you're a child in my head<br />You haven't walked yet<br />Your first words have yet to be said<br />But I swear you'll be blessed<br /><br />I know you're still just a dream<br />your eyes might be green<br />Or the bluest that I've ever seen<br />Anyway you'll be blessed<br /><br />And you, you'll be blessed<br />You'll have the best<br />I promise you that<br />I'll pick a star from the sky<br />Pull your name from a hat<br />I promise you that, promise you that, promise you that<br />You'll be blessed<br /><br />I need you before I'm too old<br />To have and to hold<br />To walk with you and watch you grow<br />And know that you're blessed<br />And you, you'll be blessed<br />You'll have the best<br />I promise you that, promise you that, promise you that<br />You'll be blessed<br /></span><br /><br />Thanks for taking the time to read our blog!<br />JOHNJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13945173706168756805noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-56103027262179681892008-11-09T20:15:00.000-05:002008-11-09T22:54:40.649-05:00Just a great picture!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjps9H3HjCYVC_Epv-VzXWc6-HGRSv46MEgUdHO_dl8rsVzfMDRaXlzG7a64rApXDO36PsQXBOAK1UhI4XGCH2Qbo-V0Qwwf-W7KasvwF2iSMb2QM5Ydbyu08xfBw5BXsSQCIvMdw/s1600-h/j+and+c.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjps9H3HjCYVC_Epv-VzXWc6-HGRSv46MEgUdHO_dl8rsVzfMDRaXlzG7a64rApXDO36PsQXBOAK1UhI4XGCH2Qbo-V0Qwwf-W7KasvwF2iSMb2QM5Ydbyu08xfBw5BXsSQCIvMdw/s320/j+and+c.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266872175342906690" /></a>We posted this picture this picture of John and his cousin Katie's daughter back in October of last year. I was looking through some old pictures and just couldn't not post it again. I love how she just seems to fit right into John's arms. It's amazing to think that in the year since this photo was taken we've had two matches with potential birthparents, and John's cousin has had two more children (TWINS)!W, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-24843615405274537192008-10-27T20:16:00.004-04:002008-10-27T20:29:34.325-04:00Lots of visitors!Although we're not exactly sure why, we've had a lot of visitors to our adoption website <a href="www.kinnanepetersen.com"></a> recently. We have link to our website from several other sites, but those have been there for sometime, so we can't track the increase in visits back to anyone particular place. We wouldn't be at all surprised if our good friend Bridget has started some sort of online campaign for us. She's been great (we posted about her some time ago) and continues to be one of our biggest supporters. It's great to know that our name and website is getting out there. We've been flooded with good wishes, and even a few college students have asked us for interviews so for papers, etc. This is a great sign! I guess it goes without saying that the more people we have looking at our website and learning about us, the more likely that the "our" birthmother will find us. <br /><br />Thank you to everyone whose taking the time to read our blog, spread the word of our adoption hopes, or just sharing your kind thoughts!<br /><br /><br />~W & JW, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-48925565353490105022008-08-29T20:27:00.002-04:002008-08-29T23:43:18.273-04:00Books, books, and more books<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsH-hg8qht6FkbjmtQK8t0D7yAHBFUOlmM1YKKZ3_CGlsmD5Mc0cS7-OHOw3rlVQHkaESQjJPIP1bg-H0WF9IOXuZwg8JqeQT4asbsph8pG1SutOxQciDcG5x4kVw4JHW8pp7RA/s1600-h/baby_reading.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsH-hg8qht6FkbjmtQK8t0D7yAHBFUOlmM1YKKZ3_CGlsmD5Mc0cS7-OHOw3rlVQHkaESQjJPIP1bg-H0WF9IOXuZwg8JqeQT4asbsph8pG1SutOxQciDcG5x4kVw4JHW8pp7RA/s320/baby_reading.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240150657599777106" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />William just posted a blog about one of our favorite books being turned into a movie (I hope it comes out well!), so I thought I'd add a quick little post to point out a few of our other favorite books. Here's our current top five favorites:<br /><br />1. Where The Wild Things Are (we've both loved this one from when we were kids)<br />2. The Giving Tree (makes me cry.. but I just love it!)<br />3. This Is New York (one of our favorite places to visit, and neat book)<br />4. Tell Me About The Night I Was Born (This is a great book about adoption)<br />5. And Tango Makes Three (The story of two penguins who adopt an egg)<br /><br />JOHNJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13945173706168756805noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-48394709746322017572008-08-29T20:00:00.001-04:002009-02-21T15:58:34.427-05:00Where The Wild Things Are.. the movieMany of you may have noticed that since starting the adoption process we have collected a pretty large library of children's books. One of the very first books we bought was "Where The Wild Things Are." It's been my person favorite book for some time, and I've pictured myself reading it to my child for as long as I can remember. John also really enjoys the book - it's a close second to his favorite book "The Giving Tree." <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Vk52fo_V6bulOe9wLDEgN523xjh9hoBczdlETXyJ0yAD8q02AyHWyDSwSktAawRLiWrTe7gZQAqyo2cqLkKj-U1sBlapolLKKBogfCooH7jLLsi2DMwOh5zgeOdoW3AqmA91Xw/s1600-h/wildthingsare-bookcover.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Vk52fo_V6bulOe9wLDEgN523xjh9hoBczdlETXyJ0yAD8q02AyHWyDSwSktAawRLiWrTe7gZQAqyo2cqLkKj-U1sBlapolLKKBogfCooH7jLLsi2DMwOh5zgeOdoW3AqmA91Xw/s320/wildthingsare-bookcover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240146642662143314" /></a><br />We were very excited to find out that the book is also going to be a movie. The movie actually finished filming in November, but hasn't been released yet. From what we can tell there's been a little disagreement between the studio and director. I REALLY hope they get their issues resolved soon. We can't wait to see how it turns out!<br /><br />Thanks for reading.<br />~WW, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-69341791220410078132008-07-27T16:50:00.003-04:002009-01-11T22:34:24.712-05:00Back in the book! #2 (We need your help!)We're once again going back into the book. Our second match fell through yesterday when the birth family decided to parent. Although we continue to be very sure that our time will come, we have to admit that this one was difficult. The potential birthmother gave birth on Tuesday to a most adorable baby boy. We hopped on the first plane available and arrived just a couple of hours after he was born. At first, things seem to go very well. Unlike in our previous match, we had never actually met the birthparents in person so we were relieved when we all hit it off immediately. They baby was to be released from the hospital on Thursday morning, and the birth parents were scheduled to sign relinquishments that afternoon. Wednesday night was the first sign that things might not go as planned, and by Thursday morning they had asked to push back the signing of the papers until Monday. <br /><br />Per the original plan, the baby was released from the hospital to us on Thursday. We all discussed that we'd try and spend time together over the weekend. Additionally, the birth father advised that his mother, aunt, and sister were flying into town and that they would want some "alone time" with the baby. So, we took the little one back to our hotel. He was an absolute pleasure to be around. He had a really great first night "home" from the hospital (but of course we didn't get a wink of sleep). The following night, the birthfather's family arrived in town and we brought the little one over to them to spend the night. As you've probably already guessed, we got the call late the following evening that they had decided to parent. It was heart breaking - BUT we were very happy to hear that they now had the support necessary to provide for the little guy. We harbor no bad feelings for them what so ever, and wish them the best of luck in their parenting journey. As before, we continue to feel honored to have been picked as potential parents for their child. The way we see it we've now received two stamps of approval from potential birthmothers. Also, it was a great learning experience. Having never been through the process before, we now know exactly what to expect at the hospital, and know exactly what one needs to make it through those first few days with the baby at the hotel.<br /><br />Once again, we're asking you all for help. We are more eager then ever to start our new family! We need you to talk to your friends, family, and associates about adoption. Somewhere, right now, a potential birthmother is considering adoption and all it takes is a recommendation from a friend to move us to the top of the list! Thank you all for your continued support! <br /><br />~William & JohnW, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-63912246784942263222008-06-13T18:05:00.004-04:002008-06-14T11:53:18.367-04:00Southern Voice Article - Baby Makes Three<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFlZb35SmLEy0jS0YKhAz__avigMoUd1idk5uzks0NZPvejiStTk1Z2_HM8i0CgGm4WtYZNRlfvwb2mm359ZR_2MqWgjrSK1GFuMv-xj9P1OU0fDMGS7VQvGuS8U1NVWAbLGkLA/s1600-h/topLogo2007.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFlZb35SmLEy0jS0YKhAz__avigMoUd1idk5uzks0NZPvejiStTk1Z2_HM8i0CgGm4WtYZNRlfvwb2mm359ZR_2MqWgjrSK1GFuMv-xj9P1OU0fDMGS7VQvGuS8U1NVWAbLGkLA/s320/topLogo2007.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211764891930406690" /></a>While we were in New York city last week we received an email from Matt Schaefer a reporter for the Southern Voice newspaper. He said that he was doing a father's day article and wanted to meet with us so that he could include our adoption story. Of course, we we're happy to oblige. After a few scheduling emails (we we're going to be in New York for a few more days) we agreed that a phone interview would probably be the best thing to do. So it was, that a few days later we found ourselves on the speaker phone completing an interview with Matt. Matt's a nice guy, and had clearly done his adoption research prior to the interview. We talked about our experiences; talking with potential birthmothers, matching, unmatching, etc. After about an hour, the interview was done. For us it was fairly normal, although we haven't had our adoption story featured in a newspaper before, we talk about our adoption journey almost constantly.<br /><br />So today the article came out - we're famous! Okay, maybe famous is going a little overboard, but we were excited to find out we're the feature story (with our picture on the cover!) The article is pretty good. A couple of minor misquotes, but I think that's pretty much par for the game.<br /><br />Check at the article at: http://www.sovo.com/2008/6-13/arts/feature/8676.cfm<br /><br />Thanks for reading!<br />~WW, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-40617064308022421352008-05-12T17:56:00.009-04:002008-05-12T18:52:17.705-04:00Back in the book (unmatched)...After being matched with a perspective birthmother for the past several months we are sad to say that we are now unmatched. Although we will probably never know exactly why she changed her mind (we haven't heard from the perspective birthmother in almost a month) we sincerely hope that her and the baby are doing well. She was a brave and courageous young lady and we were honored by her choosing us as parents for her child if only for a few months. With that said, the adoption process has taught us many things including that things happen for a reason - our child is out there waiting for us. We are happy to wait a little bit longer if that's what it takes!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWB1mVFYfkBsoHRdBH-iLvU1QRlNKkOR7FG0RDrRvfUTfzoByUeSRNfatY1Zy-hDyvb6zG0hqkQ2uAKpNYmPdoIQ0bZeIM1pyQxmTovLRCi_qyzsGicC3NXhpd4xoApzv6EKtVg/s1600-h/007_07.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWB1mVFYfkBsoHRdBH-iLvU1QRlNKkOR7FG0RDrRvfUTfzoByUeSRNfatY1Zy-hDyvb6zG0hqkQ2uAKpNYmPdoIQ0bZeIM1pyQxmTovLRCi_qyzsGicC3NXhpd4xoApzv6EKtVg/s200/007_07.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199626340389022226" /></a>What happens now? We're going to need all of you to start up the networking engine again! That's right folks; remember our monthly emails asking you to talk about adoption with everyone you know... they're coming back. So many of you have been extremely supportive throughout this process, and we know that we can count on you now. I know I've said it before, but a large number of adoptions happen each month from the "recommendation" of someone else. By that I mean, statistically speaking each reader of this blog knows someone, who knows someone who is considering placing their unborn child up for adoption. It's exciting to know that there are only a few degrees of separation between us and our possible birthmother. Something as simple as a chain email could easily put a birthmother in contact with us. The many comments we've received from readers have been amazing. It's abundantly clear that our friends, family, and even anonymous blog readers know how excited we are to become parents and that we have so much love to give a child. Now, we're asking all of you to take a moment to spread our story - we know that with your help our dream of becoming parents will happen soon!<br /><br />Thank you all for reading. More posts to come soon!<br /><br />~William & John<br /><br />How to contact us:<br />email: adoption@kinnanepetersen.com<br />website: www.kinnanepetersen.com<br />Agency: www.adoptionhelp.org<br />MySpace: www.myspace.com/kinnanepetersen<br />*Facebook users can join our Facebook group started by our friend Bridget-"William and John should be daddies."W, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29191183.post-35708685194658063832008-02-26T18:08:00.003-05:002008-02-26T18:16:13.275-05:00b. braithwaite<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_cOxE3nS5ZqLr82h-rIS_wLtdvQWufPH3jkUJgal83Q0PMsw_y2hEb6nqkW2lrUzIXq3CrqSO7sxSzie6wZIhxudScUzrsHWXzTTJrUR-LLZSq0mCNx_9_OzlWLpJMpJgDXurw/s1600-h/bb_logo.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_cOxE3nS5ZqLr82h-rIS_wLtdvQWufPH3jkUJgal83Q0PMsw_y2hEb6nqkW2lrUzIXq3CrqSO7sxSzie6wZIhxudScUzrsHWXzTTJrUR-LLZSq0mCNx_9_OzlWLpJMpJgDXurw/s320/bb_logo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171431223583914770" /></a> We've been spending a lot of time window shopping since we matched. One of our favorite places is b. braithwaite. It's a great little childrens boutique. Particularly amazing for the Atlanta area. Visit <a href="www.bbraithwaite.com"></a> and check out their room collections to get an idea of where we'll be getting some of our ideas for the nursery!W, J and Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13211200960322726277noreply@blogger.com0