Hello friends! Please forgive my absence from other blogs (and even my own!) for the most part over the last couple weeks. I had a very very good reason for being absent. No, I did not win the lottery and decide to give up blogging. It’s much better than that!
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I am a momma. For the first time ever.
Yes, our dreams of parenthood have finally come true! A week and a half ago we adopted a sweet newborn baby girl. I am not posting pictures yet because things are not quite final with the courts yet, but I am now a momma and I have the sleep deprivation and formula-stained clothing to prove it.
The last few weeks of the adoption were quite stressful- the decision to give this beautiful baby girl up for adoption was a very difficult one for her birth mother, who wavered back and forth at the end about whether she wanted to go through with the adoption plan or not. That was really hard for us. In the end she knew she simply could not afford the financial cost of caring for another child, especially an infant, along with two older children she is raising. She loved her daughter enough to know that it may be possible to have a better life elsewhere, and for that we are eternally grateful.
There are really no words to describe how much adopting this baby girl, our new daughter, means to us. A big part of the reason that we have been so determined to get our financial act together is because we have known for some time now that our journey to parenthood would be via “the expensive route.” It’s been a long road to this point. We are so happy that we have finally earned the right to call ourselves parents!
So many things in our lives have already changed with the addition of our daughter. Our days now revolve around feeds, diaper changes, and cat naps to catch up on sleep! It’s been so much fun to watch my hubby become such a wonderful daddy- as I always knew he would be. And it’s been hysterical to watch our dogs try to figure out what is up with this new creature who came to inhabit our home. Our older wiser dog seems sort of glum and seems to know that the hierarchy in the home has now changed. Our younger dog is endlessly curious about the baby, constantly needing to be near her, sniff her, lick her (tries), bark at her, etc.
Financially our lives have changed as well- expenses are higher now, and our responsibility is greater so we feel the need to have even more in the emergency fund. But we have been planning for this day for a very long time- years really- so we do feel prepared from a financial perspective, which is a pretty great feeling to have.
Although the journey to parenthood has already given me lots of good fodder for future blog posts, I plan to ease up on my publication schedule on Color Me Frugal this summer a bit. BUT, I definitely recommend that you check out this post over at Cash Cow Couple regarding financial independence. I was honored to be interviewed by this fabulous couple for the article- thanks guys!
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Photo credit: gabi menashe
Congrats!!! Such exciting news 🙂 enjoy every moment of it, even the hard ones!
Congratulations!!!!!!! Such wonderful and heartwarming news!
Congratulations!!! That is so awesome! Enjoy every moment!!!
Great news! And what a relief I’m sure. Congratulations and may she be a great blessing for you.
Huge congrats Dee, that’s AWESOME!! Enjoy all those moments, even the spitting up ones. 🙂
Many congrats! What a wonderful joy for your family!
That’s fantastic news, for you and the baby! I’m part of a local health coalition, and I recently saw statistics on children born into bad situations….and the stats aren’t good unless the child is placed in a better home (it’s generally much better for the birth mother, also).
While it’s goodbye sleep, it’s hello to a whole new fantastic world!
Congratulations Dee! What an exciting time. Enjoy every moment!
Wow! This is such happy, exciting news!!! Many congratulations! I wish you all the best. There will be challenging times, and awesome times. Enjoy!
Congrats Dee! This is great news and I wish you the best. Babies are awesome.
How totally exciting!! Congratulations to y’all! Savor every moment!
So happy for you guys! Have been waiting for this post with baited breath! As a new grandmother (well 8 months old now), I’ve been able to experience this whole baby thing again recently and it’s just wonderful! You lives have been changed forever, but truly enriched!
So happy for you!!! Congratulations!!!
Congratulations! This is fantastic news, thanks for sharing with us all in the PF blogging community! 🙂 Very happy for you guys.
Many congratulations!
Many, many congratulations!!! How absolutely wonderful!
Congratulations again, my friend. I am so excited for you and your husband – and that sweet baby girl. She is so blessed to have you as her Mom. Sleep and sanity go out the window, but she is worth it! 🙂
Congratulations! What exciting news 🙂
Congratulations Dee!!!! Years ago during a church service, the minister said that adoptive parents truly understand God’s love because they don’t have a physical connection to the child yet they love the child unconditionally. I always thought that was a special way to look at adoption and that baby girl is lucky to have found you and I can’t wait to hear about your new mommy adventures.
Congratulations!!!!! What an amazing blessing.
Congratulations, Dee!!! This is so exciting. I think this is wonderful and I can’t wait to see pics!
YAY!!!!!!!!! So very, very excited for you guys, Dee!! Cannot wait to hear more about your beautiful baby girl. Many congrats to you both! 🙂
I stumbled upon your blog this morning..
Reading this post, my heart did a little flip. I am SO happy for you and your precious daughter.
There really are no words to describe the depth of your feelings, right?
And it only gets better. 🙂
darlene
Dee, what wonderful news! I’m so happy for you all – this must have been a very emotional journey for everyone involved. Welcome to the best job in the world – and the hardest! 🙂
Congrats Dee!!!!!! So happy for you guys! Take all of the time you need, we’ll be here when you come back. I mean, you’ve got another life to care for now, so it’s kind of a big deal 🙂
Congratulations!! So happy to hear everything went well. I think it’s quite understandable to scale back on blogging for the summer! I hope you two get some rest, and enjoy being new parents!
That’s wonderful news. Congratulations on your new baby girl. Sleep deprivation makes you do crazy things, but it’s all worth it and it does go by so fast. Enjoy it all.
Congrats! This is beautiful. Excited to see pictures once you can share them.
Congrats Dee…I dream of the day when I become a daddy! I really can’t wait. Adoption can definitely be rough. I’ve got a friend that adopted and ran into the same seesaw kind of battle in the beginning. Congrats again!
Congrats on becoming a mother! That’s so awesome! My wife and I plan on adopting eventually and I always get excited to hear about others who have gone through the process.
Have a wonderful time with your daughter.
we adopted 16 plus years ago, also a newborn girl.
could not have wished for a better daughter.
Congratulations on the adoption!! It’s an exciting time for you both and I wish you all the love and luck on your journey into parenthood! Mr.CBB
Dee, CONGRATULATIONS on the birth of your daughter! That is so exciting. You guys must be exhausted but I’m sure it’s the happy kind of exhausted. Get your rest when you can and enjoy your precious baby!
YOU ARE HEROES!
There are so many children who need a loving family and you guys are doing the biggest thing in my books: taking care of a child, even if it’s not your ‘blood’ (not that it matters for a TRUE mother).
I wish you all the happiness in the world and do enjoy your new status. You will be a terrific mother 🙂
Oh gosh, thanks Dojo! I guess we don’t really consider ourselves heroes per se, but it is sometimes eye-opening to look at our daughter and think of what life she might be living had her birth mother decided against adoption. We are so grateful and blessed to have her with us!
Congratulations on your baby girl! Those sleepless nights will pass before you know it. My girl is almost three and it still feels so brand new.
Thank you so much! And thanks for stopping by!
Congratulations Mama Bear. Our family has a little adopted boy who has been a blessing, and wishing you the best.
Thank you so much. Our little miss is the light of our lives, can’t imagine a world without her. Best wishes to you as well 🙂