More Pics

I have to be honest....by the time we got home last night, I was so exhausted that I didn't really have the energy to do too much so I only posted three pics. But, I have more so I wanted to post them today. Enjoy!!

Beautiful Boy!!

Well, today was the day we have been waiting for. We got to meet our beautiful baby boy today. Nathaniel is just a love! He has come a long way from the tiny little preemie he was. He is now over six pounds and has some very chubby cheeks!! Holding him was heaven and having to leave him was, well, you know.

We signed all the paperwork and Nathaniel is officially our child. What a Christmas gift! He has one additional surgery next week and then hopefully he will be able to come home shortly afterward. He is a strong little one and he has done so well! The next week or so will be busy with going back and forth to the hospital and such. But, it is all worth it! We can hardly wait for the day that we get to bring him home!

Sometimes Things Don't Go As Planned

Most of you already know that our plans to sign papers and meet Nate on Tuesday did not work out. There was a minor glitch to our paperwork and we had to get things in order before we could sign. Fast forward to now. We are headed to STAR tomorrow, or rather, later this morning.

I keep worrying that I will jinx myself or something. But I can't sleep. It's two in the morning and I can't sleep. I keep thinking of the moment that we'll get to see Nate for the first time. You know, it's a funny thing. When I went to bed Monday night and again when I woke up on Tuesday, I had a strange feeling that something wasn't going to go as planned. On the way to Buffalo Brent asked me if I was excited and I really wasn't. I was nervous. I thought that was a strange emotion for going to sign adoption papers and meeting Nate for the first time. But all the way there that's all I could feel.

Tonight it is different. For one thing, I have been running around like a chicken. I think I am nesting. I keep cleaning things and putting stuff away. I am actually cracking myself up. I just want to be ready in case, by some miracle, Nate is ready to be released tomorrow, (or really, later this morning.) I am not at all nervous now. Now I am just excited. I have that same anxious excitement that I can remember feeling as a little child on Christmas Eve. It is a good feeling. Much better than the nervousness of Tuesday. I have butterflies.

I tried to spend time with the kids today as much as possible. This is the last day that we are a family of four. Soon Brent and I will be outnumbered by little people. Tyler and Emmalee have no idea how their lives are about to change. I am really excited to see their reactions to Nate, especially Emma. She keeps talking about how she will kiss the new baby on his head and hold him really nicely. She is going to be a great big sister.

And, of course, I just hope and pray that I am not wrong. I really believe that in a few short hours, I will be holding my son for the first time. I thought this day would never come. I was beginning to wonder if it was all a dream. But it isn't. This is really going to happen. Miracles do happen and dreams really do come true. I can hardly wait!!

Life Is Good!

As most of you probably already know, we have decided to change the baby's name. After careful consideration.....our little man will be Nathaniel Roger. We are so excited!!! Nathaniel means Gift from God and Roger is the name of a very dear friend of ours.

We also have amazing news! We are going to Adoption STAR tomorrow to sign the paperwork and then we get to go to the hospital to meet our son!! I really, really can't believe it. I don't think it has hit me yet. I can hardly wait. We'll keep you all posted!

And The Winners Are.....

Hooray!! Today's the big day for the raffle drawings! Thank you to everyone who purchased raffle tickets.

I used http://www.random.org/ to help me make the drawings, well, random. :) There were 20 tickets total sold for the Spa Raffle...here's the results.

List Randomizer
There were 20 items in your list. Here they are in random order:
0019 -- Winner!!
0003
0002
0001
0016
0004
0018
0013
0008
0015
0006
0014
0007
0017
0011
0009
0005
0010
0012
0020
Timestamp: 2007-12-15 21:43:26 UTC

And for the stamp sets there were 12 tickets sold.....

There were 12 items in your list. Here they are in random order:
0005 -- Winner!!
0003
0002
0011
0001
0004
0012
0007
0010
0008
0006
0009
Timestamp: 2007-12-15 22:09:46 UTC

Hooray! I will notify the winners. Thank you all again!!

~Jodie

Raffle Update

It has been brought to my attention that I failed to give an update on our raffle drawings. I am so sorry! I have not yet drawn winners so if you have bought tickets, never fear. :)

I will be drawing on December 15. If you would still like to buy tickets, there's still time. The prizes would make great holiday gifts.

Remember, the raffles are for two sets of stamps and a $100 Spa Finder gift certificate.

Personalized Letter From Santa Fundraiser

***Thanks to everyone who ordered!!***

Hello All!

I will admit that this wasn't 100% my idea. However, I have fine tuned it a bit and I'm hoping this will be a great fundraiser.

We are excited to do personal letters from Santa for your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, friends, etc. The letter will be from Santa, with your child's name mentioned throughout. Santa will also include other information that you provide such as sibling's names, pet's names, birthdays, special interests, etc. Really it is up to your imagination how personal you want this to be. Letters will be printed on nice Christmas paper and will be signed by Santa.

All orders must be in no later than December 12. They will be mailed on December 15 in order to arrive in time for Christmas. Letters will be addressed to the child and will be postmarked from the North Pole!!!

Letters are $5 each which includes shipping. Payment through paypal. Just click on the button below.

Please email me the information you want in your letter, jodiegardner@gmail.com

Thank you so much!!