Overwhelmed and All Consumed!

 
  

This week has been relaxing. Following a long weekend of fun and excitement, it's been nice to have some relaxation. I was a bit concerned after this last weekend that Tate would struggle to sleep unless he was in our arms because he was held so much, but was pleasantly surprised to find out that he missed his crib probably just as much as I missed my bed! On Monday night, Tate slept through the night for the first time!!! He slept from ll:00 to 7:00! We were overjoyed, but knew that he probably wasn't going to make it a habit yet. He has continued to sleep well, going from about 12:00 or 12:30 until 6:30. We have been feeling a lot less sleep deprived since he's been sleeping better. He is such a good natured baby and is really starting to smile a lot! We have tried to capture his smile on camera several times, but our attempts have been unsuccessful. We seem to catch him at either the very beginning of his smile or the tail end. As soon as we get a smiling photo, it will be posted! Of course, we think he is the most beautiful thing we have ever seen in our lives whether he's smiling or not, but when he puts on that smile...he mealts our hearts!

Today, Daddy got to take the day off of work to stay home with Tate while Mommy went to work one last time for a few hours. Man, it was hard to leave my babies! Sean said, "we're going to have a testosterone filled day!" I don't exactly know what their testosterone filled day intaled, but I don't think I'll ask. It was a short day because by 4:30, Daddy had Tate packed up to come visit Mommy at work. He strolled through the mall in search of the perfect plain, white, collared, button down shirt for Tate's 6 week pictures next week. We had no luck, so we headed to TJ Maxx (the greatest store EVER) to see if they had one...again, no luck. We want to find one for him to wear with his jeans and we will wear white shirts and jeans too so that we can be a cute matching family for our family photo! :) We may have to go to Plan B...well, I will have to create a Plan B that is.

This week is the first week that I am feeling like my life is a little more routined again. Just as soon as I say that, I am sure things will go completely haywire again, but I'll risk it I guess! Tate is sleeping better, he's getting more scheduled with his daytime naps and he is on a great eating schedule, so we're able to get things done between feedings. I feel like I am comfortable taking him places with me, where as a couple weeks ago, I felt I needed someone with me in case Tate had a crying fit or something! I am just feeling a lot less overwhelmed and that is a fantastic feeling! Before Tate, pretty much since we started the adoption process last winter, I have been all consumed and overwhelmed it seems. Whether it was getting our paperwork done, creating our Family Profile Book, scheduling our meetings/classes at Bethany, preparing for our home study, waiting for "the call", wondering if my profile was being shown, if it was good enough, wondering if we were going to get the first baby we were considered for, the twins and then anticipating meeting Tate's birthfather, life has been one overwhelming, all consuming thing after another! Then, we met Brandon and got the good news that it was official that him and Maggie wanted us to raise Tate. That's when the next wave of all consuming, overwhelming events took place...they were a completely different type of events (mostly WONDERFUL), but overwhelming and all consuming still! First was the emotionally overwhelming moment when we met Tate...words cannot describe this moment...then, Brandon seeing us drive away with his son and us watching him break down as we drove off while we had this unbelievable feeling of joy and at the same time this intense pain for him, then introducing our son to our families and our first night with him in Pella and learning about him and his personality. After that...after falling so in love with him, waiting for "the call" that the birthparents hadn't changed their minds and that they had signed the papers, then taking our son home! After all of that...more introductions, waiting for 96 hours to pass to make Tate officially our son, more introductions, no sleep, more introductions, no sleep, a post placement visit, a weekend trip to Wisconsin, more introductions, no sleep, a first Dr. appointment, more introductions and still NO SLEEP! WHEW! We are going to be overwhelmed with love for the rest of our lives, but we are FINALLY getting some sleep, most of the introductions are over (there are still a few though!), Tate is OFFICIALLY our son and NO PERSON can take him away from us, and that is a relief like we have NEVER felt in our lives! Tate will forever overwhelme us and consume our lives, but that is what all of this overwhelming and all consuming stuff was for all along...for a person that could overwhelme and all consume us for the rest of our lives! We can't wait to enjoy every overwhelming and all consuming moment with Tate!