If you thought the last post was awesome . . . . .

I realize that I'm terrible about blogging.  Really, with Facebook (and the millions of other social media options), I feel this is a bit archaic.  But, this is the best way to tell all the people we love about the great things going on in our house!

So, if you just want the news, read the next paragraph.  If you want the story, read the full post.  If you don't care about either, than you won't have clicked on the link we'll be posting on Facebook that leads to this blog.

Ahem . . . .

Brian and I would like to officially introduce you to William Scott Bennit Simmons. He was born on Sept. 25 and came in at a whopping 8 pounds 8 ounces, 20 inches.  He is healthy, eats like a champ, sleeps in good long blocks, and is a mellow and peaceful baby.

We were contacted by our case worker at LDS Family Services 18 days before the birth mom went into labor.  In that short time, we developed an amazing relationship with her, she truly is an fantastic woman.  I was invited into the delivery room, and despite the fact that I'm not big on the whole "birth" thing, I was thrilled to be there to help, and to see my son enter the world.  He stayed in the hospital for a couple of days, and has been home with us while we waited the required waiting period. (Its 10 days in the state of Georgia, and a really LONG 10 days.)  And now that its passed, we can shout from the mountain tops what we've been wanting to scream for days.

We have a son!!!!!

I am so incredibly thankful for all the prayers, positive thoughts, words of support, and moments of kindness that so many people have shared.  I know that it isn't easy to know how to handle complicated matters like infertility, but I have been blessed with an amazing husband, a wonderful family, and the best group of friends a girl could ask for.  And with that, I'd like to leave you with one final statement.

I'd like to apologize in advance for the gratuitous posting of pictures and stories about the new little man in my life.  I won't be offended if you block me from your news feed and ignore my blog from now until eternity.

LOVES!!

This post is worth the wait . . .

I have an announcement.

You ready?

Sitting on the edge of your seat?

Palms sweaty, so anxious you think your head might explode?

Ok, good.




We have been approved by LDS Family Services, an agency that is nationwide - so we now start the waiting period until we are chosen by a birth mother. Only time can tell what the outcome of all this will be, but we're cautiously optimistic that this is our path to parenthood. Our profile is visible on LDS Family Service's website. Please feel free to share it with friends, family, neighbors, and basically anyone who might care or might know a prospective birth mother. The agency is somewhat unique in that it is birth parent driven, so we wait until a birth parent thinks we are the right couple to adopt their baby. While we've been somewhat quiet as we've been completing the application process, now is the time for us to be more public. The more people who view our profile, the better our chances are. The majority of adoptions through agencies like this happen because of word-of-mouth, so please share our profile to help us find the baby that is meant to be ours.

The link to the profile is here: https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/27290502/ourMessage.jsf 

Along with sharing our profile as appropriate, we appreciate any prayers, good vibes, positive thoughts, or whatever else you think can bolster our strength. This hasn't been an easy process.

In addition to the profile, I wanted to share this really great program we have set up. As we have researched various adoption fundraisers, we discovered the Amazon Associates program. Basically, for each purchase completed using our unique link, we receive a portion of the sales as an "advertisement fee." We felt this could be a simple way for our friends and family to help us save for adoption by doing what you're already doing - shopping on Amazon! There's no extra cost for using our specific link, and its a way to help us with the hefty costs associated with adoption. All we ask is that you bookmark the following link to Amazon and use it each time you visit the site. The site will look no differently to you, but each time you order through this link, you'll be helping us save our pennies to fund our adoption. Every small piece helps us prepare!


http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=simmons835-20

Thanks in advance! We appreciate all your help! Feel free to share both links with friends and family if you feel comfortable doing so. LOVES!!!
 

Kronk Adventures

So, while making dinner last night, I sat down to watch a few minutes of tv whilst the food cooked. Kronk had climbed onto a pile of blankets with his rawhide, happily chomping away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him stand up, then he started to yelp in pain. I grabbed him to see what was wrong, and he just kept swallowing and licking his lips, while still yelping. I thought that maybe the rawhide had gotten stuck in his throat, so I tried to feel for it in his mouth (not a pleasant experience, ever). It was already down his throat; he just kept moving between me and Brian and Vanessa, looking for relief. We, of course, started to panic that we would have to take him to the vet, after hours mind you. Brian thought he'd try some version of doggie Heimlich, which really just equated to Brian smacking Kronk on the back. (I think Kronk thought he was in trouble for something.) So then Kronk ran over to me and the yelping just kept coming. I got him a fresh dish of water and he went into his kennel and started turning circles. He laid down for a minute, but was still licking his lips and swallowing.

Then he started to retch. After a moment or two, he vomited. At least he was kind enough to go in to his kennel for this part of the fun. The LARGE piece of rawhide had apparently gotten stuck in his throat. I'd imagine it felt like it does when I eat too much bread and it isn't going down my throat. Poor little guy. After he puked, he curled up in my lap; the rest of the evening he acted like nothing had happened at all. Silly dog.

I feel slightly less alone . . .

“Happy Mother's Day”

it comes around every year;

but when you have empty arms,

it's very hard to hear.

It's a day to celebrate a mother,

for all the trials she overcame;

and a reminder to an infertile

of her loneliness and shame.

But what really makes a mother,

Is it just conception and birth?

Or is there something more,

that shows a mother's worth?

It's putting your child first,

in everything you do;

it's sacrifice and determination,

and love and patience too.

An infertile woman makes all her plans,

around a child not yet conceived;

she loves them even though they aren't here,

more than she ever could have believed.

She appreciates and understands,

what a blessing that children are;

she works hard for just a chance,

that motherhood is not that far.

All odds are stacked against her,

and yet she still has hope;

everyday is another struggle,

finding ways to help her cope.

So even though her arms are empty,

she can still be a mother too;

So say a special “Happy Mother's Day”

for those waiting for their dreams to come true!

http://forum.baby-gaga.com/about599768.html

Recent Wanderings . . .

I will apologize now, because this post is going to be very photo-laden. But, I figure my three trusty followers will want to see what I've been up to. The day after Christmas, Dad flew into Atlanta. We kept things pretty low-key, but did take a day trip to Madison, Georgia. What is so special about Madison, Georgia? Here's what wikipedia says:
It is known as "The town Sherman refused to burn", as it was spared during General Sherman's march to the sea during the Civil War. While many believe that he spared the town because it was too beautiful to burn, the actual fact is that Madison was home to pro-Union Senator Joshua Hill. Hill had ties with General Sherman's brother at West Point, so his sparing the town was more political than appreciation of its beauty. Currently, Madison has the second largest historic district in the state of Georgia (next to Macon), and tourists from all over the world come to marvel at the antebellum architecture of the homes.

That is why we went there. It's only about 30 minutes from Athens, so off we went. There were two main things we wanted to see while we were there. One, there is a driving/walking tour of the antebellum homes. They are sublime. Second, the historical society runs two home tours, one the home of a prominent doctor, the other of a woman who rose from slavery to build a small home for herself and her two children. Dad took lots of pictures too, but hasn’t downloaded and emailed them to me yet. When he does I’ll post some of his, as I’m sure he got better photos than I did. And, here are the photos:


This is the home of a doctor in Madison during the Civil War. The house was actually moved about 150 feet from its original location and turned to face a different direction. Most of the windows had name etchings on them. When women got engaged, they would scratch their name on the window with the diamond to ensure that the rock was real. HA! Southern homes always have rockers on the porch.


A chandelier in one of the bedrooms.

These are the servants' stairs. There is a small entryway at the bottom that allowed them to turn into the doctor's office, the front sitting room, or to go out the servant door to the summer kitchen. The kitchen was in a small building not attached to the main home, so the heat wouldn't build in the hot months, and in case of fire, the whole house wouldn't be lost. The servants were never allowed to use the main staircase, and this one was long and steep.

The man who owned the home was a doctor. He had completed one full year of medical school, which apparently was enough. He practiced in the town of Madison and was called out to help during the Civil War. This is a wheelchair from the time period.

This is the type of basin they would use to sanitize their hands and instruments. There would be water in each of the basins, nothing else. Not very sanitary, is it?

Two of the amputation kits the doctor used when treating Civil War soldiers. Horrifying, really.


This is a prescription in the doctor's own hand. It was a remedy for hemorrhoids.

Chair with detailed stitching.

This is a "crazy quilt" The women were always working on a project, and these were common. They used small pieces of fabric and practiced different types of stitches. This particular quilt has a different stitch between each and every type of fabric. There were also a couple of small figures stitched, one of them being a cat.

This was a learning experience for me. This is a photo of what is now called Victorian Hair Art. When a person died, they would take the hair from their hair brushes and make pieces to decorate the home with. I think it's macabre. My dad said that there was a watch chain in the Swenson family that was made out of hair of one of our ancestors. He doesn't know what happened to it.

Table setting in the dining room. The china was often purchased in plain white and they would pay someone to paint the design and glaze it.


Sewing Box

Children's shoes

A pair of women's shoes. Notice how they have straight soles. At the time, they didn't take into account the curve of the foot at the arch. They looked painful to walk in. And they were TINY.

Two examples of women's clothing. They were intricately stitched, and made of beautiful fabrics.


This is the home of a former slave. She worked hard for everything she owned, and raised a son and daughter in the home.

This is the only known existing photo of her.

This small cabinet is where the sugar was kept. It was extremely expensive, and was kept in a small cabinet with the hope that the humidity wouldn't ruin it.

A close up view of the needlework on a chair.

These corner chairs were made to accommodate the swords that the men wore. With this chair, they could sit comfortably without the sword poking their side.

The support for the thin mattress was just rope pulled taut. If you had money, you had board slats that supported the mattress. One home on the walking tour claims to have a ghost that will life these boards if she isn't invited to the social functions held at the home.

The bathtub, in the corner of the bedroom. People back then were much shorter than my hubby . . .

Children's toys


The bed in the children's room.

Portrait of Daughter and Son

Turtle shells in the children's room. They used them as toys.

This is the original wallpaper. We're talking about from the 1880s. Seriously.



Crochet work. Look how small those stitches are!!


The Christmas tree. It was fun to see the balls of cotton as decorations. They all still had the seeds attached.

Examples of Antebellum Architecture


Town Hall

The one picture I got of Dad