Welcome to our frat house.

****Not sure why this posted again!


My posts have felt a little somber lately. The last few posts have been soap-boxy bulletin boards. Time for a quick scrapbook moment for my boys. Ya know, in case Facebook implodes one day and I lose all my documentation of their childhood. I should warn you, I'm a serial facebooker. And Instagrammer. But I'm most embarrassed to say my last kid-themed-status-update-update was July of '12. I'm not going to copy the last year and a half's here but I'll at least give ya the last few months...

****EDITED TO ADD**** I started with just the last couple months but was having so much fun revisiting our crazy that I kept going. Whatever. It's my party and I'll blog if I want to, blog if I want to, blog if I want to. This post is more for Dez and Eliot to revisit in 20 years. All that to say, it's long but if you're bored, have at it.

A few posts:
JULY-DECEMBER '12

*E: Mom, I want strong muscles like Michael Phelps, do you?
Me: Yep, that's why I was exercising yesterday.
E: Uh, mom,...it didn't work.

*Every time we get in the car Eliot yells, "My biscuits are burnin'!"

*Nothing says " road trip with a six yr old" like Hey Mom, I bet I can count to 10, 000! 1, 2, 3...

*Russ to E, getting in the car with half an ice cream cone: Eliot, are you really going to finish all of that?
Eliot: Dude, I'm gonna kill it.

*Me: El, for snack do you want a banana?
El: Sure, what kind do you have?

*It might just be easier to put all the kitchen cabinet contents into Dez's toy baskets and his toys into the cabinets.

*Dear teachers, if Eliot's "how I spent my summer vacation" essay includes watching YouTube videos on "how to cornrow" that *might* be my fault.

*Me: Eliot, you need to *blah blah blah*
Eliot: Whatever you say, Mom
Me: Um..what?
Eliot: Whatever you say...is awesome?

*Something I never imagined saying as a parent: "Stop running hot wheels through your brother's fro."

*I know I shouldn't refer to my child as my antagonist but what else do you call someone who constantly follows you around undoing what you just did. And don't say "a toddler" because then I'm forced to reply, "touche!" and I hate saying that.

*"Mom, booty is a noun" #firstgradeFTW

*That moment when you mistakingly reprimand your son for calling you a "cougar" when he actually called you a "cool girl".

*That moment when you find yourself cleaning up diarrhea from two children while listening to The Chipmunks sing Christmas songs in Spanish. Yeah, that moment.

*Every time we ask Eliot to do something he says, "No comprendo." Well played, Guatemalan, well played.

*Something I didn't anticipate with the multi- age classroom: Eliot's sudden interest in third grade girls.

*20 (ish) teeth by 2 years old? It's going to be a long 6 months...#only4teethat18months

*While letting a-very-excited-to-vote Eliot push the buttons on electronic ballot, the next guy in line interrupted us:
Guy: excuse me, mam, can you stop letting your child help you? I'm in a hurry.
Me: I'm sorry sir, what's the problem?
Guy: I'm in a hurry and you're taking too long in letting your kid help you.
Me: Sir, that's not my problem. If you aren't happy with the way I'm voting, there's other booths. This moment is important for my son and frankly, what's taking so long is this conversation.

*Dez trying to throw a fit while also having the hiccups might be the best thing about my day.

*Dez just did something he knew was wrong and immediately put his hand out for Eliot to give him a high five. Help.

*Well, it only took 18 months but the fro got caught in the nose ring. #occupationalhazard

*Eliot asked to go to Thousand Island tonight. It's worth looking into... #mayansknowaboutstuff

*Dear Leapfrog, you know you've done your job well when I ask my 18 month old what a frog says and he responds by trying to sing the ABCs.

*2 Eliot stories for you:
1. "Mom, I had a dream that I played drums that were ON FIRE! But no worries, I was so safe."
2. (Guy on the radio): "he got the punch line wrong."
Eliot: HE JUST SAID TO PUNCH MY MOM!

*Eliot mentioned we only have a half day today. I'm assuming he means at school but consider this your warning if he meant otherwise. #apocalypse

*Free PSA for you and yours this holiday season: if your "Elf" dyed both gallons of milk with food coloring days ago, your toddler's diaper deposits *might* be color themed until previously mentioned milk runs out. No need to call the pediatrician.

*I guess day 4 of the same outfit confirms Eliot likes his new clothes we gave him for Christmas.

*Additional note to self: Desmond's hair should be kept far away from large Velcro strips. #thathurt

JANUARY:
*While in the car:
Eliot: Mom! That house has a bright red light in front!
Me: Mmm, yes, it sure does.
Eliot: We should get a bright red light for our house!
Me: Um...no, we probably won't do that.
Eliot: How come?
Me: Um...it's just a little confusing for people...

FEBRUARY
*My kids have no sledding endurance. #parentfail #globalwarmingfail

*Dez has a bug of some sort and has now started saying "boo boo" whenever he chucks. It's endearing, really.

*Days spent along side a toddler with a stomach bug are like living with a mobile land mine. A land mine who wants to cuddle.

*E just told me you have to lose a tooth before you can go to second grade. Man, the standards are rough these days.

*At 21 months Dez just cut his 4th "one-year molar". That means he should cut his "two-year molars" by the time he's in preschool? Egad.

*Eliot quote of the morning: (walking into the dining room where we're enjoying breakfast) "which one of you slobs is going to get dressed and take me to school?"

*You know your new experiment with the pancakes was successful when Dez insists on calling them "Good Guys" as he devours his fourth...#secretingredient

*Remember that time Dez was sitting on the sled at the top of the stairs? -- Russ Mohr #heartattack

MARCH
*The swim coach asked all the boys where their favorite place to vacation spot was. One kid said Lake of the Ozarks. Eliot answered "Guatemala." #thatsnormal?

*Eliot just prayed that Jesus would turn his skin black like Dez. When I asked why he said, "I'll bet Dez will be better than me at camouflaging himself in dark places." #ninjas

*Dez: *whine whine*
Me: What, Dez? I can't understand you, use your words, please.
Eliot stands, put hands on hips: REVEAL THE TRUTH, DEZ!

*When I opened the door to Desmond's room this morning he stood, started clapping and yelled "YAY MOM!!!" It's nice feeling like I accomplished something already today.

*E: Mom, can you get the thermometer down for me?
M: Why do you need the thermometer?
E: I want to stick it up my nose and see what temperature my boogers are.

*With the right hair product and some pipe cleaners I could easily make Dez into an Easter bunny... #toofar?

APRIL
*It's decided. Dez has agreed to turn 3 on his next birthday and skip this whole 2 business.

*When a 9 year old female dinner guest asked what our rules for meal time were, Eliot responded, "You can't say 'penis' at the dinner table."
#houseofboys #awkwardsilence

*Me: Eliot, your t-ball practice was cancelled because of all the rain!
Eliot: You just don't want me to be happy, do you?
#thankyoupigeonbooks

*In other news, I *may* have just yelled, "2Pac IS real music!" at my 6 year old.

*Apparently during an intense game of rock, paper, scissors at school today Eliot played "heart." No one knew what to do. Well played, Eliot, well played. #lovewins #arguewithit

*Out of nowhere at dinner tonight Eliot said, "If a lightening bolt comes down and strikes me in the heart it won't matter because the Holy Spirit will BLAST it away. ...And also? I just held my breath for forty minutes. " ?????

MAY
*Eliot's making farting noises and singing "Desmond did it" to the tune of Adele's "Rumor has it." #frathouse

*It's worth noting that Dez uses the same word for Jesus as he does for Cheez-its. #cheezitsarehisidol

*"Boys! We do not run over bananas with bicycles inside the house!" #frathouse

*So far this morning I've overheard Eliot in the other room trying to teach Dez how to say "Happy Mother's Day" and then he asked if we could look at pictures of when he was adopted. It's almost enough to forgive him for waking me up an hour early...

*Awwww! I remember reading birthday texts on my mom's phone when I turned seven! Oh wait...

*No matter how much work, time and stress it takes to plan, time away from home and real life, it will ALWAYS BE WORTH IT to see Eliot fall in love with his birth country a little bit more each year.

*Hey Russ, remember that time we took the kids to the circus and the tornado sirens kept going off? #hysteria #somanykidscrying #adultsoverreacting That was a great Gotcha Day.

JUNE
*Eliot asked to hear the beginning of his adoption story again this morning (his referral and meeting us the first time). Mid way through the story he says, "Aw man! I wish you guys would've named me Michael Jackson instead of Eliot." #hindsight #parentfail?

*Dear Desmond, in 15 years when you're on some sort of singing competition show and they ask you when you started singing you can answer with, "my mom said that from at least 18 months old I was singing all the time. I would even match tones that I heard including the garbage disposal, tornado sirens, and car horns."

*Eliot: "DEZ! Rule #1 in this house is we DO NOT eat someone else's Cheez-its!" #tough #itis? #seemslegit #frathouse

JULY:
*Dez seems extra squishy on rainy days.

*Instead of praying over our meal, Eliot asked God for girlfriends for himself and Dez. About five minutes later he interrupted a conversation Russ and I were having by saying, "So...lets talk about body hair." #vacationsover

*Whispering from the other room: "Dez, when people ask who your best friend is, you say 'Eliot.'"

Aaaaaaand to balance it out...

"Mom! I taught Dez a new game! It's called Fetch!"

*Gathering our camping gear Eliot picks something up and says, "Is this for making smoothies?"
Me: "No, that's a lantern." #cementbabies #parentfail

*"Mom, how do you say 'privates' in Spanish?" #frathouse #mycommitmenttoyourbilingualnessonlygoessofar

AUGUST
*"Mom! I almost did it!"

"Almost did what?"

"I was almost able to say 'mom' while burping! I was so close!"

#frathouse #everydayeliot

*Dear Dez,
If you're going to try and sneak around out of your bed during naptime, might I suggest playing with something other than a tambourine.

Love, Mom

*In a conversation about having to get new tires for my car:
E: Aw, Mom, I thought you were getting rims, too.
Me: oh! Rims! Right, um...I didn't even think of it!
E: Well, you should put rims on your Christmas list.

*If you missed it, it was Friendly Elderly Lady day at Schnucks. Including one of them chasing me down an aisle, asking her friend on the other end of the phone to wait so she could tell me that my children were the most beautiful she'd ever seen, including her grandchildren. And she has a lot of grandchildren. So if I ever meet them, keep this conversation to myself.

*Dez sure knows how to clear a pool... #grabthebiohazardbag #dailydez #sorryaboutthat

*Making Eliot review math facts while I'm detangling Dez's fro was not the best start to a Monday morning. #trailoftears

*Note to self: making the last week of summer super fun with Cards games, bike rides, sheet forts, and going to the movies is the opposite of what will excite him about going back to school. Next year make it a week of cleaning baseboards, weeding the backyard and alphabetizing our home library, all while playing the quiet game.
*Eliot just put his Ninja Turtles in "the fiery furnace". #Shadrach,MeshachandMichelangelo

*Perhaps it's a sign I'm being overly affectionate with my sensory child when he immediately begins backing up when I say, "I'm just so proud of you..."

SEPTEMBER
*I'm trying to read about Syria while a guy from Charter is fixing our internet and singing Fall Out Boy to me and explaining why it's his jam. Eliot is "teaching Dez numbers" by making him repeat each one after him starting with 1 with plans to finish at 100. # bangingmyheadagainstthewall #its5:00somewhere

*Just walked into the bathroom and found Dez using an electric toothbrush as a back massager. #resourceful #clever #gladitwasntmine #partyDez

*"Mom? Billy Yean is not my yover." -Dez

*"Boys! The playroom is a disaster! Get in here and clean it up!" -Me
"Nana made dat mess!" -Dez

*Dez just rode his bike helter skelter into the kitchen yelling, "GOD IS COMING, GOD IS COMING!" and hid in the cabinet. I always thought this announcement would come from the Mayan. Consider yourself warned. #apocalypse

*"Dez, I'm so proud of you for going potty the last few days!"

"Tank you, Mommy, I so poud of you for givin me M&M's."

*I don't know why I ever ever ever tell Eliot that we can't leave to go somewhere until Dez wakes up. It yields the same result EVERY TIME.

OCTOBER:
*(Re: the tornado siren test's creepy talking voice)

Dez: "Mom, dat guy say Dez needs fruit snacks."

*In the middle of a sibling argument unrelated to the following zing:
"Well guess what, Dez?! THOMAS ISNT EVEN A FAST ENGINE! Ha!" #jugular

*Got home from Nashville in time to pick Eliot up from school. Climbing in the car he announced, "I'm so proud of you guys for coming home! I missed you faster than a cheetah mixed with a falcon with cool shoes on!"

* (Dez was meowing while playing in another room)
I looked at Eliot: "We have a cat?"
E: "I never agreed to that." #heskillingme

*It's a middle name kinda night at Mohr Manor.

*"Mom, did you guys adopt Dez so I'd have subjects for my kingdom?" #nottheadoptionquestionIexpected

NOVEMBER:

*"This is how Shaun White's mom must have felt all the time." -as I walk into the boys' room and Eliot's cheering Dez on as he successfully rides his tricycle off his bed. Backwards. #Godblessher #frathouse

*Thank you, Daylight Savings Time, for that extra hour with my kids this morning. They used it to practice their arm-fart noises and fight over which train is the best. So, thank you for that. I hope you don't accidentally "fall back" in front of a moving vehicle.

*Before you congratulate us on our new 5 year old named Jackson, know that Eliot has an active imagination. Or Mayan intuition. Not sure which yet...

*Dear Kale and Spinach, if you want me to keep hiding you in foods my kids eat, I'm going to need you to work on your camouflage skills.

"Mom? Why do we have to eat the banana muffins in the dark?"

"Shhhh, honey, and eat another muffin."

*The good news is that while our children failed to follow any directions this morning they were at least disrespectful about it. #mondayfunday #notreally #morecoffeeplease #morepatienceplease

*Pointing to the CD player in his preschool classroom, Dez asked his teacher, "Listen Ice, Ice Baby? Peez?"

*Ah...that part of my day where the introvert (who's been around people all day) and the extrovert (who's been lonely all day) come together in beautiful harmony. And by harmony I mean fighting.#brothers

*It's not only lost on Eliot that I'm singing Adele lyrics to give him a spelling pre-test, but he's also begging me to stop. *sigh* #wastedtalents #pearlsamongswine

*I know he has some language processing issues but telling E he needed to rewind the tape in the VCR at Nana's really threw him. #oldschool

*This morning Eliot couldn't find one of his gloves which I later found out in front of our house. When I showed him I found it he said, "Thank you, mom! I'll bet Jesus kept an eye on it while God distracted the bad guys who wanted to steal it."

*I'm almost convinced that Dez isn't a real person. Pretty sure he's a cartoon. #thiskid

What's your Space Jam?

If you haven't watched KidPresident before, it's time. This is a great one to start with and then I recommend his talk on diabetes.


And more Dez faces!

It was sweet of Sasha and Malia to rock the Dez!

Do The Desmond!

So...Dez makes this face a lot:

So I posted this:

And then this happened all over my Facebook wall...

I have funny friends.

Latergram

My fav Instagrams over the last 9 weeks...feel free to follow me at katielmohr! I'll steal a few from Russ' feed next! If you're not on IG yet, I highly recommend it. We're obsessed about it over here!

Wordless Wednesday

****

Learning curve (or curl as the case may be...)

Remember this post? (the one about keeping Desmond's fro for all you lazies who don't want to click over.)

Well, it's still growing. A lot. In fact, on days I need to comb it out, it's super amazing but holy wow. It's grown so much that it's getting more difficult to manage. More hair, especially this curly, means more tangles means more fights (means more wine?)

So, we have a choice. We can shave it and keep up with it that way, or we (I?) can learn to manage it better. I've been regularly popping into a salon in our neighborhood owned by a mom at E's school. She's encouraging and always tells me what I need to do differently or that I'm doing okay. She recommends products, etc. She offered to try to add a "style" to it if I wanted her to so a few weeks ago we tried.

When we arrived for our appointment, she was finishing up with a customer so handed me a large comb and asked me to comb Dez's hair out before she started with him.

This, my friends, was the pop quiz of transracial adoptive moms. So.much.pressure.

Dez was beyond squirmy once she was ready for us. After we gave up one style, she showed me how to do a two strand twist (see example pic below), leaving three in his hair for me to reference when I got home and practiced on the rest of his head. (He was getting way fussy and there were lots of other clients waiting)

I finished his hair by the end of the evening. Some strands I was kinda proud of, the rest were a disaster. I asked Russ if it looked decent enough for me to run to the store with him and he quickly said, "Um...no." Ouch.

(this pic is so awful, but I'm posting it anyway to remind myself of how far I've already come...)

(doesn't his hair look just like the girls up above? I mean...)

That day I spent over an hour looking through a blog I should have started following months ago. It's called Chocolate Hair, Vanilla Care. I'd looked at it once before, right when Dez came home but hadn't been back. I also was pointed toward The Fro Show for other ideas (especially more boy appropriate styles).

After reading and reading I made a plan. I researched what "type" of hair Dez might have so that I could buy the right products. I'd been using It's a Curl! for about six months but his hair has changed. I've switched to Kinky Curly products for now. His hair will change again so I just need to pay attention to when those won't work any longer.

So, I strapped Dez into a table booster seat (with a tray for snacks) in front of a cartoon, got my spray bottle, combs, products, etc all set and tried my second attempt at a style. I decided to try coils and was BEYOND proud of my first attempt (other than the Fro crime scene evidence all over the floor...):

He wasn't super excited to sit still for so long, it took about 40 minutes. Then a couple days ago I tried my first attempt at corn rows:

They're not great up close but at this point it's more about protecting his cute curls and training him to sit still while I work on it.

Then the awesome ladies at the local salon encouraged me to get Dez used to sleeping with a sleeping cap to protect the styles I'm spending so much time and energy on. So we gave it a shot and I honestly can't believe it but he's keeping it on every nap and bed time now!

Overall, it's a process. I'm educating myself via blogs and taking risks. I can't tell you how vulnerable I felt walking into the local salon for the first time but just being honest with the fact that his hair is so very different from anything I have experience with has made for an open relationship with the ladies there. It's around the corner from our house so as soon as I try something new, I walk over there and ask for feedback. The more I work with Dez's hair the more amazing I find it. Not to mention the whole "natural hair" debate, I just hope Russ doesn't embrace it...

Tonight

I finally had some time to myself. While attempting to clear out the DVR, I rolled my eyes that Dez was still awake in the other room. Sighing, I filled the baby tylenol syringe hastily, grabbed some fresh milk and thought, "Make it fast, kid, I have stuff to do."

He was standing in his crib crying. At first glance I assumed it was his new teeth trying to come to the New Tooth Party (that's a real thing?), so I quickly gave him the medicine and scooped him up to give him milk to wash the meds down. He drank some but pushed the cup away and immediately snuggled into my shoulder.

He was so peaceful, so sweet that I gave in and walked quietly over to the rocking chair we got as a wedding gift. He didn't get fidgety like he normally would, but seemed to settle in with a big sigh.

This was a rare moment and I wished so badly to have a picture or video of it. That's my immediate reaction to anything I want to remember. I thought of Mary treasuring things in her heart and wondered how she really did that. I'm so dependent on photos, blog entries, and video.

His breathing deepened and each blink seemed to last a bit longer than the last. We sleep-trained him so well, it's been months since he fell asleep with anyone holding him. He's never this still. Never this content to be so still.

Rocking him to sleep brought up a strong feeling from last summer. For a month, that's all I did with him at the residential facility during visiting hours. Hold him, rocking back and forth, listening to him breath. Except last summer I spent that time wondering what would happen with us, with him. Having sometimes gentle, sometimes aggressive conversations in my head with God. I so wanted this baby.

I know better than to bargain with God, making promises if He comes through on something. But I also felt so fragile from the previous few months that I found myself scared of wanting him so badly.

Desmond broke my stream of consciousness by sighing deeply. I looked down and realized he'd been staring at me. I squinted my eyes, looked hard through that perfect squishy toddler face to find the tiny infant face I remembered so well and said, "It worked out for us this time, Dez, we get to keep you forever." He started some giggles while I wiped away my own tears.

This might sound odd, but more than not, I forget that our boys are adopted. They are just my boys, plain and simple...and oh-so-complex.

Wordless Wednesday

Baby Book Entry: Dez.

*At the ripe age of 13+ months, Dez popped two teeth out! We've been on baby food since he was 4 months old so this is AMAZING NEWS! I might have painted my face Braveheart style, run into the street, threw my arms in the air and yelled "FREEDOM!".

*In unrelated news, our neighbors just moved out.

*Dez also started walking at 12 months, thanks to a need/desire/passion to kick the soccer ball. Click here for the vid.

*He's signing "more", "all done" and "please" regularly. Yes, he's brilliant. nbd.

*At his 12 month appt the doctor was less than impressed with Dez's height progress so we may look into some testing stuff at his 15mos appt next month. Meanwhile, I'm stuffing him full of as much food as he'll eat.

*In unrelated news, Dez really enjoys hanging by his ankles.

*Dez is already quite skilled in the art of sword fighting. Eliot has named him Ninja Baby.

*He's definitely a pistol around here. He's as silly as he is feisty. Gonna have to pull out a different kind of parenting on this one.

*Good thing he's ridiculously cute...

June 19, 2011

We'd known about Dez for 2 weeks already. We were advised to wait to meet him for one main reason: on account of his cuteness, knowing it would sway us. They wanted a yes or no before we met him.

We'd pretty much decided it was a "yes" unless someone told us otherwise (parental rights hadn't been terminated yet). So we agreed to meet him. As soon as Russ got home from work, we all climbed in the car and headed the ten miles west. I was all, "I promise I'll protect my heart, Russ, geez. I can meet a baby who might need a mom and be TOTALLY unattached, watch me."

When we arrived and rang the doorbell, the nurse told us it would be a minute. They heard we were coming and wanted to give him a bath and a fresh outfit so he'd look his tiny-self best.

And they brought him into the room. And my promise flew out the window.

And here we are, a year later...

The Fro.

Dearest family and friends,

In answer to the most commonly asked question right now, No, we're not cutting his hair.

From the beginning, it was recommended to wait until he was at least a year old. That time is here now and it's not going anywhere. We're obsessed with the fro. We love it. We want it to grow bigger, actually.

So, get used to it. It's gonna be here for awhile. Embrace it.

(Not literally, he'll get mad and give you a dirty look.)

Happy Gotcha Day!

As I'm putting on my "fancy clothes" as Eliot calls them, the sound of Russ' footsteps into Dez's nursery comes into our room through the monitor.

"Good morning, son"

That identity became official today.

We walked into the court room and sat in the seats provided. The lawyers and judge did their usual spiel. We answered when appropriate, we listened when appropriate.

I could feel it coming. Like a wedding day when you're waiting for those specific words that bind you forever.

Everyone had done their assigned roles. It was coming. The judge paused.

"I have one more question."

I sat up a little straighter.

"Eliot, what do you think about this?" Eliot turned around, shyly not answering the judge.

"Eliot, is Dez a good little brother?" Still nothing.

"Well, do you want to keep him?" Eliot turned quickly back around to her and said, "YES!"

"Well, in that case, this adoption is final."

It didn't take more than 20 minutes to change our lives.

Fuzzy but hilarious. (Kinda like all three boys in my house?)

"There is not a more poignant picture of the gospel than adoption. Today the court ordered that Desmond now has a new name, and the full rights of a natural born son - including our protection, provision and even an inheritance. Thank you, Jesus." --Russ's fb status.

I'm a mess.

We have a court date.

For finalization.

Next week.

Next week.

He's ours forever.

No biggie..

For those not anxiously checking my facebook status, we're still not sure when Dez's adoption will finalize. We're literally waiting on a document to come in the mail. We have a court date for next week but will have to reschedule if the document doesn't arrive in time.

By then all the February dates may be booked.

So it may be March?

So, yeah, sometime in 2012, Desmond's adoption will be finalized.

This is a sliver in the trauma of the adoption world, so we're not too bothered by the uncertainty honestly.

Although, the last time we had an adoption get delayed the margaritas were better and I had a pretty good tan...

A little back story...

A common question in my head and one people actually ask lately is how did I get two absolutely beautiful boys?

Well, it's easy when you get to pick them, right? We always ask (demand) the agency for at least 20 referrals and then pick the cutest 5. Then we conduct a series of IQ and aptitude tests. After we get to the final two, we run them through an Enneagram predictor to see who would fit the best. It's simple, really.

Okay, maybe not. But have you seen them? Ah! They're gorgeous. And amazing! All tacky kidding aside, I thought it was time you heard about how Dez came to our family.


So, a little back story for ya.

Back in the spring the other adoption had fallen through and Eliot graduated pre-school.

I decided that since I wasn't really working much over the summer that Eliot and I would carpe some diem and have THE.BEST.SUMMMER.EVER. So, we started on Monday, June 6 off to the strawberry patch.


(It was a wee bit hot that day...)

On the way to the farm, I got a call from our social worker. She asked if it's a good time to chat and I told her I'd call her back since it was probably just about wrapping things up for putting our name on the list of waiting families. She paused and said, "Well, it's actually about a baby but I can call you back later..." and I could tell she was trying not to giggle into the phone. All the sudden I was more than willing to talk, the strawberries would still be there.

She said it wasn't official but there was a 3 week old baby boy who would most likely be up for adoption and she just needed to know if we'd be interested. She gave us as many details of his case as she had and told me to get back to her soon because if we weren't interested, she would contact another family. She also said she had pictures if we wanted them but I told her to hold off. I tend to get a bit ahead of myself once there's a face involved.

So, we started the talks. There was still a whole lotta risk involved with this case and I wasn't sure I could walk confidently into another unsteady place. About a week later, one of the risks was removed and we decided to meet this one month old peanut.

On Monday June 19th, we walked into the agency and were ushered into their cute little hospitality room. Minutes later a nurse handed a teeeeny, bundled peanut to me.



Even at a month old, he's not so sure about this Russell guy.

And this guy was pretty smitten!


For the next month we were able to visit Dez as often as we wanted until the court issued us a court order for custody a month later. So, that's the word, peeps. The prequel of the addition to the Mohrs.

We never did get our names on that list...