Dear Baby Sanborn,

We are waiting for you.  The waiting is almost too much to bear now that we know when you are coming.  Funny, I thought I would feel better once we knew when you would be here.  We will be meeting you in less than 40 days (37 to be exact).  Wow.  Just saying that makes my stomach flutter.  It is New Year's Eve and we are ringing in the New Year with your brother and sister in California.  We are at Disneyland for the last time without you!  UB gave us tickets for Christmas.  Every time I walk by a baby my heart yearns to hold you in my arms.  My sweet cousin Caitlin (your second cousin) gave us a baby gift today- our first official wrapped baby gift!!!  Baby, do you know how much you are loved???!!!  You got Christmas presents even thought we didn't know about you.  Our dear friends, or precious neighbors and sweet family are almost as excited to meet you as we are.  Everyone is working together to get us ready to bring you home.  Brynnie bought you some really warm clothes, Aunt Brenda and Uncle Kim bought you a changing table, Miss Stephanie gave us a baby bag, Miss Erin gave us burp cloths, Caitlin and Bryan gave us a Moby Wrap...  The list goes on!!!  Right now, Daddy and I are working on your name.  We have a few choices, but nothing just perfect for you yet sweet pea.  We want to name you after your sweet Pappy, but not sure how to do that yet.  We also want you to have a strong name, one you can grow into, and a name that sounds good with Andrew and Annabelle.  So we are really working on something so that we can start calling you by name.  Whatever name we choose, we know that God has chosen you for our family, and that's the most important thing.  We are praying for you and your sweet birth mom and your brothers and sisters.  We are praying for your health and safety as you wait to come home with us.  We love you sweet pea, and can't wait to meet you!

Match Day

As of 4:00 today we have been matched!!!  We are expecting a baby boy on February 7, 2011.  We cannot even put into words how we are feeling right now.  We had the privilege to speak to our birth mom today, before she was our birth mom.  She had narrowed it down to two families, and wanted to speak with each family.  She was so easy to talk to and so sweet.  She told us she knew adoption was the best option for this little one from the day she found out she was pregnant.  She asked us several very thoughtful questions.  The conversation flowed very easily- AMAZING!!!  Bill and I were so nervous!!  We are so glad that God answered our prayers the way he did.  She is sure about her decision regarding adoption and has a peace about choosing us.  We also feel a peace as well as OVERWHELMING EXCITEMENT!!!  We are so excited to finally meet our sweet pea!  We will let you in on a few more details as we know them!  This is surely going to be the longest 6 weeks of our lives!!!  Thank you for all of your love and support so far in this journey.  Thank you for continuing to pray for our family as well as our baby boy and his birth mom. 
Love,
Team Sanborn (+1)

Adoption Circles-Shout Outs

So, you probably know someone who is adopted or has adopted-everyone does. As an adpotive parent, "these people" become cornerstone in your life.  Often their families look like yours, you often have the same journey.   I am very lucky to have a very tight knit adoption circle.  Kind of like "six degrees of seperation" but without Kevin Bacon:).  Here goes:
Andi:
Adoptive mom of 1, bio mom of 1.  I met Andi and her husband when I did their homestdy as they prepared to adopt Olivia (from Ethiopia).  Ask her...  she's going to "lead the revolution", she is a "hippie mom" who cloth diapers and baby wears (in a $200 silk baby sling), does organic like she has a money tree in the back yard (chicken blessed by monks).  We don't always agree on politics, but we do agree about how to love on our kids.  She has been a constant cheerleader for our family, and a fierce defender of Andrew (thank you obnoxious lady at Tumbleweed).
Christy:
Adoptive mom of 1 waiting to adopt #2.  Good friend since college (I have known her husband since high school).  We "job shared" together for 3 years.  Her dad passed away when she was 20, and her insight has been AMAZING as she has helped me walk through the grieving process with my dad.  Five years ago I ran into her at an adoption conference (see Amy for this one) at an "infertility class" (lead by a man who had something like 6 kids-WHAT???).  They weren't ready, and we were.  We brought Andrew and Annabelle home and took them to church a few days later.  Christy was the first person I wanted to hold Annabelle.  I told her all the pain will go away when you have that sweet baby in your arms.  What I didn't know until later is she went directly to the bathroom and cried her eyes out.  Christy is a relentless prayer warrior and a  faithful friend.
Amy:
Bio mom of 1, maybe, sort of thinking about #2.  Why is she in our adoption circle you may ask....  I have known Amy since college (her husband offered me my first glass  tumbler of wine in college, so shady, I know).  What I didn't know is that she has wanted to adopt a little girl from China since she was 14.  Always had the dream in her heart and I never knew about it until 2005 when she took me to the adoption conference (where I saw Christy) that got our "adoption ball rolling".  Just a few months ago she and her husband decided it was time to move on from thier Chineese adoption (after 5 years of waiting with no end in sight).  She looked up at us, tears streaming and said, "Why would God put a burden like this on my heart, only not to fulfill the desire?  What could be the reason?"  I of course started to cry (the ugly kind, in a public place no doubt), and blubbered, "WE ARE THE REASON.  Our family is the reason".  At the conference Amy took me to, I met our homestudy agency (that would later introduce me to Andi and Erin) and they were at our house doing our homestudy the next week.   Encourager and wonderful friend.  So even though Amy does not have an adopted child of her own, she can count ours...
Erin-
Adoptive mom of 1 (Annabelle's future husband), bio mom to 1, soon to be 2.  Erin and I met 5 years ago when Andi and I were doing her home study as she prepared to adopt from Ethiopia.  She taught with Christy a few years before (crazy huh?).  She and her husband relocated to Pasadena when her kids were tiny babies and we had a long distance relationship (so to speak).  I WAS PUMPED when they decided to move back.  Our families genetic makeup is similar, so I am sure we turn a few heads on playdates.  2 mommies with 3 black kids and one white one, trust me we have heard it all!  Our kids are close in age and we have had the recent pleasure of taking dance and sports class together. We got to spend most of the day together every Friday for 10 weeks.   I LOVE LOVE LOVED the time to get to hear more of Erin's heart for all things, adoption included. Giving servant and supportive friend.

I am so excited to see the ways God is going to grow our families and our hearts.  Thank you sweet friends for the amazing and constant support you are in our adoption circle.

So here are the nursery pics...

Sorry it took so long to get these up!

The nursery before...  This was the playroom and when we moved into the house 3 years ago, we thought we would adopt a boy next which is why the room is bright blue!

Our color choices, all shades of yellow!

Bill taping, my least favorite job!  What a good hubby!

Okay, so one coat of primer was not enough...  The "yellows" are on there because I wanted to see if the blue would show through there too- IT DID!!!  Two coats of primer it is!

She waited patiently to help with the nursery for like... oh that's right- 2 YEARS!!!

"Do Work Son!"

Halfway through the project...

The rocker
We used this for Andrew and Annabelle, we got it as a gift from the Delp's (are they a blessing to us or what?)
I think we calculated over 5000 hours in that rocker already!

Finished product, and the spot where the changing table will go

The crib with all of the clothes Mimi bought for the baby.  Of course Mimi isn't going neutral!  She will return when she needs to.  Thanks Mimi!

This is a bear my dad bought me in December of 2005 when we first decided to adopt.  We didn't know we would be blessed with two babies, so there is only one bear.  Since my dad died, this has been such a treasure.  Of course I bawled my eyes out when I was finally able to put this sweet bear in the crib.

Here is our packed, gender neutral suitcase 

The only outfits we packed that are gender specific are the "homecoming" outfits, to be used on the plane home.  They say "little brother" and "little sister"

This is the rest of the baby stuff!!  I was sooo excited to pack new bottles, and pookies and TINY baby clothes.  Yes, that is a had with a flower and a huge sparkly and next to it is a headband with a big bow.  Those gender neutral clothes are too drab for Annabelle's sister!!!  If it is a sister that is...

Diaper bag packed and ready to go.  So much smaller with only one baby!  And yes, it is still in the dust cover...

Now the "logistics" are seemingly worked out- ALL WE NEED IS A BABY!!  HA!!!  Tiny little detail- really tiny!  We are praying for discernment and wisdom as we wait.  We know God is in control of all of this and feel so excited to see what He has in store for our family.  We are so blessed to have you praying for us on our journey!