We have a DAUGHTER!

We received LOA today which is a letter of approval from the CCCWA in China saying they approve the adoption of our daughter. This is a HUGE step and puts us 8-10 weeks away from traveling. And, now I am able to share some info (and a picture!) of our sweet girl! But, first... a long story :)

We started the adoption process over three years ago. Adopting from China has always been on my heart, but the adoption needs there have changed. This is a good thing! Back when I first decided (in high school) that I wanted to adopt a girl from China, girls were being abandoned by families so they could try again for a boy, keeping with the one child per household restriction. China's laws have progressed and, thankfully, that is just not happening anymore. So, when we began exploring Chinese adoption, we knew we'd adopt from their special needs program. Medical care in China is expensive and without insurances to help, if your child is born with a medical need that you can't afford to care for, you're left with few options.  Back when we began, I felt in my gut that we were to have a daughter with cleft lip and palate. We had taken some classes about the varying special needs that Chinese children frequently had, and clefts seemed the "manageable" choice. Plus, I fell in love with a few babies online with their cute little cleft lipped smiles and I felt pretty sure one of those special smiles was in my future. So, we set our medical profile to a baby girl, less than 3 with a cleft lip and palate or a very minor heart condition (meaning one that would not require surgery) and we waited. The wait for a child that matches that "profile" is about 2 years.

Fast forward a little over a year and Crosby is born with a heart condition. You all know the story, we decide that adoption, at least for now, is off the table. We never pulled out of the program though, we simply removed the cleft lip and palate option and now were left with only minor heart conditions, for which the wait is significantly longer... so long in fact that we had virtually zero chance of ever being called on. Which, at that time, was what we needed.

Fast forward two years. Crosby is two, we're back on the adoption track! We had considered so many variables that led us right back to our path of a child with a cleft lip and palate from China. So, we added that back to our checklist and started getting ourselves current with our home study and immigration so that we could be matched! They keep your spot in line, so we were first and ready to go as soon as we were current on everything.

Now, the medical checklist does have a need listed as moderate/major heart conditions. We had never been open to that need. In the classes, there were several things about the heart discussed and, honestly, most of it scared the bejeezus out of me. Tetralogy of Fallot was one that I specifically remember being like... "ooooh no, that sounds really scary".

Can you guess where I'm going with this?

It had been 3 years since we'd taken those classes, and I had not thought any further about any of those needs since. We had decided on cleft lip and palate. BUT, as we began saving money, doing our home study, and preparing to be matched this time around, I bean having dreams. Well, not dreams I guess, just WORDS. Three little words coming to me over and over again in my sleep. TETRALOGY OF FALLOT. This happened for over a week before I worked up the nerve to talk to Ritchie about it. Ritchie has always been up for adoption, but it's my dream, not his. I didn't want to add to it or make it more challenging or scary than it already is. But, the words. They were calling to me. Crosby had a cardiology appointment coming soon so we decided not to change the medical checklist yet, but to ask our cardiologist about the major heart conditions that China typically sees in their children (I had gotten a short list from our agency), including Tetralogy of Fallot.

There was one specific condition that she warned was pretty complex, but other than that we left feeling pretty confident that we were now open to moderate/major heart conditions. It's crazy to think we didn't consider it at first because A. Crosby has what is considered a major heart condition and 2. we have a children's cardiologist and are already in that world!

Anyway, so we added that to the checklist and finished up everything we needed to. The words in my sleep had stopped, but in my gut I knew we'd have a daughter with a heart condition, specifically Tetralogy of Fallot. Now, we still kept cleft lip and palate on our checklist and were told several times by our agency that is was more likely we'd be called about a child with a cleft than a child with a heart condition, they just see more of those. So, I did some diligent research and made sure we remained open to cleft lip/palate, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that, after those words, TETRALOGY OF FALLOT sinking their way into my mind and heart, I was hoping for a baby girl with just that.

Fast forward to Tuesday, June 28th. WE GET THE CALL. I see the (303) area code pop up (our agency is in CO) and I promptly freak out and run around my living room in circles. "Guess what happened at CCAI today?" Cue tears. I was shaking and trying so hard just to hear EVERYTHING she was telling me about my girl. I knew this was her. Before she even said it. But she did say it. "She has something called Hexalogy of Fallot, which is basically Tetralogy of Fallot but with two more things added to it." What my heart did in that moment.... well, I can't even tell you. I already knew, but then I KNEW. (Wanted to add that we have since had her records looked at by two different drs, one who specializes in internationally adopted children, and Crosby's cardiologist. Both have confirmed that she just has standard Tetralogy of Fallot. They have no idea where this hexalogy business comes from. This is common with translations of files... it's easy to change things a bit through translation).

So, what can I tell you about our girl? She's currently 15 months old. Her birthday is 5 days after Crosby's, so they're 1 year and 5 days apart in age. She began WALKING at 13 months which makes her my youngest walker to date! The Dr's say her development and growth are all right on target which is quite impressive for a child who is both in an orphanage and has a pretty major heart condition. Basically, our daughter is amazing. She says mama and baba (which is what they commonly say for Dada). We've seen a video of her where a child tries to take a snack from her hand and she promptly screams, tears it away from them, and then is happy as a clam. So... she's got some spunk. She is very attached to her ayi (nanny) and loves to be held and cuddled which is heartbreaking because they will be separated, but a very good sign in terms of her ability to attach well to others.  She had her first surgery for her heart in May and we're still getting more information about that, but we have heard that she recovered well and it was deemed a success, so now we just wait on the actual records of the surgery to be reported. She may need one surgery once home or later in life, she may not. A lot will depend on what they did in China for her. Other than that, she will just be a normal girl. Running, jumping, playing, etc.. she'll have checkups every 6 months just like Crosby. Our two little heart babies.

I'm showing a picture, so I'm not going to give her Chinese name or location. The Chinese give two names and hers mean "of language and culture" and "hibiscus" like the Hawaiian flower. We will keep a portion of her Chinese name as her middle name.

We think there's never been a more perfect girl. To be so in love with someone you've never met but is out there just waiting in a foreign country is the wildest thing. We're coming for you, June! We LOVE you!

Crosby is ONE

Our cute baby turned ONE a few weeks ago. What can I say about this unexpected joy that we have in our life?



Okay, first let me tell you about the day! We took the boys to a kangaroo farm and got to see a ton of awesome animals and have a lot of interactions with them. It was a really cool experience.



The big boys got most of the action that day since Crosby was in the carrier, but he did LOVE looking at the animals and got to touch a kangaroo and a mule.



After lunch and nap we took the kids to Build-A-Bear, which is a tradition for us on each first birthday. The kids all still have their animals from when they turned one. Crosby chose the "Thin Mint Bear" which was pretty ridiculous, but it was the only one he got excited about.





Then we had dinner and cake and called it a day! It was SO much fun celebrating as a family of 5.





Crosby is the funniest little guy. He's energetic and stubborn and determined. He scoots along with one hand a leg all day long, opening cabinets, pulling out toys and snacks and racing to get to splash in the dog water. He LOVES to be around his brothers and isn't intimidated by them in any way. He holds his own. He's pulling himself up more and more, but I do think he'll be our latest walker and predict he'll start around 16 months. He's our strongest communicator for this age. He says, "dada, mama, ni-ni (night night), ball, uh-oh, and whoa" he signs for "more" and "all done" but mostly just grunts and stares and points until we cave and give him more or clean him up :) Sadly, he is NOT a smuggler, but he does give the world's best kisses. He loves animals, including his stuffed animals. He showers them with more affection than any human. He's about 21 pounds now and is the tiniest of our children for his age. His heart has remained unchanged since birth which is great for us! We get to just keep waiting to do anything more about it, and for now, I'll take that!

I never pictured my life with three boys, and Crosby was nowhere in our plans, but I'm SO freaking happy that life doesn't usually go according to my plans. Crosby is a gift to our family and we all love him SO SO SO much!



Happiest of birthdays to you, my sweet boy.

They're Definitely Brothers....

Ok... I know this is painfully obvious based on time/place and the fact that I just posted a bunch of pictures of Crosby, BUT let's just see who looks like who here with a little guessing game!

A

B

C

D

E

F

Can you guess who's who? And the larger question in this house is... who the heck does Crosby look like?? See, Max is clearly Ritchie's child and Ben is a DEFINITE Rieger (in more than just his looks) so that begs the question.... does the Crosby favor Maxton or Bennett more? (And therefore more Ritchie or me?) 

Answers:

A. Bennet B. Maxton C. Maxton D. Crosby E. Bennett F. Crosby 

Crosby's Birth Story

Crosby's birth story, with a little name story thrown in the mix, is long and filled with little details that I want to remember forever. Pardon the length and pictures of my hugeness. This is his story... 

I was due on March 13. However, from the beginning there was a question as to whether I was actually due then or the 20th or somewhere in between. Anyway, according to my original due date, I was 42 weeks and 1 day when I went in to get this show on the road. I wasn't thrilled with being induced and I was very leery of medical interventions. But, I agreed to show up bright and early at 6 a.m. and discuss my options for induction.

We showed up at ten minutes to six and they let us know they needed to clean the room and we'd be taken back to our room shortly. Over 30 minutes later, I was super antsy and frustrated that I wasn't even admitted yet! They brought us back shortly after that. We were in room 602.



They hooked me up because they wanted to do monitoring to make sure everything was looking good with the baby and see if I was in labor already. Around 7 a.m. the midwife who I had scheduled the induction with and really trusted did an exam. She explained to me that his head was dropping just a bit far forward on my pelvic bone rather than on my cervix. I was still considered a tight 2 and 50% effaced. So... no change all week. But, at least I knew why. She didn't want to break my water without him in the correct position, so she offered me the option of misoprostol, a medication that helps to soften the cervix and slightly dilate or a catheter with a bulb that is inserted and is supposed to help you dilate to about 4 cm. We were left with those options with some time to decide since they needed to continue monitoring.



I got on the birth ball and tried to move him into position on my own.

The midwife who would actually deliver me, Jennifer, came in around 8:10 to talk to me more about how I wanted to proceed. I was originally thinking I wanted to avoid all medications, therefore I'd go with the catheter method. However, Jennifer explained to me that they often send people home with the catheter in place and have them return 12-24 hours later to see how they had progressed. I couldn't fathom waiting any longer at that point. I was there, I was mentally committed, I needed to just have this baby today. So, I opted for the misoprostol. They would give it 4 hours to work its magic and then we'd see where to go from there. She inserted it around 8:45 a.m. and said that I was 2.5 cm and 75% effaced.


My birth team was, of course, Ritchie, but also Kim, one of my closest friends.

About 15 minutes after they put the medicine in, I began having regular contractions - 3-5 min apart that were totally manageable. I would breathe a bit, but could still talk and laugh and continue our name search. Through the 4 hours we mostly just looked for baby names.



We played around writing names on the board seeing how they looked. About a week prior, we had completely ruled out Finnley. I had started having concerns weeks prior about the name Finnley being too feminine and I kept coming across little girls named Finnley everywhere. Then Ritchie and I kept hearing "Ben" when we'd say "Finn" or vice versa and at one point Ritchie looked at me and said, "Are we seriously going to do this our whole lives?" The answer was no. No, we were not.

He was Samson for a few days after that, but Ritchie couldn't stop saying, "Sampson" the way they say it in the movie Half Baked and just couldn't get on board. We really tried to come up with something that we LOVED that followed our rules, but ultimately we loved the name Crosby (it was just randomly thrown out there along with Foster, Sawyer and Tucker) and therefore we decided to just get over the whole rule thing and pick a name we loved. It was pretty liberating actually. We continued to discuss names up until really active labor and the only other one we came up with was Tytus, but Ritchie just didn't love it... Dragon made the cut for awhile though. We'll call him Cros, so he'll have a nickname, but it definitely doesn't fit our rules, and I guess that's just fine!

At 1:45, Jennifer came back in to see what the medicine had done for me. I was 3 cm at 90% effaced and he had dropped beautifully into the right position! She asked me if she could just "massage" my cervix some to see if that might stimulate more of a steady labor pattern. She stretched me to 4 cm by doing that and then left me to labor for awhile.



By 2:10 the contractions were getting longer and stronger. I had to lean against Ritchie or Kim and have my butt and upper legs massaged through them. Some time before 3pm, Jennifer came back in to see how things were progressing. It was obvious at that point that I was in active labor and she felt like she could just let me keep going without breaking my water or doing anything else. I decided I wanted to get in the tub. The contractions were feeling much more intense.



At 3:30 I got out of the tub. I loved the water for the contractions, but my legs and feet kept cramping because of the position I had to be in. I got out and began leaning against Ritchie and bending forward in low, long moans. I got a lot of breaks in between contractions. I'd often have a weak one, then a 3 min break and then a really strong one. I was still talking in between contractions, but I had gone from making jokes and really holding conversations to asking my midwife (who hung out in there with us for awhile) questions about "how much longer" and "is this normal?" and the occasional, "this is bullshit!" I kept looking at the clock. I was SO pissed that it was taking longer than an hour. When you shoot your second kid out in an hour and a half, you get pretty pissed that you needed to be induced and now it's taking what feels like FOREVER to get to the pushing part for your 3rd.


Do you see my nurse and midwife laughing in the background there? I love this picture for that reason. This was maybe 1 hour before he was born? They were hanging and making jokes and encouraged Kim to take a pic of my belly. It's stretch marked and large and I certainly don't feel "beautiful" looking at it, but it IS beautiful. It's holding life. I'm so glad I have this picture. Kimberly took all of these pictures and I treasure them all.

My midwife was so amazing. She was so encouraging. I definitely questioned my ability to continue on with a natural delivery. I kept asking if I should just get the epidural. She kept insisting that I could do it, that I was doing wonderfully. Everyone insisted on that, in fact. My support that day was incredible. I highly suggest that anyone who wants a natural labor have a strong support system in place.

Things get fuzzy for me at this point. I know I eventually moved over to the bed to be checked - that was shortly after 5pm. I was 8 cm. I felt really, really defeated at that point. I hadn't even been through transition yet? I was REALLY not sure I was going to make it. My midwife suggested breaking my water at that point because she thought it would make it all faster for me, but I kept wavering. Mostly because I knew it would be more intense, but also because I wanted to try to keep things as natural as possible. She ended up having to run out of the room before I could say yes, so my water stayed in tact for the time being. Because I had just been checked, I was laying down in the bed and because I was in transition, I refused to move. So, I laid there and pretty much bitched and moaned through every. single. contraction. I BEGGED the nurse for an epidural at that point. Whiny, whimpering words while I looked deep into her eyes, begging her to save me from this pain. I didn't look at Ritchie or Kim, just the nurse. I knew she had the power. I also knew it was too late. I didn't have an IV, so they would have had to administer an IV, give me fluids and get the anesthesiologist into the room. The baby would be here by then. But, oh, I wanted it. Of course, I'm very glad I didn't get it, but I'm telling you all of this because I think it's assumed that if you choose to have a natural child birth that you are "strong" and whatever else. I think it's VERY common for women to "cave" and request an epidural even though they really don't want one.


This is what transition looked like. It sounded VERY loud. Think a tarzan like cry... that's what my noises reminded me of.

I had a few (5 maybe?) contractions in the bed like that before the midwife came back and I started yelling things like "PRESSURE!!!" and Kim snapped this picture of the clock when I started pushing:


5:27 pm

The midwife apparently said (according to Kim) "Let's just see what happens" with my pushing. And 2 very loud and very painful pushes later and he was out. He was born at 5:29 pm. Those two minutes were SO insanely intense. I can't describe it. With Ben, I felt him very slowly emerge. Crosby sort of catapulted out of me it felt like.


He was handed straight to me.





And I immediately fell in love. That's never happened with me. I've written before about how I fall in love with my babies over time. It was different this time. I was overcome with love and really couldn't stop looking at him. He was very blue and I really wanted him to pink up and cry because I couldn't stand the thought of them having to take him. They let him stay with me and he did get pink and start crying and was just... perfect.


My first time nursing him.


I eventually let Ritchie hold him :) What a proud dad he is. We have a picture with a smile similar to this with him holding each of the boys on the day they were born. I'm going to frame all 3 of them together one day. I'm in awe of this man and the dad and husband he is. I love him more and more with each child we have together.



After an hour they weighed and measured him and we got all ready to go to our recovery room and rest.

I felt so amazing afterwards. I was SO insanely happy that I had achieved a natural hospital birth with no drugs and minimal intervention. For an induction, I was really pleased. The nurses and midwife were all so supportive and I was able to birth the way that I believe is right for me and my babies. And THAT is what the experience should be.

And, Crosby? Our little surprise, in SO many ways. We're just all so in love with him. He's special, this one. I couldn't be happier that our family planning didn't work out the way we intended and that he's a part of our family. He belongs with us. Our littlest Lincoln.

Crosby Robert Lincoln 

March 28, 2014

5:29 PM

7 pounds 12 ounces 

20.5 inches long 

Pregnancy Brain Dump

This is the last pregnancy post I'll do. I never plan to be pregnant again (only this time measures are being taken to be MUCH more certain that this statement is accurate) and this baby is coming out for sure in the next few days.

*Sigh* According to my last period, I'm 42 weeks pregnant tomorrow. Somewhere early in pregnancy, we chose to use a "due date" of March 13 instead of March 20 (there were a few contradictory ultrasounds) and therefore I began the journey of becoming more and more pregnant and mentally ready for a 3rd baby to be here around the 20. I chose a week past my given due date because Ben was a week late, so I just figured it was safer to give this baby a full extra week.

And, here we sit on the eve of March 27. 7 full days later than the mental due date I had for myself. 2 full weeks after my given due date, but potentially only 1 full week late. It's SUCH a mental game, isn't it? I thought I was being GENEROUS to this child by mentally preparing myself for the 20th. I really wasn't mentally prepared to still be pregnant right now. And, being mentally prepared means SO much.  In any case, this little bugger is taking a super long time to find the exit sign in there and I'm tempted to stick a flashlight up there and give him a little guidance...

So, here I sit. 41 or 42 weeks or somewhere in between. Large, uncomfortable, in pain every day, unable to sleep well or bend over. I've become the third child that Ritchie has to put shoes on in the morning. I'm REALLY trying to be positive and it comes in waves. Sometimes, I'm all - YES! Pregnancy, let the baby be, he'll come when he's ready, enjoy these last few days, pay special attention to Max and Ben, etc etc... but I'd say, at this point, about 98% of my time is spent obsessing over is the baby coming, is that a contraction, ooh there's another one, FUCK they stopped, shit labor really hurts - is there any way out of this now? WHY HASN'T HE COME OUT YET?! None of these thoughts are pleasant or productive, please know that I know that.

So... my midwife group here (well, the ONE midwife that I actually like and managed to snag an appointment with on Monday - which, for journaling purposes, I was checked and was 2cm and 50-60% effaced and baby was low) was totally fine with me going all the way up to "42" weeks and was happy to even let me pick a middle ground since we're unsure of the actual due date. Friday morning isn't exactly a middle ground, but I chose it because it works for everyone's schedule (and, hey, if you're going to PLAN your damn birth you may as well make it convenient, right?) and because she would be there to help me figure out my induction plan based on my cervical readiness/baby's position that morning. I really trust her the most out of everyone I've met, so Friday it is.

So, here's the thing. We did a home birth with Bennett. I totally and completely believe that babies come when they're ready and that inductions that aren't medically necessary (and those that are, frankly) often lead to even more interventions and ultimately result in more c-sections. These are my own personal thoughts and I believe every woman has a right to think/feel the way she'd like to about birth and her own experiences. Want a c-section? Go for it! Want to pick every child's birthday and be induced so you can control when they come? By all means! Want to push your baby out with a midwife in a field of daisies under the moon? I hope that works out for you!! I seriously see the pros and cons of ALL of these scenarios and believe, if possible, that a woman should get to choose.

For me, I'm more the daisies under the moon route. We couldn't afford a home birth this time. It totally sucks. Hospitals give you that deadline. I'm up against that deadline now. I'm feeling super sad about that. I wish with all my might that he'll come on his own tonight or tomorrow or tomorrow night or even start up labor like 20 minutes before we're scheduled to go into the hospital. I'd give ANYTHING for that to happen. However, I'm really trying to prepare myself for that not happening. I'm trying to remember that every baby is different and every pregnancy is different and maybe this little turd needs a jump start. It happens, I know. I'm trying very hard not to feel like a failure in what is my final pregnancy and birth.

And, because this was ridiculously long winded and full of swears and basically me whining the whole time, I thought I'd share with you how jacked up my brain is right now by telling you two funny things.  Sort of like a bonus for reading all of this crap.

1. Max and Ben's preschool called on Monday morning at like 6:30am to let me know it was canceled for the day. The area code was a WA area code and I swear to you, in my sleepy haze, I got super excited and thought it was the hospital calling me to tell me that I was in labor. I was unbelievably excited.

2. There's a sign on the path to preschool (which I drive 8 times a week) that says something about contractors and EVERY time I think it says CONTRACTIONS and I think... contractions?! Am I having contractions?!

It's all pretty ridiculous.

The Last Nursery

Back when we began the adoption process, I started planning a space for a little girl. It was all pinks and whites and golds. Once we found out that this darling babe was indeed another BOY we began to wonder what to do with our extra space. Adoption is tricky in that we weren't (still aren't!) sure of timing. We weren't sure if she'd be home when this baby was still young enough to be in our room... did we even need a nursery?

Anyway, long story... but basically when we moved to Washington we also found out that baby girl Lincoln probably wouldn't be home until closer to Finn's first birthday. And so we decided to give this little dude a nursery all his own. I think putting a space together for him helped me to bond a bit more. This is by far my favorite space I've created for the kids yet (and I really love the boys' room too, so that's saying a lot!) Here are a few pictures of the space!













So much of the room is "repurposed". The crib was actually picked up for our daughter a long time ago used and for a steal! The dresser is from Max's nursery over 4 years ago now. The rocking chair was the one thing I bought after finding out I was pregnant. I wanted a comfy place to nurse at night that still was charming and had character.

Many of the little elements, like the gumball machine, book (another one is on the way!), goat stuffed animal, star, toys, chair pillow etc were all things we had lying around that I had used in other spaces. Even the fox canvas that I painted for him was a canvas left over from another project. I just had to buy a few colors of paint.

The bedding and crib pillows are Land of Nod. Same with the changing pad cover and floor basket. The curtains are ikea and Ritchie built the shelf and I painted it.









And, while this little guy might have his own space, I'm sure he'll never be alone....





His brothers like to hang out in there, so he'll always have company :)

Hello, Due Date

Well, hello, due date. It's not surprising that you're here and that I shall remain pregnant past you. That's cool, I didn't want a baby born on the 13th anyway...



40 weeks have come and gone. We're all anxiously awaiting this little bundle's arrival. This pregnancy has felt so... different than the others. Nausea, acne, heartburn and acid reflux, etc. The works! I've tried really hard to enjoy this last pregnancy of mine.



Every wiggle, every hiccup. I'm savoring them. Especially the last few days (weeks??) of them. This pregnancy has been more challenging to enjoy with two littles running around, adoption paperwork to keep up on and a move across several states in the third trimester. Slowing down these past few weeks and trying to really enjoy being pregnant has been really good for me.



But, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't ready. Ready for my last infant. Ready to snuggle and nurse and swaddle and swoon. Ready for my boys to meet their brother. Ready to get to know the littlest Lincoln.



So, we're ready for you, sweet boy. Ready when you are.

And, a few bonus pictures that Max took. Because they're really funny.

Merry Christmas!

Us Lincolns hope you all enjoy your holiday and are surrounded by love and laughter not just today, but always. Thanks for following along on our journey. We love sharing it with you! 

* And did you notice? "P"'s name was finally revealed. We can't wait to meet both Finn and Penny (hopefully!!) in 2014!