Emsley's 1st Birthday Party

This past Saturday we gathered with 30 of our closest friends and family at Tri-City Park in Placentia to celebrate our little girl's 1st birthday. After pouring rain the day before, the sky allowed lots of sun to come out and we had a nice party. Emsley had her first taste of sweets with her little cake and got a lot of presents from everyone. It was great to be with everyone who loves Emsley.

It's hard to believe that tomorrow our little one turns 1. Mike is taking the day off and we are taking Emsley to Disneyland! Should be a nice day and we are looking forward to relaxing and celebrating together.

Here are a few pictures from the party day!

11 months old

**I know this is a day late...been a long weekend!

In only one short month our little Emsley will be a year old. We are making all our plans to celebrate her big day. But honestly, although I am so excited for the decorations and the little details of the day, I am more excited about all our favorite people coming together to celebrate Emsley and her 1 year of life with us. This past month has been a blast. She is growing so much and we can tell she is learning words and understands us so much more. I asked her to come back in the kitchen with me and to pick up the cracker piece on the floor and she crawled back and grabbed that cracker. I mean, my child is a genius!!! It was sweet and I went and gave her a big kiss because I love watching her learn everyday. I love being her mom and all these wonderful things we learn about her just make me love it more!

Here are some stats as she turns 11 months:

-Weighs approximately 23 1/2 pounds now
-Is approximately 30 inches tall
-Wears size 4 diapers still
-Wears size 18 month clothes but have been buying 24 month/2T
-Takes 4 bottles a day and 3 meals a day
-Started eating more table food (bananas, pineapple, chicken, tomato, and loves rice!)
-Sleeps through the night and takes 2 good naps a day
-Bath time is fun and we do it nightly now. Loves to splash and laugh!
-Crawling is still her form of transportation but is cruising on furniture and holding with only one hand now (not walking yet!)
-Starting to talk more and more...says mama, dah, bah, gah, ka ka (kitty?)
-Has started staring at people until they start to smile or wave (kinda creepy at times)
-Has 3 bottom teeth and 4 top teeth (pretty sure her 1 year molars are coming in)

Well, looking forward to this next month. I can't wait to say I have a one year old! Love this little girl and she is such a joy to her daddy and me!

Finally it is all final...

Today was a pretty cool day. It's crazy to think that as of today, we won't ever have to do any adoption paperwork or meetings for our little Emsley ever again. We can now say that she WAS adopted rather than IS (I mean, I've been saying that for a while now but still!). Today, we stood before a judge, were sworn in, and were told that she is all ours, legally and completely ours in every sense of the word. Can't you tell how excited and blessed I am feeling right now?!?!

I want to give a brief overview of what went on before I post all the pics (especially since my sister couldn't be there...I want her to know it all!) We arrived at the Family Court in Orange at around 1:20 or so and headed through security to connect with our lawyer and wait for them to call our Case Number. John Madison (our wonderful attorney) showed up shortly after and went over all the paperwork he had drawn up with us so we would be well informed when we stood before the judge. We then found out we were #4 so we didn't have too many people in front of us. So then we had about 45 minutes or an hour to wait till we were called in. My parents, Mike's mom and sister, and a few friends from our small group were there and patiently waited with us. Emsley was a little upset she couldn't just crawl around in the busy hallway and play with the other kids. But she did great and loved being the center of attention (like she doesn't get that often enough!)

Then at around 2:30, they called us in and we stood in the room in from of Judge Caryl Lee. The clerk first swore us in then the judge proceeded to check the general info (spelling of Emsley's name, etc). She then told us that in signing these Adoption Order forms, we are taking full responsibility of Emsley and all that that encompasses. She will be ours and we are to care for her for her life. Of course we agreed because we already do that!! We then signed our papers and took some pictures with the judge before heading out. Last was to get the official documents from John and we went back to our house for some snacks and to just see more of Emsley (let's be honest!)

So here are the pictures, in order of the day. Starting with our waiting to it all being FINAL!!

Going to court...

Well, we officially have a date to finalize Emsley's adoption. March 7th! I know it seems soon but we are so grateful. Our lawyer told us that the courts are scheduling about 90 days out but when we requested a date, they gave him the 7th. This day is very exciting. No more paperwork, no more waiting, no more meetings, no more preparing our home for a social worker, no more. To us, she is already ours. She is our daughter whom we love and cherish. But now it will be official to the state. We will have our names on her birth certificate...Mother, Kimberly Wise...Father, Michael Wise. I know that seems probably silly to care about but it will be nice to have it all in writing.

I will post pictures afterwards. I am so joyful that this day is finally here. I'm gonna buy Emsley (and maybe myself!) a cute dress for the day. Then we will be less than 2 months from celebrating our big girls 1st birthday! Oh my!!!

10 months old

**Sorry this is a day late. Yesterday slipped by us and date night was last night!

Our little girl is 10 months old. I feel like this has been a fun and interesting month. She had a pretty tough growth spurt and got a couple teeth and it made everything uncomfortable. Emsley isn't a fussy baby but it made eating new food hard and taking naps a challenge. But after it was all over, she is still a great eater and sleeper! We took Emsley to the zoo for the first time this past weekend with my family and it was so fun. I'm glad we waited 10 months because I think any earlier and she wouldn't have even been able to see where the animals were. But she saw them, pointed, and even waved at them. It was great. Again, another month of tons of fun and lots of love.

Here are some stats as she turns 10 months:

-Weighs approximately 23 pounds now
-Is approximately 29 1/2 inches tall
-Wears size 4 diapers still
-Is mainly in 18 month clothes (but she has some cute 12 month that she still wears too!)
-Eats 5 bottles a day still but we are hoping to get one of them gone soon
-East 3 meals a day and she now eats off our plates more, chicken, rice, pasta, lots of things!
-Still sleeping through the night (thank the Lord!)
-Takes a bath just in the tub now like a big girl and this is the highlight of her nights...daddy is the best bath giver and its a special time for the two of them!
-We are pretty sure Emsley is a crawl-aholic! She is always on the move!! So precious.
-Pulls up on anything and cruises around the house...walking is just around the corner
-Has been letting go of things when standing with no support but only for a second
-Makes friends everywhere...even the creepy people. We will teach her about strangers soon!
-Now has her two bottom teeth and 4 top teeth. She is SOOOO cute!
-She used to love to walk with us but now is focusing on talking and talks to everything and about everything. Nothings obvious yet...the cat is something like "ca-ca"

I'm sure we are biased but Emsley is the most beautiful and loving baby we have ever been around. She is so sweet and brings such joy to our lives. Sometimes we will go and check on her before we go to bed and just watch her for a minute because we feel so happy and blessed to be her parents. Our little girl is growing fast but it is a fun journey so far and we are so excited for each next stage!

Questions I will have to face...

I'm aware that Emsley is only almost 10 months old and can't talk but it recently occurred to me that eventually I will have to face the tough questions with her. And no, I'm not talking about the birds and the bees type questions, I mean the adoption questions.

"Why wasn't I inside mommy's tummy?"

"How come my birthmom gave me away?"

"Did she love me?"

"Why couldn't you have real children?"

"Am I your real child?"

"Do you love me as much as you would a biological child?"

Wow, these are some really deep questions and I have such a desire to answer them as honestly as possible. Adoption isn't something Mike and I just jumped into. We spent a lot of time praying and talking about what this life changing decision would mean for us. Do I have all the answers to these tough questions...no. But I'm pretty comfortable with that.

All Emsley needs to know is that she is loved by so many people and that Miss Amy knew she couldn't give Emsley the family she deserved and loved her so much that she found us to take care of her. My daughter will always understand that she was adopted but I know these questions will arise.

On one hand I'm excited to share the answers with her. To remind her of how much she is loved and about how God planned her life is such a beautiful, unique way. Each time we have to answer one of these questions, I truly believe that we will bond in such a special way. The idea of Emsley asking these questions also scares me and makes me so sad. I hate that I will have to face these and I hate that she may ask them because she is hurting or confused. I just have to continue to pray that God gives us the wisdom and strength to face this. He already knows what the answers are to these questions and if or when they will come up in our life. I pray that Emsley feels comfortable to ask and know that we will be honest with her.

These are the tough parts of adoption but it's also why God called us to it. He knows we can do this and that through these conversations we will give Him all the glory!!!

9 months old

It's so exciting to think that in 3 months our little girl will be a year old. She is now 9 months old and growing so fast. This has been a month of major learning for Emsley. We are constantly seeing the little wheels turning in her head of how things work, how she can do things, and what else she can do! The days are going so fast because she is moving around and I love just chasing her! We are having a blast together and just love when Mike comes home to spend time with his girls.

Here are some stats as she turns 9 months:

-Weighs 22.14lbs and is in the 95th percentile
-Is 29 1/4 inches tall and is also in the 95th percentile
-Wears size 4 diapers
-She still wears some 12 month clothes still but mainly 18 months
-Eats 5 bottles a day still but is not necessarily finishing all of them
-East 3 meals a day and we have started to give her table food (rice, bread, bananas, avocado)
-Sleeps through the night like a champ!
-Bath time is more playtime...daddy is the best bath giver!
-As of December 26th she is now a crawler! She gets better everyday!
-She can pull herself up on everything...crib, table, chairs, and is getting pretty steady
-Still the friendliest baby I have ever seen...even when she was teething she was a sweetie
-She just got her 4th tooth this past Sunday...2 bottom and her 2 front teeth
-Clapping and waving are her favorite but has started pointing at things now
-"Talks" regularly...mama, gaga, ada...so close to dada!

We love Emsley so much and everyday gets more and more fun. Everyone told us that things would be so hard once Emsley starts crawling and walking. But honestly, it has just made our days more fun and entertaining. The days go by a lot quicker and she is just happier. I love being Emsley's mommy...each day gets better and better!

On our way to finalization...

That is right...we are one step closer to finalizing Emsley's adoption. Although she is so our baby, we are excited to make it all final and legal. Today we had our last meeting with our state appointed social worker Eva and went over last questions and she checked out our new house to make sure it was safe. Emsley was a wonderful baby while Eva was over and showed Eva just how happy and healthy she is with us. It was cool because Eva asked us where we went to church and how involved we are there. I loved it because we were able to say how involved we are with Project Hope (our orphan care ministry) and what it really means. We told her that the group isn't just a support group for those who have adopted but for those who want to care for orphans. I hope she saw a little of Christ in us today.

So what does this mean in our process? Well, Eva said that she plans on finishing her report for the court in about a month. Then she will have it approved by her supervisor, then sends it off to the courts and our lawyer. Our lawyer will then request a court date. Depending on availability, that could take 1 month or up to 6 months to get a date. Then we and our family and friends are able to go to court to watch us promise to be good parents to Emsley and it will be an absolutely special day. Secretly, I am hoping that our court date is either before or right around Emsley's 1st birthday. This day will be such a celebration and if the 2 fell at the same time it will make it just that much sweeter.

But since it has been a while since I posted pictures, here are a few of our baby girl. She is getting so big. An update on what she has been up to will be up next week (her 9 month update!)

Our first Christmas as a family of three!

Disneyland

More Disneyland

The Christmas tree on Main Street at Disneyland (seriously, I love this picture!)

Showing off her 2 teeth!

Beautiful little girl!

Reading a book on Christmas morning

Love that smile!

That scrunchy face pretty much makes my day!

Time with daddy on his Christmas break was the best!

Happy New Year!

Seriously...best year ever! I feel like I can't say enough of what a great year 2011 was. We were talking about what all the amazing things that happened and what we are looking forward to and praying for in 2012.

1. Had a great vacation, last time just the 2 of us, to Hawaii in March.
2. We got to be at the ultrasound where we found out our baby would be a little girl.
3. Got to spend all kinds of time with Miss Amy before little Emsley was born.
4. We were able to be at the birth of our daughter, Emsley Breanne on April 17th.
5. I became a stay at home mom and have been loving it!
6. Celebrated our 6th anniversary by going to the aquarium with Emsley & a date afterwards alone.
7. Celebrated many first holidays with Emsley....she is so cute.
8. Watched Emsley learn so many new things: smiling, cooing, clapping, waving, laughing, crawling.
9. Spent plenty of time as a family of three with our friends and family.
10. Fell more in love with each other!

But I think this year will be even better. Emsley will be turning 1 and we have another great vacation planned to Hawaii with family. This will also be the year that Emsley's adoption will be finalized, which will be a pretty amazing time for our family. But my prayer is that God allows us to be not only good parents to Emsley but also that she will see Christ in us as she learns and grows more. We desire to see God at work in our family in extremely amazing ways. I'm looking forward to what God does in us...places we go, people we meet, or ways He uses us to further His kingdom.

So, here is to 2012!

Emsley's First Christmas

It's weird to think that it has been over a year since we knew about our little girl. On Dec. 15th of 2010, we met with Miss Amy and it was the first time we were that close to our baby. Then on Dec. 21st, we found out that we were chosen to be the parents of a sweet baby. And here we are just over 1 year later and we celebrated the day with our sweet pea. It was a great day full of precious memories. We have such a desire to make Christmas more than about gifts but about praising God for sending his son to be born into our world. So our morning started with a prayer from daddy thanking God for blessing us with Jesus and then we sang "Joy to the World" because today is a day we are especially joyful for the birth of our Savior. And even though we want Emsley to be joyful in this great news everyday, we want to be very intentional about this day especially. So the gifts waited while we focused of Jesus for a bit. It was a beautiful start to wonderful family tradition.

This week a friend did a post on our adoption groups blog about how thankful we should also be toward Joseph. So often he can get forgotten in this birth story but in truth he played such an important role. Joseph, after finding out Mary would be pregnant as a virgin, CHOSE to adopt Jesus as his own and love and raise him. He was the one who gave us an earthly example of adoption. Today as I was holding my own adopted child, I looked at her and told her that Jesus was adopted just like her. And I hope that it is that fact that she shares with joy and pride each Christmastime to her friends and family! I want her to know that Jesus loves her, loves adoption, and that He desires for her to share this amazing news with others.

I'm not sure what next Christmas will look like. But I know that this Christmas will hold a special place in my heart because of where God has brought us over the last few years. He has given us a daughter to raise to be a child of His and we do so willingly, lovingly, and with complete joy in our hearts. We are so grateful for the birth of our Savior and for getting to share this with our child.

We hope that this Christmas is a time that we all can be joyful in this amazing story!