Liam is 2!

Our little man turned 2 on April 8th. This year we had a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse themed party. Liam loves all things Mickey, and with our trip to Disney World during spring break, this was an appropriate theme for Liam's 2nd birthday. We started the day by giving Liam one of his gifts - his own, official Mickey Mouse hat. Liam said, "Wow, I'm Gickey!"

I had so much fun preparing for the party. I was sure to laminate the decorations I made, since I am sure we will have another Mickey party at some point. My mom and I even found Mickey plastic plates and bowls on sale after Christmas.

I was a bit ambitious with the food this year, but it turned out well and was a lot of fun. I made a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cake. Fondant is a wonderful thing!  I also wanted to try to make my own edible fruit arrangement. We received a picture of one with pineapple Mickey ears. I thought it would be cheaper to make my own. This turned out to be more work than the cake.

During the party we had a craft time - the kids could make their very own Mickey or Minnie ears. They turned out really cute.

Liam opened his first gift and was so excited about getting a push Mater truck with bubbles, that he wasn't interested in opening any more. He finally opened his gifts and was so pleased with all his new toys!

Because Liam's party was the day before Easter, the kids searched for eggs in the yard.

We enjoyed the food, fellowship, and of course the cake! Liam did a great job blowing out the candles, but needed just a little help.

Liam really loved all his new toys. He even thought he should hide, so he wouldn't have to share them.

We were blessed with beautiful weather. It was a great day! We were so happy Liam enjoyed the party.

Liam's Heart (Another Update)

Today, I took Liam to the pediatric cardiologist to have the fluid checked around his heart.  This was a concern they found at his last check-up.  It was probably caused from the stomach virus the whole family had over Christmas break.  He still has the same amount of fluid around his heart, but it hasn't increased.  So, for now, we are letting it take care of itself and hope it heals on its own.  We will go back in 2 months and check again.  At that point we will assess whether medication or surgery is needed.  The doctor assured me that this may take 6 months to heal on its own and medication usually decreases the fluid and surgery isn't needed.  He is cautious about using medicine as a "quick fix," since there could be stomach related side-effects.  We will continue to monitor him, and pray that this minor issue clears itself up.  

Spring Has Arrived!

It's Worth a Try

I am not above asking for free things... Through the adoption process, I have perfected the skill of writing and asking for grants. So, I had the idea of writing to Disney to ask for the opportunity to get Liam's pictures taken with the characters. It's worth a try, right? Liam will turn 2 on April 8th, the day before we leave for Disney. I will keep you posted with their response. I figure the worst they can say is no. (The letter we sent included pictures, but I could not copy them into the post).


March 4, 2012

Michelle Baumann

Walt Disney World Guest Communications


P.O. Box 10400


Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Dear Ms. Baumann:

I wanted to take the opportunity to share our Disney story with you as a testament that dreams really do come true at Disney World. I am sure that you receive stories like this frequently. However, ours is truly a unique story and one we share often. We thought it only fair to share the story with you.

           

Two years ago my husband and I took a trip to Disney World for spring break with my family. Before traveling to Disney, we had experienced some difficult times, including the loss of twin sons and a failed adoption. We took the opportunity to travel to Disney as a way to get away from the stress of life, if only for a week, and reconnect as a couple. Little did we know that our trip to Disney would be the start of a new chapter in our lives. On April 9^th, 2010, we were enjoying a beautiful day at the Magic Kingdom. We got to the park when it opened and rushed around like children to meet as many characters as possible and ride all the rides we could before the lines got too long. At 1:30pm we were in line to get a fast pass to Thunder Mountain before heading to lunch at the Crystal Palace when my cell phone rang. It was our social worker, calling from northern Indiana. She explained that a birthmother had chosen us, our son was born, and we needed to get to the hospital before he was discharged. We had waited and prayed for a child for so long and now in the happiest place on earth we learned that we were parents. We scrambled to locate my family and tell them the news. We decided to go ahead and eat as a family before setting out on our adventure home. We could barely eat, but decided to snap a picture with Pooh to show our son, Liam, when we explained his adoption story to him.

After trying in vain to change our flight, we rented a car and set out on an 18hour ride home, through the night. We couldn’t make it to the hospital in time for Liam’s discharge, so our social worker brought him to our house.

We refer to Liam as our Disney baby. We have such an amazing story to tell him. Liam is such a Disney fan as well. He does everything with his stuffed Mickey, which he refers to as “Gickey.” He is a big fan of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Winnie the Pooh. We decorated his room in Winnie the Pooh in tribute to the place where our dreams came true.

For Liam’s second birthday we plan to return to Disney World. We will spend the week of April 9^th-13^th, 2012 in the place where our family began. We are looking forward to seeing his reaction when he meets his favorite characters in person. We are also so excited to see his face light up when he sees the castle in person and watches the fireworks. Whenever he sees the castle and fireworks at the beginning of Disney movies, he squeals with delight and says, “Wow, what’s that!?”

         

We would like to personally thank the Disney family for being such a big part of our family. We would also like to ask for the opportunity to have pictures taken in front of the castle with Mickey Mouse and friends. We would love the opportunity to take Liam’s 2year pictures in the Magic Kingdom to commemorate how far we have come as a family and show where our dreams came true.

Sincerely,

Tiffany Herman

Patience and Control

I always thought patience was a virtue I possessed, not that I was perfect at it, but that I tend to be a patient person in general. Well, over the last five years I have realized that I may not be as patient as I once thought. I have learned a great deal about myself and I know I have several things I need to work on. For instance, I love things to be well-planned and organized. I guess you could say I love to have control. I have learned that there are very few things I have control over. Right now, I am struggling with patience and control. I think it is because I am in a waiting period of life. It has been almost a year since we put our names back on the adoption list and nothing has come from it and there seems to be no potential in the near future. I truly understand and believe that God's timing and plan are perfect. We experienced that with Liam's arrival. Liam is nearly two and I really want him to have an adopted sibling. I want another child, but I especially want another adopted child. I want Liam to share his journey with someone who understands and I know that Liam will be a great big brother, friend, and mentor for his sibling. I guess if I knew what God had planned and the timeframe he has established, it would be easier to wait. Waiting can be discouraging and is especially hard when you don't know what's at the end of the your waiting. I must admit that I have had doubts and have wondered if we are even pursuing the right adoption. I wonder if God is calling us to adopt internationally and that is why we aren't getting any closer to adopting domestically. I wonder if we need to branch out and try adopting a baby outside our agency's borders. There are so many whys and what ifs. I am sure I asked the same questions while we waited for Liam. I just keep reminding myself that God knows the complete picture. He is the one who designed our family and our story. I am just praying that He provides us with clear answers and direction as we try to follow His will. In the mean-time we are enjoying the miracle Liam is to our lives. We are thankful for him every minute of every day. I hope that we are bringing God glory as we wait. And, I will strive to be patient because I know God is in complete control.

Update on Liam's Heart

Today, Liam went in for a check-up on his heart. Liam sat very still as the nurse performed the echocardiogram, which took quite some time. He spent most of the time sitting on Dave's lap, but did lay down so the nurse could get clear pictures of the areas of concern. He was also good for the nurse who took all his vitals. We then had to wait an hour for our consultation with the doctor. That was a challenge. It is difficult to keep a busy (almost) two year old occupied in a small waiting room for an hour. Thankfully, I came equipped with snacks and our IPad with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episodes on it. I am so glad Dave was with me!


Last time Liam had an echocardiogram, the doctor found three areas of concern. The areas of concern are coarctation of aorta (narrowing of the main artery), two fused parts in his left ventricle valve, and a hole between the upper two chambers of his heart. As they checked those three areas, they found that there are no major changes, which is a good thing. As long as things remain stable, there is no need for surgery. We will check those three areas again in six months. If after six months things remain stable, we can cut back our visits to once a year. If the hole in his heart has not closed by the time Liam is four (the age when most holes fuse together on their own), then he will need surgery. For now, we are happy that things have remained stable.


The doctor did find two new areas of concern. The first was that Liam has fluid build-up around his heart. This is probably caused from the viral infection (stomach bug) we all got at the beginning of January. It is normal to have fluid around the heart when sick, but sometimes with children with heart problems, the fluid persists or increases instead of decreasing once the viral infection is gone. We will go back in six weeks to check the fluid. If the fluid is the same amount at that point, we will try to decrease it with medicine. If the fluid increases, the doctor will extract the fluid. The doctor gave us things to look out for in the meantime, but we are hopeful this will clear up on its own.


The second new area of concern is in the mitral valve (another valve leading to the heart). This may have been a concern earlier, but was just now noticed on the echocardiogram. The doctor didn't seem too concerned with the stress this is placing on Liam's heart and said we would add this to the list of things to check in six months.


Overall, the appointment went well. Liam's heart will continually need monitoring, but as long as things remain stable, he shouldn't need surgery in the near future. He certainly doesn't act like a kid with a heart defect! I continue to pray for a miracle, because I know God is capable of doing that. However, I know that God may work more miracles in the lives of the people that encounter Liam through this obstacle. I keep reminding myself that these experiences are molding Liam into the person God wants him to be and He will use this for His glory.

What We're Up To

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