1 year mark, 30 birthday, 2nd surgery...ALL complete!

So first the FUN stuff! We met TJ at a Memorial Day party in 2010 and our lives haven't been the same since! The baby boy(18 mo at the time) that we met is now an energenic, smart, silly 2.5 yo that keeps us laughing and on our toes. I am not sure how we even lived before him. People always say do you remember life before your newborn and while TJ wasn't a newborn we still can't imagine our lives before him. We went back to Lubbock, TX to the same home we met him in. There was a Memorial Day/Celebration of TJ party in which people came together to celebrate all that will forever be remembered on that day. Not only will we ALWAYS remember those that have served us but we will also ALWAYS remember the first time we met our son! It was a great day and while we were missing a few vital people(my SIL and BIL) they will always be remembered as being there that first day!

A week later we celebrated my 30 birthday(6/4). Again, it is a momentous day because that is the day we officially brought TJ home with us for good! We picked him up that Friday last year and when we went to drop him off that Sunday we met his birth parent's who assured us we could turn right back around and they would sign the paperwork needed for us to have him in our care full time. The feelings of heading to drop him off and the feelings of leaving with him will NEVER leave me! Tears were shed on both rides but for completely different reasons. Tears of sadness because we weren't positive when/if we would see this little man who had stolen our hearts ever again and then tears of joy that we could possibly be headed home with OUR son!!!!! Crazy how a few hours can change your life. Last year we spent my birthday in Lubbock picking TJ up and then going out to dinner with some friends. This year we spent my birthday with my parent's and Bailey. We went to my favorite restaurant, Yard House. We had a great time and it was my parent's first time eating there and they seemed to enjoy it as well. We had 2 onion ring towers, truffle fries(first time and NOT the last as they were AMAZING!!!!), and then our meals. I had a wonderful piece of porcini crusted halibut over parmesan mashed potatoes with a porcini cream sauce and white truffle oil with asparagus and bok choy. It was the first time I tried it and again it will not be the last time! Afterwards we parted ways with my parent's and Bailey. On the way down we noticed that the horse track by our home was having a country concert. It was A Day In Country with quite a few singers. We went home after our late lunch, changed, and headed over there. We got to see several good artists such as Little Big Town and Leann Rimes(good singer, bad human!?!?!) among others. It was such a nice birthday and seriously not a depressing big 3-0 kind of day at all!!!! I couldn't be more blessed! Again though, we were missing some much loved family members!

My 2nd surgery was not scheduled until 6/22 but I got a call a week ago today that it had been moved up to 6/9. WHOA what?!?!? There were several surgeons and since they had to coordinate all their schedules that is why it was so far out so to get that call was a bit shocking. We immediately changed our plans to accomodate. My mom had TJ yesterday and today. Then, after Joe finished with work this afternoon he headed to Dallas with TJ. They are hanging out there tonight with some friends and then they will meet with his mom and step-dad tomorrow. They will be taking TJ for the whole week so I can fully recover from this procedure. Unfortunately, this surgery is not as easy as the last one. I have 5 incisions that are between 1-2 inches long and need more time to recover. I cannot lift anything over 15 lbs for the next 4-6 weeks. When I showed my mom the incisions today I think her jaw almost hit the floor because of how nasty the site looks. I have been feeling pretty good considering but am obviously a bit sore. I am trying to move around as much as possible so I don't get super stiff and I know that they always say the more active you are the faster you will recover. Here's hoping that is true! For now though I will be doing what I need to recover fully so that when my baby comes home I am ready for his energy!!! It is going to be a LONG week without him!

So in closing if you had asked me a year ago where we would be on my 30th birthday I would have NEVER imagined we would be parent's to the beautiful boy we met that Memorial Day but we ARE!!!!! God is good!