Thursday, December 10, 2009

Finalization Party

We will be celebrating the finalization of Leah’s adoption this Saturday, December 12th at 6:00pm at the Roma Restaurant, 203 Lansdowne Road in Fredericksburg.  We invite everyone to join us to celebrate that our beautiful daughter is recognized officially by the courts as ours and only ours. 

To celebrate, we had a family portrait done on December 4th, the day we found out Leah is all ours.  Enjoy!

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Eight Months!

P1030581 Dear Angel Doll,

                Here we are again, another month has gone by and you continue to amaze Mom and I with your growth and development.  This month you have started eating real food quite a bit, adjusted to a new sleep schedule, and overall become more “nosey” with everything – not that you weren’t nosey before, but your favorite pastime is to look around your environment.  You have continued to play a lot with Cousin Dottie when she comes down, pulling her hair and taking her toys, but that’s OK, that’s how little babies like you learn.  Mommy has started to really work on your hair quite a bit, and it is looking better and better every day.  You still haven’t gotten any more teeth, although we think that you might have a couple ready to pop out of your sweet little mouth any day now.  You hold your arms up when you want to be picked up and are shaking your toys in your hands just like when Mommy shows you “All done!”  We know you don’t want to play with those toys any more!  You are so smart!  You have also started eating on your own—Uncle Lucas and Cioci showed you how to hold your own bottle and now you don’t need any help.  Of course, sometimes Mommy and Daddy just want some snuggle time, so we hold you and feed you anyway.  We don’t want you to grow up too fast!

                You’ve seen a lot of people this month, you’ve been very good with Colleen on Wednesdays when mommy goes for her appointments, you were very good when Grandma and Grandpa came down from Rhode Island to see you, and you were even good when Cathy and Peter came over from the Free Lance-Star to talk to Daddy.  Mommy and Daddy took you to Richmond to a potluck for adopted families and you were perfect the whole time, not even letting out a peep.  Auntie Beth showed you off and of course you were the HEAD Little Baby at the event.  You also went to see the folks at Dr. Leonard’s and had 2 shots and didn’t let out a peep, instead looking at the nurse as if to say “is that it?”  You went with Mommy and Daddy to the hearing aid place and to the dentist, where of course everybody was loving you, and you even screamed for Daddy while Mommy went to the bathroom.  And of course, there was the infamous trip to Ruby Tuesday’s recently where by the end of the meal, you had 6 waiters and waitresses standing around you admiring you!  Overall you have continued to be a very very good baby when momy and daddy are in public or when we have company.

                There are a couple of problem areas that we are trying to work on with you.  You are very attached to Mommy, to the point that if she leaves the room you start to cry/yell.  This is hard for Mommy, since she has to give you her undivided attention at all times and doesn’t get many breaks.  You also are still having trouble getting used to daddy, and lately have not been eating for him, making this harder for us.  But we know that these little things are just temporary and that you will grow out of them.  You have been EXCELLENT in the car lately, and Mommy and Daddy are very proud of you for that.  You continue to play a lot with your toys, and are getting more sleep which is good for your development.  We have started to let you cry things out more, and we are helping you to learn that it is OK if Mommy is in the other room or Daddy can’t pick you up all of the time, and it will get better.

                On November 30, the final adoption order was signed by the county court and we received it on December 4 in the mail.  Mommy and I have received the best gift of all: the gift of a child, Leah Katherine, you are now ours.  You are now a Kosior, nobody will be coming around questioning what mommy and daddy are doing, no more visits to Richmond, and no more expensive legal costs.  We knew at 3:56AM on April 8 that we had the most precious gift, Daddy knows it and feels it every time he holds you, and Mommy sees it in your eyes when you smile and make faces at her.  Nobody can question anything anymore, it is final.  On Saturday, Mommy and Daddy are going to get together with some friends to celebrate the news, although we always knew in our hearts that it would happen and that you were meant to be our wonderful daughter.  Leah Katherine Kosior, we will always love you, and your gift in our lives is one that we will carry with us and treasure forever.

Love,

Daddy and Mommy