Adina.

Another very exciting part of our recent trip to Disney World, was meeting up with our "Orlando" cousins there ... my cousin Nicole and her sweet baby Adina. Nicole and her husband Murry just adopted Adina from Khazahstan ... and though they have been home with her for several months, we still had yet to meet her. Fortunately, Halis, Meg, Isaac and I had the privilege of spending the better part of a day with Nicole and Adina at our resort hotel ... eating, playing and swapping adoption stories. Our visit was wonderful ... and Isaac was absolutely smitten with his baby cousin Adina.

In fact, he asked if we could take her home with us because he wanted her to be his baby sister ...

They were absolutely adorable together. Isaac kept grabbing for her hand, determined that he was going to take care of her as she toddled along the resort sidewalks. He barely ever let go of her ... thinking that he needed to keep her safe and direct her around to where she could go while keeping her away from anything that might be dangerous. She - on the other hand - was not sure so that she needed his help :)


He still speaks of her, all these weeks later, telling me that she is his sister ... and that he misses her. Ahhh.... so sweet. Apparently, this need for a sibling is quite a theme for him lately. Everywhere we go, when we meet up with a baby (anyone under age 2), he asks if he can take the baby home to be his new brother/sister. And whenever he gets to thinking for awhile, he will initiate conversation about wanting a baby brother or sister (mostly sister).

So --- Daddy and I have been doing some thinking --- and have decided that before I give my ovaries up for good --- I will try again. Long story short, I had the great fortune to be seen by a leading fertility expert this week and am now being treated (with fertility meds, etc) in the hope that we get pregnant ... but with the comfort of knowing that if it doesn't happen, we will happily adopt a little brother or sister for Isaac. In fact, even if it does happen, we are looking forward to adopting again in the future --- as was always our intention for expanding our family.

Exciting days lay ahead. We will - as a family - be able to confirm the path(s) in which we will be taking to grow our family. I have been down this fertility road before ... but with high anxiety and grand expectations that only lead to disappointment. This time will most certainly be different ... I am a Mommy now. I am fully satisfied with my role and with the means by which it came to me. So, this trip down fertility lane will either bring a most welcome little one into our lives, or will confirm that those ovaries need removing ... and adoption papers need to be gathered in order to welcome our next sweet little one. Very exciting ...

All of this baby talk came before meeting our sweet new cousin, Adina. But I think she certainly did her part to confirm that there was "no time like the present" to begin the journey to our next baby. Isaac's love for her and for all the babies in his life is so genuine ... and so comforting. He wants a sibling, we want another child ... and watching him with Adina (and listening to him still talk about her) makes the timing feel right. We will certainly keep you posted on our journey.

As for dear sweet Adina ... we are all so glad you are home with your forever family. You have AWESOME parents who are wild about you ... AMAZING grand-parents who adore you ... much extended family who are absolutely in love with you ... and a cousin in Maine who wants desperately for you to be his little sister :) Life is good.

Love,

Jodi