YEA!! We have an adoption date!! Thursday March 5th

We are so excited to announce that we finally have an adoption date!! Thursday March 5th at 8:30 AM. Nana (Jodi's Mom) is coming into town and we are excited for her to visit! It will be a great day of celebration for our family. Although these children have been ours in our hearts and minds, now they will be ours legally. See below for a Christmas post that I finally got to.

Merry Christmas!!

We had a great Christmas! It is so wonderful to watch Christmas through the eyes of a child. Wyman loved it and Gracie is still too little to really grasp the gift thing. Wyman's favorite thing was his sandbox. He talks about it all the time! We were home in Duluth and it was great to get out of bed and head downstairs for the festivities.

December Update

I don't think I ever sent out a notice that I updated in November, so be sure to scroll down to see that post and videos. We are gearing up getting ready for Christmas. It will be so fun this year with Wyman. He asks me everyday if it is "Christmastime"....well it is in my book but I think he means is it Christmas TODAY! Well just about a week to go!

We had our family pictures done the beginning of December and here are the proofs (only available until Dec 26th). Heidi Dean Studio did a great job! It is so hard to pick which ones, because I love them all!

http://www.gallery.heidideanstudio.com/shaheen/

I got Wyman on video saying his ABC's and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and I thought I would share. He had been reciting them and I said "I need to get this on video", and grabbed the camera. He can be so shy sometimes that when I started the camera I figured he would clam up...but no...so cute! I had a nice case of laryngitis so my voice sounds horrible!



We hope everyone has a Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Love to all, The Shaheen Family

November Update

All is well at the Shaheen household. It is now 2 months since we were blessed with Wyman and it has been great! He loves school at Little Tikes up the street. He has his best friend Billy Erwin in his class. He is singing his A, B, C's like a champ and is quite the artist.

We had a great visit with Nana (my Mom) in mid-October. She was here for 2 weeks and we had a great time. Wyman bonded quickly and Grace still says "Nana" all the time even calls our cat Nomar...Nana! Here are some of the pictures from our visit below.

Grace just had her 15 month check up. She is 21 lbs. and 30" tall. She is walking and trying to keep up with her big brother who she just adores! I was looking back through pictures and it is amazing that 15 months ago we didn't have any kids...and look at us now!




Grammie (Mike's mom) just sent the cutest clothes to the kids. Wyman is in his pj's and Gracie is wearing her cutest tutu! Precious!






This one just cracks me up. I can hear her little voice wanting to say...."Momma, what are you thinking?"

Videos

This is a video of Gracie taking her 1st steps. She begins with rockin' out to the Ellen Show...she loves to dance with Ellen. Then she picks her nose, then grabs the cat's butt...nice! But when she walks and blows kisses, it is very cute!



Wyman wanted a video of him taken too...so he was dancing to Ellen too! I know it looks like I sped up the video..but no, he is that fast! Hopefully he can use that speed on the football or baseball field in the future!



This one was Wyman out in the back yard with Daddy & Uncle Tony hitting the baseball. Michael ran in and said "Honey you have to come and see this and bring the video camera!!" Such a proud Daddy!

Moving right along!

Well we are in week #4 and things are going great. Wyman is really feeling at home...and acting it too! Grace was sick with a high fever and not sleeping well, so that wasn't too much fun...but if we can make it through back surgery, the floors being redone, sickness, and a new child - we can do anything!!

To all of those who have provided meals for us...GOD BLESS YOU!! It has been so great to not have to worry about what to make for dinner. So we thank you!! I am sure when we get back to me cooking it won't even compare to how wonderful and yummy everything has been. It always tastes better when someone makes it! Jennifer Fithian is still in charge of the calendar. Thanks Jennifer!! So if you still want to provide one, you can email her at FITHI5@aol.com.

Wyman is fully using "Mommy" and "Daddy" and it was so cute on the way home from the football game the other night, Michael stayed at the game and Wyman kept saying..."I miss my Daddy, where is he?" Precious!!

Here are some pictures over the last couple of weeks.

Grace hanging in the pool!

Cutie Patootie!

Cuddling with Daddy...right before he fell asleep.
Uncle Eddy came to visit. He was on his way out the door and I couldn't get the kids to smile. They really had a fun visit.
Daddy entertaining in the driveway after some sidewalk chalk art.
Mommy & Grace
Cutie in her kitty Halloween shirt.
Hanging on the deck with Daddy.
Alden & Mamie Pridgen with their favorite "Gracie Girl". Yea, we got a new double stroller...no more dragging Wyman's feet on the ground.
Gracie being Gracie! For those of you that have known her for a while, she used to be so soft spoken....well not anymore!
Wyman intently watching the Christian concert at Suwanee Park.
Movie Star!
Handsome Guy!
Wyman, Gracie Girl and Mamie at lunch.
Click to enlarge...we visited a new park in Suwanee...how fun!

Grace, Wyman, Thomas, Bobby, Andrew & Sydney at the JV football game. The 4 on the left are all the Cook clan. Andrew & Sydney were recently adopted from Ethiopia. As Martha Cook said when I took this...."What an un-PC looking bunch they are"
Cutie with such big girl teeth!
Wyman peeking around the corner into my new attic space.

Guess what showed up at our house today? Michael says "NO, we are not keeping her!!" She is beautiful...but 2 cats and 2 kids is enough!!

Here is a video of Grace on the swing. I missed the hysterical belly laugh that came out of Grace when she first starting swinging.



Signing off...

Jodi

Michael's Surgery

Michael had a microlumbar discectomy today. He had a herniated disc and they go in and cut away the part of the disc that is sticking out and pushing into his nerve causing him bad hip pain and numbness in his foot. The hip pain is gone from the surgery but now healing from the actual surgery will be a few weeks. I am just reading the instructions from the doctor and he can't drive for 4 weeks....and he can only be a passenger in two weeks for 2 weeks. This won't be good, seeing I NEVER drive when we are in the car together. I guess it is good that he hid these papers from me.

The doctor said it was pretty bad when they went in which is why he was in so much pain. So good that we got it taken care of. I was at the hospital most of the day and spent some blissfully quiet time in the family waiting room at Piedmont Hospital. I never thought I would say those words....but with 2 little ones running around and carpet tack strip being ripped up with a crow bar at home...a hospital is quite peaceful. I left around 4 to come home and relieve Uncle Tony and Aunt Jen...thank God for them....they are life-savers! Michael was doing OK when I left but couldn't get out of bed and was thouroughly medicated! After I left they did get him up and when I went back he got up again...so that is good news. He should be home around noon tomorrow.

I leave you with this....the theme of my day was butts.....these cuties are from bath time....and the other butt (I will spare you a photo...LOL!) was peaking out of a hospital gown. What a day!! Pray for me as now I have 3 babies to take care of :) I wouldn't have it any other way!

And here is Sweet Grace....and Wyman trying to dump Bath and Body Works shower gel in the bubble machine after I told him we were out of bubbles...smart kid. And I am still smiling :)

Sweet Caroline

I have been trying to get a video of this, but every time I try to take it, Grace looks at me and doesn't pay attention to Wally. For those of you not members of Red Sox nation, Wally is the mascot for the Red Sox. Our baseball family will recognize the Sweet Caroline song from our baseball games. This is so precious...she actually did all the stuff I suggested at the end. She is so sweet...I wanna eat her up! That is not a dead dog in the background, it is a stuffed animal wolf....LOL!

We had another great day. We went for a walk on a trail in Suwanee with Michelle & Dalton Redwine as we do every Monday. Poor Wyman, see the look on his face? He was really too big for the stroller and his feet kept dragging on the ground. We went to the car and he said "My feet hurt!" So we are back on the look out for a double jogger or maybe better a sit and stand stroller. So if anyone has one they want to get rid of, let me know!

Cuties in the chair. Remember how I could never get Grace to smile...now she is such a ham when the camera comes out!

OK, we have a red neck swimmin' pool now we have a red neck sand box. Michael asked me for some scissors and I didn't know what he was going to do with them, I look over the edge of the deck and he is slicing up a bag of play sand and dumping it in a big pile in the middle of our back yard. Well you can see we don't have much grass so what the heck! Not good, when you are going in for back surgery on Wed!!
I have GOT to get to bed at a decent hour, but I am nesting like a son of a gun and trying to decide if I want to strip my now sewing room down and turn it into a playroom...tonight! I think I need to get some sleep!!

Oh...during prayers tonight I asked Wyman his favorite part of the day and he said "Football!" We didn't do any football today...boy he won the lottery on the right Daddy! Tonight when Michael walked in he said "Daddy's home!" So awesome! I think I see a Tom Brady Fat Head right on his bedroom wall. For those who don't know what a fat head is...it is a life size picture of a sports player you can order and put on your wall :)

Thanks for everything...we are so blessed with wonderful families and a great support system here in GA.

Michael, Jodi, Grace & Wyman

Another great day!

If you are reading this post and you have no idea what I am talking about scroll down to the next post and read up.

I don't know what happened with the pictures on the last post, some of you couldn't see them, so I re posted them, I hope it worked.

We had another great day. Uncle Tony and Aunt Jen came over with all sorts of toys and clothes. Wyman loved throwing the football with Uncle Tony and attaching to his leg like a baby koala bear. Then Louise & Jessica Plagman came by with a great monkey blanket and pjs.

Uncle Tony & Wyman playing football -

Grace in her "little stinker" shirt -
Wyman with his new favorite blankie!
One of the many creations by Wyman today -


Gracie in the basket - Bath night was great here are some shots - I like how the parts are nicely covered up as to not have any X rated photos out there :)


Wyman had on his dog towel and Grace had a pink bunny one..I said kiss your sister and he said "Awww, no way!" So cute!


Wyman's sizes and needs - mind you these are our wishes and would be great...we love hand me downs or things you have that you aren't using anymore.

Casual Shoes or Crocs - shoe size 9 fits now - or 9.5 future

Fall/Winter Clothes size 3T we have lots of shirts, so need pants most of all

Red Sox or Patriots stuff - if he is going to be in this family he is going to like our teams!!

Toys - I think he has enough for now....Grace is loving all the trucks and balls!

Coloring books and big crayons, quiet boy crafty stuff for inside quiet time

Small kids table with chairs for playroom

Other things on the wish list....

TV/DVD combo for playroom - our spare tv is so old that we can't even hook up a dvd player to it and our vcr doesn't seem to want to work...and who has VCR tapes anyways!

Anyone who knows how to hook up another cable outlet in our play room.

A handy man that can install a door (either drop down stair or door from master bath) into our over the garage storage area.

Borrow a pick up truck to pick up some outside toys from a friend in Douglasville - just borrow, we will give it back :)

This is all I can think of right now....thank you SO much, we have loved reading all your emails and well wishes!!

Ta da....Superman! Thanks Louise and Jess! Amazing what a fabric cape can do to a little boy!