One Year Ago

This time last year, Clay was still in Guatemala and Matt and I were at home celebrating my grandmother's 90th birthday. On February 8, 2008, my grandmother went to be with the Lord. There is no more sadness, pain, or tears there and I am glad. Once again she is able to do the things she did when she was young and once again she has regained her memory in full. I have created a video of when she was young and then again in the last couple years before she went Home. My grandmother was someone you would have loved to meet and someone I wanted my son to know, also. She was really special and I loved her dearly.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

How Time Flies.....

Time has flown and I had not realized it has been quite some time since I posted anything at all. I am going to do an update now and as things get a bit more certain will post pictures. November flew by. Thanksgiving Day everyone was together for the first time since our family trip to Disney World. It was nice to see everyone. My oldest and youngest niece and oldest nephew. Emma is REALLY shy and it didn't help her not seeing any of us in 6 months. I am hoping when she and my sister come back in January for Alice's (another sister) wedding that maybe then she will get to know us better. Clay tried to get her to play with him but still no go. Maybe next time. Clay was extremely exhausted by evening so we went home earlier than planned but it was a great day. On the way home a deer decided that our car was a good place to head so he ran right into the side of us. The car nor the deer were hurt. Clay didn't even wake up when it happened.

On the way back to Albuquerque, my sister and her family were in a really bad accident in Wichita Falls, TX. It was a miracle no one was major, seriously hurt. They hit a semi and then a guard rail at 50-55 miles an hour. My sister was hurt worse with her femur really badly bruised and requiring 6 weeks of physical therapy. Everyone else except for Emma and her daddy had minor whiplash and one person a mild concussion. Thank God all were fine.

We learned last week we have a job in Huntsville, AL. Praise God!!!! Starting the next day after learning of the the job Matt came down with a stomach virus which by Friday he was getting better and I caught it. We are all better now. Clay has a cold but never came down with the virus as of yet so once again very thankful that Clay didn't get it.

We learned today that the package from HR to where the job is didn't come in on Friday as expected and that was the reason for hearing nothing about getting the drug test, background check, etc scheduled so we can start work soon. They were hoping to get it today and set the test up VERY soon. It would be extremely nice if we could have one pay check before Christmas!

I believe I have covered it all!!!! If not I will when I sign on again. With pictures too.

Clay has started doing a lot more. He is climbing on everything now. He tells us what he wants to drink instead of just drink and will even climb in his high chair and say eat when hungry. He is talking in 2-3 word sentences for certain things and is remembering things that he may have heard only once before and even a few days before. I dont know when alot of this happened. Like I can't just pinpoint a day it just started and then one day I noticed in the middle of a conversation. He tries hard to put his own clothes on and if got all the time in the world let him try. I know he needs to learn and he is a determined and somewhat independent little boy who wants to do it himself so when I can I let him. He is a Daddy's boy for sure and I love watching them together and then it is the sweetest thing when he wants his Daddy and his Daddy isnt in the room he will look at me and say "my Daddy?" Or run down the hall calling for him in the same way. Ok I will definitely sign off now and will update again soon.

October - Ups and Downs and all Arounds

The weather here in GA has gone from warm to cold at night and really nice during the day. This month has been really busy. Matt is looking for a new job and we have a really good interview set up for Monday that I am hoping and so is Matt that we would get. It would pay well (what we made in St Louis when first moved) and the biggest benefit for us is it means we are allowed to stay home in GA.

Clay has begun to copy what we say more and pick up words clearly we didn't even know he could say. He has used quite a few two word sentences and I have heard a couple three word sentences. The first three word sentence came when we went to sign him up for classes at My Gym. He remembered it from the free trial class and when we left he wanted to stay and play and boy did our little one pitch a tantrum at leaving. The next time we went we got there to early (even for the workers) for free play so rode around a little before heading back to give them time to arrive and open. From the time we left till we got back it was "I wanna play" from the back seat loud and clear. We got back and went in for free play and he loved it. All the climbing and sliding and balls made his day. The hardest part is leaving!! He is getting better, though. His first class was the two days later and he had tons of fun there too. I even have some pics. The best is taken on his favorite thing at class time.

Clay loves going to MeMe and PawPaws. We have done that at least once a month since getting home and this month twice. Since he knows we can and will go regularly he is constantly every day asking for his MeMe and PawPaw and Aunt Deborah and Jacob!! The first time this month we went for Katy's birthday. Clay loved helping her get her gifts. The last time was, today. All this week he asked constantly and by that I mean numerous times throughout the day. Then well this morning that changed. We were getting ready to leave and we heard " I want PawPaw", " I want Deborah", "I want Jacob" and " I want MeMe". Can you tell who he wants to see?? His first Halloween and it was hectic. We got there and once Alice and the kids (Jacob included, of course) came in it was hectic. Jacob and Jacob's Friend, Philip, was dressed as Spiderman and Iron man respectively and came in with their masks on and when they came in Clay just sat there staring with eyes wide. Then Alice and Shauna (Phillips Mom) came in and they were dressed as witches and that did it Clay didn't like that at all. That and Jacob getting in his face to play in full dress and talk about scared. Since he couldnt get to me or Matt (they were in between us) he ran straight to his Aunt Deborah and held on for dear life. Now, once his Aunt Alice came over and talked to him and reassured him it was just her and she took him he calmed down and was fine. She didnt have any face paint or nothing just clothes an hair. We then got Clay ready in his outfit and off they went. Matt took Clay. They didnt stay long as Clay just didnt like being out in the dark and others in costumes and when he got fussy Matt brought him back and he just got more pics taken and had fun playing and eating candy. Yep, that is it. His new word. I let Deborah give him one but his PawPaw said you want some candy and gave it to him and well he now knows what it is. Except for a little chocolate bunny at Easter ( I let him have a little bit at a time) and Cotton Candy at Disney World, Clay hadnt been given candy and so now since he has found it he likes it an awful lot.

We did a photo shoot before bed one night earlier this month and I am going to include some pictures. I got a couple REALLY good ones but most are interesting ones.

Please be praying for Kim and Steve and Zack as they have found out that Zack has SOD. It is rare and it is not good. It will mean alot of possibilities, alot of meds and alot of learning for them all. It could be genetic, it could be something damaging happened during pregnancy or it could be a result of no medical care, neglect and malnutrition while he was in Guatemala (which in this case did occur). Please be praying for this family as they love their son so much and it hurts them to see him have to go through all this.

Please Pray for us that Matt finds a job soon. We want to stay here, but will go where God sends us. Thank you for your prayers.

I hope you enjoy the few pictures I have added and will try to update and add more again in the not to distant future. Stay Tuned and check back often cause things change and alot of things are coming up in November.

Recognition of Foreign Adoption

Here are a few pictures from September 23rd. Besides the judge in our picture we included our attorney as he did the paperwork for us and made things alot easier thus playing a big role in our getting Clay's name changed and everything set up for now and the future. The best we can any ways!!!

Catch Up!!!!!

It has happened!!! Anna had her embassy appt on Jan. 22. Matt and I had ours on Feb 22. Mary had her embassy appt on Sept 22. They are now home forever!!!!! Kim and Zack are home forever as of Friday, Sept 19th. Praise God!!!


It isnt over y'all there are still families waiting to bring their children home to their forever families. Please continue to pray them home it is a hard journey!!

Matt and Clay and I went before the judge in St Louis County on September 23rd. Clay is no longer a nickname it is his legal name. John Clayton is official!!! We moved home right after that. We are home!!!!!!!!! On September 24th, Anna and her family went to court for the readoption of Pablo. Please be praying for Pablo as he is pretty sick right now!! He has pneumonia and possibly the chicken pox. Please be praying for Anna and them as they take care of him too.

There are a ton of pictures taken, yet I have found a few I really like and placing here. Not many as this time I am going to add some videos soon!! The pictures are from a trip to MeMe and PawPaws and going with Aunt Deborah to walk around Oxford Lake. Clay went down the slide mostly alone but Aunt Deborah went once on a double slide and then as we walked around the lake, the lake and the ducks!! Finally pictures taken at court!! Enjoy!!!

Oxford Lake

OH!! How he grows!!

We are back home!!! We moved in and while still trying to get everything righted and sorted so could live we noticed something. Clay has grown since coming home. Well, I knew he had but not so much as on this night. We were eating. Clay was in his high chair in the kitchen (at this time table not righted from getting everything in the day before) and we were watching him when Matt said, "do you notice it?" "no" I replied. He said, "just look what do you not see?" Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. You couldnt see the giraffes any more on the seat of his high chair. Here it is y'all the difference between shortly after coming home forever and then just a few days ago!!!

February 2008

September 2008

Catch up (Pictures will follow when can do so)

Mary is out of PGN and waiting on Pink!!!!! Kim and Zack is waiting on DNA to be completed and sent to USE so they can be waiting on Pink. They will be coming home soon!!!!! Cory has pick up date of Sept 17th!! I think that gets everyone I know home but there are many more waiting to bring their little ones home so, PLEASE, continue to pray!!!!!!I will let you know when Mary and Kim are Pink!!

September 23rd is a big day for us. We will be going to court for the recognition of our child. From that day own he will officially, legally be John Clayton Aldridge, forever more!!!!! We are so excited and cannot wait. Our attorney said we should have paperwork that will allow us to get his social security card, also. Then we will just be waiting on his Missouri birth certificate and then on to a US Passport to prove citizenship until we can get his Certificate of Citizenship changed to his then legal name also!!!!!

Clay's Favorite people now are his Daddy(first and foremost), his PawPaw and then his cousin Jacob. I am, too, but these are the ones that he is constantly asking for other than me.
His Favorite food right now is Mandarin Oranges.
His Favorite TV characters are Winnie the Pooh and Elmo.
His Favorite Music is Imagination Movers, Choo Choo Soul, and Wiggles.
His New Skill is opening doors!!! Believe me that was not a fun one when we realized that he knew how to do that. He opened the door to the front of our apartment carrying a plunger he got out of the bath when I was cleaning it and lets just say I got him maybe one second before he started down the stairs of our apartment complex. If he would go down on his rear it wouldnt have been so scary but he insists on walking down and if I hadnt got him I know what would have happened and my mind could see it like it was. Thank God I saw that door open immediately. The only thing showed from his mishap was a scratched nose from the plunger handle when I grabbed him. I didnt care if he dropped it or not and didnt think it would hurt him. Needless to say I got out another door knob cover and used it on the front door now. Thank the Good Lord come the end of the month we will be back in Georgia for good.

That is it for now!!!!!! I will post pictures as soon as I can get them uploaded as it has been a hectic summer here!!

PRAISE and PRAY like there is no TOMORROW

PLEASE everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Praise God for Kim and Steve getting out of PGN and Zack being their's forever!!!!! The medical issues that need cared for need to occur sooner than later and now we need to PRAY that everyone else will follow suit and get this baby home like PGN has just done when instead of issuing a Kick Out they signed Zack out!!!!!!!!!!

PRAY hard for Mary and Phil!!!!! They have had their birthmother interview and PGN has issued a kick out which has been fixed and been resubmitted to PGN the resubmission was done two weeks ago as of tomorrow!!!! Please,Pray that tomorrow or REALLY soon is the day they get word they are out of PGN. This Kick Out is doing to them I am sure what the last one we received did to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is time their baby girl came home. We have prayed and God has answered so here we go again!!!!!! God is going to do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will keep you all updated!!!! Goodnight and thank you all for praying!!

On this day

a year ago we had to say goodbye to our baby and head home to wait out a long, emotional process and as I recall the pain that we went through when it came time for our visit to end I am thankful we no longer have to go through that with our little boy. At the same time, I know that Sammy, Veronica and their family are still grieving as they miss him much so please be praying for them!!!!

Today we went and got Clay a haircut. He didn't like it so much until he got outside and realized it was cooler to his head in this Georgia heat!! Heading back to St. Louis, Saturday. Just for awhile as August will end soon and we can come home for good!!!

One Year Ago today

is but a memory. It was a dream come true. A prayer in the process of being answered. The culmination of daydreams never voiced. That day will never be forgotten. I packed days before we left. Checked, double checked and even triple checked to make sure we had everything. We boarded a plane (Matt and I) on that day in the early morning hours that was delayed. We ran through the Houston airport hoping we were in time to catch our connecting flight. Landed in a foreign country, speaking nary a word of the language to catch a shuttle to a hotel, check in and wait. What was supposed to have been hours was actually a few minutes and the front desk called to ay we had visitors. We were excited, nervous, emotional and every other feeling imaginable. For what seemed like ages we had seen pictures and today the picture became reality.

We walked out of the elevator and saw him. Those big brown eyes and dark brown hair I kept watching for. For the first time in months I held and saw my baby for the very first time. The thrill of holding him, rocking him, playing with him, and seeing his Daddy with him. Our baby was no longer a picture of what our dreams were heading towards but realizing a dream and waiting for it to be official.









Today, our baby is home forever. He is no longer a baby but our precious little boy. He walks and runs. Says alot of different words. Loves music and Winnie the Pooh. Feeds himself and has no fear of the slide. Uses a straw and sleeps thru the night!!! A dream for a brown eyed baby boy with dark brown hair has come true forever and a year later he is a toddler for whom our love knows no end!!








To Clay:


We love you baby boy, for you will always be our baby, thanks to God, a birthmother who loved you first and wanted more for you, a loving family who cared for you when Mommy and Daddy couldn't and a woman with a love for children and the people she worked with for bringing you home to us.


We love you, John Clayton!!!


Signed: Your Mommy and Daddy

Note Note Note Note: Here is the difference in one years time

First Fourth of July

For July 4th, we went to Mom and Dad's for the day. Clay got to play with his cousins and be spoiled by his MeMe and PawPaw and almost all his Aunts. We got to go out for about two hours while Clay stayed and played with his cousins and decided to head home instead of fireworks when Clay fell asleep after a long, no nap, and all day play day. I have posted a few pics of him. One is with his Great Aunt Rachel and the other just playing with Daddy a few minutes in his Fourth of July outfit. We would have had more pics from MeMe and PawPaw's but the batteries died in the camera.

I want to go outside with Daddy and help him grill with Paw Paw

This is me with Great Aunt Rachel

Music

Veronica has told us that from the beginning Clay has loved music and so I try to encourage that with toy instruments and music. Well, I thought I would share some of Clay's favorites and this video is one that our son could watch all day and never tire of and when I found it on You Tube I had to post it. It is called ABC Gospel with Choo Choo Soul.
NOTE: Pause music on player to right to listen to videos.


This is another favorite and that is the Hot Dog song from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.



His all time favorite by Imagination Movers is Numbers in my Bag but I couldnt find that one so here is one he likes also. It is called I Want My Mommy.

Disney World, Sea World and Georgia

It is only the 25th and about 2 weeks since getting back from FL. Florida was major hot!!!!!!! The comfort tracker on the stroller taking in humidity, pavement etc marked the heat at 132 as highest at times. It felt it to!!! We had a good time!! On the 6th we went to AL for my oldest nephews 12th birthday and brought Katy (9yo neice) to spend the night then Katy, Clay and Matt and I drove from GA to Tifton where we met everyone else. We then had 3 vehicles all the way to Orlando. We stopped for lunch at a rest area and after getting to the rental house we swam and relaxed till bed time. The next two days were spent at Magical Kingdom. The heat was something else and made for a slow day (it slowed me and Matt down and we were showing our age). Clay loved the people mostly. He loves to watch them. He had cotton candy for the first time while there and loved the lady with the bubbles before the parade. Needless to say naps and schedules were not kept and at times Clay was cranky but not too much. He was too excited to be. Between family and the parks this little boy was wore out every night.


The third day was spent at Animal Kingdom where Clay got ride a few rides and see alot of animals. He also fed himself ice cream for the first time. He met a character from Lion King and was a little more comfortable with him than the Easter Bunny. He and Emma met Pocahontas together. There was one moment where Clay was pointing one way and Emma the other until Clay turned around to look and Pocahontas is pointing another. It was really cute.


This was also the point where it started a thundershower and had to head back to the main part of the park. To see the characters we were at Ritikis Planet and had to take a train to Africa then through Asia and Dino Land to the main gate. So we got back to the train station after I narrowly missed being hit by lightning and made the train and while on it was in and out of signal so bad my Dad when called to see where in park was had a hard time hearing so to keep it short and stuff simply said " We are on the train going back to Africa". I think my Dad thought he was hearing things and made me repeat it!!! Well, the two ladies in front of me started laughing and then when hung up one looked at me and said I never thought I would hear that in my entire life and she said "Only in Disney" So ended our stay at the Animal Kingdom. The fourth day we spent the morning at Downtown Disney where I bought Clay 2 CD's: Imagination Movers "Juice Box Heroes" and The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse CD. They didnt have the Choo Choo Soul CD music he loves so will have to get offline. I also bought an album and paper at the scrapbook store (it will hold more than one trip too). We plan to go back when Clay is older and can enjoy more of it. The rest of the day was spent at Epcot Center. We made an easy day of it and Clay loved the fire truck there. We didnt get there in time to get pics with Mickey and Minnie, etc but the others did and also the line was so long and Clay didnt like lines so for the best this time. When older and understand more who they are will be a different story. Clay's absolute best time was at Sea World where he saw and loved watching the baby dolphins in the dolphin nursery and his most favorite was Shamu!!!! Oh my word you should have seen him!!!! He was the first to clap when needed to and couldnt take his eyes off him. I overdid it at the parks and wore myself and my body out!!!!!! But so worth it. The way home was really hard on Clay. His Aunt Beverly bought Clay a small Shamu and it has had to be added to his bedtime collage of favorites!!!! Since then we have been in GA. Clay and I are staying to get some things done for when coming back permanently and over the last weekend got sick so Matt and I had to take him to the Dr. He has a tonsil infection and ear infection and as of today is feeling almost 100%. We are so glad for that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is even getting back on schedule now. This is just briefly everything so far and gets everyone up to date. We have had a busy, exciting and good month so far except for Clay getting sick. I am also posting some pictures.





Praise God, Sonia and Cory are out of PGN and Mary should be getting out at any time. Kim had their Birth Mother interview today after a really hard time doing so and will see what happens now. Please continue to pray!!!!!

The three of us in front of Cinderella's Castle

Clay having cotton candy for the first time

Katy watching Clay feed himself ice cream

Daddy and Clay and Ratiki(?)

Emma and Clay with Pocahontas

Daddy and Clay in front of the Fire Truck

Clay impatiently getting pic with Mommy he wants to continue playing with buttons

Baby Dolphin at Dolphin Nursery

Clay at home in GA (He loves playing with stuff from a box of camping stuff)