It's FINAL

On Monday, April 26, 2010 our adoption became FINAL. It was such a special day for us. Drew's Mom joined as well. Like Sloane's birth it was a little nerve wracking for a few minutes. The judge was 45 minutes late and I kept worrying he would never show up! He did and ended up being the nicest man. At the end when he is supposed to announce everything is final he told us to wait and called my MIL back into the chambers. She came out in his robe and got to say to saying ... "the State of SC hear by grants you this adoption"... It was really special.

Sloane and her Daddy during our hearing.

After it was final! We were so excited!

My MIL Sandy announcing it was final. Her facial expression is priceless...

Our adoption lawyer Ray Godwin. We owe him everything for bringing this baby girl into our lives!

Our judge

Waiting not so patiently for the hearing to start

When we got home these beautiful flowers were waiting on us from Rena. She is so thoughtful and so special to us. She is also going to be Sloane's Godmother along with my friends Shannon and Whitney.

3 months a week before 4 months!

Our sweet baby girl turns 4 months next week. I completely forgot to post her 3 month pics. Sloane is growing like a weed. I put her on our scale last night and she weighs 15 pounds! HUGE baby girl! She is laughing, cooing, tries to copy us if we make funny faces, eating all the time, loves to be on her back, hates tummy time (screams), loves to talk to herself, yells if we leave the room... a true princess. She is so smart and very advanced for her age :) hehe. She met most of the Berry family this weekend..those pics to come. Love this little chubby thing!

Easter!

We had a wonderful Easter in Atlanta this past weekend. We grilled out, shopped, saw Pops at work, had a wonderful Easter service, and brunch at the club after. I have always heard that kids don't sleep when they travel. Well Sloane added her name to that list on Friday night. She woke up 5 times. Needless to say in our Easter pictures I look a little sleepy :) I hope you all had a very happy and blessed Easter.

Sloane got 2 baskets from the bunny! I was so excited to use the basket my mom got for Sloane. This time filled with stuff instead of Sloane herself :) Thanks GiGi and Pops (aka Easter Bunny #2) for Sloane's other basket of goodies and all the clothes too! GiGi has bought Sloane half her wardrobe!

oh my scary self.... GiGi bought Sloane this bow so I thought it would be funny to put it on her head. She looks like Pebbles!

Family pic after church

Uncle Mike and Erica. Mike loves little Sloane!

Uncle Matt is a chef at the club so we got to go see him in action while we ate brunch. He woke Sloane up b/c he couldn't stand to wait any longer to hold her. Think she looks a little sleepy?

I love this picture!!!

My baby girl!

We got to see Aunt Madison for a few hours but then she was off to Panama City for Spring Break. Oh the memories I had in PCB! We love you Aunt Maddie and cannot wait to see you soon!

Happy Easter!!!

Happy Easter from our little family to yours! We are so blessed this year! Its going to be a great one! We are heading to Atlanta in the morning to spend it with Drew's family. HAPPY EASTER!!!!

Sloane's Baby Dedication

I have been a hot mess over Sloane's baby dedication/christening. I was baptised Catholic but grew up Lutheran. I am use to the christening or baptism traditions. Drew and I however go to a nondenominational church and they do baby dedications. PROBLEM our church does them a little odd in my opinion.. 4 times a year from 4-6pm on a Sunday. That just didn't work for us and the plans we have envisioned. So needless to say we aren't doing it at our church. We instead are having the same pastor that married Drew and I (Dr. Sosebee/Drew's very best friend's father) do Sloane's baby dedication. We both felt that was really neat and were honored when he said he would do this for us. So on May 16 our beautiful daughter will have her baby dedication. Some might think I have planned a wedding reception for the child. I rented out an adorable tea room/entire house for her luncheon. I love invitations so I had to order some for this occassion and well a cake too. I wont go as far as party favors however! All our family and a few close friends will be going with us to Rock Hill, SC for the ceremony and wedding reception.. I mean lunch after.

Sloane and I had a photo shoot so that I could put a picture in with the invitation. This is Madison's (Drew's sisters) dress. Thank goodness Helen keeps things b/c my mother apparantley gave the one my brother and I wore to Godwill. Nice!

Humpty Dumpty

Whoever said motherhood is the best thing you will ever experience is sooo right. I am having so much fun being a Mom. It helps that my baby girl is perfect. I know we all have the perfect baby :) Sloane will be 3 months old this Monday. Its hard to believe. She has made Drew and I so happy. She truly makes us smile 100 times a day. She smiles every time she sees us and that melts our hearts completely. I do agree with most that having a girl is a ton of fun. Yes she has 89 bows at last count, 47 smocked outfits, and who knows how many with a monogram. I spend my money on her clothes, not mine. If you see me anytime soon you now know why I have on a faded black shirt. I would spend every dime I had on this child. She is such a blessing and we are so grateful! On April 26th her adoption will be final. She will be completely official!!! Good things come to those who wait. :)

And I think I'll just cut the lace right off this outfit when we have a boy! See spending my money wisely. haha! Didn't realize how boy this looks until I took the pics.

Sloane First Birthday Party

On March 6 we went to Atlanta and got to go to my friend Betsy's son Ellis' 1st birthday. One day I hope Sloane and Ellis get married. He is the CUTEST little man! Drew always talks about how Ellis is the cutest baby and he was so excited to finally meet him. Sloane had a great time at her first birthday party!

She looks a little drunk here... ha!
The adorable birthday boy!

Me and Bets and our little peeps

My other great friend Ashley aka Fuerl was there too. This is her son Wilson. Maybe Sloane could marry him if Ellis doesnt work out. Drew couldnt believe how big Wilson was and kept calling him a linebacker. He is sooo cute too! Sloane was acting a little camera shy. Not really I think she was asleep.

The adorable Couch Fam!

Two Months Old... Stats

Our little Bug turned 2 months old on what would have been February 29th. She got to celebrate by going to the doctor. I have great pics of that but they are on the other darn camera with the lost cord. She was 11.3 pounds- 66% and 23.25 inches- 83%. She is tall and thin like her Mom. HAHA! She got 4 shots and I about lost it. I was crying (almost hysterically) and then I proceeded to yell at Drew and say that he wasn't close enough to her to keep her from crying. Not a pretty picture. Poor Sloane and poor Drew. Of course I was no where close b/c I refused to watch and sat in the chair with my head down. We are so blessed to have such a happy and healthy baby. And in case I haven't mentioned... she has been sleeping 12 HOURS a night since 6.5 weeks. That's my girl!!!!

Clemson game!

Sloane went to her first Clemson game a few weeks ago. Baseball and she loved it! She met some of the people her daddy works with too...

She hated the Tiger!

Bert and Rita

Ben

Drew and Van

Sloane is so sensitive to the sun so I think this girl is going to have to wear a hat so she will open her eyes! She was not asleep like she looks. She truly hates the sun in her eyes!

Tennessee Road Trip

Sloane and I took off to TN last week. My mom babysat while I worked. She is such a GREAT traveler and slept the entire way to and from. 4 hours b/c of the interstate closure. WHOOO HOOOO! So we put on our Sunday best and headed to my dad's house first. She got to meet all the step family and her cousins.

Grandmomma

My dad Papa

Cousin Nena

Aunt Ginger and Cousin Lindsey

Aunt Karen and Uncle Mike

Cousin Blair who is 2. He ran in and immediately tried to hold her. I have video of him doing "piggies.... this little piggie went to market". He was in love with her. Precious!

Blair wanting to hold Sloane and Aunt Amy. Blair kept saying, "why her not talk to me, her looking dat me." "her want to play with me?" So cute!

The girl and her Mom with tooo much lipstick on :)

After dad's we ventured through the woods to Grammy's house. Yes, my mother who has been referred to as Gram for 3 years has now decided she would like to be called Grammy. So Grammy it is. She will kill me but the only pictures I got of her and Grandad were one morning just after we all woke up.

Charlie the bulldog became our service dog. He was obsessed with Sloane to say the least. Any time she would take a nap and stir he would dart up the stairs to check on her. My mom said she went up the stair 900 times b/c he kept going up there to check on Sloane. She would have to drag him back down the stairs so he wouldn't wake her up. We laughed b/c my dad is half deaf and we said now we could leave Sloane with him b/c Charlie would alert him when Sloane cried. Hence our new service dog. When we were downstairs he practically would push you out of the way to get to her. Emma the female bulldog could have cared less.

On Sunday night our great friends the Malands and Heralds came for dinner and to meet Sloane. Here is cousin JT.

Aunt Susan and Aunt Nancy. Nancy didn't even eat dinner so she could hold Sloane all night.

And my brother aka Uncle John came too

Sloane and I had a photo shoot outside by the smoke house at the farm. She didn't like the sun so it looks like she is sleeping in most. These were the only 3 pics I liked :)

On Tuesday night Sloane got to see Aunt Rena again and on Wednesday before heading home we had lunch with my friends Laura Piers and Julie McWhorter. I took all those pics on a different camera and just realized my new computer doesn't take a chip. Now I will search high and low for the darn camera cord I haven't used in a year.

We had a great time in TN. Sloane got to meet so many people that love her very much.