Story of Cody's First Night Home

Cody came in as if he'd been here before.  He had such a great transition time that he was very ready.

 I met Brent down at the end of our private drive.  I got Cody out of his carseat and sent Brent and the worker ahead to the house.  I helped Cody untie the "Welcome Home" balloons from the stake at the end of the drive.  I tied them to his wrist so that they couldn't float away.  Honestly, this was my plan to get a few moments alone with him before all his brothers and sisters got a hold of him.  :)  I got some good hugs in and then carried him up the drive.  I think I did pretty good at choking back the tears!  I had waited so long to get to hold him again!

Once at the house, he was VERY EXCITED to see everyone.  My mother was here as well and he had seen her on skype so he knew that was "Grandma".  :)  The kids were so excited to finally have him here.  I had gotten them all these cute little balloon pets at the store.  They were filled with helium just enough that they bounced behind the kids as they held the leashes.  Cody got to go pick his and then everyone else went to get theirs.  Cody picked a frog.  The kids had a blast with those. 

Cody soon enough made his way to his room.  His foster parents had sent his stuff ahead.  The last of the boxes arrived just a couple hours before him, so we had quickly got it all put away.  He looked through everything and saw both the old and the new things.   He went to Dayton and asked him to show him how to play a DSi, so Dayton gladly did. 

I had Mexican food prepared along with "Welcome Home Cody Unroe" cake and homemade ice cream.  Cody was much too excited to eat very well, but did eat some.  He ate more after the worker left. 

Once the worker was gone, I got the two little ones into their "Monkey" pajamas that I had bought a few months before for their first night back together.  Cody came into Julianne's room and climbed up on the bed.  She pulled his feet over and put on the bottoms of her feet.  It was so sweet that I proceeded to do more of my crying!  lol  Then they both began to laugh and roll on the bed. 

I hadn't been sure if Julianne would remember him.  She talks some, but not a lot, so there was no way to know what she was thinking before that moment.  Julianne in general takes a good long while to warm up to people.  To see them both happy and TOGETHER was a dream come true to my heart.  God truly blessed us by preserving their bond even after more than 2 years apart!  I've been having a "Praise Fest"!

I know this picture is blurry, but they were laughing and rolling around too much.  I think you get the picture!

We Got Family Pictures Done

The Monday after Cody came home we went and had family pictures done.  Cody was so excited that he would be in the pictures with "everyone".  That made it extra special! 

Julianne was not very cooperative at first.  She takes a while to "warm up" to people.  She decided that I could not put her down or she would look sad.  When we got to the end she decided to be herself and the photographer was able to get some good shots of her. 

Here are some shots!

Sorry I haven't posted, but . . . .

CODY IS HOME! 

I really do apologize for not updating.  Things have been so busy!  He's been home two weeks this past Wendesday.  :) 

He has adjusted seamlessly!  He came in and as I tucked him in the first night he said, "I DID IT!  I'm in my new bed and your hair is red!".  He's so excited to be here with all his "brothers and sisters".  Seriously I hear the words "brothers and sisters" at least 25 times a day from him.   

He is doing so well that I can't even imagine that he just arrived.  You'd never know if you came into our house that he has only been here for 17 days!  He acts like he's always been here.  His foster parents did an awesome job of helping us transition him.  He seems to understand everything wonderfully.  He hasn't cried or asked to go "home" like I thought was likely to occur.  He asked the first night, "I can't go back to my old home again right", but he didn't say it in a sad way.  I said "It is very far so we can't go visit, but we can draw pictures or write a letter and I'll take you to put it in the mailbox."  His response was, "No, I already did that.  I home home now!".  He keeps saying "We are all together".  It is like God just made his heart all ready for this family. 

I'll try to come on and tell you more about all the fun and busy things we've been doing tomorrow.  I'll leave you with a picture from the flight. 

Isn't he adorable???? 

TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!!

We got our travel approval!!!  Cody will for sure be home in ONE WEEK!!!  God is so amazing!  I had taken to calling Cody's worker every hour today.  She wasn't in the office, but I didn't know since her machine was still talking about Monday, June 18th. 

She called just a little while ago.  I am so excited that I can't even express!  All the work and trials of the last 13 months will all be worth it when I get that little sweetie in my arms!!!! 

My hair will have a nice red tint just in time too.  I have an appointment to get it died on Saturday!!!  :)

Going Red for Cody

I've had gray hair for a good long while.  I don't mind it much.  I tell the kids that they cause it and I will wear it proudly.  lol 

Tonight on Skype, Cody thought my hair looked "red" like his.  It was the light shining above my head that caused it.  He seemed excited at the prospect that it was like his.  His foster mother and I explained that my hair is brown.  I've alway had a slightly redish brown tint to my hair though.  :)

Cody has never had people "like him".  He is very caught up on his new last name.  He wants to make sure that it is on every card and package.  He is excited about it.  He wanted to make sure that "Dayton" had the same last name.  This is big stuff to a little boy who has been in foster care his whole life!

I decided after the Skype tonight that this "Mama" is going to have a good "red tint" to her hair.  I am going to get my gray hair colored.  I'm not planning to go bright red, but I will hopefully have hair red enough.  :)  My mother is making me an appt at JcPenney for Saturday.  I guess we will see how this turns out!  One thing for sure is that this Mama is mighty excited with anything that makes him feel "the same".  He is definitely one of us and if  "red hair" and "Unroe" make him happy, then that we will make sure to do! 

Yes, I am "Going Red for Cody".  If you see me and I look a little different, then just know that for that sweet boy I would do anything.  Who knows - maybe this will be the beginning of me covering my gray.  Maybe it will restore the "youth" that the process from Dallas has taken from me.  lol 

Please pray that we get the travel approval.  Brent needs to book his flights and give his employer the official "I'll be off next week" paperwork.  I also need to breath a little easier.  I need to KNOW that I will hold him in just one week!

Getting so Close!

We are getting so close to Cody being home.  We are only 10 days from his new "Come Home Day"!

We were going to Skype yesterday, but decided today would work better.  I was out for a long day of getting things ready for Julianne's 5th Birthday, Crystal's 12th Birthday, and Cody's Homecoming.  I came home with a lot of stuff to put away.  Cody's foster parents' grandkids came over for the day there and they were running late.  I was disappointed that I wasn't going to get to talk to my little guy, but realized that with both families' busy days, waiting one more day wouldn't kill me.

I was so happy when the phone rung, because my little guy didn't want to wait either!  Hearing his voice was so good!

Then today we were able to Skype with him.  Oh, how I love that little sweetie!  He was talking about having gone to church this morning.  He was talking about lunch (this seems to be his favorite meal because it is the one who always mentions!  lol).  He was talking about the airplane!

His foster parents are hard at work preparing him for the move.  They have been busy packing for his move and the other little girl there who is heading to her adoptive family soon.  Cody is a heavy packer and is making sure not to miss anything.  :)

One of the cutest parts is that he is wanting to see Jesus when they are in the plane!  How cute is that????  I mean, he is going up in the clouds!?!  I can just hear Brent and he talking on that plane! 

I know that I can't wait to get my hands on him!  I've been longing to hug that sweet boy since we left there over 2 years ago.  I just knew deep down in my heart that he would be mine some day!  God just spoke to my heart and He put such a cutie in front of me that not even Dallas's system could keep me from wanting to fight through. 

Praising God for this coming blessing!

A Day Full of Good News

Its been a while since I posted again.  The waiting was getting the best of me!  We found out that Cody's come home date was to be delayed and that his worker hadn't even applied for the travel approval until this past Monday.  Then came some crazy question with fingerprinting our 16 year old that made me have a slight tantrum, but got worked out. 

TODAY was good news day!  First, I called USCIS to see if we had an officer assigned.  I found out that we did have an officer assigned and that our I800-A was APPROVED yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We should receive that by mail some time next week!  All we have to wait for now is the FBI clearance to come back from WV where the "ink" fingerprints had to be sent.  :) 

Then I got a call from Cody's worker.  OUR NEW DATE LOOKS TO BE THE 27TH OF JULY!  That is a week later than we had hoped, but it is still a date.  She was asking about airport questions and where nearby hotels would be.  :)  That made it seem much more real!  That means that since this is being written after the date already changed to the 15th, then I should be holding my little boy in 12 days!!  Say a prayer that the travel approval comes back quickly so that we can get things booked and that there aren't any more delays. 

I really needed this good news day!