Ajay's Court! Yeah!

After 6 long months, we finally got to finalize our adoption of Ajay!! He is now officially, legally

Ajay Richter Edgeman!!!

We are so excited to have that little piece of paper that makes him ours forever!! He was always ours in our hearts, but it just feels soooo much better to have him ours legally. We had a crazy, busy weekend up in Kansas City, but is was great and wonderful! We did have the same judge (who was not very nice at the first hearing), but thankfully he was very nice on Friday for us this time around! Here is our first picture as the "Legal" Edgeman Family.

We had been telling Will over the last month about "Ajay's Court" and what was going to happen and how he had to behave. He was very excited about going to see the judge and have Ajay's court. He asked me, "Mommy, when is my court?" So we had to explain that he didn't need his own special court and that we all got to share Ajay's court day, but I don't think he really grasped the concept. But he did decide that is was a great idea that we all go as a family to Build-A-Bear so that we could make keepsake animals to remember this special day forever. Thank goodness that worked, I don't think we could have pulled off an extra court hearing! (haha) Here is a picture of the whole family.

We had started our day early that morning, around 6:00am, in order to get to court in downtown Kansas City by 9:00am. We had breakfast at the hotel where Will discovered Fruit Loops, to which are now his "favorite" cereal. Everyone in the lobby just couldn't get enough of my two little hams! It may have been that they were dressed alike?? I figure I have to enjoy the cuteness now because there is no way they will agree to it when they get a little older!

Anyway, after court we headed, as promised, to Build-A-Bear. Will got to pick out his animal, an elephant, who he named Pooka (don't ask, I have no idea!) and then he picked out a panda, who he named Booma (again, no idea) for Ajay. He had a blast making the animals and getting to pick out everything down to the shoes. He put the elephant in safari clothes, but then found a pair of black rubber rain boots that he just had to have?? I don't think he is going to go into fashion!! I have to admit though, his little Pooka turned out pretty cute!

Will cracked me up while we were there at Build-A-Bear. He is getting to that age where we have talked about "Stranger Danger" and that kind of things and nice people and bad people. Anyway, he looked at the girl who was going to be helping us make the animals and kind of gave her the worried look. "I asked him what was the matter?" And he said, "Mommy, is that girl a nice girl?" I said, "Yes, Will, that girl is a nice girl." He said, "Well, what is her name?" I looked at her tag, and said, "Her name is Brittany." He looked at me, smiled and said, "Ok, Brittany, you are a nice girl, thank you for helping me make by elephant." It was very cute and he found a new friend, she was very good with him! Anyway, I guess all those "Stranger" conversations did sink in?? Here is Will showing Ajay Pooka.

After we made the animals, Will was hungry for lunch and saw the pizza place at the food court in the mall, so we sat and had a quick bite to eat. I guess making animals is hard work because he ate, and ate, and ate! He had the toppings of a huge slice of pepperoni pizza, the frosting off the top of a huge cinnamon roll, and then had all the frosting off the top of a huge sugar cookie. It was good to see him eat good though!

After lunch, we headed to the Kansas City Zoo. We have been there several times, but just loves zoos, so we did that for the afternoon activity. Since it is winter, they had closed half the zoo (Africa), so we didn't get to see his favorite animals, but he had fun anyway.

We had a wonderful, fun filled day Friday, one we will NEVER forget!! Such a great day! After our action packed day, that started very early, we were all starving and headed to get some dinner, Kansas City Barbecue, it was great! Then we just headed back to the hotel and I think everyone was in bed by 8:00pm! What a great day, exhausting, but so wonderful!! We feel so blessed that we have such a wonderful little family! It took us a long time to get here, but we wouldn't trade our experiences (well maybe some of them) for anything!!

Ajay is Sitting Up

Well, look what Ajay learned to do today!! Yeah! He is has so much belly it is hard for him to sit up for more than a minute or two, but he is doing it!! YEAH!! He is getting to be such a big boy!!
When I had the camera out taking pictures of Ajay sitting up for the first time, Will said, "let me take a picture with baby Ajay too"! So I grabbed this shot of my two boys sitting up together.
It was a crazy day today. It was the first day I have had off since last Monday, so I had a lot of things to get done today after not doing them for 8 days. Even though my wonderful husband does so much for me on his days off, there is still an overabundance of laundry all the time?? I don't know where it comes from, just appears out of nowhere! Anyway, I spent the morning cleaning house and doing laundry (well all day actually), then we went to the farm so Will could ride the tractor this afternoon, followed by lunch, naps, and more laundry. Anyway, you know how crazy a five minute time span can get when you are a mother. Multitasking has always been my strong suit, but today, all I could do was just to sit down and laugh (or else I might have just ran out the door crying). I was trying to get dinner started, the potatoes were boiling over, Will missed his nap and was on a sugar high from the ice cream sundae he had just eaten and was screaming and running around with a banana in his hand, Ajay had just woken up from his nap and was starving and wanted his bottle five minutes ago, my phone was beeping from the three text messages all from work, I am yelling at Daisy to get off the table and stop eating Will's food, he is so obviously not going to eat (now anyway), and then Nelson walks in the door not knowing what direction to head to, and all I can do is just stand there and laugh. Best of all, when I open up the dishwasher to load the dinner dishes, there is that banana. All in a days work I guess?? Good times, good memories, good family fun!

Will Got to Ride a Tractor

OK, it is not news that Will LOVES tractors, he is what we like to call a John Deere Man (well boy), anyway, he finally got to ride a BIG tractor. His babysitter, Aunt Richie (Ritchdie as he calls her), took him to the farm today to ride the tractor as a prize for making it all week without ANY kind of potty accident!! Yeah Will!! He will probably kill me for this when he gets older, but, this was the reward he picked! It was cold and windy, but that didn't seem to bother him. He also got to see some newborn calves (one was just a few hours old) and thought that was really great too! He is such a little farm boy! Anyway, he went off on the tractor with Richie while Mommy and Ajay stayed in the warm car out of the wind.

He kept telling us he was too scared to drive the big tractor by himself (not quite sure why he thought he was going to get to drive all by himself), but he wanted Richie to ride with him. I think he had a blast and hopefully he will keep this in mind as a bribe for potty training and keep doing it!!

A Wonderful Day at The Gainsville Zoo

Nelson and I somehow managed to get a Friday off together and so instead of staying home and cleaning and doing laundry, we decided to get out of the house! This winter has been a little weird this year! We had a nice day in the 70's, a little windy, but a gorgeous day for the zoo. We decided to just go to the Gainsville zoo, DFW zoo, is a lot bigger, but we just wanted a little day trip, and we were so glad we went there!! It is the neatest, cutest, cleanest little zoo!! We just all had a blast!! They have kept up everything just wonderfully there and clean (I know I know, I have a severe OCD problem when I start looking for clean zoos!) Anyway, Will and Ajay had a blast and it for sure beats folding laundry!! But if you guys want a little day trip, I would highly recommend the Gainsville zoo and park there. It is really clean (for the 100th time) and very well kept and just great, I wish Durant had something like this!

They have this huge African safari area for the giraffes and zebras that was really neat. You walk (or run, if you're Will) over this bridge and can see them from up above! Will took off running and Nelson had to really run fast (I think he was out of breath, age. . .?) and when he caught up to Will to tell him he can't just take off like that without Mommy or Daddy, he said, "Daddy will you buy me a coke?" Nelson looked and he had been running to a coke machine. Only my child would think a Coke is more interesting that a huge giraffe looking right at him?? He cracks me up!

After Will got his Coke, well actually Root Beer, he said that was the one he wanted, all was good and I managed to talk him into standing still so I could at least get a picture of him with the Zebras! I still don't know if he ever saw them, but he did enjoy that Coke!

When we bought our tickets, the lady in the window said, here is some of your change in quarters so you can feed the animals at the petting zoo. I NEVER let Will do that at any of the other zoos we have been to, but I figured since it was such a clean zoo, we would try. Plus they had a sink hand washing station and Purell near by (what a great clean zoo!). But the lady also said, "Watch out for Rocky, he gets a little crazy for the food." So here is crazy Rocky and Will. He was on pretty good behavior that day and Will really enjoyed feeding the goats!

I couldn't resist making the boys do this! It is just too cute!! This was at the park next to the zoo. Which has a huge playground, lots of room to run around, and a train for them to ride. Just a great place!! Nelson and Will got to play there while I fed Ajay his cereal and gave him a bottle. Now that is teamwork! I think we just might have this parenting teamwork traveling thing down!

Will and Ajay took a great nap on the way home, I think they had a fun and exciting day! When will got home and he was in his bubble bath he said, "Mommy, you're the best!" A trip to the zoo was worth it all for that little sentence!

Ajay's Day at the Park

Ajay had a blast at the park too! He is such an easy going little baby! He is happy all the time, well as long as his tummy isn't growling!! He is getting so big, and finally is able to sit in the stroller like the big boys do instead of in his car seat. He loves to be able to look around and watch people, especially his big brother! Ajay thinks everything Will does is funny!

I think the park wore Ajay out! Haha, he loves that Jumperoo and I guess it is pretty comfy too!

A Warm Winter Day at the Park

We decided to get out of the house today, it was so pretty!! Will wanted to go to the Alligator park, the old Candy Cane Park, to play. He had a blast going up the rock walls and down all the slides and through all the tunnels. He was a busy little bee! We even had a "crossing the street lesson" and Will says, "Mom, Stop, look both ways, you have to be very very careful there are no cars." He is like a little sponge! Then he asked where the "orange hands" where, it took me a minute and then I knew he was talking about the street lights that let pedestrians cross the street . He has seen them in Cincinnati and such and is amazed at them. I swear the things he remembers!! Ajay just enjoyed being outside even if he had to stay in his stroller most of the time. He loves to watch his big brother though and was full of coos and grins! I have such sweet little boys!!

Today was quite different weather wise than just last week! The temperature was in the 20's last week, quite wintry, and then today, a sunny 55 degrees!! Crazy Oklahoma weather I guess. Here is a picture of Will all bundled up last week. He had cabin fever, he is a complete outside boy, just like his daddy, and he was driving us crazy wanting to go outside, so we bundled him up all tight and let him go out to play. He reminded me of the Christmas Story movie where the younger brother was all bundled up and couldn't move! He didn't last too long out there, but I think he had fun even though it was soooo cold!

How Far They Have Come

Even though, Ajay was born only 4 weeks early, he still had his share of hard times in the NICU. He spent 12 days in the NICU in Kansas City, Missouri. He had his fair share of IV's, wires, tubes, oxygen, and blood sticks. Thank goodness his trip didn't last as long as Will's stay! He was a little guy though at 5lbs, but he finally got the hang of breathing and eating and got to come home with us!! And look at him now, a happy, chubby little boy who loves to eat and play!! It still amazes me to this day, how these little preemies can make the best out of such rough beginnings! Thank goodness, Nelson and I were NICU experts by this time, and new all the lingo and what questions to ask and when. And even with all the wires and tubes, it still feels so wonderful to just be able to hold them and kiss them, they just feel safer when they are in your arms!!

Will, on the other hand, as a 24 weeker spent a little more time in the NICU at Mercy OKC, 164 days to be exact! And he had too many tubes, wires, vents, surgeries, and three letter abbreviations only NICU parents of micro preemies have heard of! But he is such a miracle baby, as if starting your life out at 1lb6oz isn't hard enough, we had to add a trach and a G-tube into the mix. He is our little fighter though, he is one tough little cookie!! That time was soooo hard, but day by day, that is the only way to take this life roller coaster in, just one day at a time. Lots of prayers too! But, almost four years later, he is thriving, he still has a body full of scars, but has lost all the tubes and wires, and is just a happy little boy! The "Best Boy" as Nelson calls him!

It is amazing how you get so used to NICU life, which is not normal. I don't know if Nelson and I would know how to have a baby any other way. When Will was at Mercy, Chaplan Pat, would come and visit us and say, how lucky Will was to have such caring parents like us to take care of him and love him. And I remember thinking, it's US that is lucky to have been chosen to raise such a special miracle child. These boys are just the true light of our lives and we could not be happier! They are our world!!