As It Is Meant to Be

I was scanning the headlines on msn.com one day when I came across this article.  I hope you will read it too. It resonated with me for many reasons, particularly that we, like Dr. Snyderman, never envisioned raising a child together and when that opportunity came along, with little or no time to prepare, we plunged in and said yes.

And it was meant to be, and it has worked out more than beautifully.

The 5 Best Decisions I've Ever Made

When I was driving home from work the other day, I thought, as I often do, about how I couldn't wait to see Anna.  And how I hoped she would behave! LOL.  Then I thought about how lucky I am to have her to come home to....and how I never imagined I'd have a kid at home waiting for me.

Now, I've made plenty of stupid, poor, or just plain bad decisions in my life.  And it seems to me that I dwell on them and punish myself for them way more than I dwell on the positive things that have happened for me as a result of decisions I made.  And I'm not sure why.

And that's just sad.

Guess you never know what will happen.....

Photo of the Week: Order in the Court!

I'm (belatedly) going to start this week off with our Photo of the Week, which comes from Anna's recent adoption ceremony.

She LOVED being in court (not many people can say that! haha), and especially loved being the "bailiff" who escorted us to the witness stand. After it was over, she then got to meet the judge, sit in his chair, and use his gavel! She was so excited.

After it was over and the judge left, she was sad that all the excitement was finished. Then, Anna asked to go hug the judge, who was already back in chambers. He obliged. I imagine it must be nice to preside over such happy days in court rather than the all-too-often contentious ones!

In the elevator on our way out, we asked Anna if she might want to be a judge someday. She looked distressed and exclaimed, "But I can't change my body!!" Heidi and I looked at each other, puzzled, until she clarified that she thought you had to be a boy to be a judge. Didn't we set THAT one straight, and quickly!

The Best Day of My Life.

Yesterday was a day I wasn't always sure would happen. A day that I have envisioned and dreamed about for some time, but which was not a certainty. What would happen, if it did occur? What would it feel like?

Well, the day I have dreamed of for a couple of years now has finally arrived. I am Anna's legal parent. So is Heidi.  Yesterday, Heidi and I adopted her, and so the law has officially caught up with the reality that we are Anna's parents. Needless to say, we are both thrilled.

Family photo, June 2012

The Fight for Fair Maternity Leave

You know, it's amazing how I never have to wonder what to write about for long. Not only does Anna provide pretty much constant amusement and inspiration, but so do my awesome Facebook friends.

Today as I was drinking my coffee and skimming my FB news feed at my desk (it's part of my morning wake-up ritual, don't judge), I came across this article thanks to a link posted by two of my friends. Everyone should read it because just about everyone is impacted by this issue in some way, shape or form. Yes, we're talking about paid maternity leave.

Ahh, baby days

Finding Me

Yesterday, I discussed some of the reasons behind my decision to start working with a life coach. The question then becomes, how is it going? (After all, it is a work in progress, as are most things.)  The answer?

It's awesome.

I've only been coaching for roughly a couple of months, and in that time, I've noticed some BIG changes in myself.

What Makes a Parent?

Okay, today I’m going to do something a little unusual – I’m going to use my own blog to write about another blog.

The first parenting blog I ever read, before I started My Life With Pie, was Single Dad Laughing. I found it to be an amazing mix of humor, advice, and warmth, with a little justified ranting thrown in.  The really awesome thing about this site created by a single dad is that it’s only been in existence a little over a year, yet it has already attracted a huge number of followers and spawned a few books.

Yes, I can admit it…..I’m a little jealous.

When You Get Caught Between the Moon and New York City....

Please forgive me an easy listening classics reference now and then. Christopher Cross was a favorite part of my nightly elementary school years, forced muzak bedtime routine (see “Alligator, Go Away!” for an explanation). And, that background has been invaluable to my “there’s a song for everything” philosophy.

Now, to the meaning behind my musical reference to romance and the Big Apple: as most of you probably know, last Friday night, New York became the 6^th state to pass a marriage equality measure for gay couples. Predictably, I had passed out with Anna while putting her to bed and I missed the actual vote. But I’m glad I woke up in time to hear the news and enjoy some of the jubilant coverage before dozing off again. Two years ago, we had such a celebration in my home state, thanks to a courageous legislature and governor….until a voter initiative narrowly stripped us of our newly found freedom to marry before we could even make it to City Hall for a license.