2012

I know a lot of people reflect back on the previous year as the new year is approaching, and I figured I would do the same.  2012 has been one of the hardest, saddest, most amazing, miraculous and joyful year of my life!  2012 started with so much promise as Ed and I prepared to do our 2nd round of IVF.  I started the meds in January and we transferred two embryos in February.  On March 3rd, I found out that for the very first time, I was finally pregnant!  I was so thrilled and emotional as we had finally accomplished what we feared would only ever be a dream.

March was a very joyful and wonderful month for us, but in April, everything changed.  I lost the baby on April 6th and it was harder than I had ever imagined a miscarriage could be.  We then prepared to transfer our remaining two embryos knowing that they were our last chance.  Fertility treatments are extremely expensive and draining emotionally and we knew that we would probably not do another round of IVF for a very long time if at all.  When those two embryos didn't result in a pregnancy we were so devastated!  We felt extremely defeated and just so sad...."Why is this happening to us?" was a thought that I couldn't shake!  Especially with no diagnosis for our infertility, it was so frustrating and confusing.

We had our homestudy finished from a previous adoption that fell through and knew that if we wanted to adopt, we should start the process sooner than later so that we wouldn't need to update our homestudy and have to redo a lot of the different things that expire after you have had your homestudy for 2 years.  The biggest fear for us was the cost.  The agency that we had originally completed our homestudy through would cost an additional $22,000-$28,000 depending on the specific adoption and that was WAY more money than we could even imagine coming up.  Then we found Cleveland Catholic Charities that was much more reasonable!  I called Cleveland Catholic Charities in August and started the process of transferring my homestudy from Adoption Circle.  We made a profile with pictures of us and information about us as a family to show potential birth parents and started the adoption process.  Our homestudy was officially transferred on September 17th.  Our son was born October 13th - we didn't have to wait long at all which was amazing!!!!

When we found out that we would be parents and that our son was already born, we were just amazed at how perfectly everything had worked out!  We were so emotional and thankful that God had finally given us a child!  Milo is honestly perfect in every way and we couldn't be happier that of all of the children in the world, we were lucky enough to be chosen to be his parents!  He makes us smile each and every day and brings us so much joy!  He laughed for the first time on Friday and has the most beautiful contagious smile you could imagine!  It feels like he was always meant to be ours and that this journey was necessary to bring us to him.

So, 2012 has definitely been filled with ups and downs but it has been the best year of my life!  Welcome to our family Milo Griffin Sedmak - you have been so worth the wait!

Milo

Adjusting to life with precious Milo has been pretty easy!  He is such a sweet baby and for the most part, just likes to cuddle (which I am PERFECTLY happy with:).  He doesn't sleep well at night, but that is to be expected, and we have gone through SO much coffee!  He is absolutely the missing little link in our lives though and when he smiles, my heart just melts!

I am so touched by the amazing outpouring of love we have experienced since Milo has arrived.  We have received beautiful cards, gifts, and items to help us during this time.  I am so grateful for every single kind word, prayer, gift, and card - they mean so much to us!  Thank you thank you thank you all for everything you have done to support us!  We honestly couldn't be more grateful!

Milo was well worth the wait.  It is amazing how someone so tiny can make you feel so much love and happiness.  He is the most amazing little guy I could have ever wished for!  I still sometimes look at him and can't believe his is our son!  Ed is the most wonderful father - he is patient with him and so loving.  We share the midnight feedings and he never complains.  Seeing him with Milo is the most incredible sight...I am more in love with him now than ever before!!!!