It's a BOY

We are at 20 weeks now! AND, it's a BOY!!! Wow, a boy. I was able to go with our birthmom to the ultrasound and saw it loud and clear - a boy. Tony is so excited! We are half way there, too. 20 out of 40 weeks. This is so exciting; now we are in preparation mode. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself...there is so much to do, it's a challenge to focus on it. I am getting things together to start preparing to breastfeed and am very excited about that :). Dr. Jack Newman of Toronto is a huge help. His website http://www.drjacknewman.com/ is great as he is the forerunner/expert in the field. I am looking forward to the bonding experience and am grateful there is a chance of providing at least most of the breastmilk for the baby!

Here's a picture of the little guy.

Isn't it amazing?

With love and hope,

Tamara and Tony

Expecting

We feel as if we are "expecting" and I guess we really are!!! Of course, I'm not pregnant, but our birthmom is and due June 19! It is just so incredibly exciting. Nine years ago tomorrow, we got engaged to be married and 5 short months later we were married on June 21...this feels so similar. In only 5 short months from now, we will bring our baby home. We just cannot express how incredibly grateful we are to God for blessing us with the hope and faith that He has given us. It is amazing to believe that soon we will be parents. We've already started some preparations, of course, and continue to do so - this is the "oh my gosh there is so much to do" stage, I guess! Wow :)

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers.
With love and hope,
Tamara and Tony

On the Receiving Path!!

Happy New Year!!!
It has been since Thanksgiving that I have posted....wow how time flies! Sorry about that!
As some of you know, I have been creating art for a number of years now that depicts (although not always consciously) "baby" or "fetal" shapes, pregnant bellies, and images of that sort. Well, just before the last post, I had a dream of quilting them all together (there are 100's of them now) and creating "receiving blankets". Yes, RECEIVING blankets. I did quilt a few Touch Drawings together for the Touch Drawing show at our gallery which is coming down today. What amazes me is that we are now on what I refer to as the Receiving Path; we are ready and preparing not to "get pregnant" but to receive a baby. Wow!
It looks like it will be June when our baby arrives and we are so excited to be preparing for him or her!!!(We have chosen to not find out if the baby will be a girl or a boy - it really makes no difference :).

We are so deeply grateful to ALL OF YOU for your continued support and ask for your prayers and well wishes as we journey with the baby's birthmom through her pregnancy and the birth of baby. She is wonderful and we feel so blessed to know her and to be able to do this with her. What an amazing heart and beautiful woman! It is with GREAT joy that we announce that we are planning for the arrival of our baby on June 19!! That gives us almost 6 months to prepare. We'll try to keep you updated better.

Receiving such blessings is challenging, and yet I feel like God has prepared us to do so. The term "receiving blanket" is so appropriate because as a baby is born, the parents receive the baby - a divine gift to love, a sacred agreement to parent and protect, a treasured opportunity to grow and become. Due to all of the trials, disappointments, and subsequent learning we have had along with the tremendous support you all have given us - we are ready to receive such a blessing! Thank you! The gratitude is overflowing and the magnitude of this experience is humbling.

At this time, as we savor the recent Christmas blessings of family and time together and celebrate the upcoming New Year, we share our gratitude and hope with all of you - may your New Year be filled with abundant blessings!

With love and hope,
Tamara and Tony