the polar express

My family decided to start the Holidays off right. We rode on the Polar Express! It was awesome. When it is not operating as the Polar Express, it operates as the Heber Creeper. Our family of 44, yes 44 (just siblings and grandkids!) reserved an entire train car for our polar adventure. Before we rode the train, we had dinner and a PJ exchange. Each member of our family gave to another member of the family. The kids loved opening and wearing their PJ's, and I think the adults enjoyed it just as much. I love getting PJ's, that is one of my favorite parts of Christmas!

It was a RULE, or at least a very strong suggestion that you wear your PJ's on the Polar Express, so here are a few of us showing off our cute PJ's. Thanks Jenn!

Mom, GayLynn, McKenzie, Me

And a few more of us...

Taylor (holding the E man), Krista, Mom, GayLynn, McKenzie, Me, and Lisa

Oh, and Will wanted in on the photo too...

All aboard! On the train, happy to be there.... or at least Scott and I were. I have no idea why Will was crying. I'm not sure what his deal is most of the time these days....
To make sure he wasn't crying we had to be sneaky with the pictures....
The entire train car. Can you believe this is what my family looks like? Two parents + 8 children + 8 spouses + 2 married grand-daughters + 2 grand-daughters hubbies + 22 other grandkids + 1 great grandson.
Santa even made an appearance on the train! It was awesome. Will was not afraid at all, in fact he was the happiest when Santa arrived. He even talked to him and told him what he wants for Christmas. It was pretty cute.
On the train they sang songs, had people dressed up as Elves serving us hot chocolate and cookies, a girl dressed up as a reindeer that was making jokes, and that read us the Polar Express. It was such a fun night. We will always remember this fun time as a family. If you are in Utah or even close, you should totally go ride on the Polar Express, the kids LOVED it, and my brothers and sisters had a ton of fun too!

babies...

Being the youngest of 8 kids, I not only have a lot of siblings, I also have A LOT of nieces and nephews. When I was just five years old, my oldest sister had a baby girl. I've grown up with my niece(s) almost my whole life. We played together, I babysat them all the time, and I always knew that when we grew up, we would probably be having babies together.... or at least have children close in age.

Well, that day has come folks. Just two weeks after Eli joined our family, my beautiful little niece McKenzie had a baby! Carver Miles. I always think McKenzie is so young, but she is not any younger than any of my sisters or friends who got married and had babies. It is just a little weird to have a sister who is a GRANDMA, and to call myself a GREAT AUNT.... or my parents GREAT GRANDPARENTS. Weird? yes, fun? yes, amazing for our family to be THREE generational? yes. Watching her be a mom, awesome.

I'm so happy for you McKenzie, and I am excited our boys will be great friends!!

Here's a sampling of what Eli looks next to my great nephew. Now, you have to understand that Eli is a big kid, and Carver is a small kid... but just look at the difference. I was worried Eli was going to steam roller Carver and break him. Maybe Eli looks so much bigger because of the hair? Or the cheeks? I don't know? Just two weeks apart.....

Me and McKenzie, Carver all small and snuggly, and Eli so big I can barely hang on to him....

I guess you have to keep in mind that my niece is super small, barely 5 foot, and tiny bones. Her hubby is also super skinny, but a little taller... so Carver has great genes and I'm sure he'll catch up to Eli in no time. In the mean time, we are restricting Eli's "eat on demand" feeding schedule. JUST KIDDING!

PS - When one of my other nephews heard about Carver's arrival, he said "hey! That's like Will's name, Will MortenCarverson!" Yes, Matt, it is William Carver Mortensen.... two boys with a great name!

before and after

One of the funnest things about Eli is his hair. I was in love with it the moment he was born. It is like poodle hair, super soft, super curly, and long. Everyone that holds him can't keep their fingers out of it. On Thanksgiving I gave him a bath (which makes his hair go crazy curly) and we were on our way, by Thanksgiving evening his hair was seriously a big poof ball from everybody rubbing their fingers through it.... I don't blame them, it is irresistable!

So here's a before bath picture (not on Thanksgiving) so you can see the hair is a bit less curly, a little more straight and fro-y (is that a word?)

And now, you have the pleasure of viewing his hair AFTER a bath, before everybody touches it. Now, do you see WHY everybody touches it? It is awesome. Althought we aren't quite sure what we are supposed to do with it, cut it? put stuff in it? We will learn I guess....

Check it out! Is it not so fun? I admit, I can't keep my fingers out of it either...

Okay, and the cheeks and face, no wonder I'm in love with this child!

We love you Eli, and we love your hair that is SO completely opposite from Will's! :)

some days.....

..... you just want to cry. Isn't this the most irresistible face you have ever seen? When I really do feel like crying or screaming or hitting something, I look at this picture and remember all the wonderful beautiful things in my life. I can't wait to get home and have like a 20x20 made of this picture, I love it.

Here's a few more of the pictures I had taken of Eli:

The most interesting thing about our little guy.... when he was born, you could barely tell he is Black. I knew Black babies are born fairly "fair" but I wasn't sure how long they stayed that way. When these pictures were taken I thought he was getting darker..... you should see one from TODAY, I'm pretty sure he has changed three shades in the past few days. He's cute as ever and we are completely smitten with the little fellow. He turned 1 MONTH this week, my how time flies.

JUST FOR DADDY

Look at your boys Scott, we are so lucky. We miss you and can't wait to be a family again soon!

I know.... you've probably seen enough. But our blog is for posterity's sake..... so here's another.

I just love this little man. He is growing like a weed and still sweet as ever. Look at that chubb potential on those arms... yes I love them and have to kiss them everyday. 

Hope everyone is doing great. We are STILL in UT, waiting and waiting for our paperwork. We are missing Scott and wishing we were home, but happy to be with family still. Will is doing great, besides stealing candy, hiding behind the bedroom door and eating it all in one swoop..... we've got some adjusting to do.

a little update

It has been a few days since I updated the blog world about our lives. On Sunday, the day after halloween, my parents came home from their mission. They have been in Uruguay for the past three years, and it was great to see them! We got to see all our family, have lunch together and introduce everybody to Eli. 

Today, Eli got his pictures taken, they are so cute, I can't wait to see them! Here's one that I took myself, just because I can't resist, he is such a cutie. His hair is so fun, when he gets a bath or it gets wet, it just curls right up, I love it. And of course, those big cheeks just don't get enough kissin'!! 

Will is still doing a great job as a big brother. He is so tender and just loves to talk to, hold, and hug Eli. They are going to be great friends and I don't think I could have a better little boy who is so good with Eli. 

So we are doing good, enjoying family while we have the chance. Ready to get home, see Scott, and sleep in our own bed :) but surviving and counting our blessings. We are so lucky, we have a beautiful healthy little baby and get to spend time with family while we make this big adjustment, so things are good!

happy halloween

I know that Halloween was a few days ago, but we are a little behind on everything these days! It takes me twice as long to get everything done lately. Plus, we are still in UT trying to be patient while we wait for clearance to leave the state. Grrrrr. It is seriously taking forever and they are having all sorts of issues with it. Good thing we have the most precious baby ever or it would all get really frustrating.

Here's Will "trick-or-treating" me at the front door. Isn't his shark hat awesome? I love it. He also had sweats that matched so he would look more sharkish, but they never made it out of the suitcase. So, the hat just had to do. Maybe next year I'll be a little more on top of things?
And here we are setting out to go get some candy. Oh, and don't you love Will's brown paper bag candy collecting sack? I just love it. This will be a Halloween/Fall we will never forget. Today I realized that I have been here ALL of Fall, arriving in September and now it is NOVEMBER. Okay, that sounds really long, and it has been..... but we are happy to be with family.
Here's how Eli trick or treated, all snug in the baby bjorn. He looked so cute and was just a little ball, we could barely see him. On lady saw us and said "Oh my gosh, how old is your baby?" I told her he was almost 2 weeks and she said "Oh wow, you look GREAT!" I said "Thanks!" it was pretty funny. Then I felt bad selfishly taking the compliment and had to tell her he was adopted. I've gotten that a few times already, if people can't see the baby. 
Got his candy.... on to the next house!
We had a great Halloween and I was glad that Will got to spend it with cousins. Will really enjoyed trick or treating and is already talking about next year!

waiting for Eli

Here's a smattering of what we did while we were here waiting for Eli. 

We spent lots of time with cousins, which Will absolutely loves. I think he is going to have a hard time when we go home and it is just plain old mom for a friend, again!

Had a yard sale which was a huge success and a lot of work! Thanks to everyone who donated and helped out!!
Went to the farm at Thanksgiving Point. Rode the horses twice, fed all the animals and met up with my cousin who lives in Mexico and was in Utah for a visit.
No Fall would be complete without the trip to the pumpkin patch. 
And of course, you can't miss the witches at Gardner Village!
These are just a few things we did. We also took a trip to the Sweet's Candy factory and went on a tour, which was FREE and awesome. We also did lots of fun playing with cousins, and I've been able to work a lot on my crochet, as well as read TWO books. It has been a fun trip, but all good things come to an end, right? We are hoping to get back home in the next 4-5 days. 

Now, the next fun event is grandma and grandpa Hopkins coming home from their mission on Sunday! What a whirlwind adventure of a trip this has been. It will not be forgotten, boy am I going to have lots to tell Eli when he gets bigger about his entering our family.

Speaking of Eli, he is doing great. He had his two week check up with Grandpa Mortensen today and seems to be super healthy. His weight is up to 8lbs. 14 oz., height up to 20 inches, and all seems to be functioning just great. I think he is growing and changing daily. I was glad to hear his weight is up, since babies are supposed to be at least back to their birth weight. With his weight up, it means he is thriving and happy, something that can be a difficult adjustment for an adopted baby. 

We love you baby ELI!

snow???

It isn't uncommon for it to snow in Utah before Halloween. But when I woke up this morning to it snowing and some fresh on the ground I was a little baffled. I can't believe I arrived in Utah when it was like 80+ degrees, then the temperatures kept dropping and now I got to see the first Utah snow! Kind of exciting in a way....

We have really been enjoying our time in Utah and feel so blessed to have such great family that helps out and entertains Will! The real test will be when we are back home and I get to manage two kids on my own! :) We are looking forward to it! Now, if I can just kick this sickness I've got, either the flu or the swine flu, without the baby getting it, we'll be in great shape!

i think we are going to make it

Two nights down, umpteen bottles, 50 diapers later..... I think we are going to make it. Our little Eli is a charmer, it is hard to resist his big kissable cheeks and dark eyes. Even at 3am. There is just something so amazing about this brand new baby stage that melts my heart and encourages me to be the best mother I can be.

PS - don't worry, his curls are still running wild, we figured out it is water that will do the trick!

a mother's love.... & going home

I've had a lot of time to think about what it means to be a mother in these past few years. But not until now have I really understood the love a mother has for her child. In our case with Eli, the mother's love is multiplied by 2. I feel so blessed and lucky to know his birthmother the way I do. I can't wait to show him pictures and tell him about the amazing woman who brought him to earth. It was an emotional day yesterday as we said good-bye at the hospital and watched our sweet little birthmother kiss Eli, talk to him, tell him to be a good boy, and then hand him to me. 

Here are her last few moments before she signed her relinquishment papers....

All of us

All strapped in and ready to go!

BIG BROTHER TIME!

Will is doing such a great job and absolutely LOVES Eli. He held him for over an hour when we got him home, wouldn't let anybody touch him, and just loved on him with kisses, little pats on the head, stroking his cheek, and telling everyone around him all about it. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen. He's been so exciting to include him in everything, brings him toys and snacks to eat, and loves to be a part of changing his diaper, feeding him, and getting him dressed. When we got in the car Will said "Mom? I didn't know he was going to look like that inside Keona's tummy?!" 
So far, so good, we are surviving the new parent stage! We'll see how things go when Scott has to go back to Cleveland and I'm all on my own!! Good thing I have great family around!

48 hours and getting cuter by the second

Here's the latest. We got to spend most the day today in the hospital oogling over our little man. He has the funniest facial expressions and his hair as curly as it was the night he was born is getting straighter and straighter. He is so darn cute, I just can't help myself when I see him. 

Do you like his shoes? I made them and I was pretty proud that they actually fit!

Mom and little dude. He's already the love of my life!

Pucker up for Dad!

This is a rare face for Eli, he doesn't really cry. Ever. We've only heard him cry twice. So I had to capture this picture of his cute little sad face. Isn't it irresistible? Yes, it is.

Eli....

I know several of you are confused, most of you had no idea we were even considering adoption. Well, for the past couple of months our lives have been a whirlwind! It has been a crazy, emotional, yet rewarding journey. 

For several years now, we've been wanting to add to our family, and last night, it happened! We have the sweetest birthmother we could have asked for. She went in to the hospital to get induced Sunday morning around 9am. At 6pm Sunday night, she was still only at a 2, the baby had moved completely posterior, and was very high. So she had a couple options and after tearfully considering them, she chose to have the baby via C-section. She was very nervous, yet knew that physically and emotionally it was the right thing for her to do. 

At around 8:20pm they put me in sterile clothes (per our birthmoms request that I be in attendance. She told me it was my story to tell our little guy when he gets older and it should be me in the room with her), wheeled our little mama into the operating room with me holding her hand and started to get her prepped for surgery. They started the surgery and NO LESS than 5 minutes later, we had a baby. It was an amazing experience to watch and participate in first hand. As I sat behind the curtain with our birthmom, trying to reassure her things were going well and it would be over soon, the doctor leaned over and said "Kara, stand up!" So I stood up and he said "watch!" and then out came my little boy. My first reaction was "Oh my gosh, he has a ton of hair!" my second reaction was "That is MY baby, and he is SO handsome." Then I thought wow, he looks so healthy. Rolls all over, CHUBBY kissable cheeks, and seriously the best curly hair ever. If I pull out one of his wringlets it is like 2 inches long! I love it. Oh and he has LONG fingers and toes. Then I thought "I better shut off the water works and get it together so I can function...." it was a teary moment, for all involved!

Then they pulled me away from our birthmom and I got to watch the baby get cleaned up, sucked out, and then I got to carry him out to show Scott and take him to the nursery. He was the only baby in the nursery so we got to be very involved. The sweet little thing came out thinking he was starving so I fed him a bottle which he guzzled, and from then on he was drunk with happiness. Scott bathed him and he slept through it! What newborn baby sleeps through it's first bath?? Ours apparently. The nurse said "It looks like all you'll have to do to keep him content is feed him!" :)

Here's his stats (then you can enjoy some photos!)

Date of birth Oct. 18

Arrival time 9:09pm

Weight 8lbs. 5oz.

Height 18 inches

Demeanor CUTE CUTE CUTE, and calm.... so far

Savoring every little moment of holding him the night he was born. Those are the most special moments, when they are so new and smell just like a baby should, eyes swollen shut, squirmy little bodies, I love it. This picture above gives you a good shot of his head of hair. I can't keep my fingers out of it. I had to ask our birthmom for special instructions on how to take care of it..... it is going to be interesting! :)
Right after birth, all squishy and wet with the white vernix stuff.
VERY mad that they are poking him around and rolling him from side to side.... I wouldn't like it either Eli!

FINALLY, in mom's arms, can you tell I have a huge grin behind my mask? I forgot that I had it on! I waited for this moment a very long long time, it was not disappointing!

First time with Dad

First bath, after the bottle, slept through the whole thing and even smiled a little when we rubbed his head/hair

Welcome to our family Eli, this is going to be awesome! You have a big brother anxiously waiting to see and hold you.... darn that swine flu, you can't let big brothers visit in the hospital unless you are over 14.

Hello folks. Well, we're doing it again. Some of you may not have even known that my blog has not been private for almost a year now. I went private, changed my mind, and now I'm going back to private. No reason imparticular, just feeling like I should. 

So, if you've been reading my blog and were reading it when I was private, I have your e-mail and I'll add you back on the list. If you are a new reader and want to keep reading, send me your e-mail and I'll put you on my list. 

kara_hopkins(at)hotmail

Thanks everyone, I'll be making the change this week!