Such wonderful blessings!

Some of our dear friends may or may not know that my big brother and his wife have also been trying to have a family through adoption along side of us.  We both became certified about the same time, but we felt prompted to move quickly to post our profile (obviously because we needed it to be ready for Carolyn to find us, so we could have our sweet little boy).  My sister-in-law only recently felt prompted to get their profile posted.  While we were in Florida, we received a fun little phone call from my brother telling us that they had received a phone call from a birth mother in Utah and that she had picked them to be the parents of her baby, the only catch was that she would be giving birth in 3 days!!!  They had alot of praying and thinking to do to figure out if this was right for their family.  Amazingly, they quickly received confirmation that this sweet little spirit was meant to be in their family and they packed up their car and drove to Utah.  Everything went smooth and beautifully and their sweet little girl was placed in their arms.  So not only did we receive the blessing of a son through adoption, but 11 days later, we received the gift of a new niece!

Introducing Olivia Ranee Seals

We think it is pretty amazing that we were both blessed at the same time and that these two will be so close in age and be able to be a strength to each other because their share the bond of adoption!  It is amazing to us, but we are so grateful for the bountiful blessings that our family has received.

And, to say the least, my parents are beyond thrilled.  They went from not having any grandchildren (besides our twins), to having 2 grandkids within less than 2 weeks!

The Xander Zone

Welcome to the Xander Zone!  Pretty much, our blog is going to be taken over by this sweet little guy, but we realize that everyone would definitely prefer to see his adorable face, rather than ours.  And its ok, we understand, and we totally agree!!!!  So since Xander has been home, we have had quite a few visitors!  There are still so many people that we would love for him to meet, but he is still very small, so we have only had visitors in small doses.  Soon enough (because time is absolutely flying) we will introduce him to church and to my work friends and the public.  In the mean time, we have had fun with those who have come to visit.  Everyone thinks he is just perfect (which he is) and they love his chubby cheeks and his triple chin (yep, he has one).  He is so sweet and just adorable.

Coming home!!!

On Monday, Feb 13, I got the best call ever.... we had been cleared to take our sweet little son home to Arizona.  It was very unexpected (we expected it to come some time around the end of the week).  We quickly made it to the doctor to get permission for the little man to fly, and changed our flights and prepared to come home.  Eldon was beyond thrilled that he didnt have to be away from his family any longer.  On Valentines day, we boarded a plane to come home.  I was pretty worried because I was doing this part of the journey all by myself!!!  Scary!  Amazingly, Xander was absolutely perfect!  He slept the entire flight minus feedings.  He didnt make a single peep!  I totally expected him to cry the entire time, but he truly was amazing.  And on top of it, I sat next to a member of the church who was also a nurse, who loves children and she held him for just a minute while I went to the bathroom (5 hour flight!).  Overall, this was the part that I was really worried about, and it ended up being just fine!

When we arrived home, we found a fun little sign from Eldon's big sister to welcome us as well as flowers from the Young Women's Presidency.  So sweet and such a happy Valentines day!  So glad I got to be with my sweetheart and the new little love of my life for Valentines Day!

Florida

So while in Florida, waiting for all the paperwork to clear the courts so we could bring this sweet little boy home, we basically sat in the hotel room.  There were a couple of adventures.... pics below, but really we spent our time hanging out in the hotel and getting to know each other.  The best part about doing nothing, was doing nothing but holding this sweet little thing and taking some cute pictures of the faces he is learning to make.  He was such a relaxed and sweet little boy, which made living in a hotel for 2 weeks so much better! Enjoy the pics... I know I do!

This pic was taken at Xander's first doctors appointment.  We were so very lucky that the pediatrician in Florida was so helpful and understanding.  They made everything (pediatrician-wise) so smooth!  And just a note, from leaving the hospital to his first pediatrician appointment, Xander grew 3/4 of an inch and almost caught back up to his birth weight. 

One of the few adventures was to Downtown Disney.  My parents came all the way to Florida to help, but never saw more than the Walmart, so I took them to Downtown Disney so we could buy Xander a Disney outfit.  It seemed very appropriate since he was from Florida.  He just hung out in the Mobi Wrap and was as content as could be!

Another adventure that didnt take us any further than the kitchen sink in our little hotel room was Xander's first bath.  It was pretty entertaining to figure out how to bath him for the first time.  He was such a wiggle worm, but the water was warm and he enjoyed it.  So sweet!

Another adventure was to hang out with his birth family and to see his Grandma Bev (birth father's mom).  He also got to meet his older sister Stetson on this trip but unfortunately, the camera apparently wasnt working well, so I dont have a picture of it :(  Even so, we are very grateful for the support of his birth family and so glad for the time we got to spend with them while in Florida. 

Thanks for the fun times Florida!  We love you.  Muah!

Build a Bear Excursion

While we were in Florida, we had the amazing opportunity to hand out with Xander's birth family.  On one of the outings, we went to build a bear.  Xander's siblings got to build an animal and then they made one for Xander.  It was so cute for him to meet his brother and sister and everyone had a blast at Build a Bear.

This is Austin, I think they look alike.

Natalie putting stuffing in her Kitty

Austin putting the stuffing in his monkey

Carolyn adding stuffing to Xander's Alligator

Making a wish for their new friend

"We love you Xander" from his birth family

Austin picking out clothes for his monkey

Austin giving his new friend a bath

Natalie giving her kitty a bath

Natalie dressing her kitty (this kitty was dressed all sorts of snazzy!)

Natalie and Kitty Natalie

Chris and Carolyn dressing the Alligator for Xander.  I think they were really having some fun with it!

"Hi ya!!!"

This is Xanders Alligator to remind him of where he came from... Florida!

Nat and Austin with their new friends

Natalie was really excited to hold the baby

Austin was excited to hold the baby too

Awe, Sweet siblings!

Tender moments

Love these precious times

Xander and his birth father, Chris

Xander and his birth mother, Carolyn

We are so very grateful for these two!  They have given us the most precious gift.  We couldnt ask for more and will forever love and cherish these two for what they have done for us!

Xander and his Maternal birth family!  (we are missing Stetson and wish she could have been with us!)  Such a good looking group!

We are so grateful for his birth family.  The sacrifices they made for us have given us the sweetest, most precious gift, and we will never be able to say thank you enough!  We are also so very grateful for their support and continued interaction with us.  Xander will always know where he came and the miracle of his birth and his life with us.  He will be beyond loved and we are so grateful for that!  What a lucky little boy!