Long time NO POST

To say the least we have been busy with the holidays, our little man and just simply loving every second of life! For the past couple of years we were stuck in a "Closet in the Young house" but have embraced every ounce of life since we are watching it through Wyatt's eyes! So much speaks to me these days reminding me that "Everything Happens for a Reason" or "God has a Plan" or to simply BELIEVE! There is no better way to embrace the Christmas Season than believing in the Miracle of Life Here are a few photos to keep you Believing in the wonders of the holiday season!

With a little help from your friends & family

It has been an amazing week having Jeremy's mom in town helping us out with the little one. Not only was my transition back to work smooth but I had a few moments to catch up on Thank you Notes, Pictures, & Christmas Cards! We are so excited about our cards this year, Thanks to Jeff Johnson Images!

Today is the Greatest Day I've Ever Known!

2014 Young (Party of 4) Family Photo Shoot

Happy 1st Halloween Wyatt Rhodes

We had such a wonderful time putting together our Halloween Costumes and Celebrating the season with Wyatt Rhodes. These are just a few photos from his 1st Halloween! We opted for a family costume, We knew Wyatt was going to stay in the carrier because of the time of our events and the weather. Wyatt was the Popcorn and we were the Popcorn servers! It was so fun!

Our (Unsolicited) Top Eleven list of Must haves for the little man!

One thing I have learned is that everyone has recommendations and right and wrongs for raising your little one. I absolutely welcome all experience as there have been some helpful tips along the way. This is absolutely why I feel it is necessary to pay it forward and share our top eleven baby must haves with our son. Trial & Error was key in a lot of these items but thankfully we had options and time to find what was right for our family. We experienced a lot of stomach issues and acid reflux issues with Wyatt which I am certain affected his sleep in the beginning. Needless to say, it was necessary for us to find solutions to make this little man as peaceful as he could be. We succeeded in taking care of his tummy so far!

ITEM #1 mamaROO

4moms mamaRoo The mamaRoo does it all, bounces up and down, moves side to side, goes slow, goes fast and there are several settings of white noise or an ipod connection for soothing playlists or just plain entertainment for the little ones. When it came time for us to select a swing or bouncer, we went for the mamaRoo first and haven't regretted our decision once! This is a must have for soothing babies! We are 11 weeks in and our little one just started enjoying the mamaRoo differently than his first weeks.

ITEM #2 HoMedics myBaby SoundSpa

HoMedics myBaby SoundSpa On-The-Go Copied straight from the website, "The HoMedics® SoundSpa® On-The-Go is stylishly designed for travel and provides soothing sounds wherever you and your baby go. Choose from four tranquil sounds including heartbeat, white noise, ocean and lullaby. You can also use the clip-and-go to attach to any stroller, diaper bag, crib and more!" As clear as it says, this is a must have for soothing the little ones anytime, anywhere.

ITEM #3 4moms Breeze playard

Breeze Playard Simple enough, every little one needs a Pack & Play! The 4moms Playard takes less than 5 minutes to set up and travels so well! I have helped friends set up their pack & plays and witnessed them trying for way too long. It was extremely important for our on the go lives to have something so easy and comfortable for our little one. Hands down, the best Playard on the market. The price is high for this item but well worth it if y'all are movers and shakers like this family.

ITEM #4 tommee tippee Sensitive Tummy Feeding Bottle

tommee tippee Sensitive Tummy Feeding Bottle The bottles were definitely trial & error for us. We went through Dr. Brown, Born Free, the regular Tommee Tippee amd Avemt bottles. We finally found a sensitive tummy bottle with plenty of nipple options that didn't upset our little ones tummy. Every baby is different on this one but if there are tummy issues, this was our favorite.

ITEM #5 Tiny Love Take-Along Baby Bouncer

Tiny Love Take-Along Baby Bouncer Back to our travel lifestyle, this Take Along Bouncer seat is portable enough to take on walks or picnics as well as move around your home for cooking or showers and still keep the little one entertained and close. Some options seemed too bulky to move from room to room but this option folds right up and fits under the stroller. Perfect Bouncer for us, plus our little one loves it too!

ITEM #6 Swaddle Me Wrapsack

Swaddle Me Wrap Sack These little gems are so versatile even the little ones that houdini out of the muslin swaddles love them. Our little guy does not like to have his hands tied up but still loves his bottom swaddled. These swaddles allow plenty of versatility to wrap the hands or not. Plus when your delirious and not getting enough sleep, the velcro closure is super simple. We have a few of these on rotation.

ITEM #7 Carters Cotton Zip Up Sleep & Play

Carters Cotton Zip up Sleep & Play We received a few recommendations early on about the zip up sleepers and at the same time we received warnings on the zipper sleepers and how they can zip the babies skin. We were so confused on which ones were the best. My only recommendation goes back to the delirious sleepless self I was and maybe still am here and there. The zippers are so easy in the middle of the night, the snap ups are confusing. Its all preference here but these were our faves!

ITEM #8 Pottery Barn Kids Classic Diaper Bag

Pottery Barn Kids Gray Classic Diaper Bag I am the first to admit I bought the cutest Kate Spade Diaper Bag that looked so great on my arm for Ohhhh, maybe a week. We received the Pottery Barn Diaper Bag as a gift and for a few days I thought it would sit in the closet. It didn't take long before I got fed up with how little I could fit in the Kate Spade or how not flexible and bulky it was. I tried the Pottery Barn kids diaper bag out and haven't turned back since! This Diaper Bag holds so much and has amazing flexibility with it. I truly love this diaper bag and would gift this to anyone expecting! Plus our little one's initials are right on the front!

ITEM #9 BoB Revolution Stroller

BoB Revolution Stroller Strollers are preference for every mother. I wanted to share how pleased we are with our Bob Revolution. We have taken our little one on daily hikes, trips to the mall, many farmers markets and can't wait to get this stroller in running mode.

ITEM #10 Ergo Baby Galaxy Gray

Ergo Baby Similar to my review above on the BoB, the Ergo baby has been fantastic! I love the versatility of this carrier as well as the support it supplies our little one! This will continue to get some great use out of it!

ITEM #11 Puj Flyte

Direct from the Puj website, "The Puj Flyte makes bath time easy at home or on the go. Its compact shape allows it to fit in a suitcase, making it the perfect travel companion." For our many trips back home to Chicago or Cincinnati or just a weekend getaway, the Puj has made for a great bath no matter where we are.

Just the three of us...

Wyatt Rhodes Young

After a long break from my last post I come back with the best news to share! We have adopted our first son, Wyatt Rhodes Young. He is the most handsome, loving, giving, joyful baby we have ever met and could not be happier for this little man to be in our lives!

Its a BOY!

After an accidental (SURPRISING) slip, the birthparents let us in on the fact that they know the gender. It was so cute, the birthmother felt so bad for spilling the beans but honestly, a healthy baby is all we ever dreamed! If this little boy is anything like the birthfather, we will have our hands full but in a great way! We are so excited! We are now looking forward to holding a beautiful baby boy in our arms! #mamasboys

A name is just a name...

Welcome to Garden City, TX population 334. Yes Folks, this is the town we have landed in in our little B&B. Garden City has a beautiful ring to it and sounds lush and full of thriving plants and life. In actuality this little (teeny, tiny) town likely does not have a single garden in site and is lush and full of weeds, sand, rattlesnakes, tarantulas and scorpions. Everything you could as for! Our little room is great however there is only a curtain separating us from the 30 other guests who stay in this place. The extreme costs of the nearby hotels drove us here and left us with limited options for our first week. We have endured through this week and needless to say we will venture on out come Friday. Its hard to put this area of the world into words that others can understand. We will leave here with a few additional unplanned memories and hopefully some photos that will allow the pictures to tell our story.
com·mune1 ˈkämˌyo͞on/ noun noun: commune; plural noun: communes; singular proper noun: Commune; noun: the Commune 1. a group of people living together and sharing possessions and responsibilities. synonyms: collective, cooperative, communal settlement, kibbutz More a communal settlement in a communist country.

Taking it One Day at a time!

After a 15 hour drive cross country, we arrived in Big Spring, TX last Friday. I went with the birthmother to her final ultrasound and she was so gracious in making sure I felt apart of everything. Baby is healthy, baby has dropped and now we wait. The birthmother and birthfather are very open to sharing time with us while we are here. We have had a Main/Pedi date, we met for brunch with two dogs and a horse and had dinner together. Every moment we share with them we learn more about them and can hopefully share these moments with our child someday. We remain hopeful and are enjoying making memories.

And so the journey begins...

Our journey will begin much earlier than planned. I received a call from the birthmother last week that her final ultrasound was scheduled for July 25th and she would like me to be there with her. I wouldn't miss being a part of this moment for the world. Jeremy and I sat down and did the math and assessed the situation and it only makes sense for us to drive there and stick around the area early vs trying to fly in and out. Flights and hotels are quite pricey in oil country! With Jeremy and I not being able to miss work right now, we begin half of our adventure tomorrow after work and the remainder of the trip Thursday after work. With the limited options, we are happy to have found a cute B&B in a nearby town. It felt so right as the owner recently found her birthparents and there will be so much to talk about and share.
Vara Guest House
Keep us in your prayers!!

Strength in Numbers, We need your prayers!

Well friends, we are approaching the final weeks with birthmother #2. At this point we can barely come up for air and are doing everything to stay busy and distracted. We are thankful for all of your thoughts and prayers and need them now more than ever. These are the toughest days for the birthmother and we want her to be full of strength in the decision that she is making. We leave for Texas August 2nd to be by their side and continue to strengthen our bond. Please continue to pray for us and know that we will keep you posted. Should this fall through, please respect the space that we will need. Thank you, The Youngs

Nashville Staycation

As most of you know, Jeremy and I have not been on a vacation in three years. This is not completely by choice but as luck will have it, our plans have been canceled. All of our savings and spare time have been dedicated to our growing family. This 4th of July weekend, we have built a perfect agenda to create a StayCation here in Nashville! Our itinerary is below, we are really excited!

We've secured a wonderful cabin for the three of us at FireFly Acres in Sparta, TN! After a nice cookout and drinks on our patio, we will wake to spend the afternoon of the 4th of July hiking the beautiful trails of Fall Creek Falls! For the 4th of July finale, we have VIP tickets for our first ever Music City Fireworks. An all-star lineup of Billy Currington, Ashley Monroe, and Striking Matches are among the musical acts to perform leading up to the incredible fireworks display accompanied to music from our GRAMMY-winning Nashville Symphony. Saturday morning we will wake up and hike the trails at Edwin Warner Parks with Waylon and come home to prepare for a night out on the town. Our Saturday date night will begin with a romantic dinner at The Farm House. The reviews of this restaurant have been unbelievable! Following dinner we will conclude our night with Brandi Carlile and The Nashville Symphony!

Sunday we will rest! It has been a long time since we've had a weekend without chores or prior plans, we are excited to get in some quality time! Here is to our staycation, adoption moon and just building memories! Love you baby!

So close yet so Far away

It has been a little bit since I have posted but at this time we are just waiting it out! Everything is still going great with the birth parents, we are just holding out for hope. We have built a really strong bond with the birth parents and even began to plan our trip to Texas. We leave August 2nd for a 15 hour drive to Garden City, TX where we have secured a cabin at a B&B. We will be traveling with Waylon since he is our saving grace in any time of sadness and I am sure he needs us too! :) We are staying at Vara Guest House where we discovered that the owner was adopted and recently connected with her birthparents. Hopefully we will have a temporary family in our temporary home. We are 42 days out from her due date and 32 days out from when we depart! Time is moving slowly yet flying by! Our hearts are open but guarded! Our minds are prepared but no promises! Our lives will change no matter the direction! Please keep us in your hearts and in your prayers, we have been waiting for this day since we fell in love.

Such a beautiful sentiment

Keeping it a Surprise

As I mentioned previously, we have all decided to keep the gender of the little one a surprise. In the vein of this tradition, we also thought we'd keep the "coming home" outfit a surprise and have multiple options. Each option is prepared to be suitable for a boy or a girl! We love them all, they are too darn cute!

Not just another day

This morning I woke up to a beautiful text message reading "Happy Mothers Day" from the birthmother. I am so taken back by the thought and heart that was put into that message. It brings tears to my eyes that this birthmother took the time to think of me today. I will cherish the message and continue to pray that this is meant to be.

Another star aligned

After many discussions with the birth mother and father, we realized the same country artist they are friends with and grew up in their little town, posted on his facebook February 21st that he was playing The Grand Ole Opry! Playing the Grand Ole Opry tonight with Chuck Wicks, Diamond Rio & more NOT only were we at The Grand Ole Opry that evening enjoying an amazing backstage show but we were matched on February 21st! If my previous phone would not have just died, I guarantee you he'd pop up in one of my many photos from that night! This is yet another sign for the books that this was Meant To Be .

Just another sign that "We Belong Together"

When I first felt you in her tummy, this is the song that was playing!

We Belong Together
we belong together like the open seas and shores wedded by the planet force we've all been spoken for

A weekend in Dallas

This past weekend we spent an amazing weekend in Dallas with the birth mother and birth father. We began our weekend at Dick's Last Resort which we all realized was quite a nice ice breaker with the silliness of the waiters. Following lunch, we went to Six Flags over Texas where I realized how terrified I am of roller coasters. Kutter and I rode about 4-5 roller coasters all day and we fit in some games for Morgan and Jeremy along the way. Then we ended the evening with a dinner at The House of Blues, a meet and greet with Gavin and his show at the House of Blues. Morgan was beyond excited about the evening we had and it radiated through her smile. During the show, she let me feel the little one kick. It was so cool to experience that with her. To top it off, the baby began kicking during "We Belong Together." I'll take that as my sign! :) We had such an amazing day we weren't ready for it to end. We decided to meet for lunch Saturday and spend the afternoon visiting the museums. We definitely had some serious conversations along the way and asked all of the questions we needed to ask. We all feel so blessed to be in this together. We are taking this one day at a time but we are hopeful for this adoption with this couple.

Can't sleep, won't sleep!

The fact that we are meeting the birthparents this weekend is officially kicking in. I haven't been sleeping at night and my body is so anxious. I know it will be a great meeting as we have such a good relationship established to date however I just want to be perfect for this couple. We have already been through so much heartache my heart wants a happy ending with this couple. Please keep us in your prayers.

Inch by Inch, Row by Row

After a long year of wondering where we were going to take the landscaping with the hill in our backyard, we finally have a solution! Please understand that the plants are planted according to full growth so it looks pretty sparse right now but over time this hill will fill in nicely. We will also continue to add a few plants/groundcovers here and there to give the area some personality.

The Giving Key

Recently I came across this amazing vendor who has inspired me to Pay It Forward with their designs. I first bought a Giving Key of HOPE for myself and once my HOPE is fulfilled I will pass the key on to the next person in need of HOPE. Yesterday I bought my second giving key of STRENGTH to which I will gift to our birthmother for her journey through the Adoption process. The STRENGTH the birthparents possess as a couple in making this decision is a true gift and we want to remind them that it does not go unnoticed.
Please visit The Giving Keys and provide that extra inspiration to someone you know in need.

The Giving Keys

Keep Praying

Yep! I just received an update from the previous adoption that our baby would be 23 weeks today if that went through. While I was reading that I realized our current birthmother is 23 weeks today. I will keep praying that this is our sign!

Dallas, Here we come!

We have booked our travel to Dallas to meet the birthparents for May 2nd and have received the ultrasounds from her most recent Dr. visit. I can't explain the joy that fills my heart, the fear that fills my mind and heart and the anxiousness that will overwhelm us from here on out in this journey. I am so nervous to meet this couple yet oddly comfortable knowing the relationship we have built thus far. She told me today she can't wait for me to feel the baby kick when we meet! I cried. This is an adoption situation most people pray for and I feel blessed that this time around their is more trust in my heart.
We know the road ahead is still long but will cherish everyday we are blessed to be part of this couple's journey!

23 Weeks & 1 Day | 118 Days to Go

Feeling Blessed

Sometimes the Adoption Process is so tough, it takes everything I have inside of me to keep from breaking down. Other times I could not be more grateful to be in the position we are in and matched with the couple we are matched with. Again… I realize we still have a long road ahead but I just received a phone call from our birthmother letting me know how her first Ultrasound went. She was so excited to share the news and tell me about the movements of the little one. It was such a great feeling to share that joy with her and have her want to share it with me. Today I am grateful for being able to share the joy in our birthmothers journey. We are together in this journey and our relationship continues to grow. Since this was our birthmother's first Ultrasound, we found out she is 21 weeks along and due August 12th. We are excited for the road ahead.

Someone's having a party in there!

People tell us not to get excited and not to get attached because our hearts can be broken all over again. That seems true from the outside but on this inside you have to let yourself go. We might miss out amazing opportunities and relationships that could come with opening our hearts and our minds.
This clip is a reminder to take this journey one day at a time! God has a plan and what will be will be! If nothing else, this is another lesson to which will make us stronger down the road.
Heartbeat

Month 1 Update

Almost a month exactly from the day we were matched with the new birthmother she has her first Dr. Visit scheduled. This month has been pretty great as far as getting to know the birthmother and father but we know we still have a long road ahead. Although we know the painful road that could lie ahead, we have to open our hearts to the fullest again as it would not be fair to this couple nor would we build a solid foundation together. Our hearts are open. Unlike our previous match, we have spoken with this couple live, email, and text on a regular basis. We have by far built a stronger connection in the time we have been matched than the previous. The couple is young and have bigger dreams for themselves and this is a hurdle they have to cross. Thankfully we are here to help them through that. The birthmother asked us if we want to know the baby's gender, below is our communication. "As far as the gender goes, we will totally leave that up to you. When we started trying to conceive early on in our marriage, we always thought we would leave that as a surprise. Now, we are just so thankful to even be here with the both of you! If you want to know, we want to know! If you want a surprise, we do too! :)" -US "Well then let's keep it a surprise :))"- Birthmom Our hearts are full of hope today and we are ready to take this day by day. We are excited, nervous, joyful, scared, anxious and a hundred more emotions all wrapped into one. We are looking forward to this journey ahead with our match and will continue to pray that now is our time.

A little hope goes a long way

Yesterday Jeremy and I were blessed with a 2nd chance to adopt. Without knowing how this will end, we are thankful for the glimpse of hope again. Since November we have both had trouble pulling ourselves together and putting on a game face when all we wanted to do was sulk. It took everything inside of us to believe we would get another match or another chance at a growing family. Regardless of what god's plan is, we are so blessed to see a light again! From here on out, we pray. Thank you.

Country Marathon Blues

That time has come again where I begin training for another marathon. This will be the toughest one to date as I am starting my training in worse shape than my two previous marathons. Additionally, I am starting 4 weeks late in my 18 week training putting in only 14 weeks of training. I'm not nervous, just not looking forward to the pain! I'd like to think I've got the Country Marathon Blues right about now!