Things have been calmer than I expected as of late in our house. The weather has made everyone cranky I think but Hayley has had lots of friends over to play with - we even made a very hysterical music video when she had a sleepover Friday night. This is such a fun age, she is up for almost everything. She buys into whatever is on the agenda. The video was so bad it was charming. Sleepovers are a good chance for me to gauge where Hayley is in terms of development and demeanor. It was funny to have two kids whining for things, so I know that is age appropriate. She's doing just fine - still a bit crankier than your average kid, but I'm crankier than your average chick.

We are really seeing her new medicine make an impact. She is happier (despite the crankiness comment from above) and she is able to disenage from fights much quicker. She has been to timeout twice in two weeks - a major miracle! Bedtime is much easier too, she asking to go to bed because she is tired pretty regularly. Tired! This kid is saying she is tired! YOWZA, that's great!

Hayley read her first letter on her own from her birthmother. I read it first and I will do so with all letters, that is just the way it is. However she was very excited to be able to read a letter on her own. Her birthmom has really made an effort to keep in touch and Hayley likes that. Once or twice a month is a good time frame for Hayley reading them. She ponders, worries and thinks about everything said so I don't want to overwhelmed her emotional sensors.

After reading that letter, it brought up some things to talk about with Jeff and I in the living room. As always I was too long winded but I know she understood what I was saying. We have a contact plan in this family for birth family. There is a set of steps we call 'baby steps' on how to increase contact with Hayley. The closer people are to Hayley's past, the longer it can take but finally her birth mom has bought into that concept.

So we all know the path, if not the timing, we are on. And that's good thing. Hayley's therapist told me in the past when I came up with all of this that I had to be prepared for people actually doing what I said, that this isn't a tool to keep them at arms length. I am prepared. I've been through meeting many of her family and they are really good people. I admit to be very nervous every time I meet someone but I'm one of those people who just keeps on moving forward in life, fears don't stop me. Meeting Hayley's birthmom is something that will be huge in our life and I'm ok with it happening, when the time is right in the future. It won't be soon but it will happen.

On a wonderful ending note, my friend Rachel and her husband Rick are parents! They are adopting a lovely baby girl named Carissa. She placed with them last week, the answer to their years and years of waiting for a child. It seems like they have good relationship starting with the birthmom as well and I hope that works out for the best of all of them. Carissa has found her way to a great set of parents, both are elementary school teachers and just really down to earth loving people. Rachel has always been so supportive of me through my infertility and adoption stuff. I'm just so happy for them, no one deserved to be parents more than they did.