Febuary 2010: Getting back to normal, and our first trip to see Angel

Life sort of when back to normal after placement. Our family took a vacation to Florida for Christmas, just 10 days after CJ gave birth. I had had it planned since before I knew about the pregnancy, and I was determined to still take our family and go. Even more so, now that we all needed time to heal. I thought it would take CJ's mind off things, too. I was worried she wasn't going to be up to it physically, but she ended up doing fine.

We had a great time in Florida! It was just what we all needed. CJ felt pretty good. We all enjoyed a little 2-day cruise, snorkeling, eating great food and laying on a beach. Back in Florida after the cruise, we stayed at little motel that had it's own private beach. I came home feeling better about life and still feeling good about the adoption.

In February, my hubby had an opportunity to go to the large city about an hour and a half from The Awesomes and our little sweetie. I decided to go with him so I could visit Angel. The Awesomes invited us to stay right at their house. Hubby would actually be staying in the city for a while, so I would be going to stay with the family for the first 2 days. I was very excited to go, but I was also feeling apprehensive and a little awkward about staying with them. We didn't know each other on that level quite yet, so I wasn't sure how it was going to feel. When we flew in, Mrs. Awesome brought Angel and came to pick me up. She went to dinner with my hubby and I. It was so great to see our little Angel! She was two months old now, and we had seen lots of pictures from their blog, but she had grown and changed so much!

Mrs. Awesome, Angel, and I drove to their house after dinner. The next two days were so great! The awkwardness wore off pretty quick, and it just felt like I was with family. Mrs. Awesome had school, so I got to take care of Angel for most of the day. I fed her and changed her and rocked her to sleep. I got to see her smile at me. I got to comfort her when she cried. I was starting to feel like a grandma! It was the best feeling in the world! Mr. Awesome was there with me, so I was able to get to know him better.

On the evening of the second day my hubby drove to their house in a freak snow storm (very unusual for their area). He was completely exhausted when he got there. He was sitting at their table, and fell asleep with Angel asleep in his arms. It's a memory I'll never forget.

We spent the next day with them, then we had to fly out. It was a pretty short visit, but it was well worth it.

The week after our visit, The Awesomes flew CJ in for a visit. If we had any doubt that they were serious about an open adoption, we now had no reason to doubt. They were committed to letting us be a part of Angel's life, and their lives. What a miracle. How blessed we are to have found them.