Saturday, November 3, 2012

Annabelle, I am Your Father

Annabelle - 1 day old.

You may have noticed that I have been absent here for a spell.  Sorry for that, but I have been a bit pre-occupied as of late.  Mostly the normal stuff.  You know, work, household chores, taking care of a 5 year old, errands, and the like.

Oh, and then there is the part where I am also a Father once again.  Did I mention that one?  No?  Well, I probably should get to it already.

Our newly adopted daughter, Annabelle, was born last Tuesday the 30th of October at 4:05 PM Pacific Standard Time. She weighed 7 lbs 1.9 oz, and was 19.5 inches long.   She has dark brown hair, and when she opens her eyes they are a heavenly shade of blue.

She is perfect!

The finalization of the adoption is still a ways off, but just a formality.  Mrs. LIAYF and I gained custody of our daughter Friday afternoon as our attorney pretty much raced through the streets of Seattle, diving through the closing doors of the local courthouse in order to get the matter onto the docket.  He's awesome that way.

This was a good thing, because we were holding off on telling Lukas until we knew the decision was final.  When he found out he was over the moon, rocking his new sister for nearly an hour, feeding her a bottle, and showering her with kisses. The torture will have to wait a few years.

This says it all.

Baby Annabelle won't be coming home quite yet, and will be staying at the hospital for while, which will actually give Mrs. LIAYF and I time to get some of our ducks in a row for her arrival.

But, bottom line:  She is ours to keep.  She is ours to love.  She is ours to raise in a loving home filled with laughter and passion and compassion and curiosity and wonder and a generous spirit.  And we couldn't be more thrilled!

Our 1st picture together.  

I also wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who wished us well, gave us words of encouragement, commented here on the blog, or posted our adoption badge on their own website.  That has meant a lot.

Now, another journey begins.

27 comments:

Idaho Dad said...

Wow, congrats!!

daniel said...

Congratulations!

triles said...

Awesome-congrats to the whole LIAYF family!

James (SeattleDad) said...

@Idaho Dad - Thanks Phil. This is a happy moment here.

@Daniel - Thanks. You will have to give me tips on fathering girls. I will need all I can get.

@Tim - Thanks, from the 4 of us.

neal call said...

That's amazing! Congratulations!

Mrs. M said...

So happy for you all!!

Jack said...

Mazal Tov. That is awesome. Daughters are wonderful, as are sons. Since I have both I feel qualified to share that.

Anyway, I am excited for the four of you. Off you go to the next great adventure.

Diplo_Daddy said...

Wonderful news! Congratulations to all three of you!

Steve said...

Congratulations! Beautiful pic of Lukas with his new sister too.

Martin said...

Congratulations!

Well done, and enjoy!

Ed said...

Wow! If you're going to take a hiatus make sure you come back with a bang. You nailed it!!

Congrats!

Juli said...

CONGRATS!!! That is fantastic. But really, was hoping for a Leia. :)

Rachael said...

This makes me stupidly happy. Congratulations on your new addition!

Anonymous said...

YAY!!!! I'm beyond thrilled!

James (SeattleDad) said...

@Neal - Thanks. I need to scour your blog for advice!

@Teri - Thanks so much Teri!

@Jack - You definitely qualify. I may be asking for advice along the way too. Thanks!

@Dipplo_Daddy - Thanks so much.

@Steve - Thanks. Yes, that was a classic shot that we will have prominently displayed here.

@Martin - Thanks! You can give me advice on how to raise a girl. :)

@Ed - Thanks man. And to think, I'm STILL no where close to you in numbers. You must be a super hero.

@Juli - We thought about it...well, I did at least. It was vetoed, and for good reason I guess.

@Rachael - Me Tooo! Thanks!

@Korin - So are we! And I hear you have a new addition too? Sweet! Congrats to your family as well. We need more details.

Homemaker said...

Wonderful news. Congratulations to all. Of course, now is when the parenting gets interesting.

Hector said...

Wow! That is amazing and inspiring. Congratulations. I have a step daughter but that seems like nothing. This is very inspiring. Looking forward to your return here.

WILLIAM said...

Dude, that is awesome. Crongrats.

James (SeattleDad) said...

@Homemaker - Dude, you would know. I need you on speed dial for tips!

Hector - Thanks for that. I am still around here, though it doesn't seem like it at times. You are raising a girl, you are a father. that is awesome and shouldn't be discounted for anything.

@William - Thanks! Well, I guess I can't ask you about raising girls.

FilmFather said...

As I said in my tweet the night you announced it...congratulations to you and your whole family. And you're right: That picture of Lukas and Annabelle does say it all.

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VDog said...

This is amazing!! So many congratulations and best wishes headed your way! Let me know if you need any baby girl things. :)

christopher (@twistedxtian) said...

That's very exciting! Congratulations!

BloggerFather said...

Can't believe I missed it! Congratulations!

Didactic Pirate said...

Dude, this is wonderful news! I must've been way out of the loop -- she's absolutely beautiful! Congratulations to you, Mrs. LIAYF and Lukas. (Sounds like you're going to have to add a new letter to your blog name.) I can't wait to read more about her.

twobusy said...

Congratulations! All fingers here crossed that she's able to come home with you soon...

James (SeattleDad) said...

@FilmFather - Thanks friend. I do love that picture.

@Vdog - What an awesomely kind thought. I think we are good (lots of friends with girls) but thank you for the offer anyway.

@Christopher - Thanks Chris. Appreciated.

@Bloggerfather - I shudder to think what I have missed out there in the past year or so. Hard to keep up. Thanks for the congrats.

@Didactic Pirate - Thanks Seth. She is a sweetie and we are thrilled. Not sure about the title yet, but I may have to give it some thought.

momnextdoor said...

WOW! I've been away too long! I missed this! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so very, very happy for you guys! Annabelle is one lucky little girl!