O' Great Pumpkin

We had such a fun day visiting the pumpkin patch in town. Even though the weather was 80 degrees, it still made me feel like I lived in the country somewhere. I'm so ready for FALL! Being surrounded by pumpkins and hay was such a good feeling. She rode a horse, and petted a few animals. I love snapping pics of my cute girl. Happy Halloween!

Dear Friends and Family,

Our sincerest thanks to everyone on our journey towards our family and the process of adopting our beautiful daughter Eva. Your prayers, support, tears and love held us up and gave us strength each day. Looking back on the last
8 years of infertility, our beautiful foster son Jesse that went back to his grandfather, and the many other trials and tribulations, all of the struggle was worth this very moment in time as our beautiful daughter is now ours.
She's officially a "REED" today, and we couldn't be more happy and excited.
In a few of the pictures on the web you can get a little glimpse of what the day was like. The thing that struck us the most was when the judge said, "She now has all the rights as a natural born child."

The moment I stood on the platform to shake the judge's hand, the emotion came over me like a wave. A wave of relief, no one can take her away. A wave of peace, she's our daughter now and she'll know no different. And a wave of gratitude, thanking God for this beautiful gift.

We love you, thank you, and look forward to a long and beautiful life with our precious daughter, Eva Sophia Reed.


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Click this link to check out more pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ciccanti1/AdoptionDay#

All our love,

Mia, Jeff and Eva

From Adoption Day

Adoption day, here we come!

Yesterday I received the best call I could ask for.  After a very challenging day at work I decided to come home and take the baby for a long walk.  We bought her a jogging stroller with the money from the birthday.  It's awesome.  I love it.  Just as I was opening the front door, I heard the phone ring.  It was Jackie from the lawyer's office.  She told me that they had a court date.  I was expecting it to be sometime in November or December.  When she said October 7th, I started jumping up and down.  Eva started to clap, it was so cute.  

Eva's first Birthday!!!

My baby is 1!  We had such a fun party.  As you can see she totally went for the cake, no hesitation. She was eating so much of it, that I was scared she was going to make herself sick.  She wouldn't stop, until finally I had to take it away.  A girl after my own heart.  

All of our family attended and a few of our closest friends.  

Siblings and spawn!

This past weekend my family got together at the beach for a bonfire.  My sister was in town from Las Vegas with my niece Alyssa.   All the baby cousins were together for the first time. Alyssa is almost 2 and Ella will be 3 in August.  Although Alyssa is almost a year younger than Ella, she's about a head taller.  I think she is going to be tall like her Auntie Mia.

  I think it has been over a year since we've all been together as a family. The thing about family is that no matter how long it has been since the last visit you pick up right where you left off.  Eva is missing, because she was already asleep in my mom's arms.  

Adoption Papers signed

Last month we sat down with our social worker and got the first of the adoption papers signed.  The lawyer has now been hired, and we are only 3 months from it being completely official.  

Eva is getting ready to celebrate her first birthday in style. A backyard BBQ with family and a few close friends.  Here's the picture I sent on the invite.

The first "Big Day"

Well, Thursday we are in court for little miss Eva.  By the way, that's not her given name, that is the name we will give her when the adoption is final.  It's crazy how I feel a little nervous and uneasy, however, all that is before us has been ordained by God.  When the sweet little boy Jesse, that we were fostering, was taken from our home after 2 months, I never thought my heart would heal.  It was like a death.  We've now had Eva for 7 months, and I can't imagine life without her.  In my heart and soul she is my daughter.