Bringing Home Baby Norton!

We are Courtney and Jason Norton, we have been married just over five years and are a Kindergarten Teacher and a Narcotics Detective respectively.  We live in Richmond, Virginia in a beautiful 100 year old house which we love with our two rescued Pit Bulls Mocha and Kaleb.

Jason and I met while playing softball in the Circuit City recreational league.  We were on opposite teams and my team was not very good.  Jason, as anyone who knows him well can understand, was not good at patiently waiting his turn, and decided that since it was getting dark he would rush our team off the field so that his could begin their game.  In spite of that first meeting, I still married him, and am very glad that I did.  

During the first years of our marriage we had some trying times.  My health has always been an issue due to a long battle with a terrible case of Crohn's Disease (is there any other?).  I barely remember the year that led up to our wedding I was so sick and in and out of the hospital so much.  This continued through the first few years of married life, and in 2005 I was faced with a second emergency surgery in order to save my life and to hopefully remove the Crohn's for good.  Although the surgery was life altering and not the easiest outcome to deal with, I was able to overcome the mental and emotional aspects of what would happen in my life going forward, and am blessed to say that to this day my Crohn's has remained in remission.  I do continue to struggle with severe anemia and iron infusions as a result, but would gladly accept that in return for a much improved quality of life.  

 Another side effect from the surgeries that I had to battle the Crohn's was scar tissue that invaded my abdomen and pelvis.  During the past year I have had three surgeries to try and clear out the scar tissue which has been causing me pain, and also to try and have a child.  Ultimately, it became obvious that having a child of my own was not going to happen for us.  Too much damage had been done to my body in fighting the Crohn's and the aftermath.  It certainly was not easy to accept that this process which seems so natural and so easy for some was not going to be a part of my life.  It still is not easy, but deciding on adopting was the natural choice for us.  International adoption is something that we feel strongly about.  We are excited about bringing another culture and heritage into our home, and look forward to the challenges and rewards that it is sure to bring.  Most of all we are excited to be parents, regardless of how we came to be there.  

We are now in the process of adopting a baby from Ethiopia.  We expect to travel to bring our baby home hopefully during the Summer of 2010.