Our Month In Pictures

Love Is Growing!!!

Bubble Fun!

Sprinkler Time

Chillin' with my ETBFF Elias

Look what I can do!!!

I LOVE FOOD!!!

Baptism Cake

Learning to pull up to a stand- Almost There!!!

You Got It!!!

Happy Silly Boy

I'll EAT YOU UP!!!

Our Sleep Solutions (not that we're sleeping yet ;0)

Today my house is clean, my dishes done, my to do list accomplished (well, for the most part), and my sanity gathered. Why, you may ask, because we are finally SLEEPING!!

No, not through the night fully, but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and are getting more sleep each night. How, might you ask. Well, it hasn't been easy but here's what we did.

Step 1: Identify the negative behaviours and attachment woes.

FEAR OF BEING ALONG: Micah does not want to sleep alone in his room. Poor baby. He's never been alone. He slept, ate, played, bathed, etc. alongside many other children and caretakers. It's no wonder he's scared of being alone, especially at night in the dark.

THE BOTTLE: Micah is ADDICTED to his bottle. Every time he awoke he would demand a bottle to go back to sleep. Sometimes he just wanted a few sips, often a few ounces. He could wake up to 5 times a night, NO FUN!!! This added up to over eating and 4 ear infections. No good. This had to change for those reasons.

Most importantly, however, is the reality that as long as he is attached to his bottle for comfort, he will not look to us. How sad that he thinks his bottle is his mommy. Poor sweetie.

SCHEDULE ISSUES: Micah NEEDS a clear predictable schedule. This is tough to accomplish while managing Devon's needs and routine.

Step 2: Create New Positive Attachments

FEAR OF BEING ALONG: We've attached his crib to our bed as a sidecar. This way I can cradle his head in my arm while he's in his crib when he's sad or needs to be touched. So far this is really effective and has made the transition to napping and bedtime much easier.

BOTTLE ADDICTION:
So, we decided to break him of this habit. Not an easy task. He cried for hours a night and every nap time for 2 weeks. It's gotten easier, only 45 minutes each night, but isn't perfect yet. He still awakes at midnight and cries for about a half an hour then again at 4. This is steady improvement and we can see an end and restful nights in the future.

SCHEDULE: Micah naps and eats at the same time each day. Devon's day camp has really helped to keep us on schedule as well. He's gone three mornings a week from 9-12. I am able to focus on Micah's naps and food on these days. It's really helped.

Step 3: Assess and Evaluate DAILY
Each day we evaluate how the sleeping and eating patterns have gone. Some days are good, some days are not. It's tough to see the forest for the trees on hard days but it's important to evaluate none the less.

The lack of sleep can really make this tough.

Step 4: LET GO AND LOVE
The reality is that that this process is a tango, a few steps forward, a few back. Repeat.

But, we've come to believe that if you set boundaries for your children and love them, they will attach to you if it is God's will. We repeat this to ourselves as Micah screams in our arms pushing away from us each night.

Daily, there is a war of fear and concern raging in my head. The questions go round and round. Are we doing the right thing? Is there any way we can make this easier on him? Is it too soon for these changes? Is he ready for attachment changes yet?


There's no way to know the answers to these questions for sure right now. We're plodding along as if it IS the right choice because we believe its the only choice we have right now. For our sanity and family we must make these changes to better our nights, to better our lives, to better our hearts- Especially Micah's.

Our GAP Model Photo Shoot

Ok, so they are not actually Gap models, YET! The pictures turned out so well and, since we are not doing it again EVER (it was pure anarchy!) we bought most of them!

Enjoy my silly, sweet, wonderful, gorgeous, loving, zany boys!!!

Miracle Micah's Baptism

One year ago this week our starving little miracle was relinquished by his brave, loving mother. What heartache she must have felt. Yet, this heartache was in God's plan to save our little miracle and bring him to us. We don't understand this choice, but we are so grateful and blessed.

What an amazing picture of God's covenant of GRACE to His children.

Today our covenant child was baptised into his forever covenant family. What a wonderful God we have who loves us enough to CHOOSE US, to be our God, to have us as His people.

Chillin' before the service.

Mommy's already crying ;0)

He jabbered the entire way through! He kept saying "bye bye" and waving to the congregation.

Our Sweet Blessed Family

Pastors Bob and Mark, who performed the baptism with us after the service.

What I'm STILL Waiting For...

I am so blessed, yet still waiting. So much has been received, so much blessing. But, still, the waiting remains. Why? What could it be inside my heart that does not feel at home yet? Where is this unsettling coming from? What am I waiting for?

For my baby to choose me over a bottle...
For the shadow of his other mommies to fade...
For my other baby's diagnosis and therapies to start...
For a vacation...
For the endless poopy diaper changes to end...
For healing from the loss of so much time with Micah Moo...
For sleep that lasts longer than 4 hours...
For a heart that desires to serve all three people without wearing out...
For my weekly phone call from SHERRY
For SHERRY to move next door so that I don't have to do this all alone...
For Devon to start summer camp next week...
For a shower that includes washing, shaving, relaxing!!!
For those I love the most to love me just as I am, nothing more and nothing less...
To love other just as they are, nothing more and nothing less...
To be a mother who doesn't yell...
To be a mother who says the right thing...
To be a mother and wife who doesn't say as much as I do...
Perfection... ;0)
For a Canon Rebel Xti...
For Des** Low to pass court...
For the next heartbreak to begin calling my heart to action...
For my baby girl...

For Jesus...that's really what I'm waiting for. For a life without tears, without struggle, with out the need for adoption.

For peace that is not fleeting.

Amazing Blessings- We Might Be OK After All!!

Some AMAZING changes and blessings from Devon...

• Giving Brother a new toy instead of leveling him and stealing it from his hand.
• "Come here Brother. You can touch my chair now!!"
• "Good MORNING Brother! You can have some blue cereal with me."
• "Let's go to Chick-Fil-A. Can brother come too?"
• Holding Brother's hand in the car to help him sleep.
• Feeding Brother his "ba-ba" on the couch.
• Protecting Brother (from nothing really but it's important none the less!) at Annie's party.
• "Come on Brother DUDE, let's go for a ride!!" in Annie and Luke's Jeep.
• "Can Brother sleep with me, please, Mommy?"
• Talking about his feelings and anger towards sharing.

Some AMAZING changes and blessings from Micah...

• Reaching for Mommy when someone else holds him.
• Crying out "mamamamama" when he's hurt or angry.
• Pulling up to a stand!
• First steps with Dada holding his hands.
• Smiley and laughy at his big brother.
• LOVES our family favorite, "So You Think You Can Dance" as much as we do.
• Dancing to "Boom Boom Pow" with Devon.
• First time in nursery, no TEARS but lots of happy smiles when Mommy returned.

Some AMAZING changes and blessings for/within us...

• Our first post-Africa date with friends Becca and Steve, SO FUN!
• Courageously letting go of attachment fears and parenting with understanding, not fear.
• Gaining self-control over our frustration at 2 am.
• Laughing about our lack of free/quality time instead of crying about it!
• Strategizing about sleep and food issues as a TEAM.
• Camping as a family with great friends.
• Forgiveness, FORgiveness, FORGIVEness, FORGIVENESS!!
• Taking hold of new mercies every day.

Some AMAZING blessings from others to US...

• A wonderful Bible Study for us both with our church friends.
• Great music on the radio that reminds me to take hold of grace and choose love.
• A 30 MINUTE phone call with my best girl SHERRY, boy do we miss those days!
• Great sermons that CHALLENGE the heck out of us (THAT Mark Fodale).
• A life-changing scone recipe (thanks Mama Kari ;0)
• 100$ from Grams for a new stroller.
• A family vacation with my sweet sister and gorgeous nieces at the end of the summer to look forward to.
• BURTUKAN DELFOSSE (an Infantia baby) PASSING COURT (we fell IN LOVE with this sweetie in ET!)
• A trip to see Ashley at the end of July to look forward to.
• A fixed washer, car, refrigerator. I have the HANDIEST HUNK in the world.

Psalm 30

11You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

12that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Fun at Crayola Factory

This week we met the Koby's at the Crayola Factory in Easton. The kids had a blast and Heather and I marveled at how amazing it is to be home for almost 3 months (and to survive transitioning to two kiddos)/ Our kids are the same age so it works really well to get together.

Micah and Elias were together in Ethiopia and are forever friends. Here are some fun pictures!

DELICIOUS Sweetie Pie

Our ET HUNKS, Elias and Micah David


Silly Little Devon

Devon and Pretty Julie, model agencies beware!