Happy 4th Birthday, Daniel!

BEFORE I WAS A MOM

Before I was a Mom I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests. Or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put them down.
I never felt my heart break to pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom I didn't know the feeling of having my heart
outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so
important and happy.

Before I was a Mom I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom!

Caleb's Big Catch

You can't even imagine the excitement! This fish was so big (I think Bryan said it was a 22 inch catfish) that Caleb thought he got his line stuck on a log - it was that hard for him to pull in!

We're adopting!

Just in case the word is not out yet...we're expecting another baby! Only this time my skin is staying in tact. Bryan and I are waiting for "the" call, and the kids are all equally excited. We received word from Adoption Associates that we have completed all the necessary steps (which has been no small task!) and they are posting our profile for a domestic adoption.

We originally looked into an international adoption match, but felt that God was leading us to some babies much closer to home with special needs. We are ready to open our hearts and home to any baby that God chooses for us. The agency we are using is desperately looking for families who would be open to transracial adoption and that is what we feel God has chosen for our family. The transracial adoptions are considered "special needs" mostly because of the difficulty in finding families. It breaks my heart to know this agency has dozens and dozens of families waiting for caucasian babies and very few who are open to a child with different skin color.

It has been just over two years since the last addition to our family...I will try to keep you posted on our adoption journey. Please be praying for our family and for the birthmother and child that we are waiting to meet some day soon.

Boys Will Be Boys!

I don't think a day has gone by this summer without some sort of creature becoming captive to one or more of our boys - especially Caleb. He seems to continually have some sort of frog or snake in tow. He was telling me the other day that "garter snakes don't bite that hard" Well, I personally don't care to find out how hard they bite and I sure wish he would be a bit more careful! I guess he is learning from experience.

Isn't he cute?!?

Caleb learned pretty quick that it was a lot of fun to scare Mommy, and so I have had to be a bit firm on my new rule: If it is alive - it stays outside! With one exception: creepy little things for our big oscar fish are OK as long as you don't drop them on the floor!!

Fishin' with Daddy...