Caleb's Nursery

When we started the adoption process the second time, I had absolutley no intention of decorating a nursery until after our first court appearance.  

With Jax we had less than 2 weeks from our first meeting with Ashley unitl he was born to prepare the perfect nursery, and you might even remember Jax sleeping in our dining room for several months.  

However this time, we had much more time (4 months), and it became very apparent to me that a completed nursery designed specically for Caleb was incredibly important to his birth mother.  As a result, we spent a few months moving everyone (and I mean everyone) around in our new home.  Honestly, I wanted to create a sweet space for as little money and investment as possible.  Please remember that a very large percentage of birth mothers change their minds after the baby is born.  Creating a space that I love for under $100 was so much fun.  I shopped my storage room and my favorite thrift stores, and managed to somehow make it all work together.  

Welcome to Caleb's room.

I discovered a simple sign on pinterest that read, "I am going to love him forever", and I knew that it was the one thing that I had to make for this space.  After digging through many piles of discarded outdated framed art, I found this gem.

I know that it will only be a matter of moments before super heros will take over this space, and it will smell less like dirty diapers and more like stinky socks.  Until then, I will be found rocking my loves in this glider (purchased when I was pregnant with Andrew) while loving the baby that calls this room home.

So Long Creepy Family Photo Lining Our Hallway

I bought 4 large frames for the hallway several months ago, and Scott ever so kindly hung them immediately.  It was kind-of creepy walking down the hallway with the same black and white photo of an unknown family lining the wall.

Starting with my easiest subjects to photograph was a given.  

 Andrew is incredibly cooperative and obedient, but photos aren't his thing.  He feels uncomfortable with any individualized attention even if it is coming from his mother.  Needless to say, his photos are usually awkward.  I worked really hard to create a comfortable atmosphere with little pressure, and it worked like a charm.

Then I was faced with my greatest photography challenge at this moment in time.  I tried capturing a beautiful photo of my absolutely adorable subject on multiple occasions.  Hundreds of blurry photos of an uncooperative 3 year old were taken, and then...I gave up and called this "good enough".

Thankfully, I have lived through this stage before, and I now recognize the value of this photo.

Caleb One Month

BB's New Adventure

Our super sweet Brea Brea is moving to Cape in a few week to attend Southeast Missouri State. We celebrated this new adventure with a family dinner.

Caleb's birth mother went into preterm labor at 23 weeks and 4 days, and there were many false alarms over the next 16 weeks. Breanna was on constant stand-by during that time. She rushed to our home to care for Jax and the oldies multiple times with absolute joy. She will never know how much her willingness to serve our family meant to us. She is an absolute delight and blessing to this Auntie, and her cousins seriously think she hung the moon and maybe even the Big Dipper.

We L-O-V-E you BB! I can not wait to watch God continue to unfold His plan for you.

I managed to snap a few photos after everyone spent the afternoon swimming.  *smile

This is the Life (August 2016)

Where should I begin...

*Today marks day 47/60, and nothing has changed which is an absolute answer to prayer.

*Our family just spent a relaxing week in Branson.  It was such a gift to get away from the normalcy of our busy stressful lives.  We played, rested, laughed, and filled our days with adventure.

*Scott turned 40 on July 19, and he celebrated by buying a rental property sight unseen off the courthouse steps.  Life is always an adventure with My Sweet Scotty.  Needless to say, we are knee deep in flooring, paint, landscaping, and lighting updates.

*After much prayer, we have decided to transition Andrew and Olivia to our local public schools.  If you know me, you understand the weight of this decision.  Spending 2+ hours each day transporting the oldies to and from school isn't in the best interest of our little boys.  I can't even imagine our lives without Cornerstone Academy, but we are confident in the timing of our decision.  Yesterday was our first opportunity to register Andrew for his 7th grade year at his new school.  We were there right when they opened, but Andrew had no choice in electives.  As a result, he will be spending a semester taking Fashion Design.  Scott and I are horrified, but Andrew is taking it like a champ.

*Skipper has now survived two reconstructive knee surgeries.  Eleven weeks after his first surgery which also happened to be the day after Caleb was born, Skipper torn several muscles in his "good" leg.   We were told that there was a 40% chance that this would happen, but everyone was surprised that it happened so soon after his first surgery.  It has been a long stressful recovery, and unfortunately all is not well.  We have a few more decisons to make over the next few months.

Olivia Summer 2016

Thinking of You

Ashley would be celebrating her 26th birthday today. 

I wish that I could tell her...

*He talks about you.  He brings you up in conversation.  He recognizes you in photos.

*Jax and I paid a visit to our beloved pediatrician this morning.  He fell off a teeny tiny step last week, twisted his ankle, and became the incredibly proud owner of a scratch the size of a dime on his right ankle.  Eleven days later, he is still limping and dragging his foot.  No bruising.  No swelling.  No limited activity.  After a thorough exam, the Dr. giggled, shook her head, and giggled some more.  I thought of you.

*Every time he tells me that he is afraid, I think of you and wonder what you were afraid of. 

*Random people are always telling me how crazy smart he is.  I immediately think of you, and I am not surprised.

*Each and every time he experiences something new and his eyes light up, I think of you and wonder if you had the same experience.

*Every time he giggles, I think of you and wonder if you heard it too.

 

I discovered these photos on an old camera a few weeks ago.  Each photo of  Ashley and Jaxson  is so precious to me.