4 Months!

Today my baby turns 4 months old. Is it possible that she's really this old already? One third of the way to being a year old?!?! That's just pure craziness!! Lydia will now have been home with us for as long as she was away from us in Bridge Care! It's kind of an exciting thought for me :)

Anywho....lately Liddy has been wanting to be in a sitting position more often, and she's really starting to be able to hold herself up in her Bumbo chair and reach for toys dangling in front of her! She loves to have her feet massaged with Baby Magic lotion, and is really beginning to follow us throughout the room with her eyes! She definitely seems to notice when we come and go and responds to our voices when we're in groups of people.

I just love her so much. :)

Here are some of her 3 month pictures as promised...though they're now a month old...but better late than never, right? Enjoy!!

(All pictures courtesy of MEL photography)



Doesn't her smile just melt your heart?? :)



"I am SUCH a diva..." :)



Pooped.



This is exhausting...but I guess I'll *try* to smile...

The orange blanket is a special prayer blanket made from my good friend Kelli!

...Beautiful...

Exhausted!

Thank you so much, Melissa for taking all the gorgeous pics! You rock!! :)

My Mother's Day

I want to thank all my dear friends and family members that wished me a happy Mother's day yesterday - it was very special!! We had a busy day, celebrating Mother's Day at church, then celebrating Joe's Grandma's 83rd birthday, and then celebrating my MIL's birthday in the late afternoon/evening! Lots of celebrating. :)

When I woke up yesterday morning, I immediately thought of how this would be my first Mother's Day with a child in my arms. The last 2 years Joe has done something special for me on Mother's Day, honoring my less recognized role as Mother to the child we lost by miscarriage, and this year was no different. Miscarriages are a strange thing...even though I have no face to put to the baby I loved fiercely for a few weeks, she is still on my mind often. While I was in the shower, I wondered if Joe would just do something "from Lydia" or if he would include Hopie too....and all I have to say is that I have married a very wonderful man. :)

As I ate breakfast (eggs on toast which he made for me - yum!), Joe handed me a card and a vase with 3 flowers in it, a dandelion, a purple flower and a reddish tulip. He told me the dandelion was from Quincy (since he helped it grow ;) ), the purple flower was from Lydia (due to Lydia's character in the Bible), and the tulip was from Hopie. Joe said that the tulip had been broken off it's stem somehow, and was laying on the ground in our yard. It reminded him of Hopie, and he felt like it's life needed to have value, hence it's place in my boquet. It was such a simple and sweet gesture, but it brought tears to my eyes as I ached for Hopie and rejoiced over Lydia being with us.

The rest of the day was busy, but I cherished every moment with my daughter, soaking in her smiles and relishing the fact that I now have a child to celebrate Mother's Day with! Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take pictures of Liddy and I together, so I don't have any pictures to share....but...because I haven't posted pictures on here in eons...I will share a sneak peek at one of Lydia's 3 month pictures, taken recently by my SIL at MEL Photography (if only she had a website!! *hint*hint* ;) ). More will be coming soon!!



My little Liddy Bird!!



Mother's Day

For the past 4-ish years, Mother's Day has been something that pangs my heart. It only reminded me of what I didn't have, and the loss of my miscarriage 2 years ago.

This year will be different - praise God!

I am looking forward to celebrating Sunday by holding my precious daughter in my arms, kissing her cheeks and enjoying the smell of her skin. I've already told Joe I don't need any gifts -- just holding my Liddy is enough!

And though this Mother's Day will be a time of joyous celebration for us...I can't help but think of Heather.

Last week I created a special mother's day card for her on Shutterfly, using recent pictures of Lydia and writing a little note that was "from Lydia". We included a short greeting as well, thanking her for the gift she's given us and admiring her for her strength, once again.

I had always planned to honor my child's biological mom on Mother's Day, I just never knew how weird it would feel. It definitely wasn't a negative feeling, just kind of surreal. I struggled over what to have Lydia "say" in it, and even what to write myself. I know Heather chose adoption gladly, and was looking to the best interest of Lydia's future...but I still wonder what she will be feeling over the weekend.

If you think of it, would you mind offering up a prayer for her? Just that Sunday would be a special day, and that it wouldn't be filled with sadness, but rather assurance that she's done the right thing, and that her daughter is in good hands.

Have a blessed Mother's Day weekend, friends! :)

Lydia's Story Part V: GOTCHA DAY!!

After a week of dear friends and family asking when our adoption would be final, today was finally THE DAY. April 27th, 2011...the day Lydia would officially become ours.

Needless to say, there have been a butt-load of prayers going on for our sakes! And a good chunk of them have been coming up from our own home, so Joe and I were anxious to get "the call" today!

AT 10:18 am, my phone FINALLY rang - it was Carrie. The first words out of her mouth were, "I have good news!" Before she had finished her sentence, I was laughing and crying at the same time. "Really?! That's awesome! Praise the Lord!" I gasped, and then smiled so huge I seriously thought my skin would split!

She shared with me how Heather had answered all of the questions well, and the judge was satisfied with her answers. And how, after all this time, Lydia was OFFICIALLY OURS. In the words of Carrie, "I'm so glad we persevered!!"

Amen, sister!

We mailed some pictures of Lydia to Carrie so that Heather could have them immediately following the hearing. Carrie said that Heather loved the pictures, and was also happy to have our portfolio to keep - a special keepsake of who Joe and I were before Lydia entered our lives.

After I hung up with Carrie, I grabbed Liddy out of her moses basket, and started dancing and jumping! I hugged her tight to my chest as tears streamed down my face and just kept whispering, "Thank you God! Praise the Lord! Thank you, Jesus!"

Then I remembered I had to tell Joe! Ha! So I wiped my eyes and ran upstairs, bringing Lydia with me. I woke him up and then said, "It's done! She's ours! Heather did it!" Joe groggily grinned - which is the equivalent of jumping up and down for him :) - and said, "Yaaay!!" Then it was back downstairs to call the grandma's and grandpa's and aunties and text a bazillion friends and update my facebook status and blog of course!! haha :)

So there you have it - we are now, OFFICIALLY, parents!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I don't think I've ever praised God so much!! He is AMAZING!!

"My soul exalts the Lord! And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior!

For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave...

For the Mighty One has done great things for me;

And holy is His name.

And His mercy is upon generation after generation

Toward those who fear Him."

Luke 1:46-50

GOTCHA!

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!! He has done GREAT and MARVELOUS things!!

We got the call at 10:18 this morning -- LYDIA IS OURS!!!! FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER!!!!!!!! PRAISE GOD! PRAISE GOD! PRAISE GOD!!

More details to come!

(The second half of the video below is an example of how Liddy and I were dancing around the living room after we got the call!! ;) )