TWINS: THREE MONTHS OLD

The twins have arrived at the big 3.  3 months that is.  It is always hard to believe how quickly time has gone.  I can't believe they are already this old, and yet, it feels as if they have been in our family for much longer.  Funny how that works.  (Here's 1 Month : 2 Months)

So, here are some of the world's cutest three month olds ever.  And I mean ever.

Their little expressions totally crack me up - especially William's.  He is the man of many faces, while Violet seems so nonplussed about pretty much everything.

What are they up to at three months old?  Not a whole lot, to be honest.  Three month olds generally do a lot of lying around, eating, pooping and growing.  Thankfully, they are doing all of that well.  It has gotten to the point where we can no longer put both of them in the same bouncy seat to feed at the same time.  While their ever-improving neck control is right on track developmentally, it makes them slightly harder to feed.  John says it is like a carnival game that you don't feel like playing in the middle of the night.

Speaking of the night - we generally do a late feed (between 10-11) and then feed them once during the middle of the night (anytime between 3-5).  We were just talking this morning about how we need to get slightly more disciplined with when we feed them, but since there are two babies, we have been more relaxed about it all this time around.  I am hoping that we can all get this figured out to be slightly more scheduled, but the reality is, I have only enough energy for certain things.  This may or may not make the cut.  They still sleep in our room, but we will be transitioning them to their nursery soon.

As babies go, they are both fairly easy going, which is such a blessing.  I don't take it for granted, especially in the midst of everything we usually have going.  Both are starting to smile a tiny bit.  It is still not super often, but it is so fun when they do.  They have also started going to the nursery at church, and everyone says they do really well!

Here's William -

As a general rule, if a baby is going to fuss, it is more likely to be William.  He is a little snuggle-bug who loves to be held.  He hates to have his feet uncovered, though he is quite prolific at kicking the blanket off of his feet.  Having a boy is such a fun, new experience.  It is so strange to not put a bow on a baby - though I am sure he is grateful for that.  He likes his paci, and he seems to really like all of his sisters.  Bless him.

Here's Violet -

Violet really is a sweet girl.  She is go with the flow, until she gets hungry - and then it better be all hands on deck.  She loves to be swaddled and loves her paci.  The girls wish they could match Violet's clothes every day, but sadly, that will have to wait a while.  She is mesmerized by people's faces and lights.  We are really enjoying the glimpses we are getting into her personality.

Our sweet twins really are such a delight.  Neither John nor myself are big newborn people, so each month that goes by means we enjoy them even more.  We are not at all wishing time away, but it just gets so much more fun.




We are so thankful that the Lord chose us to be with them.  I can't wait to see what all he has in store for us!  Happy 3 months, Violet and William!

HIGHS & LOWS: THIS WEEK

It's been a pretty run of the mill week around here.  I feel like I am getting less and less accomplished each day, and strangely, I am mostly okay with that.  I am keeping four little humans alive and *mostly* happy.  There are times when they are all crying, and that can be a little daunting, but much of the time, they are happy, which I am so thankful for.  Here are the highs and lows from this week.

High:  The staff at Target agreeing that I could not possibly be 32 and have four children and saying they would have guessed I was 21.  Bless their souls.  I wanted to kiss them.  Funny - I certainly don't feel 21, and I laugh to think that 21 year old Carol had no freaking clue what 32 year old Carol would be up to.  Let's just say her mind would have been sufficiently blown.

Low:  Hurricane Bella is full force up in here.  John pointed out today that she is better than having garage sales, because she breaks so much stuff that we are certainly cleaning house and getting rid of it.

High:  Realizing that Bella is quite conversational, especially for a two year old.  When I finish working out with my class, she will politely ask, "Did you have fun in the gym, mama?"  She is also very complimentary.  I found her rubbing my legs this week as she said, "Your legs are so 'toft', Mom.  I really like your 'toft' legs."  Sweet girl.

High:  Having our dear Becci come and visit.  It is always wonderful to have someone else around that I can depend on not to cry at the drop of the hat.  Plus, it gave me a great excuse to make cinnamon rolls.



Low:  I can't quit eating the cinnamon rolls.  I need to give the rest away ASAP.  Any takers?



High:  Last night our church's blossoming orphan ministry held a dinner for adoptive and foster families.  It offered free food and free childcare, so naturally, we signed right up.  It was a really wonderful night connecting with other families in our church that are walking similar paths as ours.  Or much crazier paths than ours, like the family that we sat with that adopted a sibling set of 7 that they added to their biological set of 3, and there is a one on the way!  I asked many questions about their day to day life and sat in awe of how it all works.  They are my heroes.

High:  I got to browse through an antique store this week looking for stuff for the nursery.  There is always such interesting stuff, and the babies slept right through it.  Plus, I found a globe to add to the collection.

Low:  Both babies had what seemed to be a slight cold this week.  It is better now, but they wanted to be held more, especially William.  They also ate less.  However, their appetite is back in full force, which is great!

High:  Kissing the twins' cheeks.  They are all cheek, and it makes me want to eat them up!  Yummy twins.



High:  John and I have been watching the Tour de France, since we have had more time sitting on the couch holding babies.  We are hooked.  Those guys are the boss.  I mean, seriously, it is amazing.  I am quite certain that I could not bike up any of those hills.

Low:  Speaking of me being a wuss, I went to "boot camp" class today, and I feel certain that if anyone had been watching from above, I would be the one they would pick out and say, "That girl does not belong.  She cannot do any of it right.  Poor girl.  She should just go hide."  That's how I felt anyway.

Well, we are looking forward to a nice weekend, and hopefully, I will finish out the nursery!  It is getting really close, and I really like the way it is coming together.  Happy Friday to you all!

BLESSED ASSURANCE

I feel extraordinarily privileged to be someone that follows Christ.  I became a Christian when I was very young, thanks to my parents influence and God's ultimate grace in my life, and I don't remember life before thinking of Jesus as my Savior.  I've not had a perfect life path, nor always an easy one, but I can look back over my life and see the Lord's hand in it in so many ways.

As an adult, I am amazed at the ways that God has worked in my life.  He has done things that I could never have imagined in it.  A dear friend came to visit us for a day, and at dinner last night we were reflecting about all that the last eight years have brought.  This friend knew us well in college and probably deserves a post all to herself for the many roles that she played in our lives and even in our relationship coming to fruition - another story for another time.  I've written before about how we came to be a part of CFA, and that is a pretty amazing God story.  Any time things are challenging or we feel at a loss, we can always look back and know that only God could have put us exactly where we are.  It was not for our cleverness or charm, but it was what God had for us.

I LOVE knowing something beyond a shadow of a doubt, and when God writes the story instead of us coming up with it, we can trust in what the story brings - both good and bad, because in the end, it will all be for God's greater glory and our good.

I can already see that this adoption adventure is much the same way.  Anytime I reflect back on how this story has unfolded, I am still left in open-mouthed shock about how it came about.  How just the right person heard about the twins at just the right time and thought of us.  How Gran Gran was praying and fighting on behalf of these children that would become ours.  How God placed them in our family just days after they were born.  All miracles.  Undeniably God's hand making us a forever family.

But that doesn't mean that this road will be or has been without its bumps.  Fear and anxiety have funny ways of lurking and creeping into places they were never meant to be.  I am not a fearful person by nature, nor a worrier, but there are unknowns about all we are getting into.  Which is true in all of parenting, whether the children are biological or adopted - but the stakes are raised a bit with adoption.  It throws another curve ball into everything.  There are different hoops to jump through.

I'll share one small example of how this has played out for me already.  Both babies have been growing and developing really well.  However, they have been a bit behind on the smiling front, which has made me sad.  I love getting that connected feedback from a tiny baby, and to have it missing, at an age when it *should* be there has been worrying.  Your mind can go all kinds of places when there is any kind of delay.  And it has caused me to realize all over again that I do not hold the future of my children in my hands.  Not even a little bit.  I cannot force them to do anything, nor can I see how things will turn out.

The doctor did confirm that they were behind and said that if that were still the case at four months, then we would start some kind of therapy.  I can't even imagine what "smile therapy" for four month olds looks like.  So, I've been praying for smiles, especially from Violet who seems so very serious.  Just last night, we got some very sweet smiles from her, and my eyes filled with tears as I cheered her on.



I'm hopeful that this will not be an isolated incident, and I rejoiced in the joy of a prayer heard and answered.  But even if she had never smiled or never smiles again, I know that God knows exactly what he is up to.  Violet and I need each other for reasons that God knows, and I am looking forward to a journey that will be blessed by him because he forged it.  I am so thankful for the blessed assurance of being a child of the one true King and what a privilege it is to know that he is caring for us, in things both big and small, always for his glory and our good.  He is so great, and I am so thankful.

HURRICANE BELLA

A little Google research indicates that Hurricane Bella came through in 1991, only ever reached a category 2 storm and did no damage, since it didn't make landfall.  Also - it was off the coast of Australia.  I wish I could say the same for the Hurricane Bella that lives in our home.  She is like King Midas - except that instead of turning anything she touches into gold, it seems as if anything Bella touches is likely to be destroyed.  I know that sounds extreme, but since I am living it right now - I don't think you get to make that judgement call.

Now, I remember that at this age, Lily made messes.  And she still does.  However, Lily's messes were more organized and much less focused on utter destruction.  Bella takes messes to a new extreme, and it feels impossible to keep up with them.  I know I showed pictures of how I found her after several naps last week, and the very nap after I had written that post, this is what I went in to find.

Since I had nothing else on my agenda but to clean crayon off of the wall, I was delighted.  Naturally.

Yesterday morning, we had a nice little scare when John looked at Bella's pjs as she climbed into our bed and was horrified to think that there was blood all over the back of them.  But she didn't seem to be hurt.  Upon closer inspection, we realized that she had slept with an open marker.

Yesterday afternoon, I found this waiting on me after nap time.

Toilet paper was everywhere, including the toilet, and Bella was holding a toilet brush that she may or may not have licked.  I feel like I am stuck in a terrible holding pattern, because I really value the downtime I get every afternoon while the girls have their quiet times.  However, lately, it has been resulting in such disasters that require a lot of extra work that it seems less worth it.  I do make her pick up, but somethings can never be put right again.  Like the piggy banks she smashed a couple of weeks ago.

This morning, I spent a lot of extra time picking up the room, re-sorting clothing and cleaning out the hidey-hole mess that was Bella's bed.  This is just a smattering of what I found in and around it.  I had already cleaned out the confetti style torn paper that was everywhere.



Today, Bella and I had a pep talk about what was allowed during nap time and what wasn't.  She seemed to be bought into the plan, and I have been back there once to find that she has not tried to leave her room today or climb onto the furniture.  I can only take it a day at a time, and I can continue to take away things that she can be extra destructive with - i.e. any writing device.

On the bright side, Bella is one of the sweetest children imaginable when she chooses that outlet for her energy.  She loves fiercely, and her personality is especially winning.  I am very much anticipating the way all of this will coalesce as she matures.  She is certainly a busy little person, and once it can be channeled more appropriately, I have a feeling that very little could stand in Bella's way.  Hurricane Bella will be a beautiful force to be reckoned with someday, and I am praying the Lord will get a hold of her at a young age.



So, day by day, I remind myself that it won't be like this for long.  Before I know it, I will be looking back at this blog post and wondering what happened to that little person.  And I have to spend a lot of time praying for grace and patience in the meantime.