Baby Steps

Isaac is walking all over us! :) Look how much progress he's made in one week......

Nine Months!

Two Toofs!

Isaac now has two teeth! Here is my attempt to provide photographic evidence .... poor kid! :( You can barely see them on the last shot. I'll try again when they are through a bit more.

First Steps!

A Stroll Around The Lake

Spirit of Adoption

"You should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God's very own children, adopted into his family-calling him "Father, dear Father". Romans 8:15

I have enjoyed following my friend Sherri's journey of adopting her daughter Sophie from China. Sherri has been very open about the difficulties Sophie is having transitioning from an orphan to a welcomed member in a family. She is fearful and sad, misses her nannies from the orphanage, and has been resistant to the love her new mother so desperately wants to give her. I can't help but see how this experience parallels the journey that many of us follow as we find our places as children of God.

Recently a friend and I were discussing the scripture "perfect love casts out all fear". She said she really didn't understand what that meant. There have been times that I didn't understand it either, but after many experiences directly related to needing and comprehending the love of God, I am learning. I'm learning that knowing the love of God, having experiential knowledge of the love of God, chases out the fear in your life. I don't think love and fear can cohabit. It's one or the other. The places in my life that I am fearful, I do not know God's love.

So it is with Sophie. She is afraid because she doesn't know, understand, and comprehend the fact that her new family loves her desperately and only wants what is best for her. Sherri described it perfectly "Sophie does not understand the blessings that are now in her life". She was abandoned in a Chinese hospital and doesn't yet feel comfortable in a loving American home. She forsakes her mother's welcoming embrace to sit in her stroller. Her beautiful princess room waits while she sleeps on the floor.

Spiritually and emotionally, I lived like this for a long time! Years and years of abandonment and abuse from authority resulted in an "orphan spirit" that took root in my heart. (You can learn more about the orphan spirit at http://www.shilohplace.org/). It's where you live your life like you don't have a home. It's a life of fear and independence, because you don't feel safe and "at home" in the Father's love. You don't understand that you belong to God and are welcomed into His heart. Everything in your life filters through this belief system, affecting your decisions, your relationships, your understanding of God.....

I am blessed to testify that God's love penetrated my broken heart and while I still have areas of my life that need healing, I do know the love of a Father and it is so liberating! I feel adopted. I trust His love. I know He won't hurt me. I depend on His presence and have faith that he will never abandon me. I've traded my stroller for strong fatherly embraces, and the floor for a princess bed in a heavenly castle.

I know Sophie will make it too.

First Tooth!

Isaac got his first tooth today!

Since he was four months old, we've blamed the drooling/fussy/chewing on stuff phases on teething. We've done homeopathic teething drops, Baby Oragel, frozen teething rings, and knobby toys. We attributed his crankiness to what we were sure were impending tooth eruptions. Boy do we feel sheepish. All the false alarms, and now the real thing pops up under the cover of night without any fuss. I wouldn't have even known to look for it, except I felt the spoon scrape across Isaac's gum when I fed him breakfast.

We've been celebrating the tooth all day. All five of us want a peek at the pearly white, but Isaac is being pretty stingy about showing it off. When I try to look in his mouth, he clamps his lips together tight. Maybe it's a little sore. I told him it's okay, we'll wait patiently til he is sleeping, then we can look at the tooth and rub it all we want! Will post a pic when I can get a good shot.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Spoon Cam

The Twin Towers

9-11. I remember that morning so clearly. I was living in Winder, Ga and was in the middle of choreographing a dance for a friend's wedding reception that weekend (do you remember where you were? what you were doing?). Bo was home because he worked evening shift and summoned me to the playroom to see the news. I saw the second plane hit the second tower. I left heavy-hearted for a ballet class, and we all were so subdued. I remember crying and praying and feeling that as bad as it was, it could have been a lot worse. I love hearing the stories about people who were supposed to be in the towers, but were delayed or absent for different reasons, like the guy who spilled coffee on his shirt and ran home to change.

Noah learned about 9/11 in kindergarten today. Here is the story from a five year old's point of view......

I feel your pain....

Isaac had his nine month check up. Now that he is in day care, he is exposed to more things so I decided to begin his immunizations. His doctor has been patient with me about delaying vaccines and she was very pleased. He got the first round of shots, five shots. I got one shot. Not on purpose, though. Two nurses were one either side of the baby, sticking each leg at the same time. In the commotion of all the injections from them and the comforting from me, my arm entered the direct path of Isaac's needle. The nurse apologized and gave me a Dora band-aid.

Then we go to the lab for a blood draw. Yikes! Two more nurses, holding Isaac's arm down, while they collect blood for a lead test. He screamed to high heavens while I kissed his angry red tear-streaked face.

We were ready to get out of there! Enough with the needles! Isaac was asleep before we made it home. Poor baby. Poor mommy.

Time for school.....

Isaac started "preschool". They call it preschool, even though he is in the baby room. He goes twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's a good opportunity for me to have some kid-free time. I've always done a Mother's Morning Out when my babies got to be about six months, but Joshua, Caleb, and Noah only went one day a week.

So, I feel a little guilty that I'm leaving him so much but he loves it. He plays with the other babies and the teachers think he's adorable and such a good baby. He won't take his bottle there so I send his baby food and cup and that works. He also doesn't like to nap in a strange crib so the teachers put him in the swing.



He wears his backpack to preschool. He has to carry his own diaper and baby food on his back. I think he looks so cute......

Congratulations!!!!

My friend Sherri picked up her new daughter in China yesterday. Labor Day. How appropriate, as adoption is indeed a labor of love. Hear the "China Roses" music playing??? That's for you, Sophie! The little China Rose. The sweet Asian princess!


Here are Rick and Sherri, becoming parents to Sophie.

Sophie is having some trouble adjusting to her new parents! I know it must be confusing for her, as the orphanage and her nannies are all that she's known. Please pray for an easy transition. She has however, really taken to her fourteen year old brother Justin (which I think is soooooo sweet!). He is the only one who she will let hold her!

Sherri, it was great wisdom for you to bring him with you to China!!!!! Justin is the hero!

Congratulations to the Peak Family!

I can't wait to meet Sophie in person.

I bless her in Jesus' name.