Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone.

Hope it's a hoot!

BWE-5 months

A week late, but who's counting??

I feel like I say this every month, but this was a month of firsts and not all pleasant ones.  You definitely enjoy eating baby food...a lot.  So far you have had (and thoroughly enjoyed) green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, squash, and carrots.  You make happy eating noises the whole time you eat.  You don't seem to have a preference...I mean, son, you suck the food off of the spoon as soon as it hits your lips!

We did have 9 days of unpleasantness, a.k.a. the stomach virus.  Bless your heart, we didn't even know it was a virus until it was almost over.  We just assumed the crazy poop was from the new foods you were devouring.  When you were only eating 2 ounce bottles, we called the doctor (because mommy totally freaked out and thought it wouldn't be long before you were in the hospital on an I.V. because you were dehydrated!) and he told us that it sounded like a stomach virus.  He told us to continue to feed you what you would take, and as long as your mouth was still wet and you still had wet diapers, we just had to wait it out.  

You are loving your Baby Einstein entertainment station.  I remember making that purchase and thinking it would be forever before you were in it and figuring out how to make all of the parts move.  I can't believe that day is here.  You can also pull a toy that vibrates all by yourself (mommy used to have to do it for you, but not anymore).  You are enjoying books, especially one's that have different textures on the pages.  However, you will rub the pages of any old book.  You like to be in the Jumperoo, but your feet don't touch the floor so mommy has to help you bounce and she will only do it for a little while because she is afraid your feet will fall asleep.  

You are doing better traveling in the car.  You made a trip to Raleigh to see Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Paulie right before Grace was born, and you were a dream...in the car.  You DO NOT sleep well away from home, but Mommy and Daddy are willing to endure some sleepless nights to maintain their sanity because we need to see our friends!  You always make your sleep up in the car and during your naps.  

Speaking of sleep, we are still working on this (I'm starting to think that we will always be working on this).  You had some congestion so I started rocking you to sleep again because crying just made it worse.  About the time you were getting over that, the stomach virus came and you were pooping in your bed almost every night, which quickly lead to at least one feeding (sometimes more) in the middle of the night because if you would eat, I would feed you.  You are well (for the time being) so it is back to putting yourself to sleep.  You haven't slept all of the way through the night in a long time, but we are slowly building back up to it.  

This biggest thing this month was the finalization of your adoption.  We are officially a family, but you have always been destined to be an "Edwards".  We wouldn't be the same without you and we thank God for choosing us to be your parents every day.  What a blessing you have been and just your presence alone has increased and stretched mommy's faith and trust in God.  

 5 months...already

reading about colors

 looking at the lights in The Cheesecake Factory...mommy didn't make it to this restaurant until she was in her late 20's and you have already been there twice!

listening to the animal sounds

Pinterest craft

I have really enjoyed finding do-able crafts on Pinterest that are not too expensive.  I decided I should actually try to do one (crazy idea, right).  Well I did and it was a great success.

I made a Christmas card garland using these instructions, which are very detailed.  I am going to give the short version, and you can see that I didn't do everything they did.

First, I found paint to match some sticky-backed scrapbook paper that I already had.  Then I painted some wooden clothespins. 

Next, I traced a clothespin over and over on the back of the sticky-backed scrapbook paper

 And cut out the strips.  Then I peeled off the backing and stuck them to the clothes pins.

Finally, I gave each clothes pin a good slathering of Mod Podge.  Oh how I love Mod Podge.

Now those are some fancy clothes pins.  All I have to do now I cut a pretty piece of ribbon to drape over a doorway in our house and we are ready for those Christmas cards to come rolling in!

Apple Dumplings

It is the time of year for all things apple.

I came across this recipe for apple dumplings on Leigh's recipe blog.

I made them last night when we had some friends over for dinner.  These are the comments that I heard:

-"This is what we will eat in heaven."

-"Oh...my...goodness"

-"I am ready for another one."

When I told the family that I would send some home with them, I heard this:

-"I'm eating them for breakfast."
-"No you're not...I am taking them to work with me."
-"Uh, that's not fair."

Let's just say, I got a reminder that we are having Mom 2 Mom tonight at church, and I happily replied that I would bring a dessert.  I am whipping up another batch as we speak.

*Side note:  The recipe calls for Granny Smith apples, but I just used what I had, and the dumplings were still divine.

Apples and Hay Rides and Friends...Oh, my!

As soon as we were done at the courthouse on Friday, we jumped in the car and went to see the Burleys.  We relaxed on Friday night so that we could head out Saturday morning to the apple orchard. Going to an apple orchard has to be one of my favorite fall activities.

 We saw some baby pigs.

 Daddy and Beck watching people feed the pigs.

 Family pic in front of the pumpkin patch.

 Signature Beck face...the sideways smile

 Taking a rest on Daddy

 Ella and Jason

 Camryn...minus two teeth

 So happy!

 On the hayride around the orchard with a harmonica-playing, instruction-rhyming, coonskin hat-wearing driver/tour guide...it was entertaining for sure.

 Over 2 feet tall this fall, if you count his curly mohawk.

 The whole gang!

 I love these kiddos...wouldn't trade them for all the tea in China!

sweetness...perfect end to a fun day at the orchard with some of my favorite people.

It's official

We finalized Beck's adoption on Friday.  Yay!  

I don't really feel different because I felt like this step was totally just procedure.  In my mind, we were official before we were...well...anything.  God has had this family designed before we all knew anything about each other.  God is so awesome!  Yay for Him!  

Back to the court stuff...it lasted about 15 minutes.  In fact, we waited outside of the courtroom longer than we were in the courtroom.  Our lawyer asked us questions we already knew the answers to (what is your name, how long have you been married, do you want the court to grant this adoption) just to get it on the record.  Then Beck's guardian ad litem told us that from here on out, we were his parents.  It was our responsibility to make sure all of his needs were met.  The judge was definitely excited.  His last name was Edwards and two different times during the proceedings he said, "So glad to be adding another Edwards to the family!"

We are glad that everything is wrapped up and that Beck made it through the whole thing without a melt-down.  Poor guy didn't get his morning nap and our time to be in the courtroom coincided with one of his feedings.  He was definitely a trooper!

 Beck and Jeff waiting for our turn.  He was so sleepy, and yet, so snazzy!

 Our lawyer, Jeff, Beck, and Beck's "lawyer" (guardian ad litem)

 The fam that was present with the judge: Jeff, Beck, SE, Judge Edwards, Gigi, Aunt Meredith, Uncle Jon

 One little happy family!

 Getting some love from Aunt Meredith and Uncle Jon

 And of course, Gigi!

Last, but not least, our lovely cake waiting on us at the Burley's house...more to come on that!

Fall Art

I enjoy crafts.  I wouldn't say I am awesome at them or that I successfully make what I set out to make all of the time, but I enjoy them.  That is my disclaimer for the quality of this "piece of art".

I decided that I would like to make something to hang on our wall for each season.  We don't have tons of surfaces in our den/kitchen to decorate with seasonal items so something to hang on the wall that we could switch out each month would be ideal.  Then I saw a sweet little painting of a Christmas tree that was made using a child's feet.  What a cute way to create a memorable and decorative piece!  I knew that I had to involve Beck in this project because it would make each piece much more meaningful for us as a family.

It is October and time for pumpkins, so I decided to paint a pumpkin-y scene for our first piece of art. There's no beating around the bush on this one....I stripped Beck naked, slathered some orange paint on his [clean] bottom, and plopped it down right in the middle of the canvas.

Then I used more orange paint to make it look more like a pumpkin.  I added another little pumpkin beside to help cover up the smudge from his painted leg hitting the canvas.  I painted grass and stems on the pumpkins, used this fantastic little device called a dauber (that short piece of wood with a sponge on the end down there near the "h") to paint the words, and voila!  

I'm sure that most people wouldn't pay good money for it, but to me, it is priceless.  When the paint dries, I am going to put the date and how it was created on the back of the canvas.

And now, for the cutest little pumpkin you have ever seen!

He's on a roll

 I think I can...

 I think I can...

 I think I can...

and 2 days later...

*photo taken as soon as the roll was completed.

Side Note: as soon as he rolled, I pulled out the Jumperoo and started putting it together because I need somewhere to put him now so I can go to the restroom with peace of mind.

On my mind

1. I started a study on the books of Philippians and Colossians.  Paul is such a cool guy.  He has, however, made me ask myself lots of questions.  I love how Paul is so consumed with his calling to share the gospel.  He is told to go and he goes.  I don't feel like God is calling me to go to Macedonia.  I do feel like God is telling me to get a backbone and really speak up for what I believe.  I find myself in the midst of people who say they are "believers" but they look and act just like nonbelievers, and I include myself in this group.  What's worse is these "believers" (again, myself included) are being watched by nonbelievers, and I feel like I can read their minds.  "Those Christians look and act just like me.  They handle their problems, joys, worries just like I do so I guess I am doing okay."  No!  You are not okay!  You need Jesus!  I want to live out my faith with Paul's passion.  I want people to see me and know there is something different about me because I have a creator who loves me, who has a divine plan for me, who made me for His glory, who prepared a place for me to live for all eternity, who wants what is good for me.  And he did/can do those same things for you too!  I want people to see what I have and find it so attractive that they cannot just brush it off.  They find it so attractive that they seek it out with everything they have.

2. I had a first last night that I hoped I would never have, but I expected to have it.  It was about Beck's race.  I am totally okay with the fact that Beck is biracial (BM is Caucasian, BF is African-American) and that Jeff and I are not.  We think he is beautiful, perfect, "fearfully and wonderfully made", you get the point.  Here's the gist of what happened: some of my friends were showing pictures of Beck to some of their friends and family members (not with me around), and they were making excuses for his race.  One of them just told the people who saw the picture that Beck was really tan.  The other one told people he was "a little bit Mexican". What??   It totally caught me off guard as they were telling me about it or I would have spoken up immediately.  I don't know the exact words I would say, but I would make it very clear that we are not ashamed of Beck and we would never want him to be either.  He is who he is and we wouldn't have it any other way.