Baby Registry Begins

On the eve of our 9th wedding anniversary in November, we began our baby registry!

This is a great picture! Do you realize what is on Eric's head?! I'm pretty sure that is NOT a hat, but it made for some good laughs at the time. :)

Eric had fun using the scanning gun! He did let me scan one or two items, but I had fun watching him have fun. We thought we could just go in Babies R' Us and scan quickly. Ha! What a joke! We had NO idea what we were doing. We scanned all kinds of things we probably don't need and didn't scan things we probably will need. In fact, we didn't even finish our registry. We'll have to go back later to clean up and finish up. When we left the store, we immediately contacted a good friend with a desperate plea for "HELP!" She will accompany us when we go to finish our registry. I must say, it is different scanning items for a baby registry when your tummy has no baby bump and you have no clue when you will even be meeting your baby! That was an overwhelming trip in many ways. Eric and I used to dread going in to baby stores or baby sections of stores. It hurt (especially when shopping for baby shower gifts). This time we were going there to register for our baby! Although we don't know the "due date" for our little one, it was really exciting to finally be picking out baby items . . . even if we didn't register for the right ones. :)

Stroller

Back probably around Novemberish, Eric's dad surprised us with a stroller and car seat combo. This was really a big deal for him. His goal was to find a neutral stroller, and it is for the most part. It is pink and brown plaid and some flowers, but I'm sure our little son or daughter will love it. It is really a nice stroller and was extremely thoughtful. Who knows, maybe Eric's dad knows something we don't . . . maybe it's a girl!

Eric and I had fun putting the stroller together.

Yes, we had to make sure a baby looked good in the stroller! We had to make sure it was safe. :) We used one of the baby dolls left over from hosting the girls. What's really funny is that that baby doll was taken from the baby bed and put in the stroller. Yes, that means I had the baby doll test out the baby bed, too! It's safe! :)

Once we took the stroller for a test ride around the house, we parked it in the corner of the baby's room. Since the bed is the only furniture in the room now, the stroller adds a nice touch to the empty side of the room.

One day that baby doll will be replaced with a real baby! :)

Our Babies in the Meantime

We posted a picture a while ago of our dog Chara. We got Chara as a puppy in April after we found out our first adoption fell through. In August we got Chara a friend, hence his name Philos (Greek for friend - Chara is Greek for joy). Pictured above is Philos.

Chara and Philos certainly keep us busy and entertained. Two puppies under a year old. Who's idea was that?! :)

Due to the timing of getting our dogs, they are extremely spoiled (understatement) and think they are human. They are treated like babies (especially by Mama Erin). :) They like to be held like babies, they like to be wrapped in blankets, they like to cuddle like babies (especially when they are tired), they crave attention like babies, they like their food just so (particularly Chara), and the list goes on and on. We even call them our kids, and Eric is Daddy and Erin is Mommy.

Chara and Philos have certainly grown a lot since we got them. They have also taught us a lot . . . a ton! We had already heard from friends that dogs are great parent-trainers, but we had no idea the extent of that until Philos and Chara came along! I no longer have a problem talking about poop and pee schedules. :) Cleaning up poop, pee, and puke is not so bad anymore, either. (I never thought I would say that!) They really are great dogs. They fight at times like siblings do, but just another good training opportunity for us. :) We did not get dogs for parent training, it just worked out that way. We got dogs because we wanted something little to love on. They certainly get loved on . . . our babies in the meantime.

Is it ever too early to set up a Christmas tree? Is it ever too late to play with baby dolls?

This is me helping get out our Christmas tree . . . in OCTOBER! I know people have already started taking down their Christmas decor, but putting up Christmas decor started early for us. Normally we decorate for Christmas after Thanksgiving. However, this past year's Christmas decorating time frame came with a change.

Why put up a Christmas tree in October? That's a great question. When we met with our case worker in August, she explained that she often feels like Santa Clause. She knows secrets about adoption plans, but has to wait until just the right time to unveil those secrets . . . like Santa Clause at Christmas time. That sparked an idea in our heads. If our case worker is like Santa, let's put up our Christmas tree early. We chose October 24th to set up our Christmas tree because that was the day our portfolios began being distributed. That means that that was the day that our case worker began her role as our "Santa". I know she is not really Santa, but the fun that she has in sharing the news of a great gift makes her feel like she is.

This is Eric finding the cords for the lights. :) Fun job!

Some people might think this is weird, but we don't. We still have two baby dolls and other baby toys left over from when we hosted the girls in our home. We thought it would be fitting to put one of the baby dolls under our Christmas tree, because that will be a very nice present one day. It also served as a prayer reminder.

The tree didn't get decorated until much later - like Thanksgiving break or something - but nonetheless it was up on one of our special mile stone days: the day we became officially paper pregnant!

We considered leaving our Christmas tree up until the completion of our adoption waiting process, but the tree came down on New Year's day. Although the tree went back to the garage storage closet, the baby doll didn't. Where did it go?

The baby doll ended up on the fireplace. As of now, it will remain there as our prayer reminder until a real baby comes to our living room! The center decoration of the mantle says the word faith, so it is fitting to have the baby doll prayer reminder there.

Is it ever too early to set up a Christmas tree? 

Is it ever too late to play with baby dolls? 

We don't think so.

Baby Room: Part 3

Baby toys are starting to make their way to our house already! Between friends and grandparents, we've got a good start. That means I need to get the closet cleaned out so I can move the new toys in. The closet still has toys in it from the girls we previously hosted and were going to adopt.

Here are pictures of the baby's room so far. If you didn't read the "Baby Room: Part 2" post, you'll have to go back and check it out. I took the wall decor that I made and put it in cherry frames that match the bed.

These wall shelves used to be in our living room, but they fit better in the baby's room. I'm not sure yet what I will put in the frame. The wooden boxes still need to be painted, but that's good because a baby room project is good for me. I actually happened upon these boxes at Michael's one day. Not a bad deal for about 25 cents a piece! :) I love a good deal! They go well with the baby block letters on the other wall art.

For now there's not much more I can do to our baby's room as far as decorating. The empty space in the room will later be filled with a changing table and of course a rocker/glider. I would like to get the matching curtains, too, but baby showers will come soon enough. Patience. God loves to teach us patience! :) It certainly grows our faith. Of course, the biggest part missing from the room is the baby! The baby will be just the right finishing touch! 

Eric's Sermon . . . and an Unexpected Blessing

Eric's Sermon
Yesterday Eric had the privilege of bringing God's Word to our church congregation. What an exciting way to begin the new year! Our pastor asked Eric to preach for him, so Eric greatly welcomed that opportunity! You'll never guess what God laid upon his heart to preach about . . . ADOPTION! Our pastor just concluded a series on the cross and the cradle, highlighting important parts of Jesus' time from birth to the cross. Jesus was so much more than a baby or a man or a good teacher . . . He was and is and is to come - the forever King of Kings! What better way to follow up that series than to speak about what God says about our adoption as His sons and daughters! God adopted us, and for that I am eternally grateful!

LISTEN TO ERIC'S SERMON BY CLICKING HERE.
Sermon title: A New Way of Thinking

An Unexpected Blessing
At the end of the service, Eric and I were blessed with an unexpected prayer time. Pastor Perry came to the front of the sanctuary for his closing service remarks. Yesterday his remarks were different than we are used to. This time he mentioned to the congregation that Eric and I are adopting, and he invited our church family to join him in praying for our adoption - the illustration of what God did for us. He didn't stop there. Pastor Perry called us up front and had the church family come to the front and pray over us in regards to our adoption journey. This was really special. Eric did not preach about adoption to bring awareness to our adoption; he was genuinely preaching about our spiritual adoption - the topic and Scripture passage God impressed upon his heart.

This prayer time was so powerful. Having our church family support us in prayer means so much! We know God has big plans for our adoption journey, but with a prayer time like yesterday's, we can't expect anything less than God to have big plans for our adoption journey! Adoptive parents are not the only one's on an adoption journey. The birth parents, the birth parents' families, the case workers, the adoption agency, our families, us, our support system, you, and our church family. During the prayer, Pastor Perry prayed for our birth mom. That part of the prayer meant so much. Many people forget about the birth mom in situations like this, but she is such a special person! God has plans for her life, too! God loves her, too! I was telling Eric that I felt SO close and connected to our birth mom during that prayer yesterday. I have no idea who she is, but I love her and care for her so much! I feel like I already know her. That's what prayer can do. Prayer connects people in ways that nothing else can! Prayer is powerful! I can't wait to see how God answers the prayers of His people! 

Happy New Year! Welcome 2012!

It's hard to believe that it is 2012, yet at the same time we welcome 2012 with open arms and a breath of fresh air. 2011 was a tough year for us in many ways, so we are excited for the opportunity of a fresh start - a new beginning. We are looking forward to what God has in store for this new year . . . hopefully a child (but God's timing is perfect no matter what)!

Here are some of our adoption prayers for this new year:
- Pray for the birth parents (not just the ones of our child, but for all the birth parents) - pray that God will work in their hearts and lead them to Him or grown them closer to Him. Several birth moms are due at the start of the year, so pray for safe deliveries, God's protection, and God's healing hand upon their hearts.
- Pray for our future child.
- Pray that we will patiently wait for God's perfect timing.
- Pray we will enjoy that moments we're in and not try to rush something we're not in control of anyways.
- Pray for God's financial provisions for our adoption.
- Pray for the Covenant Care case workers and staff.
- Most importantly, pray that God will receive the glory no matter what the circumstances may be.

This year we are more thankful than ever for people like you who choose to read our blog, pray for us, and support us in this adoption journey. You're appreciated! Happy New Year!