8 Months!

"What are these things on my monkey's feet?"

"Seriously Mom, how many times do I have to sit here with my monkey?"

"I'm really serious!!"


Again, I can't believe how fast another month has gone by. I am sad when I think that in just 4 quick months my baby will be a one year old ~ yikes! It has been so fun to see him learn and do more things this month. He has two teeth on top, making a total of four teeth (2 top and 2 bottom). He is eating solid food twice a day now. Separation and stranger anxiety has kicked in BIG TIME! He gets so excited when Daddy comes home from work. He follows Daddy with his eyes for the rest of the evening if he's not in his arms...so sweet! He has mastered sitting up without assistance, but eventually he gets tired and falls to the side or on his back.
He is attached to his burp cloth; not a particular one, any of them. He likes to hold it and chew on it. Sometimes he lets it just hang out of his mouth, hands free. Speaking of chewing, he loves to chew on wet wash clothes and suck the water out ~ funny boy! One of his favorite things to do is SPLASH and KICK in his rubber ducky bath tub. My boy loves bath time! His other favorite activity is watching Daisy, the cat...watching from the glass door that is, she is NOT allowed in the house. Every time we walk by he squeals and kicks his legs with excitement. So I put his boppy pillow in front of the door and sat him down in it (he can sit up great I just didn't want him to accidentally fall back and hit the wood floor). He sat there watching Daisy for 10 minutes! I couldn't believe it. This is the boy who won't let Mommy out of his sight, but for 10 minutes he didn't care where I was as long as he could see Daisy.


The beloved burp cloth (security blanket)!


Watching Daisy




Play date with best bud Micah Lindsey.


So cute!

Michael's Baby Dedication on Mother's Day

1 Samuel 1:26-28
"I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord."


I am so thankful for my gift from the Lord ~ Michael Addison Richards! What a joy to celebrate this gift on Mother's Day. I shed many tears of joy and was way more emotional on Sunday than I had anticipated. My emotions just overflowed from the build up of childless Mother's days over the years...to finally stand up with all the moms in the congregation, to receive a rose for being a mom, to be wished "Happy Mother's Day," and best of all to hug and love on my child on Mother's Day! Earlier in the week I wrote Brandy (Michael's birth mother) a letter to express my heart and my thankfulness to her for giving me my first Mother's day. She called on Sunday afternoon to wish me a Happy Mother's Day, again the tears flowed.
Adam did a great job honoring and celebrating me. On Friday he came home with flowers and took me out to a wonderful restaurant for dinner(we had a baby sitter). On Sunday I received a card from Michael, a card from Adam and a gift certificate for a one hour in-home massage! Woo-hoo!!

Receiving the charge as Christian parents to raise Michael in the knowledge and wisdom of the Lord from our pastor.

Trying to hold back the tears...tears of joy and gratitude!

Michael's smile makes Mommy smile.

Praying over Michael.

Tickled!!

So Michael and I were in the mall yesterday. Of course people can't help but stop and "ooh and aah" over my precious boy! Well, two ladies (strangers) stopped to look at him. They glanced at me and then at Michael, back at me and then at him again. Then said, "Well my goodness he has his Mommy's eyes!" I admit I loved hearing that and it just absolutely tickled me! I didn't correct them, because he is my son and we do look alike...it wasn't necessary to say, "Yes, well he is adopted..." Instead I smiled and said, "Thank you." It tickles me that my God not only blessed us with a healthy, sweet-natured, beautiful child, but he added the extra touch of having him resemble us. Isn't that just like Him? If you are waiting on something just hold onto to Jesus and wait...the morning is coming! Remember my post from this time last year...

Do you wonder why you have to
Feel the things that hurt you
If there’s a God who loves you where is He now

Maybe there are things you can’t see
And all those things are happening
To bring a better ending

Someday somehow you’ll see you’ll see

Would you dare would you dare to believe
That you still have a reason to sing
Cause the pain that you’ve been feeling
It can’t compare to the joy that’s coming
So hold on you gotta wait for the light
Press on and just fight the good fight
Cause the pain that you’ve been feeling
It’s just the dark before the morning

My friend you know how this all ends
You know where you’re going
You just don’t know how you’ll get there
So say a prayer

And hold on cause there’s good for those who love God
But life is not a snapshot
It might take a little time but you’ll see the bigger picture

Once you feel the weight of glory
All your pain will fade to memory

It’s just the hurt before the healing
Oh the pain that you’ve been feeling
It’s just the dark before the morning



And now look at this year...
I have to admit that I am so looking forward to my first Mother's Day! For the past few years Mother's Day has been the worst day of the year for me...Not being a mother and wanting a child so badly AND my precious mother being in Heaven. It got to the point I couldn't bare to go to church on Mother's Day, just too sad and emotional. But this year I will be CELEBRATING!!!! Praise God for Michael's birth mother and the amazing gift she has given me, my son!
My Mother's Day weekend has already started out great! Play date with friends this morning. Adam brought me flowers when he came home and we have a date night tonight!