Tag: Grace Page 15 of 20

So yesterday we learned Rule #47 in raising children: Getting two children to cooperate in a photo shoot is 10 times harder than one child. But anyway, here we go….

Grace is a great big sister. When Josiah cries, she says, “Don’t cry, Sweetie. I’m right here!” And then she says, “I’ll get you a spoon!” For some reason, she’s convinced that will make him stop crying. And sometimes it actually works.

Our lil’ guy.

The doctor confirmed he is indeed little. Below the 5th percentile actually. But we are fattening him up!

The shirt says it all! (Thanks, Mom!)

Making a variety of noises with finger and mouth is one of his favorite things to do…this must be a boy thing? Preparing for all those car and truck and helicopter noises.

Clapping

Cutie!

Double cuties.

The other day I had strapped Josiah in the high chair at lunch time, then ran into the back of the house for a moment. When I came back, Grace was feeding Josiah unbaked cookie dough with a spoon. Ummm…Mommy’s little helper?!

“This is my brother Messiah!” she proudly tells everyone. The other day I was letting her watch part of the Jesus film for children. “Mommy, they are talking about Messiah!” she told me excitedly while pointing to her brother.

I was reading something to Grace about Jesus recently, and this is what she said:

Grace: Jesus loves Gwacie!

Mommy: Yep, you’re right.

Grace: Yes, and he will come to my house, and give me hugs, and give me lots of pwesents!

Hmmm. I guess we need to work more on the theology of Jesus.

But there is a reason that Grace associates “love” with “coming to my house, hugs, and presents.” During the last two months, we’ve had the Pearsons, Pastor Kevin, Bibi and Babu, the Hillside team of 9, Kristen, Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Brandon visit us. Not to mention Josiah, Christa, and Lotta–students who recently stayed with us.

Welcome to the Medina B & B. You’re guaranteed at least a mattress on the floor but we might make you cook your own breakfast.

Bibi and Babu (my parents) brought Grace all kinds of dress-up clothes. So you know what that means….especially since my Dad is into photography too…time for another photo shoot! There were so many cute ones this time that I really had a hard time choosing some to post. But here you go…

Grace, age 2 and 1/2

No, that is not my baby with Grace. (Silly people! That baby doesn’t look anything like me!) That is Baby Amy, Esta’s daughter, whom she has been bringing to work with her. Grace is enchanted by Baby Amy and smothers her with kisses every day.

But I can’t wait for the day when there are two children in my family pictures (or three…or four…) And the last few days have been discouraging in that department.

Once again, we are waiting…and waiting…for our adoption of a baby boy. I have been waiting for a month now for the regional social worker to write a letter to International Social Services. Every time I call her she tells me, “Next week.” That’s happened for about 5 weeks now. I contacted our lawyer for advice today, and she said that sadly, the social welfare office seems totally unmotivated to help anyone with adoptions right now. One family has already been waiting 18 months to get approved–which is the longest anyone has waited so far.

This was discouraging for me, since I was hoping that we’d have our baby boy this summer. I am not giving up….last week I brought cookies to the social worker, and she’ll be back in the office next Wednesday so Grace and I will bring her more cookies. But, today I also started making some serious inquiries into international adoption from other countries. Gil and I have talked about this for a long time, and were going to wait until after we got our boy, but decided that considering the circumstances we should start now.

That is daunting too. The process is so long…so involved…so expensive…and even more so for a family trying to adopt internationally who is not living in the U.S. So many orphans in the world…and it’s so hard to bring them home.

But…I take a deep breath…and here I go.