This year has been a different kind of Christmas for us this year.  We spent most of December far away from "home," this is Millie Janalee's first real Christmas experience where she's really into everything, and we definitely cut back on gifts this year.  Smith was our best gift, and we are sharing that with our loved ones.  Everyone can be a part of our adoption fees.  Ha!  I didn't go out and shop at. all!  I did all my shopping online and on a budget.  I LOVE LOVE giving Christmas gifts!  I love shopping for others.  It is fun for me and I just enjoy it.  This Christmas has been more about making memories for us.  Millie Janalee and I decided we could make a memory and give handmade gifts for some of our favorite people.

So we attempted salt dough ornaments.  And it was a success.  Other than the part where I sent Russ to the couch to destress.  Lol!  I'm obviously the one who got the "elementary teacher genes."  Millie Janalee basically spent lots of time trying to eat the salt dough...she pretty much thought we were baking cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup warm water

Directions:

1.  Mix salt and flour together.

2.  Slowly stir in warm water.  Mix and knead until it forms a dough the consistency of pie dough.

3.  For fun, add food coloring and glitter of your choice during the kneading process.

4.  Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out on a floured surface.  Press handprints, footprints, or make shapes with cookie cutters as you want.

5.  Frequently visit and talk to the bitty helpers in the kitchen too!

 6.  Use a straw or something to poke holes in the ornaments for the ribbon to hang on the tree.  Bake ornaments on 250 degrees for 4 hours - or until completely dry.

7.  Get ready to decorate!  We used Crayola washable glitter paint, but you could use acrylic paint or whatever you choose.  I read that acrylic paint holds the color best, but I didn't want acrylic paint all over everything.  Ha!

8.  String ribbon through and hang on the tree!  Or wrap as gifts.

Memories and gifts made.  All in one!

R is for...

Since Smith's arrival, Millie Janalee and I have put our BFIAR activities on hold.  But that doesn't mean I can't bring them out when it seems appropriate!  Ha!  I can't help it.  It's the teacher engrained in me.  Over Christmas, Millie Janalee and i have actually gotten several projects completed.  I am so happy I was able to make these memories with my sweet girl!

Millie Janalee loves to paint, so of course I pulled out the paint on a few different occasions.  I don't have every project pictured since she gave some as gifts, but these are enough to give you an idea.

R is for Rudolph!

R is for red bow!

Millie Janalee and Smith have been such a joy this Christmas season!  It is so fun for me to dress them in sweet Christmas pajamas and just watch them love each other.  Millie Janalee has such a kind heart, and she has yet to tire of her "baby bruvver." I love her big sister heart!

We have continued our Christmas readings, and Millie Janalee has loved every night of it!  She has also gotten quite skilled at opening gifts.  Possibly even opening a few under the tree unsupervised.  Ahem.  Ha!

R is for reading!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  This Christmas is certainly the best to date!

Merry Merry!

As Christmas Eve Eve ends, I'm getting more excited about everything Christmas.  The babies and I traveled south to visit my parents last week, and we will be here through the holidays.  Russ is coming in after work tomorrow for a few days, and we will celebrate our first Christmas as a family of FOUR!

I have had Smith's birthmother on my heart so much the last couple of weeks...and even more so today.  We are in fairly regular contact now, and I heard from her again today.  She is struggling through this first Christmas.  While we are joyful and excited, she feels anxious and sad.  Struggling through her first Christmas with empty arms while mine are overflowing.

I don't know anything about what she is going through.  I cannot even pretend to.  But I do know the feeling of Christmases with empty arms.  Arms I wanted so desperately to fill.

Christmas can be a very difficult time for birthmothers.  So, even if you do not know a birthmother personally, please take just a moment over Christmas to pray for them.  Pray for Smith's birthmother...and birthfather.  Pray for Millie Janalee's as well.

These precious eyes, tiny noses, sweet smiles.  So so many things I love about my babies came from them.  Their arms are empty, and ours are full.  I am so thankful.  And that word even seems so inadequate.

There's an article floating around Facebook, and I just love it.  I read it at the perfect time as I have prayed over Smith's birthmother today.  None of our lives are perfect...and if your life is so perfect that you have no room for Jesus, then you are missing the point.  "All I want for Christmas is to be broken enough to be the stable and not the inn."

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalms 147:3

Tonight, as many of Santa's elves are busy with last minute preparations, I am praying for all those celebrating a broken Christmas this year.

Mean Old Shots

The children and I survived our second big outing alone in St. Louis...or the surrounding area.  Monday afternoon, we loaded up for Smith's checkup.  We don't get out much, so when we do...we like to dress cute.  Ha!  That's what I told all the nurses who were obsessing over their clothes.  Let me just say that smocking is not something you find much if ever in Missouri!  Our pediatrician appreciates it, and she smocks her own clothes for her son.  She told me that I would just have to shop when I go home to Mississippi.  Ha!

Smith was nervous about his shots, and his big sister was quite the comforter.  Until she, too, joined him crying when I was trying to take a picture.  Drama!

Millie Janalee watched every move the doctor made.  She would get right up next to the doctor or nurse and just stare at whatever they were doing.  She wanted to be picked up when Smith got checked out and got his shots.  She didn't want to miss a thing.  This was the first doctor trip where she wasn't a patient.  Later that afternoon when Smith was crying, Millie Janalee asked "Shot hurt???"

Yes, baby.  Those mean old shots hurt.

Contrary to this picture I'm leaving you with, Smith handled his shots like a champ.  He never required Tylenol at all.  And when I tried to give him a dose before bed to prevent a sleepless night, he just spit it back up.  So he actually had no Tylenol at all and slept better than he had been the previous nights.

Such a sweet big boy!

Two Months

December 13th marked two months of sweet life for Smith!  Such a bundle of joy around here.  I mean just look at that grin.  How adorable is he!?  We had our two month checkup yesterday, and I was actually a little surprised by his stats.  I have been thinking this whole time that he was getting so big!  When actually, he's quite the squirt.  Our new, sweet pediatrician said Smith was perfectly perfect!  Of course, I already knew this.  Oh, and she also gave us a few free cans of formula.  Yay for us!  None of her other patients are using Prosobee, so that looks good for our future as her patients.  Ha!

"Did you hear, Mr. Bear?  I'm two months old!"

Two month stats:

• 23" long (45%)
• 11.1 pounds (18%)
• 38.7 cm head circumference (33%)

What he's up to:

• can hold his head up and starting to push up on his arms when lying on his belly...only when he's on my chest
• smiling more and more...getting to a giggle soon I think
• starting to push with his feet holding his weight for bits of time
• making more sounds and responding to us 
• loves to spend time in his swing - actually prefers to nap there instead of being held {insert sad face}
• going all night without a bottle...although he does wake up a few times.  But with a little help with his paci and comforting, he can go back to sleep.
• taking 5 ounces of formula every 4 hours during the day; 6 ounces when prune juice is added (2 oz a day)
• wearing 3 month clothes
• prefers to be swaddled to sleep - even his naps in the swing, we loosely wrap him in a blanket
• follows moving objects (or Mama) with his eyes
• enjoying his bath time much more than he used to
• starting to spit up more (We have LOTS of practice handling this from Millie Janalee's baby days!)
• Cute as a button!

It's tiring being two months old!

I cannot believe how fast these two months have flown by.  It's true what they say.  It is difficult to remember life without Smith in it.  He is a beautiful part of our sweet family, and I look forward to the days ahead watching him change and grow.  I love each part of his personality that is coming out. He basically thinks Millie Janalee is a wild woman right now - and rightly so - but I know it won't be long until they are playing and interacting together.  How sweet that will be!

But for now, I am soaking in these baby moments as they pass by too fast!

Smith,

My heart overflows with love for you sweet boy!  You are a precious joy, and I am so glad you are mine!  I thank God everyday for your life.  I don't know that I will ever let you move out of my room where I can look over in the middle of the night and see your sweet sleeping face...and listen to you breathe.  My youngest angel baby right there.  It's real life.  This is not a dream.  Your life has a perfect plan, and I pray God allows me to see it unfold!  I love you so!

Happy two months!

Love,
Mama

Christmas Lights and Family Nights

Tis the season!  Everyone everywhere is busy, busy, busy as Christmas approaches.  It has been nice having a newborn at home...kinda forcing us to stay low key for a bit.  I did most of my Christmas shopping online and had it delivered to my front door.  Ahhh!  And you know how much I really do LOVE to Christmas shop and choose the perfect gifts for my loved ones.  I found bits of time here and there to wrap everything, and I have about two more to wrap.  Then I'm finished!  I'm still busy...just not with normal holiday events.

Millie Janalee was born in July, and I was out and about without a second thought.  But with the cold weather and flu season upon us, I've been been a little more careful getting Smith out.  At times it can leave this mama with cabin fever.  Russ and I had plans to ride around and look at Christmas lights last Saturday.  It turned out that Tilles Park (our original plan) only does carriage rides on Saturdays.  Ummm...Smith isn't up for that yet.  So Russ found us another option.  There is one block in St. Louis that is well known.  And there were cars lined up to drive down "Candy Cane Lane!"  Some of the streets near it also had their own festive thing going on.  It was certainly worth the drive, and Millie Janalee loved it!  Plus there was a big screen at one home showing Frozen - so there was that.  Ha!

Monday night, after Russ got off work, we drove over to Tilles Park and enjoyed the "Winter Wonderland."  It is one of the most popular Christmas displays in the area filled with more than a million lights and all kinds of Christmas scenes.  Millie Janalee was in heaven!  And she cried when our drive through was over.  She definitely shares my love of all things Christmas!  Especially riding around to look at Christmas lights.

Smith was a trooper.  Until he decided to work on a dirty diaper right as we started driving through the park.  Bless his bones!  Eventually, he fell asleep.  And thankfully Millie Janalee is never phased by his crying.  The normal person may think it stressful, but for Russ and I...it's just our new normal.  Make a choice to enjoy it and tune out what you need to.  Ha!

But isn't he the sweetest little thing you've ever seen?!

Lots of family time.  That's what we have been doing lately.  By the time Russ gets home, we eat, bathe, read, and go to bed.  Then repeat.  So a family outing to look at Christmas lights feels like an amusement park!

Thankful for the cozy nights at home snuggling and soaking in this phase that, I'm sure, will be way too short!