Beautiful Days

Dear Jordan,

This has been a beautiful weekend in Oklahoma!  It's so funny that every week day in January has been cold, but somehow every weekend has been amazing.  Yesterday, the high was in the sixties and it was sunny with very little wind.  Magical is probably a good way to describe the day!  We went to the FBC playground with Henry and Ms. Courtney and then joined Mr. Brad at Chick-fil-a.  You did a great job of playing by yourself while we were there so we could talk to the grown-ups.  After your nap, we went to the park with Aftyn and her parents.  Then they came over and ya'll played in the front yard for a while.  They stayed for dinner.  It was a great day to spend as a family with some of our friends.

This was a big week for our family.  We found out that I am pregnant!  We are completely surprised and astonished at this news.  We are so thankful for this sweet little baby who will be your sibling.  God's timing is perfect and I know He is going to be going to be glorified through your sibling's life, just as He is through yours.  As excited as we are, we are so thankful that God closed my womb for so many years.  He knew best that you were supposed to be ours and we are very very grateful that He made us wait so long.  You were worth the wait, little man!

Your new favorite game is the copy-cat game.  You and your Dad started playing it.  You will do some sort of action and he will mimic you.  You are so funny to watch as you try to come up with new things to do.  You two will go all over this house.  You wanted to play it with me the other day, but I didn't feel like putting in the effort your Dad does, so we made up a new version.  This time, I make silly noises and copy it.  We have a great video of it.  You love mimicking and learning new words.

I have a word to add to the Jordan dictionary of silly toddler-ness.  This week's word is yuck...but you say "Yutch".  It is so stinking cute!  I don't want to correct you, so I've started saying it too!  Your favorite book right now is "Good Night, Gorilla" but you called it "Bye Lilla".  Eek!  The cuteness!  Also, you say "Bite?" when you offer your Dad or I a bite of your food or want a bite of our food?  Not as cute when you are offering a booger that you have on your finger!

Well, it's been a good week.  You get bigger and bigger and I love you more and more.  We are so blessed that you are our son.  God definitely knew what he was doing and He created a masterpiece when He thought of you!

This week's picture is during your nap yesterday.  Leon was standing guard over you!

Love,

Mom

Ruby

Dear Jordan,

By the time you read this, I'm sure you will have siblings and this week will make sense.  But for now, it's been one of the tougher weeks in our family.  We had been picked a couple of months ago to bring a baby girl into our family.  We decided to name her Ruby after my great-grandmother.  She was born on Tuesday, January 7, 2014, but we never got to meet her.  We found out two days later that her birthmom decided to keep her.  This is the third time in nine months that we came so close and ended up with no baby.  It's been hard on us every single time.  I enjoyed making plans about how you and her would interact.  I've even thought that this might be the end of the road...that you will be an only child.  But I don't want that for you.  I know you would love to have siblings.  You are so social...you would enjoy have a life-long playmate and friend.

Another reason why we are going to keep trying is because adoption is not about us.  Of course, I wish we could just decide when to have kids and plan our perfect family.  But adoption is about letting God put together our family.  He decides which kids He designed to be ours.  He picked you for us long before you were born and even before we were born.  He knew you would be our son and that you would be perfect for us.  The years we waited for you were so worth it and seem like a vapor in the wind.

OK, on a happier note.  Buddy, you are just getting so grown up.  You know so many words and keep surprising us with new ones.  The word of the week this week is "banana" and you ask for them all the time.  Another commonly used phrase is "Where's Dad?"  After your dad was off for two weeks, I think you got used to seeing him all day every day.  So all day, now, you ask "Where's Dad?".  It is so cute and I love seeing you and your Dad be best buds.  The other night, your dad's neck was hurting and he couldn't play with you.  It was hard on you!  You kept bringing him balls and climbing up in his lap, trying to push his buttons so he would chase you or tickle you.  Even though you are almost two, your favorite place in the world is still in Dad's lap.  You've claimed that as your spot since you were about two months old!

Well, bud, I've got to go keep you from throwing your sippy cup through a window.  It sounds crazy, but it's about to happen!

I love you little man,

Mom

A New Year, a New Question

Dear Jordan,

Happy 2014!  You are going to change so much this year.  You are really picking up the pace in the talking department.  Your big one now is to ask "What's that?"  Yesterday, you sat on my lap and asked about the pictures on your blanket.  "What's that?" "An elephant" "What's that?" "A leaf." "What's that?" "Another leaf."  I'm sure some day I'll get tired of answering your questions, especially when you stump me!  But I am really enjoying being able to hold basic conversations with you.  I like that when I ask you to hand me something, you do (unless you are feeling stubborn!).  It's just so fun to watch you grow and change!

Sleeping is still an issue for you.  You were up for two hours last night.  I am at a loss at how to help you sleep better.  I think it is something you will just have to grow out of.  I'm not very nervous about the sleep deprivation that will come with your sister because I never really got used to you sleeping through the night!  Let's just say that it's not an expectation I have for you!  I think once you wake up, you are ready to see somebody and hate to be in your room by yourself.  I try to go in there every fifteen minutes and tuck you in again and let you know that I'm still there.  I used to get more angry about it, but I've accepted it and try to rejoice that I have a sweet kid like you to wake me up!

You do the funniest things.  It is freezing cold outside today and this morning you moved your Elmo chair over to the window so you could sit and look out.  You strategically placed it where you could put your feet on the vent.  So funny!  Of course I got a picture!

We thought that your sister was coming on Friday but we're still waiting.  Honestly, I am kind of glad.  Your dad had two weeks off and it was fun, but I am so happy that we got to spend today together.  For so many days, it is just me and you, little man, and I'm going to miss it.  I'm so excited to bring a sister into the mix, but things will definately change for us.  I will do my best to accomodate both of you when it's snuggle time!  The house may not be very clean, but hey, you won't remember that any ways!

Well, buddy, I'm going to get back to the to-do list.  I'm thankful for you even if you keep me up at night! :)

I love you so much!

Mom