New Shoes & New Stages....

Have you ever seen a pair of Nike tennis shoes look any cuter? Caleb is already in a size 6.5- his new tennis shoes seem so big for his little body :) He is growing, no doubting that!

What else is new in Caleb's world? Well, he no longer takes his bottle. That's right! He is a sippy cup baby now. This both makes me happy and sad. Happy because he transitioned so easy from his bottle and because I know in the long run this is a good thing. Sad because he no longer takes a bottle which means.....he is growing up- reality, huh?

He is really beginning to pick up on a few words and meanings. Though he can't vocalize all that many words yet, he can identify certain objects in books- dog, cat, ball, bird, etc. and can also identify a few colors as well. He also has began to say "uh-oh" when he drops something and puts his hands up as if to say "I don't know" or "Where did it go?" when he hides his toy.....so cute! He also can identify most of his facial features, but his favorite part to show you is his belly- he might try to find yours too :) Okay, I better stop now- I could go on and on. We are just so proud of him!

This weekend Papaw and Granna Caldwell stopped by to visit and Aunt Micah and her friend as well. He had a great time playing with them and it was great to have them here. Chad and Karen Bowman, our friends from Lexington also came down for a visit. It was good to catch up with them and to talk with them about their upcoming court date for their precious daughter Natalie. We were able to show them some of our video from Ethiopia (their daughter was on it :) and also answer a few general questions about the trip. Please keep them in your prayers- their court date is March 17th. As you can imagine, they are quite excited and anxious to meet their new daughter! We have already had the pleasure of meeting her- she is so sweet.

Well, that is all for now! At the end of this week, Caleb will have been home for 2 months!

Aren't You Glad We're All Adopted?

This is one of my favorite pictures of Caleb...not only because it is sooo cute, but because of what the onesie says (thanks to the White family for this gift).

God desires to adopt all of us into HIS family as HIS children! Is this not amazing??!! Ephesians 1:5 says God's unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ, and that this brings him great pleasure! Wow! We really are all adopted :)

I was thinking about adoption, and about how at the beginning of the process you must make several choices. For example, we had to choose domestic or international, then we had to choose an agency. Then it gets very specific. A boy or girl? One or two? (or three if you are really brave) What age? Will you accept special needs? There are many choices to be made. Those choices are one big difference between earthly adoption and spiritual adoption. Why we must make choices about the type of child that we would like to adopt, Christ died for all! He made no special requirements except to believe in Him! He desires for us all to be his children! What a wonderful truth!

I pray today that you have trusted in Christ as your Savior. It is wonderful to be adopted!

First Visit....Happy Valentine's!

This past weekend Caleb made his first trip to visit his Papaw & Granna Caldwell. I will admit, I was a little worried that it was too early for him to stay in a new place overnight as he has only been home about a month a half, but he did so great! The trip from London to Ashland is around 3 hours, and he was a joy in the car until the very end, when he was just tired of being in his carseat. When we arrived in Ashland, he was able to meet some very special ladies that work with my mother in law, Punky. Boy did he really show off for them....he did most all his tricks :) Then it was on to meet his great grandparents. They were very happy to meet him, and Caleb again was very cute and well behaved at their home. To end the night we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant with papaw and granna. Caleb enjoyed looking at all the people, had his first taste of refried beans, and given that it was past his bedtime and he had been through quite a day, he did great!

I was most nervous about easily he would go to bed at a new place- it might seem silly, but think about it- even we adults don't always sleep very good our first night at a new place. He had been doing so well at home, I was hoping that if we kept the same bedtime and same bedtime routine things would go smoothly for him. So, I took his blanket, Mr. Lion, and his favorite lullaby cd and a couple of his favorite books. After reading him his books, listening to his cd, and turning off the lights, he still seemed a little unsure- he was definitely aware he was somewhere new. I decided to just see what would happen, so I laid him down in the crib, gave him a little pat, and walked out of the room....not a peep! He went to sleep just like at home and didn't wake until the morning. We are blessed with a great baby!

The next morning we played at granna's house all morning, and later in the afternoon we went for a short trip to the mall. He loved spending time with his granna, and also got to meet granna's best friend Nancy. He loved Nancy! Daddy and papaw were gone most of the day car shopping, so they missed out :) It was finally time to go home, so we got him in his pj's, gave him his evening bottle, and he was set. He slept the entire trip home except for waking when we had to stop to get gas. His first trip to papaw and granna's was definitely a success!

This weekend is Valentine's Day, and I have been thinking a lot lately about what a blessing my valentine truly is. I actually won't be seeing him much this weekend at all, as he has to work tonight, Valentine's morning and evening, and Sunday morning and evening. Most of you know that Zack's last day as youth minister at our church was December 31, 2008. He now works as a pre-trial officer with the Kentucky Court of Justice. He loves his job, well except for the hours. He is gone half the evenings/nights every week, so that has been quite an adjustment along with having a new baby. I am so proud of him. Though he would rather be at home with his family, he never complains about having to leave- he is happy to do whatever he needs to do to provide for us. I have to admit, after Caleb goes to bed, I am alone for the next few hours, and I really start to miss him.

Last night he was off, so we watched the movie "Fireproof" together- he had seen it, I had not. What a great movie! Every couple should see it, regardless of how "good" you think your marriage is. I watched the movie and by the end was just overwhelmed with thankfulness at what a Godly man my husband is. God has transformed both of us through the years, and of course, we need lots more transforming, but I am just so blessed that God saw fit for this man to be my husband. I love him more and more each day, and seeing him grow daily as a father makes me love him all the more! I still look forward to going to sleep with him each night, and waking up with him each morning. Happy Valentine's Day Zack! And now I have another special Valentine as well :) Happy Valentine's Day Caleb!

14 Months Old Today! And, the Mocha Club

Today Caleb is 14 months old! To celebrate, he got to go to the doctor again :) It was just a follow up, but we found out his ear infection has not cleared up all the way yet, so another round of antibiotics for our little guy....poor thing. On a lighter note, he did get to taste his first Oreo :) I discovered that he likes the creme, not the cookie part. He worked so hard to separate the two, and he got most of the creme, then he finally gave up and threw the rest to Pooh (that's a no no!)

Yesterday was such a nice day that we took him on his first wagon ride over to the school playground. He loved it!! He even went down the slide himself (it did take a little push from mom :) He seems to be changing and getting bigger with each day.....

Oh, and I am so excited to tell you about an amazing organization that I have been introduced to by other adoptive families. It is called "Mocha Club". The premise is that for $7 a month, basically the cost of what you would spend on two drinks at Starbucks, you can change lives in Africa! Is that cool or what!!! And you can even choose how you want your $7 a month to be used- they have various projects including education, HIV/AIDS care, orphan care, etc. They share Christ by first meeting physical needs, and they empower people from the "ground up" so to speak. They are fully credible and members of the ECFA. Please check them out! Just think how your $7 could make a difference in the lives of hundreds...much more than it could do at your local Starbucks :) Remember, only one life, will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last! To check them out, just follow this link..... Mocha Club and please, watch the video! You will be challenged.....

One Month Reflections.....And Our First Family Photos :)

Could it really be possible that one month ago we stepped off the airplane with our sweet (very tired, very sick) little boy? Wow! Time really does fly. Is there any way to slow it down? :)

So, I promised that I would write kind of a reflective type post about our first month home, and it just so happened that I was also able to add our first family photos, thanks to my precious cousin Gina. As a gift to us, she took our very first family photos. What a blessing! She did a great job catching Caleb's cute smile :)

Well, where to start. This past month has been a blessed whirlwind....yep, that's a good way to put it! Well, let's start with our first week. Most definitely the hardest part of our first month home. Despite the trip home being long and hard, when we got off the plane in Kentucky, I thought to myself, "Hmm, this really isn't that bad....I wonder what everyone else was talking about when they said they were so exhausted". When we actually got home, I even stayed up the rest of the day, putting away our luggage and straightening up things. I felt fine, just a little spacey, if you will. Even slept pretty good that first night. The next morning was totally different- I awoke feeling completely exhausted, feeling like I could not pull my body out of the bed- it almost felt like I had weights attached. I do have Lupus, so I think that came into play as well in terms of energy. I realized the phrase "running on adrenaline" was exactly what I had been doing for the last couple of days- in a major way! Not only was I exhausted, I was beginning to realize that our life as we had known it at home was no longer going to be the same. Our sleeping was no longer going to be the same. Our eating was no longer going to be the same. Our leisure time was no longer to be the same. Nothing was the same! Hmm. You would have thought I would have figured this out in Ethiopia, or at least realized that adding a baby to the mix changes things. Well, in Ethiopia, everything was different because we were in Ethiopia, so change felt normal, if that makes sense. And yes, I had thought about how things would change. But I guess I just had not realized exactly how much change would come with our sweet son.

That first week, Caleb was wondeful, given all the changes he was going through and the fact that he was dealing with pneumonia. I, on the other hand, was an emotional wreck, I really was. I know this sounds selfish and awful, but I went through a grieving process of our old life for a couple days- mainly our "freedom" and independence. Couple this with exhaustion, and you have a little bit of post adoption depression going on. I was thankful for Caleb and so glad he was finally home with us, but at the same time I felt so incapable of being a mother, physically and emotionally. Thankfully my amazing husband was a rock during that first week, even though he was exhausted and adjusting as well. One morning my parents came over so we could rest a bit. Zack laid in bed with me and just let me cry in his arms. We called out to the Lord to help us during this time of transition. And help us he did!

Literally, with each day after that first week was over, I could see a difference in my heart. Notice I said my heart. Caleb had done nothing to provoke the feelings I had. I would describe him as a very "easy" baby. He was precious during this tough time. So funny, so happy (despite being so ill) a good sleeper, and a good eater. Thank God! I think he knew what a wimp I am, so he thought, "I better give this mom an easy baby" :)

By the end of week two, I could begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. I could see now I could manage to take the best care of Caleb, clean the house and cook dinner. During that first week, it felt like I was doing good to get out of bed and feed Caleb breakfast. I began to see how, as my sweet friend Anna Stager wrote on her blog, that I could love Caleb the way he needed to be loved because God had first loved me. That was really key to adjusting my thoughts and feelings. It was through the power of Christ that I could be a mommy. Thankfully, Zack was able to be at home with us full time for the first few weeks, and my parents and inlaws helped out as well- all true blessings!

By the beginning of week three- I think this is when things started feeling more comfortable. We read a couple of books about sleeping, and Caleb began going to bed on his own, wide awake, and didn't even mind! He even gave up his middle of the night bottle, and began sleeping all night long (for the most part)! What a blessing! I will never forget the first night we decided to try our "sleep strategy". I was a nervous wreck, and I really didn't think it would work. The basic method we used was to get Caleb ready for bed before he was too sleepy, do the same routine each night (read him a few books, rock to soft music and let him take his evening bottle, and put him down in his crib before he is asleep). So, the first night he cried. We went in after 5 minutes to console him. He kept crying. Went in after 10 minutes to console. He still cried. Went in after 15 mintues. He was still crying. I was ready to give up. We were almost through the 20 minute wait....and......silence. I remember thinking, "Is he okay?" I went in and checked on him, and he was in his favorite sleeping position, sleeping away. With each night, it took him less and less time for him to fall asleep, and now, we just lay him down, he looks up at us, rolls over, and that is that! Amazing! Not that sleep is everything, but a well rested baby and well rested parents can make a world of difference! We are very thankful! Caleb really started to feel comfortable in other areas as well- he began playing by himself, getting used to riding in his car seat and making short, infrequent trips to the store and grandmas house. He also started taking a few steps on his own! In every way, we were all adjusting and thriving! Praise the Lord!!

This past week has been even sweeter. Though it is a hard job and I still am worn out at the end of the day, I am enjoying being a mommy more and more! I love this little guy! I would even say I get jealous when he has too much fun with grandma or grandpa :) Caleb is changing so much! He is getting another tooth on the bottom, and he is most definitely walking on his own, though he does still crawl quite a bit. He is beginning to learn his daily routine, and he seems to like it. As he feels more comfortable with us, he is also beginning to test us more frequently to see what he can get away with. He still smiles most of the time when we say "No". That's a tough little smile to keep saying "no" to. He is also being a little more rowdy at dinner time. You see, C stands for "Caleb", but it also stands for "comedian". He seems to want to be the funniest at the dinner table. It is sooo hard not to laugh at all his faces. Some are so funny, some are so dramatic, and some are just so Caleb. He is hilarious. Really. What else...oh, there is so much. He really loves music. He love to stand up on his own and do the twist and clap his hands. He loves Boz (the green bear cartoon) and gets so excited when Boz and his friends sing. He also loves our dog, Pooh. He likes to kiss and pet him, and has recently began to give him his dog toy- how nice.

Well, this post has gone on much longer than I had planned. I guess if I could sum up the last month, I would just say: Great is thy faithfulness, oh God my Father. There is no shadow of turning with thee. Thou changest not, thou compassions they fail not. As thou hast been, thou forever shall be.

God continues to be faithful to our family. In the midst of our ignorance as parents, in the times when we are selfish, and don't deserve such a sweet precious boy. In the sweet times when Caleb just comes over and lays his head on my lap. In the funny times, when he sits in his high chair and makes us crack up! In the frustrating times, when he is fussy and really grumpy, and nothing seems to make him happy. In the precious times when you wish you could just freeze the moment, like when he walks by himself and is so proud he starts clapping..... when he blows mommy and daddy kisses. Great is your faithfulness to us. We praise you Lord.

Caleb's New Favorite Toy (not really :)

Well, we thought Caleb was on the mend...but this weekend he started developing a bit of a cough, and mommy and daddy were worried. He also wasn't eating quite like he normally does. So, we watched the cough get a little worse each day, and I called the doctor Wed. morning when his temperature reached well over 100 (yes, we should have taken him earlier....bad mommy!). When we got to the doctor, we found out he was once again a sick little boy. He has an ear infection (not a normal one either...something to do with a bubble :) and he also has bronchiolitis, most likely caused by RSV, which explains that nasty cough. He had to undergo a breathing treatment at the doctor....it lasted for ten minutes, and for poor Caleb, it was ten minutes of you know what! He screamed the entire time :( They then informed mommy and grandma (Zack is out of town this week....missing all the fun :) that we would have to do the breathing treatments at home every 4-6 hours until his cough was gone completely. Oh no!

As you can see by these pics, he has done great doing the treatments at home, and he even held his mask by himself....he is such a big boy. We are very proud of how brave he has been for his 6 doctor visits (that's right, 6 in just a little over three weeks!) since he has been in America. He is some little guy! You would never have known, for the most part, that he wasn't feeling good. He is just the happiest baby.

Next week we will have been home for one month....that is so hard to believe. I am planning on typing a more "reflective" post at that point, but this is all for now!

Sanctity of Life Sunday

Many local churches designated today as "Sanctity of Life Sunday, a time to reflect on the gift of life that God gives, and also a time to renew and refresh our commitment to protect this precious gift.

As I think about the meaning of this day, I am both encouraged and saddened. I am encouraged by the people we have met on our adoption journey who are committed to spreading the good news of adoption and who take a firm stance against the evils of abortion. However, I am saddened by the number of lives that are still being taken each year by abortion. As an adopted child and now as an adoptive parent, it is hard for me to comprehend how abortion could be seen as a viable option. It is hard for me to understand how our country can distinguish between murder and abortion. We all know that if a woman gave birth to a baby, and only seconds after it was out of her womb, the doctor were to intentionally take its life, the doctor would be arrested and charged with murder. Yet, if this same baby, still inside the womb, had its life ended by abortion by that same doctor, it would be perfectly legal, and no charges would be pressed. How? Why? I may not be very intellectual or a "lofty" thinker, but this just does not make sense to me.

Everyday, with every choice we make, we are leaving a legacy for future generations. What message are we sending our children, our teenagers? That life is something that can be disregarded if it isn't convenient? That responsibility doesn't matter anymore, because there is always a way out? That there aren't any consequences? I have had heart wrenching conversations with middle school students (church going, Christian middle school students) about abortion. Heart wrenching because they have been sucked into the ideology that there are no absolutes, that what is right for you is right for you, and what is right for me is right for me. They don't want to "offend" anyone by standing up for their Christian beliefs. Though I am thankful for their "tolerance (to an extent), I am afraid that we have taught tolerance to the point that we are tolerating practices and beliefs that are shameful, displeasing to God, and just plain evil. May we never teach our children to devalue the precious gift of life, a gift that only God can give. The most precious gift of all.

I hope that this post has not seemed insensitive or self-righteous. I, too, have allowed apathy and fear to sometimes keep me from standing firm in the Word of God, in what I know to be truth. I have stood silent in the voice of opposition. But I feel that we can no longer allow our country to make the slow and steady slide into moral decline by devaluing life.

We have all heard the phrase, "it's not a choice, it is a child". Isn't that a simple, yet profound statement? The time for making critical choices comes long before the choice to have an abortion. I know that at times there are difficult and unfair circumstances in this world, but do we not have victory over death and sin through Jesus Christ? He is bigger than anything this world can hand us, if we will only take his yoke upon us.

You and I have the choice each day to stand against evil, and to proclaim the good news of Christ in this dark world. May we be found as faithful servants.

For more on abortion (stats, links) and how you can make a difference, visit Never Silence Life.
A special thank you to my friend and fellow adoptive parent, Tiffany White, for bringing this issue to the forefront this past week.