Spread Sunshine

People are drawn to Abby. Not just because she is so adorable but largely because she has a fun little personality and a very sweet spirit. I feel that I need to spread her sunshine around to brighten other's lives as well. So we visit people that need visits. One of these people is my friend Eleanor. We went and saw her yesterday. She was very excited to see Abby and it made her feel good when Abby sat with her. I love my little!

SO Freaking Adorable

I just love this picture of her so much I feel like it would be unkind to not share it with everyone

Birth Family Is Family

Last night Abby's biological grandparents came to dinner. Abby's been wanting to see them for a while. We are friends with their backyard neighbors and stopped by their house last week. I told Abby we were going to our friend's house but as we got closer to their house she recognized the neighborhood and asked to see Cathy and Michael, but they weren't home. When we told her they would be coming to dinner she got super excited and was excited all day. But once they got here she got shy and wouldn't talk to them. Eventually though Cathy won her over by letting her play a game on her phone. After that Abby was all about Cathy. She sat on her lap while she and Michael looked at our book of Kenya pictures. When it was time to brush teeth she chose Cathy to do it. When it was time to read books before bed she again chose Cathy. So cute. We're so blessed to have Cathy and Michael as part of our extended family now.‪#‎adoption‬ ‪#‎openadoption‬ ‪#‎adoptionrocks‬ ‪#‎iloveadoption‬ ‪#‎adoptionprofile‬‪#‎morelove‬ ‪#‎itsaboutlove‬

Not By Accident

"Be still, and know that I am God". Psalms 46:10
As I was laying in bed a couple nights ago I was thinking about my post-doc and then teaching. Those years after I graduated from grad school and worked because I hadn't yet been blessed to become a mom I got to do the jobs that I had gone to graduate school to be able to do. I got to do memory research, using functional MRI, without having to move. That's amazing. Amazing that I was able to find a post-doc opening at the time I was ready where I was already living (I wasn't willing to move) doing the research I most wanted to do. SO LUCKY. And then I got to teach, at the closest university to me, teaching my very favorite subject (memory and cognition.) I never wanted a career. If I had I would have gone to vet and dental school to be an exotic animal dentist. But I knew I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. I also knew I wanted as much education as possible. I wanted a PhD, not to get a career from it, but to be the best mom I could be. BUT, I also love researching memory and I love teaching it. And I got to do both. People may think it was a waste to get all that education and "not use it". But this life of mine has worked out perfectly. Not the way I planned or thought I wanted. I wanted to have kids before I graduated. It didn't happen. And while I was working there were lots of things I wanted that didn't pan out. Jobs I thought I wanted (and even got) that ended up falling through. Grants I didn't get. Etc. But as I look back on everything I know that things had to happen exactly as they did so that we could have Abby in our lives. If those prayers had been answered the way I thought I wanted them to be, I would not have Abby as she is. (I also love now that I did work for several years because even though I enjoyed it and I do miss it - I KNOW that I love being a stay-at-home mom even more, I don't have to wonder what it would be like to work.)
And then I think that Heavenly Father could have sent Abby to us sooner. He could have sent us her spirit through parents that were ready sooner. Or He could have given us the go ahead to do in vitro. Or he could have just made our bodies function so that we conceived. She wouldn't have her exact genetics, but her spirit could have come. But if that were the case we wouldn't have her awesome birth mom Cheyenne, or her awesome parents in our lives. We love Abby's birth family (- and we love her genetics.) Heavenly Father didn't just bless us with the best daughter in the whole world, He blessed us with her biological family too, and they are now our family. We were all created for each other. Mine and Ryan's bodies were created so that we could all be family.
And sometimes I think about how other adoptive families get matched with their children so quickly yet we wait SO LONG and I wonder why and sometimes I feel a little impatient. But then I remember Abby, and all the perfection that surrounds her coming to us, and I know God is in the details, and He loves me enough to give me the BEST, not just what I think I want, and so... I don't know where our next child is, or our next birth family, or how we will meet them or when (are you the missing piece?), but I do know that we are meant for each other, and it will happen at the right time.

Did She Get It From Me?

We got a bunch of hand-me-down little girl clothes from a friend. Among them were several shirts with characters on them: Disney princess, Minnie Mouse, Yo Gaba Gaba, etc. Want to know which one Abby was excited about? Fancy Nancy - the only book character. That's my girl - I love her!

Best Kid Ever

Usually when we take Penny, our dog, for a walk, Abby rides in her stroller. This morning she wanted to push her doll in the doll stroller. I was struggling with Abby's SLOW pace. My intent when walking Penny is to exercise her and myself. Abby can be fast, but she was very leisurely this morning. After asking her multiple times to keep walking I said in frustration "You're killing me kid". (I know, not my best mommy moment. I'm not perfect wink emoticon ). She looked up at me and, while rubbing my leg, said "I'm sorry Mama, I'm sorry" with a super sweet smile. Of course my heart melted, my frustration gone. A few moments later she found a rock and handed it to her doll (pressed it into her hand) and said "here you go." Abby loves finding rocks and carrying them around. I thought it was so sweet of her to share with her doll. When we got home I apologized for getting frustrated and thanked her for her sweetness and patience with me. I'm pretty sure I've got the greatest little girl in the world - I LOVE HER!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weird

I had to take Abby to get the remainder of her vaccines today. I have procrastinated doing so for months now and have been dreading it. I don't mind getting shots myself, but Abby is old enough now to feel betrayed by me for taking her to get them, and I didn't want to do it. I REALLY didn't want to. But it was time, so we went. Abby cried in the waiting room and just clung to me. I had to hold her down on the table, her arms still tight around my neck. It was awful. But once they started doing the shots she stopped crying. Weird. She never cried after that. Her pediatrician's office is really close to the zoo, so I promised her that once we were done at the doctors we would go to the zoo. And we did. Thank goodness we don't have to do any more vaccines for a while!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gigantic saltwater crocodile - not even scared

Kissed Awake

For the past month or two Ryan has been the one getting Abby out of bed in the morning. Once she is up they come into my room where I am still in bed. Whether or not I am really asleep my eyes are shut and I am lying still. As Abby climbs up onto my bed she tells Ryan "I'm gonna kiss Mama up" or "I'm gonna kiss Mama awake". I can't ever keep a straight face, there is always a smile waiting for that magical kiss. And then it comes. Sometimes I'm stubborn and keep my eyes shut, and she'll kiss me again, and keep kissing me until I open them up. One of the best parts of my life! I love my little!

Good Little Cleaner

Not only is Abby good at helping me cook, she's not too bad at the clean up either!

Want to Hire Her?

We dog-sit a few times a year. Abby loves it. We also walk our dog twice a day. Abby loves when little dogs visit us because she can be the one holding the leash. Isn't she adorable!