One month in...maybe a little bit of rainbows and unicorns...

At times I have said that adoption is not all "rainbows and unicorns". That meaning, adoption is not some mystical, magical dream world. Certainly adoption can fill our imaginations and hearts with dreams, hopes and ideas; not unlike biological birth. When I was expecting the boys, I would imagine what life would be like being their mom. 

Both with adoptive and bio births, those romanticized hopes and dreams can be delivered a strong dose of reality. Whether it is an extremely fussy babe who struggles to sleep, a strong willed 3 year old that refuses to go 10 minutes without an explosion of emotions, or a 9 year old who has developed survival skills of deceit and manipulation, it can all deliver us right back to the reality that parenting children is difficult. Sometimes we can navigate a particularly difficult season with a child that can last weeks, months, or years. God's grace is sufficient, right? 

As I sit here, one month into the birth of Maggie Grace to us, it has been a bit of rainbows and unicorns, simply because God has ordered this season to be such. We have experienced adoptive hard and bio hard. We have experienced adoptive bliss and bio bliss. In all of it we praise our God, who is faithful and sovereign over all!

Maggie continues to daily display her girly qualities. She freely expresses her emotions, and it is usually clear what Maggie is feeling. She will let me know if there is something she wants or needs. This has been good, but yet I am pretty much the only "need meeter" for her so that leads to a constant beckoning. "Ma! Ma! MA! MA!!!" 

Let me just chat for a minute about girl world. There are things I adore about it, and things that make me want to escape to my bathtub for hours. I am adjusting to this new world. Did you know girls giggle, tattle, whine, and pout?...A LOT! Life can deliver a blow to a girls' emotions that can send her in a downward spiral for hours! Do you know what frightens me most about some of this? Hormones lie just around the corner! God's grace is sufficient!

Maggie loves school! She has a hard time not doing school on the weekends. This has actually helped Haddie gain a better perspective about her own studies!

She really does LOVE her sisters! (and brothers, but I am not good about photo ops in those moments.)

We have had some good times at a local pumpkin farm. Maggie was hesitant to do many of the activities. I realize, that up until now, life has told her she can't, but this mama is telling her SHE CAN!

Jumping on a huge bouncy pillow was one of the greatest moments of delight for both of us! I had not heard her laugh this hard. I was thankful I had my iphone in my pocket so I could capture this moment.

Even the teeter totter brought great squeals of delight!

In their lessons this last week the girls learned about names, and their meanings; that God is a naming God and He Himself has many names. We took a trip to a local pottery shop to make a craft with their names on them. I have yet to convince the boys to go to a pottery shop!

We also took a trip to the Halloween costume store to make a choice for trick or treating. After navigating through the ghouls and goblins with screams and tightly covered eyes, we arrived at the girls costumes. Haddie choose a bright costume with flare, and Maggie was delighted to grab the pinkest, frilliest thing she could find!

Three little pumpkin girls!!!

Signing off with a song....be still my heart!