Three Week little Angel...

I wanted to title this post as Jesus Loves Mia...
Her grandparents bought her a very special and beautiful bracelet that has the heart, cross, and initial M for that very title. And I put it on her the other day. It is still too big for her tiny arms, as it slips right off. I did want to show you a picture of her wearing it though. It is a beautiful gift and a precious keepsake!! We feel so blessed by it and know that she will too!! Thank you!!










The changes you can see in a week are amazing to watch... I know because as I looked at my 5 year old the other day I thought wow did they grow together?? He looks so much older and mature in the face. And let's see Mia, is gaining and growing so well!! You can tell in a picture I have of the outfit she went home in and the outfit she wore at 3 weeks.... She is getting longer than "newborn", but too tiny for 0-3. So it is a funny little balance called no footed jammies for a bit.





I wish blogger could record sounds. I know I say it all the time but she is such a noise maker. A cute noise maker but she is always making some little sound and it is so sweet!!

We are still doing great. The reflux is getting to be the norm and adding the rice did help limit the amount coming back up but it is still the norm to wash about a dozen burp cloths and lots of blankets a day!! Doesn't seem to make her unhappy a bit so we just keep watching the weight gain for now.

She is really staying alert these days and finding a real routine. Love talking and singing to her and looking at her watch so intently. It is amazing to watch the older kids interact with her. The love is so natural and so plentiful!! We have all been incredibly blessed.

So enough of the chatter... pictures pictures pictures!! Enjoy and be blessed!!

Happy 2 weeks old!!

Today we went for our 2 week check-up. At 16 days, she has grown 1/4 inch and is weighing in at 7lbs and 15 oz. Her first check in she was 7lbs 6 oz.. normal to lose a little after birth especially with the amount of fluid in her belly they had to get out.

She is doing so good. She is however, what we would call a "Happy Spitter". She has some reflux issues- but doesn't have the crankiness it causes some newborns. So we are changing some things and hopefully our little spitter will do better holding it down.. although we do know this is very common in downs children- so we will just take it one day at a time. And wash lots of burp cloths daily!!








She also lost the last little bit of the umbilical cord today... look out cute her little belly button is...

Cute Random Pics

We love taking pictures of little Mia...

She loves listening to the blinking Star sing her songs... and while she has been so alert these last couple of days it is fun to explore new things and find stimulation in new areas.






She is a bit tee tiny for her high chair but with it in recline it makes a great addition to the island area while cooking or cleaning up for dinner.... cutie pie!!







Our little OU girl...

Tubby Time

Here are some cute pictures of her first bath...









... and some of her at a later bath time. It's one of Ethan's favorite times he sings to her while he is in our shower and I am giving her a bath. Sweet times.

Being home...

We're going home...


A happy sleeping girl...


Mia's first doctor's appointment...


She is doing so great. We had a great first doctors appointment and go tomorrow for her 2 week check up. She visited the Cardiologist at the Seattle Children's Hospital and got a wonderful report. Her echocardiogram and her EKG were perfect. No signs of heart trouble and that is just glorious!! Thank you God!!

She is such a joy in our home. She receives many many kisses from her brothers and sisters and they just adore and love her!! She makes the sweetest little sounds 24 hours a day. She is sleeping well at night and eating so good. Staying alert more and more through the day and having so much fun exploring her new world.

More to come.... more pictures as she is changing daily and we will be sure to record everything...

Mia Noelle

Our blessing began months ago when we got the call from Antioch that we were to pray over a mother who was choosing adoption and would consider choosing her child to bring into our home.... this was in April 2009

As many of our friends and family know adopting has been a long long journey for our family. Starting almost 4 1/2 years ago. We thought we would go internationally and pick up our baby girl come home and begin life... but with most things life wasn't that easy!! Many barriers blocked us from adopting internationally, many God stops happened along the way that we only look back on now and see. Amazing the story and amazing the journey that led us to October 6th 2009.

But that call in April came after a complete breakdown and shutdown in my heart. We had been through soo many almost placements, one mother who changed her mind last minute, and then revisiting the international scene yet again.. We had a match with a little boy in Thailand that had Downs Syndrome. He was almost 4 and was considered highly functioning and was the sweetest thing I had ever seen. He had some assistance that cut the cost down, we had done all of our documents and were ready for the last step (another) homestudy and off the papers would go and about 3 months later we would travel to pick up our little boy. Visiting in Oklahoma, I got the call that said with the economy his money was cut and we would need over $30K in one month to travel as he was ready. It was the hardest news to take in. We couldn't take that from our family and had no way to raise that much money so quickly that we had to walk away. Grieving that this adoption thing must not be what God had for us yet one more time- I thought we should walk away from it all. About one week later and feeling little more than still numb, we got the call from Antioch... and this little blessing would also have downs syndrome.

We knew we would adopt special needs mostly because of the huge blessings that our life has given to us. This need to have another child in our lives over the years turned more into a real calling to give life to a child who needed us!!

That's the condensed soup version of our journey and this blog is for little Mia's loving family that gave her and us the biggest gift they ever could have!! Thank you.