'Sup with Dre: 9 months of Awesomeness

"Is that football shrinking?" you ask. Nope. Your boy Dre is awesomely growing, though I'm slowing things down a bit. This month I'm checkin' in at a more normal size for my age.

9 Month Stats:

Weight: 22lbs (75-90%)

Length 29in (75-90%)

Head Circ. 45cm. (50%)

As I like to do, I'm trying more new things these days, like waving, fist-bumping, tasting four-leafed clovers...

...and cruising, tho someone has to set me up. I can walk while holding someone's hands too. "Walking"  like that is my thing. I also dig throwing stuff, ripping paper, and yelling "guh!" about everything. (I'm kinda into cuddling too, but don't tell anyone. They'll think I'm soft.) Something Ma likes to say to me a lot lately is "No-no!" Okay, I'll admit, I follow orders, but only because she's pretty. (That's what Daddy says.) And of course I can read that tone of voice from her.

Something that's not my thing? Crawling. I refuse to crawl. Crawling is for babies. 

But I do love me some hide and seek peek-a-boo and getting outdoors!

Especially watching Sissy play. (Or blow dandelion fluffs on me)

Okay, I changed my mind about my bottles.... I still like 'em. They can stay a while.

But I sure don't need 'em with all these teeth! That's right, check my fangs! (four and counting)

The parents give me all kinds of new stuff to bite these days. It's pretty cool. My favs are toast crackers, pretzel sticks, and anything Ma bakes. 

This is the reason my update is late, Ma wanted you to see this...Like I warned ya, don't get too excited... I haven't been drafted yet. This is my cranial remolding othosis or "helmet" that I have to wear for the next 3-9months all the time. Being born with a broken collarbone, and wanting to turn my head towards that side while it healed, gave me a growing flat spot in the back there that I like to sleep on. Apparently I'm not allowed to do that anymore. This thing is supposed to make my head look more awesome (if that's possible), so I'm going with it.

We got it yesterday and I don't much care for the thing, but Ma did a good job disguising as a vintage Steelers helmet. Thanks, Ma. 

I have a lot of fun, but I take some stuff real seriously. Mama calls me her "little sheep dog" because I always have to know where everyone is. You've gotta take care of your people, ya know? When I get up from nap and Dad is trying to greet me and play with me, forget about it. I'm not smiling until I've seen where the girls are. When someone is holding me, I don't like to play until I've checked out everyone else in the room. I know the sound of the white car, feet running on tippy-toes, water boiling, the back door's squeak, a phone buzzing, someone humming Sesame Street, Fleetwood Mac, or Pearl Jam, the coffee maker's gurgle, the tiny clicks of laptop keys, a hair dryer, a pillow fight, shower water, popcorn; these sounds are my family's sounds, and I like to keep an ear on them.

That's it for now. God bless.

Luna

Easterly

Some Easter-ly happenings from this month. 

(there's not a lot of Dre in these because, well, he's always napping! Which we're not complaining about! He's such a good baby.)

Thanks, Solo and Eli!

Huntin' with the cousins.

Partyin' with Patti

Easter basket in a box from Mimi and Grandpa!

Most Egg-cellent!

(except for the part that Dre played... all over Daddy's shirt)

Resurrection Sunday Best

The Easter Bunny came! (We call her "Gr. Grandma." Isn't she cute?)

In keeping with "tradition", the men hiding the eggs.

Also becoming a tradition, Uncle Geo wears a biker tshirt and an odd hat. This year's model: Pink with sparkly "Curves."

Happy Easter, y'all! HE is RISEN!

Risky Business?

Justin Taylor (he's over at Between Two Worlds with the Gospel Coalition) did an article once about his family and their trans-racially adopted children. His theme of God's sovereignty is my favorite part. Have a read:

The Risk of Transracial Adoption?

From an article I wrote a few years ago for Modern Reformation:

We don’t regard our transracial adoption as something especially noble or sacrificial, or anything like a social statement. This is simply the way that God in his providence has designed our family to expand, and we sense his great grace in the way he has knit our family together.

But some people still wonder if transracial adoption is all that wise. What if they are called names in school? What if their friends tell our children that my wife and I are not his “real” mommy and daddy? What if our kids have an identity crisis, unable to figure out who they really are?

All of these things may indeed happen with our children.

But the truth is, all of our children are going to face various forms of challenges, and we simply cannot predict with any degree of certainty what particular obstacles they will deal with. Nor can we prevent all of them.

Will our kids be eloquent and persuasive, or stammer with stage fright? Will they be the star athletes, or the class klutzes? Will they be leaders or followers? Trendsetters or always one step behind? Will they be healthy or sickly? Will they be mocked for following Christ and swimming against the culture stream? We simply don’t know, and there usually does not seem to be much purpose in planning our lives around the minimization of challenges we cannot control.

It’s important to recognize that in the midst of talking about spiritual adoption, Paul listed a requirement of kingdom citizens who are to be heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—we will receive an inheritance “provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Rom. 8:17). To be a Christian is a call to suffer: “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). If we’re surprised at suffering then it’s because we haven’t read our Bibles closely enough: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Pet. 4:12). If a disciple wants to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master, then we are going to be maligned like Jesus was (see Matt. 10:25).

Now with all of this said, no one wants to create situations of undue suffering for their children. There are times when transracial adoption may be unwise. For example, we have American friends who are in the adoption process and who will be serving in cross-cultural missions in the Middle East. Being an African American child in a white family in an Islamic country that already stigmatizes adoption would be exceedingly difficult.

As long as sin remains—this side of the return of Christ and the ushering in of the news heavens and the new earth—racism will remain. There is virtue neither in overstating or unstating this reality. But the idea of having qualms about transracial adoption (or interracial marriage) because it will create opportunities for more racial prejudice doesn’t ultimately make a lot of sense. As John Piper has commented, “It’s like the army being defeated because there aren’t enough troops, and the troops won’t sign up because the army’s being defeated.”

Eva Quote: Snuggle Forever

e:"Let's snuggle forever, Mommy."
M:"But what if we get hungry?"
e:"We'll just eat cupcakes."
M:"Okay, but what if we wanna do something else?"
e:"We won't, but if we do, we can just do that thing, then come back and snuggle forever."

Sounds good to me. ♥

The Girl

It's been a while since I've posted just about my girl. She changed a lot over the last several months as she nearing her 4th birthday; there's really no more toddler left in her these days. My lil E is maturing. Lately she's all about school, chores, getting married, and copying everything Mummzie does with Dre. "I got it! I got it!" is one of Eva's new catch phrases. This week E's learned about independenc vs. humility after several flashes of frustrated effort to do things herself; Mummzie is seeking to help E see that everyone needs help sometimes - even very grown-up little girls.

This winter "semester" Mummzie and Eva have dove head-long into preschool following an online curriculum. Evangeline is eating it up! We're working to establish a routine of work and school in preparation for next year when it starts to matter.

Daddy does "Bible" with E a couple times a week, and together, Mummzie and Eva are studying some memory verses, letters, colors, numbers, motor skills, writing, shapes, time and calendars, weather, and some science. It's total fun. Eva can recognize and recite her family's names, write her own, count to 20 without mentioning one "farteen" (we're sad to see that phase pass), and can recite 5 memory verses with references! Mummzie and Daddy are so proud. If I spent more time with her with these things, I'm sure she would know more, but for now this is what we're able to do and it's going great!

Here's our "school board" that we made using a $10 oil drip pan from Walmart as a magnetic surface.

Every weekday we observe the weather, mark our day on the calendar, go over our verse, shape, color, letter, and number of the week with different projects.

Daily chores are also part of the routine and Mummzie and Eva work together to make things purty. Eva's chores include dusting, wiping the oven front, wiping finger prints off the windows, watering plants, loading and unloading laundry, and wiping the bathroom sink.

Eew!

Chores vary daily, but there are some we do every day, like hair-brushing and making our bed!

Another one of Eva's catch phrases: "Can I have a snack?" (that's what she's asking below) Our girl is growing, but not too much. She's just right for weight at 32lbs, but she's on the short side at 38in - only 10% of American 3.5 year-olds are her size or smaller. She's just following her mama's genes, I guess.

Thanks to a growing body, a new burst of fearlessness, and a strong desire to do things on her own, this kind of scene (pictured below) is more and more the norm. Yep, E's most common catch-phrase these days is "Oopsy!" and we've taken to calling her "our Daisy" sometimes because of it, tho she's not in on the joke. 

Favorite food: Nutella

Favorite toy: ALL the Babies (some not pictured, but all loved). New word: "Nuffalot" Definition: "Enough to have a lot." Usage: "Looks like I have a nuffalot of babies, Mama."

And that's our girl.