Help this mama out!

This is so exciting and I need lots of help with this post.

For any of you that have adopted or fostered transracially, please give your input too!

TargetShopper commented and needs help with what would be good to have for a one year old African American girl. They have been fostering and are pursuing adoption for this little one and her friends are giving her a shower!

Congrats TargetShopper on your newest addition. Here are some of the things I thought of:

• Tangle Teezer
  
• Comb Set (you can find these at WalMart)
  
• Styling brush


• Aquafor


• Barrettes, beads, bands.
  
• Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
  
• Hair Lotion (I like Just for Me because it's cheap at Walmart & Target)
  
  
• Leave In Conditioner & Styling Gel- what I have found is that there is nothing magical, it's just what works for you and your child. This might be fun for your friends to just start a collection for you to try. I would recommend smaller bottles so that you can try them out.


• Aveeno lotion (gobs and gobs of this)


• Kids satin sleep cap



• Satin crib sheets (I had someone make them on Etsy)
  
• Books with black children/families in them (The Colors of Us, God's Dream, Brown Like Me, I love My Hair, Please Baby Please, We're Different We're the Same, What I like About Me, I love you More than Rainbows, Beautiful)
  
  
• Ethnic Decor and Christmas decor (pictures, nativity, angels, santa, ornaments-find lots online) We use pictures of our kids and their birth family, but some may not have that.
  


• Childrens adoption books (Forever Fingerprints, Families are Different, How I Was Adopted, When God Found Us You)
  
• Life Box-not necessarily an AA thing, just a great adoption gift. Some type of box to keep all her private adoption stuff in: pics of birthparents, any letters/cards or keepsakes from birth parents, finalization stuff, etc. We got ours at Things Remembered
  
• Reading for Mama: Twenty Things by Sherrie Eldridge, I'm Chocolate You're Vanilla, Black Baby White Hands, The Connected Child
  
• Resources for Mama: Ethnic restaurants, transracial playgroups, transracial workshops in the area, support groups for families of adoption, multicultural events in town. Someone could put together a list of these things for you.
  
• Dolls- We can find black baby dolls in most Targets and some Walmarts, but also check out DollsLikeMe.com (they also have biracial baby dolls)

The ultimate gift of love was made by a friend. She bought us the black and white versions of the book I Love You So Much. Then she cut and pasted them to make us a book that matched our transracial family!

Hope this helps! This might be a great way to share ideas if anyone has things they've found that they want to share!

Loving Every Stage

First captured smile on camera!!! Now he won't let me take pics, but did for me last week!!!

As Owen quickly approaches 5, I wonder how in the world time has moved so quickly. I think about how much I have changed as a mom since he came into our lives. Sometimes I feel like he got gypped, but then I remember that he got a lot of alone time with me that his siblings never got.

As he moved through each and every milestone, I found deep joy in celebrating each first. Now, we seem to not have as many "firsts", but it's amazing to me how he is changing right before our eyes even still. Its incredible to see how much he "gets" when he's not yet 5. He told me the other day, "we'd better hurry up and pray for a brown baby because if we get a peach one, I'll be angry." Please don't think that we have said this, I was just as shocked as you. But he does love how he matches his siblings and he fully expects for any other child of ours to match him.

Both of the boys talk a lot about their birth families. We absolutely LOVE that they talk to us about them and feel comfortable doing so. We pray that this continues as they grow. We have some priceless pictures of their birth parents. Owen asked me if we could get these out and frame the one of both of his birth parents. He slept with it that night (they have done this before). This is just a reminder for everyone out there that most children yearn to know their story and their birth family. We feel honored that our kids are comfortable enough to share this with us. Our hope is that in starting this early with our kids, they will know our deep love, respect and desire to have relationship with their birth families as well.

We see Owen being a great leader for his siblings. He is very sensitive to those around him, and he is also a rule follower (generally). He panics if he thinks that either Sadie or Cooper are in danger...and he screams at me to come help. When he learned that a family close to us didn't have a car, and had to walk to meet us for a play date he quickly told me that he was going to save up enough money to buy them a car. He was heartbroken. What.a.sweetie. He is still pretty shy outside of the house. He loves to help out with making his bed, setting the table, vacuuming, unloading the dishwasher, clearing the table and helping Sadie and Cooper.

He seems to never quit eating, yet doesn't seem to put on weight either. Of course, he never stops moving so that might be why! He is not super picky about food, but is a bit more so than Sadie or Cooper. Right now he thinks that every meal should be topped off with something sweet...oops! It's amazing to me how much energy he has. He always does better outside and on the go. Even though he DESPISES naps and swears he is old enough to skip them, he can still out nap his sibs most days! No lie, he still sleeps 2-3 hour naps and goes to bed around 7:30!

I love hearing stories about him at school like when his leader in Kids Club at church told me that Owen said, "I have the most beautiful mommy in the world." He then followed that up with me being the best mommy in the world. Awww. Blake and I talked just the other day about how it will feel when we are no longer cool to our kids. **sigh** He still adores his daddy and wants to be a bone doctor just like him...on most days. Sometimes its an astronaut or a pilot (he really wants to fly like Peter Pan). He still can't say hamburger correctly and it drives him nuts! It comes out ham-murmer. I love how when we have friends over he calls them customers.

I could go on and on about this kid. Mostly about how much he has taught me and changed me and blessed me. They all have, but with him being our first...he changes me daily with the conversations we have and the times I mess up and have to practice the humility and forgiveness that I preach. Owie, you make me SO proud and I am honored to get to call you my son. You are my I love you!

Happenings (and other random stuff)

We had a miracle happen in our house this morning. Well, not really miracle status worthy, but still! Cooper tinkled in the potty! If you know me, you know well that I am not a potty training girl. I just wait until they are ready and then go with it. No training involved (yes, I am a wus).

Even though Owen has been dying for Cooper to use the potty, Cooper's had no interest, until today. So, we've spent half the day with our pants down (really just his-I've been fully dressed all day thank you). The boys had too much fun comparing themselves. I will let you decide what they were comparing, but it was pretty hilarious especially since it was taking place in the back yard as Owen was teaching Cooper the technique of peeing on the fence. I LOVE BOYS, they are so gross, but so much fun!

So glad we had nothing going on today! Yea Cooper! I am sure this is not the end of size 6 diapers (did you know they made them that big?), but I am thinking it is a good start!

________________________________

THANKFUL (and sappy)

Little Miss...I have cried several times since her Gotcha Day just thinking about this time last year. It was such a hard time because my heart was so heavy and ready to have another baby. I had dreamed of a brown baby girl for a long time. And now, she's in my arms and she's ours forever! I look at her and the boys and I think of how much my God loves me. I truly cannot believe that he has chosen me to be their mommy. I think back to this time last year and now know that God was dancing over me and I just totally missed Him. They are my ever present reminder of his love for me, and that is simply amazing to me!

A precious moment when Owen told me he wanted to read Sadie the Bible. It was adorable and Cooper followed suit. I love my job! Owen is such a wonderful big brother. I look at him and wonder how he is only 3 1/2 with the things that he says and remembers. He still loves "family days" where we do nothing but just be together. He adores his baby sister and knows just how to push his brother's buttons (sounds right on track for 3, right?). He got a train to the noggin for just that this morning! He's as tender as he is tough. I love watching him grow into a little boy.

_______________________________________

LIFE BOX

I talked about Life Boxes in the last post and several of you asked where I found this one. It was from Things Remembered in the baby section. I have looked several places and couldn't find anything I liked near as much. I love that you can engrave it because I like to put their Gotcha Day there with their new name! I am sure you could find something that would work just as well. I just love the idea of a Life Box and as small as the boys are, they seem to like having it already. In the picture above Cooper is showing you how it opens.

____________________________________________________

BATHING BEAUTY!

Trying on our bathing suit! Thanks Savannah for letting us borrow yours! Doesn't she look like she's posing? I am hoping that her cuteness will distract from the fact that I am also wearing a swimsuit! I mean, come on, with these 3 cuties, what do I have to worry about anyone noticing me and my pasty skin! We are headed to Great Wolfe Lodge for our first family vacation of 5! Yahoo!