Almost 2...23 Months Old

WOW, 23 months old! I cannot believe we are so close to our baby boy turning two! John Whitten has grown into such and incredibly sweet, caring, kind hearted little boy and Shaun and I are so proud of him. He has the sweetest disposition and reminds me so much of his amazing Daddy. His temperament is so much more different than Lillian's temperament. He is much more submissive than Lillian is, but don't let him full you...that sweet pout lipped little boy has a temper. I hate to own up to it, but he definitely got his Mama's temper (as I have mentioned before Shaun's temper is nonexistent). John Whitten is such a cuddle bug and will point to the couch or to his bed and say, "Cuddle Mama, cuddle". Of course I always stop whatever it is that I am doing and cuddle that sweet boy. I know that will not last forever, so I soak it in every chance I get. He and Lillian have become the best of friends and do everything together. It breaks his heart if she goes into he room and shuts the door on him. 

Shaun and I feel so blessed to have the amazing privilege of raising this little boy. Our lives are fuller, more interesting, dirtier, messier and filled with so much more love since we have had our sweet boy and we could not be more happy. 

cuddling my baby after a long, fun and crazy weekend

Every month Shaun and I have a different part of scripture that we pray over our children. This has been one of my favorites for them. 

Trust in the LROD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding....

Proverbs 3:5

Happy Birthday Tara...Your OLD!

Saturday night Shaun and I went out to celebrate our friend Tara's 30th birthday!!! A group of us went to dinner at PF Chang's and then went bowling. We had a great time together and I was happy that the husbands got to hang out together. Shaun being the "pro" bowler that he is showed us all up the first game, but ended up losing the second go around because he got cocky and started bowling left handed. Did I mention that he brought his own bowling balls and shoes?!? Yes, he is a little bit of a dork but thats one of the one million reasons why I love him. It was fun to be with people you love celebrating a friend I love!! I wish Tara would turn 30 every month so we could do this all of the time!

**A BIG thank you to MeMe (my MIL) for keeping our babies for us while we went out for a good time! What would we do without you Tina!? Thanks again! 

Tara & Johnny

Andrea bowling

Andrea and her super sweet hubby Robby!

Shaun & I

Pretty sure Johnny and Shaun were the only ones with the proper bowling technique. 

Andrea, BIRTHDAY GIRL, me

A friend LOVES at all times...

Proverbs 17:17

Welcome To The World Ellie!!

On Friday August 17, 2012 our family welcomed our beautiful niece Ellie Elizabeth Greene into the world! She weighed in at a perfect 6 lbs 14 oz and 22 inches long! Our family drove up to Nashville when Johnny let us know that Emily was in labor (three weeks early), and we got there a couple ours after sweet Ellie was born. Emily is one of those incredibly lucky women who have their babies very quickly, so once we got there she and Ellie were both resting nicely. My brother Johnny was on cloud nine to say the least over the birth of his sweet new daughter and I was so happy for him. When I asked him how the first night at home went with two he said, "It was a amazing...so fun...kids are so fun...I want a million of them". Johnny was born to be a Dad and I am so proud of both he and Emily. I thought it was kind of funny because the day they brought their newborn baby girl home their 13 month old little boy decided to start walking!! Talk about a busy first day at home : )

the family 

Johnny, Graham, Emily and Ellie!

Uncle Mark and Lillian 

Lillian, Mark, Johnny and Graham

I sing for joy a the works of YOUR hands.

Psalm 92:4

One More Interview Down, One More To Go

This past Monday on August 13, Shaun and I had yet another interview with our social worker Amy. This interview was our "parenting" interview. I was really nervous about this interview for some reason. I guess it is hard for any parent to feel like they are being judged in regards to how they are parenting their children. However, I think Shaun and I left there maybe feeling too good about ourselves. Just kidding, the interview went very well and Shaun and I were just happy that we got to do this interview together! Our last two interviews required for Shaun and I to be interviewed separately, and that always leave you feeling weird. 

Next week is our final interview before we can be made available to be shown to birth mothers. This coming Monday August 20, we will go over our desired child form with our social worker. Let me make it extra clear how much Shaun and I HATED this form. You basically separate the children into categories of  acceptable, willing to discuss and unacceptable all by checking a box. They asked everything from, "Do you care if you child has a limp" to "Do you care if this child is a product of rape". When Shaun and I first looked over this form while filling out of our application it was really hard for us. We didn't agree on everything and ended up having to step back and really just spent time praying over what we should and should not be open to. Ultimately Shaun and I decided that if we were going to be faithful to what we felt like God was calling us to than we were not going to put boundaries around the situation, and that we would be open to whatever child God placed in our arms. 

Our final interview this Monday on the 19th is a meeting with our social worker to go over this form one final time to make sure there is nothing we want to change. Shaun and I have spent a lot of this week praying for courage and confidence in our choices. We pray that we will not throw away our confidence as we listen to the list to our social worker go over a list of disabilities and challenges that we have agreed to be open to. Thank you to everyone of our family and friends who have prayed with us, for us and supported us during this home study. We are so happy to be at the end of it...finally!!! 

So do not throw away your confidence: it will be richly rewarded.

Hebrews 10:35

Lillian Spends The Night

Last weekend Lillian got to spend the night with MeMe! She was so excited and wanted to leave the second Tina came to pick her up. They went to get Lillian's nail done-I cannot tell you how much Lillian LOVED that- and then they went out to eat dinner. Of course I stalked them and every time I talked to Lillian she would tell me, "I miss you Mommy, but I don't want to come home". After dinner they went home played, took a bath and had ice cream before bed (thank you MeMe for sending me lots of pics). I was excited when Tina called at 7:20 Sunday morning to tell me that Lillian was ready to come home. She was all dressed and ready for church when Tina dropped her off. The first thing Lillian said to her Sunday school teacher when we got there was, "I spent the night with my MeMe....". When we picked her up Mrs. Phillis, her Sunday school teacher, told us that she talked about her spend the night MeMe the whole time. So I would think it's safe to say that she had a great time!

getting her nails done

Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of sons is their fathers.

Proverbs 17:6

22 Months...And Then Some

John Whitten is 22 months old! Well, he actually is 22 1/2 months (I have been a bad blogger), and he is growing like a weed!! A lot has happened in the last month and a half. Perhaps the biggest milestone for our sweet boy is that...wait for it...John Whitten is 100% WEANED!!! I am sure many of you are reading this in disbelief. In fact, I am still kind of shocked that I went through with it, and that John Whitten accepted it. So anyway, it was not an easy thing for either of us but it is done and we are both okay with it (Mommy is still a little sad). Other than weaning, John Whitten has had a verbal explosion over the last month. He can say pretty much any word that you ask him to say, and is putting three and four word sentences together. He will say, "Truck, beep, beep Mama", for me to read him one of his favorite books. And when you give him something he always says, "thank you, Mama" or "thank you, illian". He and Lillian are BEST friends and it make my heart so happy to watch them play together. In the morning Lillian is the first person John Whitten hugs and kisses; it is so sweet. John Whitten is a big boy. He is 26 pounds of solid something and is very tall. He is our gentle giant. Oh, he is also sleeping in his big boy bed. He seems much more comfortable in his bed than he did his crib. I seriously think that he was just too big to sleep in the crib and be comfy. Sense we wean him, he is also finally sleeping all night long. That right people, it took 22 months but John Whitten finally slept through the night. Let me just tell you, from this Mama's point of view between the breast feeding and the lack of sleep, these last 22 months have been looooooong.

At every little monthly update, I can't help but stop and think about how grateful I am that I am home with John Whitten. I always hear so many people say that they wish they had spent more time doing this or doing that with their kids, and I am happy that I honestly don't feel that way about anything. I have cuddled John Whitten until 10:00 in the morning. I have laid and played on the floor with him for hours at a time. I have read book after book to that boy and loved every second of it. We have danced in the kitchen while I cook dinner, and have chased each other through every park in Birmingham. We have been to more story times than I can even count, and know the zoo like the back of our hands. I have laid in bed with him during nap times and made mental notes of every sweet and delicate detail of his beautiful face. I have heard every word, every laugh, seen every smile, kissed every boo boo and I have relished in every second, every minute and every moment of my baby boy's 22 months of life. I might not be able to say that I enjoy every minute of every day, but I can say that I appreciate every minute of every day. Some days I find myself watching Lillian and John Whitten playing and all I can think is, "don't blink".

even there Your hand will lead me;

Your right hand will hold to me.

Psalm 139:10

Splash Pad Fun

We have had such a fun and busy summer, that it has been hard for me to keep up with my blogging. Last week we went to the Splash Pad in Gardendale and had a blast! It is a little bit of a drive, but the kids (and I) always have so much fun there. We met a few of our friends there, and then even ran into a few more friends when we got there. Alli and her boys met us out there along with the Tara and her boys, Andrea, Clara and Joseph and my friend Katrina and her three boys. Lillian and Clara are definitely out numbered these days. Good thing they have each other. 

Last summer John Whitten wasn't walking yet and while he still enjoyed the splash pad he couldn't really experience it fully. This summer he is ALL over the place; I can barley keep up with him. He loved every second at the splash pad and I literally had to drag him away when we left. John Whitten is such a water baby, and Lillian has really gotten comfortable with the water this year. The kids loved running between the splash pad and the play ground next to it, and Lillian and Clara even found a little time to take a break from the water and play with their babies. We had a great time and I cannot wait for us to go back!

Lillian and Clara taking a break to play with their dolls

John Whitten and Shepard

John Whitten and his friend Easton!

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

John 7:38