P is ONE!

newborn                                                 one year

It is hard to believe we have already had a year with our sweet and sassy girl. I feel so blessed that I get to be her mother. The first six months, and learning curve of a baby, were not easy, nor was pregnancy, but it was all so more than worth it. She is such a joy in our life and keeps us laughing.

She is very independent and I assume that is why she is not walking yet. She totally could physically but it has to be her idea and on her own time. Although she is independent, she is very cautious. She loves to make other people laugh, especially her brother. This last month she has turned into a social butterfly, I cannot go into a store without her stopping everyone with her waving, babbling, and cute smile.

This year of learning and growing and enjoying her has been so much fun and I am so excited to see all God has in store for her.

One year ago P...

• weighed 6 pounds 15 ounces and was 21 inches long. Today she is 22 pounds and 28 inches tall. 
• did not fit in a newborn shoe and now has barely moved to a size 2 (small feet!).
• wore newborn size clothes and now wears size 12 months.

This year P...

• waves, gives high fives, crawls like a ninja, fake laughs/cries to be funny, stands and cruises around the furniture, scoots around on one knee
• LOVES to dance. She loves music and will start dancing when she hears it. A favorite is dancing with her brother. 
• had minor illnesses including RSV, tons of ear infections, and hand/foot/mouth - we were so glad for summer to be here!
• has 7 teeth (4 on top, 3 on bottom)
• sleeps 12 whole hours at night and still takes a long morning and afternoon nap (loves sleep like her momma!)
• is very verbal and says the words momma, dada, dog, go, bye, hi, ouch, baba (bottle)
• current favorite book: anything pop up - if it isn't pop up, she is not interested
• loves swimming in the pool and baths, but was not a fan of the ocean
• favorite foods: grapes, cheese, yogurt
• favorite television show: really just the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse intro song
• favorites toys: Fisher-Price Learn and Love Puppy, Minnie Mouse, pink fuzzy bear, anything that lights up and makes noise
• loves to play peek-a-boo, chase her brother (or be chased)
• earned the name "queen bee" in her Sunday school class, which I am sure is attributed to her social butterfly and sassy qualities combining 
• she loves cake. obviously. 

My Birthday Wish - Abide Family Center

When you hear the words "orphan care" what is the first thing that enters your mind? Perhaps it is foster care or adoption, the fatherless, orphanages. We typically think of getting children out of orphanages and into new families.

But what if we look at why the children are orphans in the first place? What if some of our efforts shift and we focus on keeping biological families together so orphans are not created? What if some of our money and time and effort go towards keeping families together before they are ever torn apart? Giving parents the resources and love and support they need to keep their families together.

What if our minds shift from believing that the "American dream" is the best life for a child and wake up to the realization that the best thing for every child is their biological family (as long as it is available and safe).

I am by no means against adoption, obviously we have adopted and feel passionate about it. There are situations where all the other options have been exhausted and this is the best option for a child, and I fully support those situations. I rejoice that our Heavenly Father sets the lonely in families.

But far too often, adoption and orphanages are not a result from every effort being exhausted. It is often a decision made out of necessity because a mother cannot provide financially for her children. Because adequate medical care is not available for birth and beyond. Because children are taken and used for financial gain.

The Lord is doing a work in me and really opening my eyes to the root of the problem and convicting me about ways we might can be used to be part of the solution. I am not sure what all this means, but what I do know is, my birthday is in a few days and even though I'm turning 29, I still get wishes right?!? I would LOVE if you could help me fund this project below.

Abide Family Center is an organization in Uganda that is fighting to keep families together. Abide is helping families by giving them resources, childcare, housing and more so they can create sustainable environments for their families. So more families are kept together and less children are sent to orphanages. So children are taken out of orphanages and put back in their biological families. Here is a short video on the work they are doing.

I contacted Abide and asked them how we could help and they told me they are in desperate need of an outdoor play structure for the children there. The structure would be cemented and open but with a wall around it so the babies can safely play. In order to make this happen we need to raise $1000.

Here is how you can help:

DONATE - click the donate button below to give financially - $1 or $100, every dollar makes a difference for these families. Maybe $29 in honor of my birthday?! (if you would rather send a check, please email me for information)

You can also donate directly on the Abide Family Center's website if you click here - this option is tax deductible, however, there is no way for us to track your donation for our campaign. If you choose this donation option, please comment below or email me with your amount so it can be counted towards this campaign.

SHARE - please share this post with friends and family so we can make this happen. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could fund even more than this play structure for them?!

Thank you for helping this organization as they serve the families of Uganda. And THANK YOU for helping make my birthday wish come true :)

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