Pregnancy Sweet Spot (aka middle of the 2nd trimester)

Guys. Life is GREAT. At any given time, sure, there are things a prego in my shoes could complain or worry about. The leg and foot cramps have begun. Already. Any day now I'll be too big to carry both of my toddlers down the stairs at the same time, and then how the heck are we supposed to leave the house? But those thoughts can wait. Because pregnancy is so sweet right now.

Why?

Baby is starting to kick, but not in a painful, annoying, ruin-your-sleep kind of way. More like in a sweet, gentle, reminding-you-I'm here kind of way. And I love it! It wasn't too long ago I was in the ER with a friend (Brad was out of town) with severe cramps, sure I was miscarrying. Those kicks are signs of life for me and I am so thankful for every.single.one.

Nausea and vomiting are gone, and I haven't felt those wicked symptoms in weeks. I also haven't had to take the anti-pregnancy-nausea pills in months, which made me even more exhausted than I already was. I can enjoy food as a result, and cooking and baking too.

I'm showing and maybe even glowing. I don't know about the last part - but I've heard it once or twice. Probably more the glow you get when you haven't showered in a couple days and your kids are making you laugh and it's finally hot outside and you've been chasing the toddlers around. That glow, that's not at all related to pregnancy, is probably more the one I have, but I'll take the compliment :) And showing is great because people always give me their seats on the metro and I get a lot of smiles and kindness from the general population at large.

Our kids can see I'm pregnant and they're excited. Lily didn't know what the heck was happening when she was 4.5 months old and I ran to tell her the good news that she was going to be a big sister. Obviously.  But now she's 2.5 years old and well aware, she's even told us without a doubt that the baby is a girl! And even Oli understands a bit - at least much more than she did when I was pregnant with him! He kisses my tummy and says "baby!" a lot and cuddles it too.

I have some energy again, so I'm enjoying it. The 1st trimester and 3rd are often just such a blur of exhaustion, but the 2nd trimester really is grand. Some moms I know say they've never had more energy, and while I can't relate to that, I am feeling so much better than before that it seems that way. I'm loving taking the kids out in this nice weather and getting things done during some naptimes if I'm feeling extra empowered.

I'm realizing that my 3rd child is coming... soon! The 1st trimester is all about survival. I don't think much beyond the toilet bowl. I can't pretend I spend those early weeks dreaming of the baby who is being knit together in my womb. I'm thinking about what I ate last and how it's making me want to vomit. But now, I'm in a place where I can prepare, dream, and long for our third little sapling. I've begun buying some things we need (some cloth diapers in size 1, a car seat, etc), and I've started to prepare and get excited even for breastfeeding. I know September will fly by (and baby could come any time that month too!) and we have a busy summer ahead so he'she will be here before we know it!

it's a sweet sweet time and I'm savouring every last drop.

prego stats - week 17

How far along: 17 whole weeks!

Total weight gain: 5 lbs

How big is baby: an onion

Maternity Clothes: yes, sir! 

Sleep: It's funny. The 2nd trimester brings more energy, to be sure, but I still have the odd day where I can hardly scrape myself off the couch/bed/floor/laundry heap. Today was one of those days. I skipped napping this morning because I slept for a good 8 hours last night and felt rested. Plus someone was coming over to buy some old cloth diapers from me that I listed on craigslist, in the middle of nap time. And then I went out on a walk with Morgan and the kids and felt great. Until about 3:30pm. OH MY WORD. Morgan left around 4pm, and at 4:45 I woke up on the reading ottoman corner in the kids room, no idea how I got there. Ladies and gentlemen, THAT is what you call tired.

Best moment this week: feeling baby movement and planning for baby #3 has been so fun!

Movement: YES! Occasionally I feel it, and I love it. It's so reassuring and I am reminded of the great gift I'm carrying each and every time. Need to remember that when the movement is less joyful and more painful and inconvenient in the 3rd trimester :)

Food cravings: I'm eating Lebanese take out right now. Does that answer your question?

Food aversions: Still some meats, but basically nothing anymore.

Gender: FIFTEEN MORE DAYS, PLAYERS! I can't wait to find out. Vote on the sidebar for the sex you think it'll be. Because it's fun, and for no other reason :)

Labor signs: n/a

Belly button in or out: Out.

What I miss: energy, my old clothes, the days before stretch marks (but that was 3 years ago...)

What I'm not loving: Constipation like woah. Is that TMI?

What I’m looking forward to: OK this deserves a post all to itself, and one is coming this week, but get this: NURSING. I know, me, who had two horrific experiences complete with poor latching, low supply, mama guilt like woah, evil laleche ladies telling me I'm a bad mom and all the rest of it.... I am excited to try nursing again. 

What I'm loving: Oli kissing my tummy and saying "baby!" all the time, and Lily asking if she can "hold" the baby (and then putting her two little hands on either side of my bump). These two are going to be great big siblings!

Milestone(s): 2nd trimester, movement, and breast tenderness and tingling (signs of milk production, we hope!).

25% of the way through

I noticed something amazing today. I know pregnancies are measured in trimesters but for me, it's more helpful to look at the pregnancy in quarters. Most likely because the 1st and 4th quarter are absolutely the hardest. And usually the 1st and 3rd trimesters get such a bad reputation but neither of them are entirely horrid - it's the final 10 weeks of the 3rd trimester that really do you in, and for me, the first 10 weeks of the 1st trimester that are the hardest (probably because I don't get anti-nausea medicine right away and it takes a while to work effectively).

Well, today, I'm 10 weeks in. 25% finished with this pregnancy and 1/4 of the way through!

There is something really thrilling about typing that, and also really melancholy. I'm SO GLAD to say "good riddance" to the first ten weeks because I'm only now starting to feel human again as they pass. But I am very aware that this is more than likely my last pregnancy, and once this chapter is behind me, it's behind me forever. Of course, we thought Oli was our last pregnancy, but this one seems much more likely to be the final one.

And I'm so glad, because with Oli's pregnancy I spent a whole lot of time resenting the sickness and sacrifices I had to make and feeling sorry for myself (though often I had good reason!), and it would have been a pitiful way to close the pregnancy chapter of my life. Looking back, I'm not proud of how I acted or felt during most of that pregnancy, and vowed to make this third pregnancy a different story. By the grace of God, I believe it really has been.

Sure, there have been moments of weakness, times I've complained, and days I've felt completely overwhelmed and ungrateful. But far fewer than my last pregnancy, and I believe this one - primarily because I have more children to care for outside of the womb - has been significantly more difficult! Thank you Lord, for working in me. And not letting me waste this gift of pregnancy.

Today I'm finished the 1st quarter of this pregnancy. I have 30 weeks to go if baby comes on my due date. 70 days down, 210 to go. My prayer is that this baby would stay healthy and safe and that this pregnancy would glorify God in ways my first two sadly did not. I'm hoping to not waste these next 30 weeks with ingratitude and bitterness, no matter how difficult things get, and to enjoy this sweet gift that we spent half a year asking God to give us.

I haven't forgotten about adoption

Even though our timeline to one day, hopefully adopt is now measured in years not months, and even though we're having a third baby before that happens, adoption is still a very real part of our hearts around here. Morgan just posted this trailer for the documentary Stuck that looks at international adoption and how long it takes and the faulty system. Brad and I watched it and were in tears seconds in. Absolutely worth watching. Also, please sign the petition at the top of the link!

I pray one day adoption is a very real part of our family - not just a passion, not just a cause we support.

transracial families put up with a lot...

One day, we still hope to adopt, though it's currently on hold as we try for #3. Which means articles and blogs and posts and videos and stories and books on adoption and orphans are still very much interesting to me. At the forefront of my mind and heart, still. And I still think about how we'll probably be a transracial family some day if we adopt via foster care, because the stats just work that way. And I still get excited about what God will do in our family and what it will look like.

This video on Rage Against The Minivan made me laugh today, but also reflect on how frustratingly difficult it must be to hear these comments A L L  T H E   T I M E.

we're still thinking about it...

baby fever hit a few weeks ago. hard.

It began as we were packing away clothes we didn't want to keep (we had WAY too much for both kids, but especially Lily). Not all of our baby clothes, just the non-amazing, non-essential, heavily-worn, less-cute stuff. But there was a lot of that. Everything else we're keeping for my sister when she has kids. 'Cause we're done. Right? Right??

So I'm having a margarita of all things, and sorting through baby clothes. Brad at this point was already wavering on the vasectomy though we're certain we are adopting in the future. I felt it, told him, he felt it, we talked. We've been talking. We've been praying. For a few weeks.

Having a third baby was never in the plans, but it's been two weeks and I can't keep blaming the margarita or the baby clothes or that faitful night. Because it's sticking, so far. I'm still in the process of asking God "are you kidding!?" and contemplating if it could even work, if we even want it to, and including our adoption dreams to this potential reality. So right now we're still thinking about it.

*shakes head in disbelief*

warning: do not sort through baby clothes while having a margarita and expect to leave that event unscathed. un-fevered.

I thought I was immune...

to baby fever.

My friends felt it when they wanted another one, and after Oli I didn't.
I hosted baby showers, visited newborns, played with sweet smelling 1 month-olds, and celebrated with friends over their recent pregnancies. All.Without.The.Fever.

Not that we didn't want more kids, as you know, we are adopting!
But we were sure of one thing: NO MORE BABIES.

Until last week. We were discussing the V word (vasectomy) and Brad asked an honest question.  
Are you sure you don't want to have just one more?
My response was emphatic. You can read all about it here. But then last night as as were sorting through baby things to lend/give to a pregnant couple we know, it hit me. The fever.

Now, to discern if it's legitimate or not.
Is it just a hormone surge, emotions or nostalgia? Probably.
Is it just because our kids are in the same room now and sleeping through the night together? Maybe.

But while we're on the topic, what are my reasons for not wanting another baby, aside from adoption (because that would happen down the road regardless)?
I need to evaluate them, because last time I checked they weren't so solid.
They were temporary things. Fleeting things. Vain things.

Like how much I dislike pregnancy. (which is only 9 months)
Like how my pre-baby body is finally back. (and this body is not forever!)
Like how I can function as a non-mom some days because I only have 2 and they're pretty manageable. (but I am a mom! is it so horrible if my life reflects that all day, every day?)
Like how exhausting the first 6 months are. (again, it's only 6 months)
Like how awful breastfeeding was with both babies. (who says I have to?)

Plus I never wanted another biological child. And never wanted another baby (biological or adopted).

But if I do (not saying I do, just saying I'm thinking about it today!), would I seriously let 9 hard months followed by 6 exhausting months and body image issues be the defining factor? I hope not.

little women.... {yikes}

I read this article in the New York Times and it really startled me. It's an interesting and really uncomfortable read for moms with daughters, but probably good to check out. 

The gist is that girls are entering puberty as early as KINDERGARTEN.

And one of the largest contributing factors is stress in the home (defined as absent fathers, present step-fathers, adoption and integration issues, etc).

Here's an excerpt:

Family stress can disrupt puberty timing as well. Girls who from an early age grow up in homes without their biological fathers are twice as likely to go into puberty younger as girls who grow up with both parents. Some studies show that the presence of a stepfather in the house also correlates with early puberty. Evidence links maternal depression with developing early. Children adopted from poorer countries who have experienced significant early-childhood stress are also at greater risk for early puberty once they’re ensconced in Western families.

Things it's reminded me of:

1. Childhood traumas (even from such a young age) have such a impact on children down the line.
2. There will be damage that we will never be able to un-do 
3. The family unit, when thriving, does so much to bless a child or children. Far beyond what I'd imagined, even to the physical development of a person. Wow.
4. I need to be praying for our future child(ren) in specific ways. Thinking right now if we adopt a daughter, how she may be impacted and how I can be praying...

a good cry and a beauitiful story

a friend passed this article on to me tonight.
it's the pure hope of our hearts way deep down and all throughout.
read it only if you're up for a good cry.

When I was just a little girl, like a wee little thing, I had a different mom and dad. And they were kind to me, but they had hurts and they had addictions and they didn't know how to take care of themselves, much less a wee girl and her little brother.

I mean, they tried. They hung on to us for several years, but things kept slipping and they kept falling and failing and they mustered up what strength they could, but they just couldn't make it work and they couldn't make it right. And so the policemen came over and over again, and took us away and my mama cried in the back of that police car, hands cuffed, and she told me that she loved me. And I knew in my little heart, as I looked up at her, tears streaming and mascara running, I knew that she really did love me. She just couldn't make it work.

And I still remember my daddy's face, another time, when the police finally caught up with him, and took his drugs and took his booze and took us kids. And even though I was just a little thing, legs not even long enough to dangle from the seat, I knew deep inside that he was in trouble and that he couldn't make it right.

And I cried for them because every little girl wants her mommy and needs her daddy, but they were gone, again, and I felt lost. And the social workers took us to some foster homes, lots of times they took us, but we were never safe. (Did you know bad guys can live in foster homes?) I lay in bed at night wishing they would go away. And I was just a little thing.

But, one day something beautiful happened. Something strange. The social workers came and got us and put our stuff in a brown paper bag and we met a different mom and dad. And they said they wanted us. Like, forever. And we could live with them and never go away. And I really liked the idea, but I didn't know what it really meant to trust, so deep inside I didn't believe them. Not yet.

So, we came to our new home, and I had a big brother and a big sister and from the get-go they loved us and they never made us feel afraid. And my mom and dad told me how they had prayed for us, because God had put it on their heart to, and so they asked Him to show them where we were and what to do. And one day my mama walked into that government office, saw our picture and knew right away. And she told that social worker that we were her kids. And the lady disagreed and tried to protest and said it wasn't possible, but my mama knew about the God of all the impossibles, and so it wasn't long before we came home. For good. And time passed and no one ever took us away, so I believed. 
And as days have turned to months which have turned to years, I still believe. I believe in that God of all the impossibles. And I've come to find that He's the One who rescues and He redeems, but He uses our hands and our feet. And He whispers His rescue plan into our hearts and hopes that we'll obey.

And this same God has healed those wounds from a mama and a daddy who just couldn't make it work and couldn't make it right. Because He gave me another mama and daddy who didn't have it altogether, but who depended on the only One who does. And people say that time heals all wounds, but I think it's love.

And every day I'm thankful that I've been rescued and that my life has been redeemed by the God who can make beauty from a mess. And I'm thankful for a family who became His hands and feet to reach out with a love that heals—reached out to the likes of me. When I was just a little thing.

(Thank you, Ma and Pa—a million times, and with tears, thank you.)

And thank You, Jesus, for always coming for me, for scooping me up and bringing me home. And thank You for how you take the bad and the ugly and the messed up in this world and You make it beautiful. You are good. You are so good. Amen.

keeping siblings together

One thing that's quite possible when adopting locally is the surfacing of biological siblings.

In an attempt to keep siblings together, the adoptive parents are contacted when a sibling of their adopted child is discovered. Sometimes they've just been born, and other times they weren't previously known about and now are. Either way, the adoptive family whose child is related to this discovered child is given first priority to adopt the sibling (or half sibling).

It really makes me wonder, would we take on a sibling or half sibling of our adopted child, should the situation ever occur? I don't know how I could say no, though I never saw myself having more than 4 kids and don't know if I have the capacity to do so...

This makes me reevaluate whether or not to hope for siblings in the first place. If we adopt one child instead of a sibling set, the possibility is still there that one day we would adopt a sibling of theirs.

Would you take on a sibling of your adopted child?

What factors would you consider first?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

moving posters from the Dave Thomas Foundation

Dave Thomas (founder of Wendys) was adopted from the foster care system. His foundation's goal is to de-stigmatize foster care adoptions and find forever families for every child. Amen.

Look at these posters I found on the foundation's site:

I especially love combating the beliefs that some kids are "too old" or "too damaged" or "to much" (siblings).

Praying that God moves through this campaign to find forever families for countless kids.

on naming humans

what an honour and responsibility...
to give a human being their name
it's huge.

that's one thing I lament about adopting an older child.
we won't get to name him/her.
when you adopt an infant, sure, give them a new name, they won't know the difference.
but when you adopt a child, they already know their name. you can't go around changing it.

we thought long and hard about the names Lily Catherine and Olivier Michael Robert, but for our next "babies" we'll be happy enough to give them one name: Morrice.

"but what about Lily and Oli"

Anytime we talk about adopting a non-infant, people seem genuinely concerned for our kids. Something about adopting a toddler or kid instead of a baby has folks thinking our poor biological kids just won't be able to deal. And part of that is founded. It will be a HUGE adjustment when we some day, adopt. For us, for the child(ren) we adopt, and for Lily and Oli. But I can't help but think the reaction is a bit over-dramatic.

When we brought Olivier home from the hospital it took Lily a good month to stop hitting, scratching, and biting him. Her brother. Our son. Sometimes we caught her before she could hurt him, other times we weren't looking and little Oli would end up with a big scratch (often drawing blood) on his tiny face. Lily was vicious. It was all so new, and as a 14 month old baby herself, she didn't understand anything.

As awful as that month was, I'm glad we went through it. I think it has prepared us a little bit for what may be to come. On the bright side, our kids will be older by the time we adopt. Lily wasn't warned at all for Oli's arrival - or I should say, she didn't understand the hundreds of times we told her she had a brother coming soon. If she's around 3 years old when we adopt, she'll be able to understand much more. Oli will probably be in her shoes when he came home, so it won't be perfect -  we'll still have one biological kid who doesn't have a clue!

My point is this: it's always hard adjusting to a new family member. No matter how they come into your family. Lily had a terrible time adjusting to Oli, but she eventually did. She was so young and couldn't put the pieces together, so she acted out in aggression and tantrums. Oli may do the same when we adopt. But I believe he would also act that way if we had a third baby, biologically. I assume he'd treat said baby the same way Lily treated him - terribly :)

the power of the Gospel

The gospel redeems and saves and ratifies and purifies and welcomes and adopts.

The gospel is one of the largest reasons we want to adopt.

Because we have experienced the redemption and salvation and ratification and purification and welcome and adoption by the work of Jesus on the cross, our hearts will never be the same and we understand that it doesn't end here or today.

I've read a lot of secular literature on adoption lately. It's not bad or unhelpful or invalid, but it's missing the Gospel. It's missing a degree of hope and joy found in and through adoption. Joy and Hope characterize hearts rooted in the gospel and will get us through the difficult seasons adoption is sure to bring. Secular literature I've found doesn't speak to that (obviously) and the reader is left, often, discouraged and numb to the beautiful act of adoption.

Because God calls us his kids and Jesus is not ashamed to call us family in the gospel, adoption is possible and right and good, even in the face of neglect, abuse, family structures, challenges, financial burdens, jealousy, and secular opinion on the matters of birth order and twinning and a host of other conundrums.

The gospel is why we're adopting

The gospel is how we'll adopt

The gospel will get us through

The gospel will be seen increasingly in our family because of adoption

it will be SO hard. there will be SO many challenges. 

But, there's the Gospel.

Votes Are In!

November 2nd is everyone's best guess for LG's arrival and I know some people who couldn't be happier about that - 

If LG is born that day, he'll share his birthday with his Poppa - My beloved father in law, Jim :)

(here's Jim and Lily when she was just a few weeks old - what a birthday gift LG would be to him!)

All along when we were given a November 6th due date he's been pulling for that and I think it would be super sweet for his first grandson and he to share a birthday.

We'll see!

having some, adopting some

Our plan was always to have all of our kids biologically. I've talked about that a bit. 

But then when I became a mom, my heart for orphans grew - how could it not? My heart for all babies and children and mothers did, and that has to include orphaned children and their birth mothers. 

But after Lily, we knew we weren't ready to throw in the towel with biological reproduction either. Even though being pregnant was not my cup of tea! After this baby though, we're 99% sure we're done having kids biologically. But not done having kids. Not done growing our family. 

Though the blogosphere has introduced me to many families who "have some and adopt some", most people I know who have adopted, have only adopted. They don't also have biological children (they may plan to in the future but they don't yet).  The other night though, we met a guy who was in town for a conference and staying with our friends. He has SIX children (yelp!) and two are adopted. I loved hearing him talk about his kids - how his "bio kids" responded to all the sudden having a twin (they twinned their oldest and second oldest kids and the kids loved it). 

At this point I have no idea what the future for our family holds.

We're open to age and race (we're not going on the longest known list in local adoption for a white newborn, in fact we're partial to neither!) and even number (sibling sets have a harder time being adopted, and oddly enough that's also the most appealing to us).

But timing is completely not known or decided right now. LG is the imminent priority, and he'll be making us a family of 4 any day now, but it's also something impossible to take off the table and our hearts entirely.  

God's put it there and he's not taking it off.

As we wait to see what He has for our family, and we take our time adjusting to being a family of 4, we'll be praying about the future. Enjoy these amazing videos of families who have had some and adopted some with me.

Home At Last from dan owens on Vimeo.

in 20 days of less

In 20 days of less, I'll be a mama again.
In 20 days or less, I'll have a boy in my house, and I don't mean Bradford!!
In 20 days or less, Lily will have a brother.
In 20 days or less, we'll be a family of 4.
In 20 days or less, I'll no longer be pregnant.
In 20 days or less...

Unless as a sick joke of some kind, LG decides to come AFTER his due date... but after this much grief I surely don't hope or expect that (did you hear that LG? did you?!).

I'm struggling big time for perspective.
Haven't been sleeping well.
Lily has been waking around 4am each night this week in tears - not hungry, not wanting to be held (maybe just teething pain, not sure) and I have a hard time falling back to sleep once I'm up.
I've been grouchy (just ask my poor husband).
I'm getting frustrated and growing stir-crazy stuck in my house.

20 days or less though, seems like such a brief time. Less than 3 weeks. I can count that on my fingers and toes. I can picture 20 days. It's not even a month. I really need to say that back to myself again and again.

20 days or less.

soon and very soon...

• i'll be in a new home
• i'll be lounging on THE UNICORN
• i'll be decorating for Fall
• i'll be getting ready for Christmas
• i'll be mummer to another little one
• i'll be drinking a margarita (or a glass of wine or a 1/2 pint of beer...)
• i'll be up all night and practically all day
• i'll be a Plateau-dwelling lady
• i'll be giving birth (can.not.wait.)
• i'll be recovering from giving birth (can.definitely.wait)
• i'll be attempting breast-feeding & giving it my best shot (again)
• i'll be living farther from my friends
• i'll be amidst far more French
• i'll be watching hockey
• i'll be wearing non-maternity clothes

lots (good & bad) to look forward to in joy and anticipation and just a smidgen of fear.

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, 

for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. 

Sufficient for the day is its own trouble

- Jesus (Matthew 6:34) 

reality check

Baby Audrey was over the other day, unfortunately not under the best of circumstances. 

James and Jamie, on top of enduring their first week of parenthood (oh, how I remember that week, and it was NOT all roses as I'd thought!), discovered bed bugs and were evicted while the fumigator took care of the pests. 

Apparently after spraying their apartment, it only takes about 4 hours for the space to become "safe" for a healthy adult, but with a 5 day old baby, well, you don't take chances! So they were off to spend the night at a friend's apartment, but needed a place to spend the early evening until it became available. Obviously I was THRILLED at the chance to have Jamie and Audrey over, but wished it was for a better reason!

While Jamie took some much needed alone time and did some pumping (I did a LOT of pumping with Lily to increase my supply and can imagine I'll do the same with LG... not looking forward!), I took Audrey off her hands. The thing was, it was dinner time and Lily was still awake.

So I cooked dinner, kept my eyes on Lil, and held precious Audrey. Can I just say, WOW. This is going to be an adjustment having TWO. I know people have many more than two children and get it done, and I plan to be one of those people, but it will be a big change from just needing to care for Lily, that's for sure! It was a big time reality check, especially at hectic times like making dinner.

Thankfully, when it's my newborn, my home will be ready for him. I didn't have a bouncy-seat or a safe place to lay Audrey during the craziness, and that would have helped. I also didn't have a safe place for Lily since we're moving, so I had to barricade her into the kitchen with me as I cooked, Audrey in arm. So instead of Lily playing in her baby-gated bedroom (which we REALLY need to buy!) and Audrey happily bouncing along as I cooked dinner, it was more like a scene from Family Circus.

I was thankful for the reminder, that in 7 weeks things will be even crazier than now. 

I'm thankful for bed rest, as it's giving me a reminder and excuse to RELAX while I still can.

Even if relaxing these days looks much differently than it did before kids!

Even Though my Oven's Working...

I'm SO excited to have this baby...

God's really blessed me with the gift of being able to bear children, and I don't take that lightly.

Thinking about how easy it was to conceive Lily and LG really do cause gratitude to pour out of my heart.

But when I see things like this, I can't shake the deep deep desire to add to our family through adoption.

A few weeks ago while I was getting a pedicure for my sister's wedding, I told the nail tech that I desired to adopt. Her and I were both pregnant (and yes hanging in a nail salon probably wasn't the best place for our babes, but we'll let that slide!), and she commented "but why adopt when your oven's working?"

Her question took me aback. Implying that those who want to adopt are more worthy of it if they can't conceive children. Or that there was no reason to adopt if you could bear children. Funny, I thought adopting was about the child, not about the parents, primarily.
I responded with a smile reminding her "well, there are a lot of children who need a good home out there, thousands more than are parents lining up to adopt them" to which she fully agreed.

I continue to be excited about LG's arrival and to see what he'll look like - will he be a mini-Brad or have more of my features as Lily does? But I also can't shake the feeling that God will one day be adding to our family in a completely different way. Even though my oven works.