J Cooper Photography

I’m praying someone is rocking you tonight…singing you a lullaby in the dark…wrapping you up in a warm blanket and nuzzling you close in the moonlight.

I’m praying for wisdom for the doctors at the hospital…the perfect mix of intuition and intellect combining to treat your infection.

I’m praying that you will continue to grow…keep crying for those bottles…and keep smiling for the strangers with the cameras.

I’m praying that somehow you’ll know you have a Mommy far away who aches for you…who loves you with abandon.

Will you pray for our miracle too?

♥Lots of people emailed asking about the shoes the girls were wearing in the Back to School pics. Stride Rite buy one get one 50% sale.
For those of you cursed with that ridiculous rubber tire mulch…they are the PERFECT shoe!

♥We spent the week potty training.  I saw lots of this cute tooshie (he’s SO gonna hate me for this some day).
He has his own cheer down pat.  And he’s actually hitting the toilet.  What more can a Mom ask for?

♥If you have not called to book a fall session (and plan to)…call soon!  My schedule is getting VERY busy and I will not be making room for many more sessions!

♥Picking out details for Daniel’s nursery is proving harder than I thought.  Heck…I can’t even pick out knobs for the dresser!

♥I could really use some fun hair styling tips for Miss A.  Anyone with long(ish) hair have some cute ideas to pass our way?
I’m voting to get it cut back in her adorable bob but that idea is clashing significantly with her efforts to “grow it to China”.

♥Monday I painted an entire wall in our kitchen with chalkboard paint.  Tuesday I put on a 2nd coat.  Wednesday I put on a 3rd coat.
See the trend?  I’m getting a bit peeved at the persistent roller marks (I used a small mohair roller at the suggestion of the paint guru at Sherwin Williams).
Any chalkboard paint enthusiasts who want to enlighten me on the proper technique?

♥I will be collecting orders for the NEXT RELEASE of the Matilda Jane Field Trip collection.
There are some SUPER cute new pieces that are likely to sell out.
Our orders will be imputed FIRST thing on opening day by yours truly so email me your wishlist if you are dying to get your hands on the cuteness (can I hear a “Francine Dress???”)

♥My girls are raising roly polies (is that how you spell the plural of roly poly?  It isn’t as cute as a plural is it?)
We have a roly poly farm on my kitchen counter.  Did you know they eat fish food?

♥Happy Birthday to my nephews Matt and Micah.  They are so totally way cool.

♥I need stationary curtain rods.  You know the smallish rods that are only about 18″ long and don’t extend?  You can mount them to the side of your windows for stationary panels.  Do you know where to get those?  And don’t tell me Bed Bath & Beyond.  Been there done that.  And Target.  And Walmart.  And J C Penney’s Home Store.  And, and, and….

♥If I stock my Etsy store for fall…what would you want to see in it?

♥My phone just rang…it was our pediatrician who was able to look over all of Daniel’s chart.
He was able to look at his X-rays and confirm the EKG…said his heart looked GREAT.  PRAISE GOD!

♥We are heading out of town for the weekend to unplug.  If you are waiting to hear from me on some matter….I’ll be back on Monday.

(I should so be packing the car right now).

Today started out like any other day…the mad dash out the door to get the girls to school…outfits on, hair done, backpacks packed.  We ate our breakfast and rushed out the door for carpool.  Little man spent the morning with me practicing wearing his “big boy pants” and “staying dry” (yep…we are officially potty training around these parts.  Gotta put in a plug too for my super star who stayed dry all morning…rock on little dude).  I decided to give him a break mid morning and we ran to a local flea market to mill around for a bit before kindergarten pick-up.  My phone rang.  Hmmmm…AGCI.  My heart used to leap out of my chest when our agency appeared on my caller id.  But now I seem to answer with hesitation (already harboring the worried mother syndrome) wondering if my little guy is ill.  But he isn’t.  In fact…she called to tell me that he is doing GREAT this week and that he is eating well again (3-4 ounces every 2-3 hours).  YEAH!!  My heart was SO happy to hear that news the conversation could have ended right there!

But it didn’t.

“I’m actually calling with some other great news”, she said.

And then I almost stopped my car right in the middle of the right lane on 151st and Mur-len.  WE HAVE COURT DATES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last week our agency was told that the Ethiopian courts would not be issuing any more court dates until they re-opened in October.  We were disappointed but not shocked by the news.  Apparently our file had already been opened, so they decided to issue our dates after all!  Our preliminary hearing (we will not be present for this date) is October 22nd.  And our COURT DATE IS NOVEMBER 23RD!!!!!!!

When our case worker told me the news I squealed with delight and then my heart immediately fell.  November 23rd is THREE MONTHS AWAY.  But after I gave myself a little pep talk and took the time to THANK GOD for this trememdous blessing I couldn’t stop finding all the GOODS about God’s perfect timing.  So here they all are.  All the goods.

1.  We will save $1000-$2000 by being able to book our tickets now.  We are estimating that tickets could have been $1000 more per ticket if we had had to purchase last minute air fare.

2.  My kids (and my parents) will be out of school during that week already due to Thanksgiving vacation which makes our schedules SO much more fleixible!

3.  My Dad travels internationally often and was just starting to book his November travels.  Now he’ll be spending his time corralling my wild brood.

4.  We have plenty of time to prepare Daniel’s cute nursery

5.  It gives us more time to grow in patience and ready our hearts to add another little bundle.

So today was a good day!  Happy memories to add to this long and bumpy journey.  I think its time to start a count down.  Hang on Daniel…87 more days and I’ll be smothering you with kisses!!!

The day finally arrived.  This one is always waiting anxiously for the day she gets to do everything her sister has done.  So today was the day.  The first day of SOCCER.

I snuck my camera into practice until she glared suspiciously at me…then I hid it back in my bag and retreated to the bleachers with the other moms (who were all asking if I could grab a quick snap of their girls).

I’ve said it before (about 2 years ago)…but there isn’t much cuter than a bunch of Kindergartners playing “herd ball” (it’s worth repeating).  Tiny cleats and nylon “swishy” shorts totally rock don’t they?

Hot and sweaty = what she has been waiting 2 years for.  Life is good.

It’s hard when a baby on the other side of the world holds you heart.  I’m not gonna lie.  I find myself caught between two worlds trying deperately to remain present in the here and now…and hopeful for the future.  Little tidbits in the form of emailed pictures and stories from travelers are filling my heart during the wait.

Our pursuit for our son is so very much like how our Savior pursues us.

Our baby has been sick, in the hospital…and then “home” on meds.  There have been more health concerns.  Ambiguous test results.  Uncertain diagnosis.  And each time we receive a little slice of medical information we are asked to sign a document that states we intend to continue our pursuit of our son.  And we will.  Because God chose him for our family and somehow He planted a love so deep in our hearts for this little man on another continent.  And isn’t it AMAZING that God pursues us?  When we are sick, forgotten, dirty, humbled, and worn out…He takes us in and loves us unconditionally.

Trust is hard.  The mommy in me wants to jump on a plane and cuddle my son back to health.  But I’m going to trust that God will hold Daniel in His arms tonight when I can not.  And then I”m going to wake up tomorrow morning…and I’m going to trust again.  And when I fail miserably (because I will)…I’m going to do it again…and again.  And again.

The courts are no longer issuing court dates for the fall until they re-open in October. We are hoping and praying for a court date in early November so that we can (possibly) be home by the end of the year.  Will you pray that with us?

And will you pray for Daniel’s health?  That he will gain weight steadily and be able to fight off infection.  That he will continue to grow strong.

SO thankful for a God who is relentless in His love for our son!

Yesterday was the first day.  Today when I woke them up…they crawled out of bed and moaned…”no pictures today…promise!”  We usually try to make the first day a family affair.  Mr. P heads to work late so we can walk down the path as a family (stopping along the way for photos of course) and then see them off to school.

My wee bit pretending to be a big kid….I’m not buying it!

She had a super great morning.  As soon as she got in the car she asked “Can you NOT walk me into school tomorrow?”  Um…WHAT?  I gave her a definitive “NO!”  I mean…really kid…what if you get lost?  What if you get trampled by those giant 5th graders…what if you miss me so much from the time you leave the car to entering your class you are overcome with grief?  Her response…”Well at least stand someplace where no one can see you!”

Miss 2nd grade!  She had a great day too…her only complaint…that they “get to the good learning” and stop talking about all the rules!

The obligatory family shots…me and my girls…Daddy and his girls…and little man even snuck in a few

Ready for the big day (and REALLY tired of my camera at this point!)

Sorry for all the photos girls.  Someday you’ll realize that I love you so much I just can’t help it (and you’ll do the same with your littles too).  Forgive me?

Happy learning.  Hope your days are filled with exploration, fun, and not too many rules

Tuesday was Meet and Greet for my TWO school girls.  We loaded up the van and headed down the street to our neighborhood school to check the lists…hoping to see the names of the teachers we wanted and a few good friends.  Fortunately for my girls, they would have been happy regardless of what name appeared (they didn’t know the teachers well enough to care either way) so we had lots of smiles!!

J was excited to see her classroom and meet her teacher again (they had a few days earlier this month to practice coming to Kindergarten already).  She found her name right away and was excited to get all her school supplies in the right places!

Special Kindergarten hugs for a dance buddy who turned out to be in her class!!!  Also…I heard from a friend today that there is a family in J’s classroom that has adopted from Ethiopia!  I can’t wait to meet them and hear all about their story!!

J’s teacher for the year (love J’s insecure smile here)

Then we headed off to find A’s classroom.  We switched her from a multi-age classroom (think Montessori approach) to a traditional 2nd grade classroom this year.  She was a bit nervous about the changes and making new friends…but had already met several new girls by the time we had left the classroom.  She was totally pumped that she has her own DESK…OH, 2nd grade rocks my friends!

A’s teacher for the year!

It was a strange day for me.  Lots of excitement and anticipation mixed with a tinge of regret.  If you know me well in “real life” you know that this schooling issue has been a BIG topic at our house this summer.  With our desire to raise our kids more intentionally come the questions on how to make that a practical aspect of our lives.  But for now we are trusting in our decision for the year and looking forward to seeing what FANTASTIC things our little girls will learn!

Tomorrow I will share the BIG FIRST DAY!  (This mom is worn out from a day of craziness and heading to bed!!!)

In less than an hour I will load everyone into our mini van and trek over to our neighborhood school for Meet the Teacher night.

And while I’m thrilled for my girls (because they are serious school lovers), I am feeling a bit sentimental.

So…To my not-quite kindergartner…here are 10 things I love about you right now:

1.  Your willing smile and the way you scrunch up your nose.

2.  That you say you’ll miss me.

3.  That you have waited {almost} patiently as your sister has done everything first (and now it’s your turn kiddo…and no one can stop you!)

4.  How cute your tiny toosh looked in those skinny jeans I bought you when we went school shopping today.

5.  Your little accent (once Brooklyn…now more Boston) that is sure to catapult you into the wonderful world of the speech resource room.

6.  The way you love your siblings.

7.  How your favorite food in the entire world is a tuna sandwich.

8.  The determination in your eyes to do everything your sister can do {and do it better}.

9.  That you tell me you’ll always be my baby.

10.  Your adorable voice singing “The Sun Will Come our Tomorrow” or “It’s a {Hard Enough} Life”.

Thanks for the 32 seconds on the front porch little stinker.  You owe me a session soon   Knock ‘em dead our little Jule.  You’re a big kids now!

The past few days I’ve struggled to keep my mind “in the game”.  I want to enjoy the last few days of summer with my little people…but my mind is on the other side of the world.

The GOOD NEWS is that Daniel is now back at Hannah’s Hope!!  PRAISE GOD that he is starting to feel better!  He will finish up his antibiotic treatment “at home” and get plenty of extra attention from his special mothers there.  With this great news we also received some updated medical information on our little guy…and he is GROWING!  That was a HUGE answer to prayer as well.  He needs to continue that pattern…and work on those chunky thighs over the course of the next couple of months.  Due to his tiny size, he is susceptible to all kinds of illnesses.  We are continuing to pray that he will EAT WELL and gain steadily while we wait to hold him in person!

Thank you for your prayers (and sweet notes)…the encouragement was just what I needed

It is hard to be a mommy from the other side of the world.  Especially when you little guy is sick   Please lift our Daniel up in prayer…he is in the hospital with pneumonia.

This is his second bout with it…and although he has now been on the antibiotics for 2 days and is showing great improvement…I can’t help but worry. He desperately needs to gain weight and grow which is hard to do when he is sick.  We are praying that his special mother (who has been with him around the clock at the hospital…I can’t wait to hug her in person for loving  on our little man!!) is providing MANY extra snuggles for him tonight.  We know God is in control and we are not…and we are just praying for peace and comfort (and great healing!!) for our baby boy!  He will stay at the hospital through the course of his antibiotic treatment and will hopefully head back to Hannah’s Hope ready for tummy time and round the clock feedings!!

Oh beautiful baby boy….we are coming for you.  We can’t wait to have you in our arms and be the ones to rock you to sleep and sing you a lullaby.  We are praying you will grow big and strong while we wait.  We love you!