Month Three

We have definitely noticed some major changes in baby boy this last month he has been in our family. He is now in the stage of grasping toys and kicking like a little mad man:) It is so fun to see him be so active and happy. He loves to tell us stories with his sweet little noises and is so close to laughing. He is hitting all of his developmental milestones at a normal pace and after being assessed for a few months it has been concluded that he is right on track. I am so thankful that he is healthy and content and such a wonderful sleeper! We couldn't be happier having him be in our family the last three months. Here are a few shots of his sweet little fingers grasping at toys.

He recently started sitting in his little green chair for a good amount of time. Love those tiny toes:)

Love and kisses from big sis!

We just got back from vacation and had our first experience putting baby boy in respite care. For those of you who don't know all the foster care lingo, respite is pretty much another word for babysitter. Our agency has families who are also licensed to take care of foster children when their foster families go on vacation. We would have loved to bring the babe with us but because he can not miss a visit with his biological parents at this time he had to stay behind. A wonderful family took care of our little guy and it was a very good "first time" for all of us. We missed him like crazy but got updates and pictures frequently which was just awesome. We did enjoy spending some one-on-one time with our daughter, Ivy. We went to Sea World, spent time with our Cali family, and had fun shell hunting at the beach.

The Castillo Family

This family goes to my church and I have known them for a few years now and they are one tight bunch! We met up recently at the grove to get some family pictures taken before oldest daughter Emily heads to college. Enjoy!

Baby Leo

4 month old Leo is one cute baby! This little guy was a happy fella during our shoot and we go lots of great shots of all the sweet faces he made. Here are just a few to enjoy!

Love that we got this last one with Leo and his momma! 

Month Two

Our sweet and now chunky little baby boy has been in our family for two months. I am constantly amazed at how content and happy he is and how loving and caring my daughter Ivy STILL is with him:) Baby boy is sleeping through the night and is giving us crazy cute smiles! If you were wondering, I am not allowed to show his face on the internet. Believe me when I say I have taken many photos of his adorable smiling face but I just can't share them. If you look at the top right picture you can kind of tell that he is giving Ivy a big grin, that happens often and I love it! Anyway, we have established a schedule of sorts and our new life as a foster family is feeling more normal to us. I must admit that there have been times that I have felt a little overwhelmed in this process. I don't want to make it sound like becoming a foster parent is the easiest thing in the world to do. There were times when it was physically and emotionally draining trying to get to know all the people involved and scheduling out all of the baby's appointments. With that said, God did give us an amazingly smooth transition with such a happy baby, I am beyond thankful for that! He knew we needed it as we got to understand how the system works. So month two, the baby is growing and strong and we are feeling more comfortable with the whole new lifestyle.

I did want to add that it has been interesting to hear the kind of comments we have gotten from people, usually strangers that we meet throughout our day. The most common thing people say when they find out that baby boy is our foster son is, "I could never do that! I could never give a baby away after becoming so attached!" Every time I hear this, and believe me it has been MANY times, I feel a little sad... I know that people are meaning well but sometimes I wish I could just say back, "Well actually, yes you could!" I know that one day if it comes to it and baby boy has to leave our family it is going to be really tough. I am no superwoman and yes I am already attached to this beautiful baby. But the fact is that there are so many babies and kids out there who need loving families and if we could just put their needs in front of our own we could really change some lives. It's about opening up your heart and giving love where it is truly needed, even if that means it could potentially get a little bit broken in the process. Thinking about saying goodbye one day is not easy, actually it makes me tear up if I think about it for too long, but knowing we can be the loving hands and feet to this little one makes it all worth it. These kids NEED love. And it is definitely humbling in the process. So, if you are one of those people who has said, "I could never do that!", think again:) I watched the film Les Miserables when it came out in theaters right as we were getting licensed and this line has stuck in my head ever since,"To love another person is to see the face of God." After hearing that I remember thinking, "Yes, that is it!" It helps me keep perspective in all this. We will get our strength from God if the day comes that we have to say goodbye, it won't have anything to do with our ability at all. That has just been on my heart lately and I wanted to share. Here are just a few pics of some bonding moments in our home.

Happy 6 Months Liam!

Sweet baby Liam was a happy boy the day we met up to get his 6 month pictures taken. Not even the heat could get this little man down, he was a trooper! I love being able to capture these milestones and it has been so great to see the joy and happiness that Liam brings to his parents!

The Painter

My good friend Grace loves to paint AND she is really good at it! I have enjoyed seeing all her recent creations and wanted to share a few on the blog. She has also made some really cute nursery murals and is in the process of creating a train-themed mural in her little boy's room which I can't wait to view! She has taken requests from clients as well as sold some of her original work. If you like what you see or have any questions for Grace concerning pricing and projects you can e-mail her at gracesharp23@gmail.com.

Happy 4th!

So very thankful for the freedom we have, happy 4th of July! Love dressing up my babies all patriotic:)