Update

Well, I am having a bit of insomnia so I am sitting at the computer updating. Check out the new slide show. Isn't she beautiful.

Both her and daddy have had a stomach thing this week but are now starting to feel better.

I have to admit even with sleepless nights, illness, throw up, diapers diapers and more diapers, motherhood is wonderful.

How is it we fall in love with our children so easily? We got some of the funniest pictures of Sophie yet today. She had taken a long nap and when she got up her hair was literally sticking up all over her head. It was so funny.

I really don't know what we did before we had Sophie? Did we do anything? She woke up tonight which I knew she would because she ate poorly at her last bottle. I love those momnets though when I am holding her at night and she goes back to sleep so peacefully. I can really tell a change in her over the past few weeks in regards to bonding. She is really starting to melt into us and snuggle. I cannot imagine any sweeter moments than when your child smiles at you or laughs with you are kisses you.

On another note we watched most of Baby Einstein's first signs today. I know it is so the "in thing" to do, but in my research of the subject OT's like it. Generally as a profession we love development and are usually right about these things. I did get tickled at myself though and thought of the circle of trust and Meet the Fockers when the sign for milk came up.


Well I am off to count sheep....

Summer

Food for thought

I often read these posts and I do think it is a good idea that we pray for each other. I think it is good to ask for prayer. I have however been trying to focus on the bigger things in my personal prayer life. I have a horrible cold right now and although prayer is nice for that I will survive it any way and be none the worse off having built immunity to a new strain of the cold virus. So I have been thinking why is it that we as Christians often ask for prayer for trivial things? I am not pointing fingers I do it myself. And I often feel my prayer requests become selfish and self centered rather than looking at the big world I turn to my own small world and focus on it. Yes I believe that God listens to every prayer and that thank goodness He is big enough to listen and respond to them all. I however, am doing my yearly spiritual exploration as we are about to start the Lenten Season. I think of those 40 days in the desert and of how Christ may have spoken to his Father in heaven and what the conversations were like. I just think that I would want my conversation with God to look more like that. So this week my prayers have focused on a report I watched about a week ago on the sex trade in Asia. It focused mostly on Cambodia but the girls were from surrounding countries including my daughter’s home country Vietnam. It saddens me to think of people buying little girls for sex. I think God wants me to get angry about that and I have been angry in my prayer. I also have asked that God have mercy on the people that sale and buy sex from these beautiful little children. I pity them and pity the sickness that makes them commit these atrocities. I also pray that justice is handed out to them. I don't think that forgiveness comes without justice and that they should be punished for committing these horrible acts. I also pray for the safety of all of the children. I thought to myself that little girl could just as easily been my little girl. Why did she get to come home to a safe place with me while those girls will go onto lead the life that is handed to them by the hands of very sick and twisted individuals? I often have a hard time reconciling the dichotomy of the two situations the one of my daughter and the one of girls being sold or the dichotomy of those in VN who live in utter poverty while I enjoy the finer things of life. Then I have said what else can I do to help? Right now I don't know that answer. To do that we would have to fix the problem of poverty in Asia, which is what drives this industry. We can start by lobbying our government to strongly prosecute Americans that go there to buy sex from children and send a clear message that we will not tolerate persons using any child of God in that fashion. We can support orphanages to help keep the children in a safe environment and drive our monetary support of the orphanages to include certain things we won't tolerate like selling children. We can show our support by trying to buy only fair trade items to ensure as our large corporations get larger and richer that people in these Asian countries are not taken advantage by terrible working conditions and an unlivable wage. Just being American gives us power. Having money gives us power. And most importantly having Christ gives us power. We should be compelled by the great commandment to use that power and change the world not just the world around us. God is big enough and I wonder am I? I adopted my daughter to change my life and make my family. Falling in love with her people has compelled me that just changing my life is not enough. As you can tell I have thought about this alot. I wish to challenge you to look inside and open your eyes to a world of hurt this Lenten Season and to do something. I extend this challenge equally to myself. I have a shirt that says "you have one life do something" So please pray for every child I saw on TV being used as a commodity. Pray for all of the people in this world that truly hurt. I say praise to God that it was not my Sophie I saw on TV and I say thank you to God for all I have. Please, help me to be content with this and not want for more than my share because I already have more than my share.
Summer, Mom to Sophie

Sleep how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I have decided that motherhood can sometimes feel like bootcamp. Sophie had her first real bought with illness this past week when she ran a very high fever for several days. This meant many sleepless nights, lots of motrin and tylenol and two visits to the doctor.

I have come to understand the true meaning of sleep deprevation. From Wed night of last week to Wed morning of this week I can count on two hands how many hours of sleep I got. I know what prisoners of war must feel like. After two days without sleep it is hard just to think mush less not overdose your child on fever reducers. I got up one time to make a bottle and forgot to put the liner in the bottle and poured 6 oz of formula onto the counter. I woke up one time dreaming I had left the baby on the changing table (I never did this only dreamed it) only to rush in and find her safe and sound. I then overslept on Friday morning and arrived late for work. By over sleeping I am saying that I accidentally feel asleep at 530 am and did not get up until 745 which meant I got three instead of one hours of sleep. I swear if you had interrogated me at that time I would have told you anything if you would just let me sleep. Yet I went to work and it was all a blur. I then worked third shift over the weekend with Chris taking morning shift long enough for me to get a few hours of sleep. I am still reeling from the sleep deprivation and would do anything to go into a coma for a few days.

However, I am happy to say baby girl is feeling better and is now back to her happy self. She even said ma ma ma tonight without being angry. All in all said I would still love to get some sleep, but Sophie is worth every hour.

This post is dedicated to Sophie with love,
Your very sleepy ma ma ma ma....