• Ben is 6!

    ByKristin Ben, ebook, motherhood
    1 Comment
    Photo by Courtney French

    Dear Ben,

    I may say this every year for the rest of your life, but I can’t believe you’re 6!

    I’ve known for a long time you were meant to be a middle child. You’re part entertainer and part nurturer. And, boy, do you love your baby sister! One afternoon recently Rachel was fussing. She was just restless. You propped her up on her Boppy pillow and got in her face. Your laughing and talking soothed her … and you even got a sweet baby smile back!

    (You love your big sister too – usually you just have different ways of expressing that.)

    Before you were born, Aunt Cassie taught 2-year-old Cate to say, “My brother is sandwich.” Cate had no idea why we all thought it was funny, but Aunt Cassie liked that your initials were going to be BLT. Just like a sandwich.

    Now you are a boy sandwich between two brown-eyed girls. And that’s where you belong.

    You’re funny and brave. You’re always thinking and moving and ready to run. You make friends with anyone and always want to know what’s coming next. You’re tender-hearted and loud. You like building with Legos, playing soccer, learning to read, and asking questions. Your weekly allergy shots don’t faze you. Lately you’ve had the sweetest prayers to share about our family, school, and your friends.

    Honestly, your personality has challenged me to get out of my orderly comfort zone. But, you know, discovering how to live outside the lines is good for me. You’re good for me, sweet boy. And you’re good for the world around you.

    Keep loving and living loudly – and I know God is going to use your mightily. (Just don’t forget to listen to your parents too.)

    Happy birthday, Benjamin!

    _____________________


    Read excerpts from my ebook, “Peace in the Process,” about Ben’s birth, the second adoption process, and how mothering two was so hard in the beginning. I shared last week at Circles of Faith about my Thanksgiving baby. 

    If you want to read more about how infertility to lead us to adoption and built my faith, be sure to take advantage of my ebook sale, which continues through tomorrow. It’s just 99 cents through Nov. 24. 

    Look back with me on Ben’s life :: Ben is 1! Two Years of Ben. Celebrating Three Years of Ben. Ben is 4! For Ben, who is 5 & loves loudly. 

    Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

  • Rachel @ 2 months

    ByKristin ebook, life, motherhood, Rachel
    1 Comment

    Various people have asked what I think about being a mom to three. Short answer: We feel like Rachel has been a part of our family longer than she actually has.

    It’s been almost six years since I had a baby, and, honestly, it’s easier this time. I don’t mean all the days or all the moments are easy. But my last baby was harder – in part to his personality and because I also had a 2 1/2-year-old girl. Now I have an 8 1/2-year-old girl and a boy who turns 6 in a few days. They go to school and they can be helpful when they’re home. Rachel is a calm baby who is happy to go wherever.

    And I’m not who I was eight or six or even two years ago. I’m grateful this was God’s plan, even when I tried to rush the plan.

    {More on my plans and how God’s plans are better in my ebook, “Peace in the Process,” which is ON SALE RIGHT NOW! Just 99 cents through Nov. 23!}

    Have I told you they argued so much about who would sit next to Rachel in the mini van that we had to come up with a plan? Rachel was just days old when I decided we’d switch weekly – on Sundays before church. Thing is, at this point Rachel still spends much of her riding time sleeping.

    Anyway, that’s the kind of problem I’ll take as a mom of three!

    Moving on to the update on the youngest one …

    Officially two months yesterday, Rachel is wearing size 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothes. She’s 10 pounds 9 ounces (30th percentile) and 22 1/2 inches (50th percentile). She eats 3 to 4 ounces every 3 to 4 hours. She’s been waking up once in the middle of the night – the last couple nights she’s gone down around 10 p.m. and then eaten around 3 a.m. and then again at 6:30 a.m. Of course, that could change tomorrow.

    Basically, we can see her growing before our eyes.

    We also see her play with her hair when she’s going to sleep and swat at toys while sitting in her bouncy seat or laying on the play mat. She’s been more expressive lately – and we’re especially enjoying her grins!

    I can’t imagine how my big kids will argue over sitting near her when she actually can interact. Being a mom of three may drastically change!

    _____________________


    Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

  • My Thanksgiving Baby

    ByKristin adoption, Ben, ebook

    Ben’s birth story is an excerpt from “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family,” which is available on Amazon and tells about the hard season of infertility that led to two adoption processes and the days since. And, more recently, we’ve welcomed a third child into our family and are in the process of adopting Rachel, who was born in September 2015. In honor of National Adoption Awareness Month, “Peace in the Process” is on sale for 99 cents through Nov. 24.

    On Saturday, November 21, 2009, my sister-in-law Angela asked me what my perfect timing would be for Ben to be born. Leigh, my son’s birth mom, had been on bed rest because he’d threatened to come early, so we were glad he was still inside growing at 38-plus weeks. I answered Angela’s question honestly: Sunday or Monday.

    Well, Monday started with me going with Leigh to a check-up appointment. We learned she was 5-6 centimeters dilated. Given that she had initially dilated two months earlier, we were happy to be just eight days from his due date. Our doctor friend was confident he’d deliver our son soon and wanted Leigh to get ready for delivery.

    Turns out, he was right.

    After Leigh and I made necessary arrangements, we met at the hospital a little later that day.

    Benjamin Lucas was born November 23, 2009, three blocks from our house. His sister, who was almost 31 months old, was thrilled to welcome him into our family. Once again God knew the desires of our heart and fulfilled them in his time. He showed us his faithfulness in such a tangible way. This time it came into the world at 2:56 p.m. the Monday before Thanksgiving, weighing 7 pound 10 ounces and with a head full of dark hair. …

    Six years ago, Ben’s first outing was on Thanksgiving to my in-law’s house, where the turkey was 2.75 times my boy’s weight. After being unsure if I would become a momma, having a second child in a way only God could orchestrate makes me especially thankful. He’ll forever be my Thanksgiving baby – which is quite appropriate, really.

    Join me today at Circles of Faith, where I’m sharing the rest of this excerpt about my Thanksgiving baby. 

    _____________________


    Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”