ImmediateMom.com

Being ok with one - if that's what He wants

2012-02-23T19:20:00.000-05:00

I imagined being the mother to two children, maybe three, but certainly no more than three. I imagined being a working woman, gracefully balancing a career and motherhood. I imagined a lot of things that didn't go the way I imagined. I have come to the place where I am content with my family, as-is. We have a friend. His name is Brad. He has the gift of descernment. The gift of seeing past

And the winner is ... me (and someone else)

2012-02-20T17:09:00.004-05:00

It's been too long. I'm a horrible blogger. Life happens in the most inconvenient times, doesn't it? I have a big announcement, a lot of life to download and compile into a post for your enjoyment, but first I wanted to share with you the winner of the "Three Little Words" book giveaway. The emails I received were so encouraging, and so diverse. From a college student who wants to eventually go

It's not too late

2012-02-07T11:38:00.000-05:00

As I continue to celebrate both the birthday of my daughter, and the birthday of my blog, I've decided to give away an *autographed* copy of this book to one reader who is brave enough to share the story of how they came across my blog, why they keep coming back, or what attracts them to the ramblings of a wild older child adoptive mother in the first place. So, if you've not emailed me to share

A blog, a birthday, and a giveaway!

2012-02-03T09:03:00.002-05:00

It's natural for a parent to get nostalgic on the anniversary of their child's birth. It's fun to look at photos of previous birthdays, and see how much they grown. 11th 12th 13th And it's equally enjoyable thinking ahead to what the new year of life will bring. I did all of those things as I prepared for our daughter's 13th birthday. And yet, in my mind, I also thought of the

Do you ever?

2012-01-31T12:57:00.004-05:00

Does your heart ever get so full you think it will burst out of your chest? Do you ever feel so happy for someone else you literally cry? Are you ever filled with so much love for someone you wish you could put it into words and share it with that person? If you ask me those questions, I'd answer with a resounding yes. I'm so proud of what K is accomplishing lately. So impressed by the

Celebrating Two Years of ImmediateMom.com

2012-01-28T16:09:00.002-05:00

Two years. That's practically infancy in the world of blogging. Two years ago I opened my heart to readers all over the world, and allowed you a glimpse into my life as an adoptive mom-to-be. The year that has passed since my first anniversary has been just as exciting — full of change. We sold our home (the only one K really felt was hers), and moved hours north to live near (and

Friday phone dump

2012-01-27T14:44:00.000-05:00

Some pics I took on my phone while out and about... 1. How embarassing, I *almost* wore the exact same thing to Target, but my camo overalls were dirty. 2. Gorgeous pink sunsets in our new city 3. K and her cousins hanging out 4. Our sweet "space dog" showing off his cone of shame. 5. A beach serenade from my sweetie. 6. I know the "Miles to E" countdown allows for some wiggle room.

Saturday Q&A with ImmediateMom - 2nd edition

2012-01-21T14:35:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd make this a regular feature in the new year. So here's a few more questions I've received through emails and through my Facebook page: How has K changed since you first met her? Wow - how has she NOT changed - that would have been an easier question to answer. The first, and most obvious way, is physically. She's about to turn 13, so the sweet little 10-year-old girl we met is now

I get angry sometimes

2012-01-20T14:24:00.003-05:00

I get angry sometimes. I get angry when I think about the things people said about my daughter - the labels they put on her and the things they said she'd never achieve. I get angry on her behalf - because, she doesn't know the great limits they tried to place on her. She doesn't know what they said about her "low I.Q." She doesn't know how they tried to discourage us from persuing her

Saturday Q&A with ImmediateMom

2012-01-14T10:31:00.000-05:00

By far, the question I receive most about our older-child adoption experience is, "Is she bonded to you as her mother?" I love this question. And when I tell people I love the question I think they're surprised. Maybe because they feared asking it in the first place? Maybe they worried I would be offended? Quite the contrary. It's the question at the heart of every adoption - can a child

That moment when you realize you've got it easy

2012-01-13T16:57:00.000-05:00

I blog hop a lot. With the holidays, and some mental health days thrown in, I've missed quite a bit in the lives of some bloggers I follow. Sick children. Challenging overseas adoption stories. A woman facing another separation from her husband. The immeasurable hurt of a miscarriage. Tough, tough stuff. I'm humbled. God showed us such favor in 2011. Even before we had clarity of purpose,

The things I should know

2012-01-12T20:45:00.000-05:00

It was her classmate's birthday yesterday. She couldn't wait to get to school and sing Happy Birthday to her pal. I walked her in and spent some time talking with a few other moms. As the bell rang, kids grabbed backpacks and started to shuffle off to class. But not my daughter. K comes literally running over, and in a hurried, breathless fashion she asks a simple question. Mom, what time

Waiting for an important word

2012-01-10T13:57:00.003-05:00

Each year I pray for a word from God to provide inspiration or direction for the 365 days ahead. And each year I've received that directive loud and clear. Previous words of the year have included contentment (2009 battling childlessness), joy (the year I became a mother), determination (last year as we faced big parenting decisions and a challenging move). Good stuff, right? No such luck for

Her first big fall

2012-01-01T19:57:00.001-05:00

Learning to be a parent sadly must include that moment when you sit by and watch your child take risks. The last few days my daughter has risked A LOT... and today the first big fall happened, in front of my eyes. I was powerless to stop it. It happened in slow motion. I couldn't get to her quickly enough. And yet I knew I couldn't and shouldn't rush to her side either. She had to

Happy New Year from Horse Country

2011-12-31T20:35:00.005-05:00

Greetings from the land where Christmas continues ... where gifts amuse us ... where horses are learning to contain their energy enough to let people ride ... where dogs share sticks ... and fluffy pink saddle pads and beautiful white saddles dress up an already beautiful horse. Happy New Year!!!

Ok, there I said it.

2011-12-22T16:23:00.000-05:00

Forgive me readers, for I have sinned. It's been three weeks since my last blog post. I am filled with such shame. I could give you a million excuses. I could explain that I had a birthday to celebrate, or that my husband's youngest brother got married in an "all hands on deck" style wedding, or that K finished up her second quarter with a tons of tests and quizes, or that it's a week until

My child is different... and so is yours

2011-12-07T13:44:00.001-05:00

We went to the park the other day – K, her twin cousins (age 5), her Nana and me. It was a breezy and cool day for our area. The weather must have kept most kids inside, so we had the large playground to ourselves. Well, except for one other little boy and his mom. He was an excitable school-aged boy, 7-years-old as we would learn. His name is Luke. He was clearly different. He spoke in

The 107-day difference

2011-12-02T14:34:00.001-05:00

520 days. That's the number of actual days K lived in her last foster placement. We've never calculated it before. And if you ask her, she would say she was with her previous foster mom for two-and-a-half years. Sometimes that estimation grows to "almost three years." 520 days. One year, five months, and four days. A far cry from almost three years (which is 1,095 days for those other nerdy

Ten years together ... and a twelve-year-old to show for it.

2011-12-01T16:14:00.001-05:00

Ten years is a long time. That's what K said to me this morning. Ten years is the majority of her life. Really, ten years is a third of my life (ok, more or less...) Ten years is how long my husband has been by my side. A decade together as husband and wife. A decade living our vows daily. Forgiving daily. Loving daily. Ten years in sickness and in health, but thankfully more health than

My blog's legacy to my daughter

2011-11-30T12:52:00.001-05:00

First, I have to thank those of you who read and commented on this post about my "unbloggable topic". It was, by far, my most read post since I began this blog more than a year ago. The post was also picked up by media and networking sites (Blogher.com and others) and I pray it encouraged others who wonder how children who have experienced trauma early in life can grow and be healed through

My reasons to be thankful

2011-11-28T20:11:00.001-05:00

What did your family do over Thanksgiving? Oh, mine? You know... The ususal... Ate too much, stayed up way too late... Got up way too early... Taught nephews to wear Bluetooth headsets connected to iPhones... And watched rockets soar up...up...and away...

Guest blogging and Black Friday-ing

2011-11-25T16:14:00.001-05:00

I was out shopping last night and have little energy (and even less loot) to show for our efforts, so my post today will actually be a link to where I'm guest posting on this Black Friday instead. I'm guest blogging over at Forever, For Always, No Matter What today... head over and read the rest of this little bit I put together for her month of posts highlighting all types of adoptions: Our

Why I had a breakdown at Target

2011-11-16T14:34:00.001-05:00

There's several other titles I could have named this post. But this was by far the most accurate. I put on a brave face a lot. And generally I am a happy person. I love my life, my family and being thrust into parenthood is both exciting and overwhelming even a year after the fact. But there are those moments that push me to my breaking point and today that happened to occur in the aisles of my

This is one of those days

2011-11-15T12:01:00.001-05:00

There are those days when it's so easy to compare myself to other mothers, and subsequently feel like a failure. Then there are days when I allow myself the luxury of a "self-high-five" and acknowledge that I've done something so right in my little world. There are days when I'm the last to get that email, or remember that birthday, or submit that assignment by deadline. Then there are other

Something I've never blogged about before

2011-11-09T09:05:00.000-05:00

In every blogger's life I believe there is a topic that, until the right time, remains "unbloggable". For me, this post will address that topic. This is my unbloggable topic. The adoption of our daughter at the age of 11 just last summer could possibly be the most significant thing I've done in my life, rivaled only by coming to a saving knowledge of Christ in my twenties, and marrying my