growing

Ginny had her second visit with our pediatrician, Dr. DeZoort today.  She has grown a whole pound in one week, so she is now at SIX pounds 11 ounces.  Mommy is very impressed.  Mommy’s back is not so thrilled, but we won’t talk about that.

by the way, I say OUR pediatrician, because this lovely lady was my pediatrician too.  So she’s known me since second grade. 

Anyway, here are some photos of Ginny at the doctor and Ginny next to her bear MAC.  We will be trying to remember to take weekly photos next to MAC to show her growth.

Ginny’s third week photo shoot

okay it wasn’t a real photo shoot. It was just mommy getting camera happy after a bath.  Something about a clean, naked baby with fluffy hair wrapped in a blanket makes me lunge for the camera.

 

post card from the choir

Choir folks. This is the message I sent to Mel & Steve.  Thank you all for sticking around to get the photo.  You guys are amazing.

 

Mel & Steve,

The folks in the choir wanted to send you a big warm hello and a hug.  The best way we could think of to do it was to send you a photo. These are just some of the people who have been praying for you guys and who will continue to keep you in their prayers as you get your GED and work towards getting your three darling children back under your roof. 

I told the choir tonight that you are planning to come in December and they were all so impressed that you want to continue to be a part of Ginny’s life.  So many birth parents just drift out of their child’s life.  But you are different. 

Anyway, enough rambling, here’s the photo:

 

p.s. the reason I’m not in it is ’cause I figured you already know what I look like.  This way you get to “meet” more of the choir people.

arrived

we arrived safely in Atlanta on Saturday.  Ginny was a trooper on the plane. I have tons of photos and stories, but we are still getting our feet under us in the new surroundings.  Ginny is adjusting fine, it is mommy and daddy who are having trouble getting into a routine.  go figure.

more post and tons of photos soon.  I promise.

alright, as promised.

here’s us on the plane:

the best behaved baby on any plane ever

Ginny was a amazing.  She didn’t cry at all.  I nearly cried just trying to get through security.  New rule: the ONLY things we are ever taking onto a plane again are our three selves and her diaper bag.  That’s it.  Nothing else.  oh man was that a mess.  Security was no help to a first time mom.  I tried to keep my temper and I did succeed (by the grace of God) but it was a close run thing.  By the time I got on the plane I was just ready to throw everything except Ginny out the window.  Okay, Mr TSA person, you want it.  Fine , keep it.  Just don’t make me miss my plane! 

sorry.  I will get over it.  But there are scars there now people.  Deep.  traumatic.  scars.  anybody with me there?

Ginny meeting her Grammy (aka my mother, Ann)

Grammy feeding Ginny

 

Grammy was kinda mad at me at first ‘casue I wouldn’t let her wake Ginny up in the airport baggage claim just to be held.  But hang it all, you just don’t wake a sleeping baby if you can help it.  Especially not one who slept through 45 extra minutes on the tarmac and a 2 hour flight to boot.  anybody with me here?

 

This one is of Kenya meeting Ginny.  She is still not quite sure what Ginny is. But she is definitely intrigued.

Kenya is......interested

The cradle is the one my father made for Ivey (Ginny’s cousin) 15 years ago. Well, actually I guess 16 years ago now since Ivey just turned 15.  wow.  Anyway, Ivey didn’t ever get much use out of it since she was born at 8 pounds or more and grew like a weed.  Ginny is likely to get at least a couple of months in it before we have to graduate her to the big crib.

I didn’t get any photos of our triumphant return to choir and church on Sunday.  I was too busy living it.  And I have to admit, we grandstanded our entrance just a teeny bit. 

We found out on Saturday night that the piece planned for the choir for Sunday was one that we both knew cold.  That was the deciding factor.  I would never have just waltzed into a piece with no rehearsal.  Anyway…. Our choir room has two doors opening on the same hall and the director, when inside the room, faces away from the doors. The choir can see the doors.  That’s important. 

 

So when Martin and I had handed Ginny over to Grammy to watch during church, we made a mad dash for the choir room.  We split up and each entered at the exact same time. 

It worked.  I’ve been told the look on our director’s face was absolutely priceless.  Too bad I didn’t get to actually see it.  Anyway, we each headed for our respective robe rooms and got on with the business, blessing and fun of a quick rehearsal before going out to sing in the service.  It was so much fun surprising everyone like that.  Other than having Ginny herself, I’d say it was one of the high points.

I honestly can’t wait to bring Mel and Steve here and have them meet all our friends and feel the incredible support we have here.  We are so blessed. 

Thank you to all our SUMC friends and family for making our first weekend back in Atlanta a true joy.

on our way

here is the last photo of all of us before leaving Kansas

Martin, Deirdre, Ginny, Mel, Steve

flight leaves EARLY tomorrow morning, so it’s time to say good nite all.

***addendum.  There were some really good photos of Mel and Steve with Ginny and us with Ginny etc that I just didn’t have time to post before. But I have a little bit of time now, so here you go:

Martin, Deirdre, Ginny, Mel, Steve

chronicle of Ginny at two weeks

Let’s see.  Ginny will be officially on day 14 of her life as of 1:45 a.m. tonight.  I can’t believe it’s already been two weeks.

She’s so different already and yet she is still Ginny. 

Here is a photo of Ginny next to MAK (her teddy bear). MAK positively dwarfed Ginny during their first photo shoot two weeks ago. now? not so much.

MAK and Ginny 14 days

 

Ginny’s favorite new trick is trying to turn on her stomach.  She makes it about halfway over.  Mostly while mommy is trying to sleep and then Mommy wakes up and see’s Ginny is almost over on her face and Mommy panicks!  The doc said to use tightly rolled blankets or firm pillows on each side of her to keep her from rolling.  So far that is working and Mommy can sleep relatively worry free.

The goal for any new born during the first two weeks is to regain the weight they lost right after birth.  Ginny has done that and more.  She started at 5 pounds 1 ounce, dropped to 4 pounds 13 ounces and now is back up to BEYOND her birthweight at 5 pounds and 3 ounces.  YAY!!!!  I’m greatful that she has started so small though, as it makes her easier for me to hold and get used to.  AS she gains weight, I will strengthen so by the time she reaches a truly heavy weight I’ll be able to handle it.

Here’s some more photos for the fans:

telling stories to daddy and cinnamon

Cinnamon, attemping to stow-away in our luggage

Cinnamon greets Ginny

NOT co-sleeping. Just posed photo

and again..Im a pillow

oh, one more thing.  I don’t normally post photos of my craft work, but this turned out so well I just had to share. It is a necklace and earrings that I made for Mel.  The stones all represent her first three children (birth stones of Emerald, Jasper and Lapis), and the pendant depicts a man and woman holding a child close to their hearts, which is representative of Mel and Steve and how they feel about Ginny. 

Gratitude is like warm bread

Beth had something to say on her blog the other day that I wanted to share with you.

God’s been reminding me of the powerful words of Isaiah 55:8-11.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

The part He’s really been highlighting to me is the “seed for the sower and bread for the eater.” Seeds: words we’re planting and waiting on. Bread: words that have endured the test of time and the heat of the furnace and finally made it to our tables. Here’s what occurred to me. At any given time, we have both: words from God we’re still waiting on and words from God that have recently come to pass. Sometimes we’re so focused on the seed that hasn’t shown a harvest that we ignore the bread sitting right in front of us. We faint from sowing the seed because we’re not eating the bread. Stop a minute. Consider what God has done. Marvel over how He’s answered prayer and brought words to pass. Think about a crisis five years ago that doesn’t even take up ink in your prayer journal anymore. Reflect on how many things God has taken from seed to bread in your life. Note it. Meditate on it. Don’t drive through it. Dine on it. Slap some butter on that warm bread and savor a slow bite of it!

I don’t know about you but sometimes I’m so busy pestering the seed that my bread is gets stale.

While you wait on that seed, eat that bread. (from LPM blog, by Beth Moore)

In light of that, I’m posting a gratitude list.  Things I am grateful for this morning:

• our daughter Ginny’s cord stump came off last night. Yay! diapers can finally wrap around her the way they are supposed to.
• Ginny likes her formula cold.  Yup, you heard me right.  I can stumble out of bed, grope my way to the fridge, pull out a bottle….and put it right in her mouth.  She actually drinks more that way.  Don’t know how long this will last, but I’m gonna enjoy it while I’ve got it.
• A husband who will graciously let me sleep the WHOLE night through, just because I have a bible study to go to today. 
• Freinds who keep on emailing me and checking on us to let us know we aren’t forgotten.  Even though we’ve been gone most of the summer.  That means a lot.
• A random group of church ladies who invited a perfect stranger into their Bible study for this week.  And if you know how intensely personal Beth Moore’s studies can get you will understand that this is not a light invitation.

Thank you Lord, for so much answered prayer in my life.   I am standing hip deep in a room full of warm bread.

oh, two more things…

The church out here is letting us borrow the Daniel bible study materials so that we can keep up with our small group and not be behind when we get back.  Isn’t that nice of them?

Now to clear up the whole “when are you coming back to Atlanta” issue.

We will more than likely be cleared to legally leave Kansas early in the week, BUT the airlines are stubbornly insisting that Ginny can NOT fly till after she is two weeks old.  So we currently have a scheduled departure from Wichita next Saturday morning.

We had initally though we would drive, but the idea of driving when we are already this sleep deprived is starting to sound dangerous, so we are going to make the safer choice and just patiently wait to fly home on Saturday.

random news

Ginny is amazing. She is getting stronger every day.  She is now taking over 10 ounces of formula every 24 hours and is starting to sleep in 3 hours blocks (YEA!!!!)

The important news from today is that we took Ginny to Chapel Hill UMC for her first day at church.  It is a very freindly church.  The pastors blessed her and annointed her with oil after the service.  They have also committed to pray for our WHOLE family as we move forward.  The sermon was very good and the pastor had a really cool thought that I want to explore in a later post.  It was about the idea that we too often have a sort of “vampire Christianity” meaning that we want just enough of Christ’s blood to SAVE us, but we are not willing to submit to Him as Lord.  Which would mean getting swept up in a flood of Christ’s heart blood: ministry to others. 

Here are some photos of Ginny from the last few days. 

 

We had a visit from Martin’s sister in law Marcia and her two boys, Ben & Graham. Here are some photos from that visit.  These boys have been trained right.  They loved on Ginny, held her properly and were thrilled to meet Mel & Steve as well.  We are so grateful to have extended family that really understands the adoption situation and is comfortable with how open we all are.

Also Mel and I went and got our hair done.  I just got a deep conditioning, but Mel got full highlights and a gorgeous cut.  She also made a wonderful new friend in her hairdresser Jason.

And now before I go, one final photo of Ginny for tonight, just so everyone knows we are not neglecting some seriously important aspects of her education:

a word about Ginny’s name

my freind Sherry commented that Ginny’s name appeared to be getting longer.  Let me elaborate on that.

Virginia is a family name.  It is also in honor of a dear freind of our family: Gini Post.  Her three children were our playmates in North Carolina and I respect and love her dearly.

Altie is Martin’s mother’s name. 

Aspen was Mel’s pick.  She has always wanted to name a girl Aspen, but didn’t want the child to have to answer to Aspen every day of her life, so this was a perfect opportunity.

Gerard is Mel & Steve’s last name.  We all wanted there to be as little confusion for Ginny as possible about “who am I REALLY” when she get’s to read her ORIGINAL birth certificate later on.  It can casue a serious identity crisis for some adoptees when they first encounter their original name.  We wanted to avoid this as much as possible for Ginny.

Russell is obviously, for us.  The Russell part is the only part that will not be on her original birth certificate.

Mel & Steve and Martin and I all felt it was important for Ginny to know that we could come to an agreement on this and honor each other and her in this decision. 

Yes, all five names will be on her baptism certificate.  But for everyday purposes she will probably just get called Ginny Russell.  However, being southern and having all those extra gradations of name at my disposal I’m going to have loads of fun calling this kid in from the yard

Ginny, time to come inside now.

(no response)

Virginia, I said come inside.

(no response)

Virginia Russell!

(no reposnse)

Virginia Altie ….

 

You get the idea.