Laughing at myself...

I just got back from Whole Foods Market (WFM). If you've never been to the Whole Foods in downtown Austin, you're missing out. It's like a carnival. I'm totally happy in there except for the traffic and crowds. I mean, there's a chocolate fountain people! And every cheese you could ever want. I rarely go, which is probably why I like it soo much. So, today I went for organic produce because I'm making baby food! And I'm laughing at myself a little bit about it.

Here's the deal. When I start something new whether it be running, parenting (cloth diapering, feeding a baby, adoptive breastfeeding) or even just making a schedule to clean my house I get very serious about it. I read about it. I want to know how other people have done it. Seriously, there's a blog where a mom posted a pdf of her weekly cleaning schedule. I have it! www.simplemom.net if you're interested! When I was preparing for cloth diapering, I read all there was to read about it and I got everyone's opinion. I even went over to my friend's house to see her "set up" in the baby's room. And you'd seriously laugh if I told you how many lactation consultants I talked to about breastfeeding an adopted child. So, of course something as serious as Lucas eating solid foods, you know I'm going to be dramatic about it! Or my dad would kindly say "intense."

Today, I'm in WFM and I'm looking for mangoes. The only bin of mangoes says very clearly "conventional." So, I ask the produce guy if he has any organic mangoes. "No," he says. Well, we didn't get the stupid conventional mangoes! If it were for me, I'd of course eat the conventional mango and probably not even wash it before peeling it. I wouldn't even think of pesticides. I probably should, but my reality is that I don't. But for Lucas... No Way am I feeding him anything but organic! Why? It's the best. And I want him to have the best. I mean, that's what I've read. (Super Baby Food Book by Ruth Yaron if you want to know!) So, I laughed at myself a little when I walked away feeling snobby about the conventional mangoes! And then I stood there for a full 5 minutes reading the ingredients on a box of teething biscuits made of barley no doubt! Evaporated cane juice! I don't think so! We got sweet potatoes, butternut squash, bananas, pears, brown rice for making Super Porridge, and whole milk yogurt... all organic of course!

If you've seen the documentary, "Babies," then you know how ridiculous we as western parents can be when it comes to germs and hygiene. I mean, I'm not going to be cleaning my kids poop off my leg with an old corn cob (You have to see the movie to get that!), but I think I can lighten up a little.

But then again, I've heard somewhere that rooibus tea is way better for babies than juice. And I know a great specialty shop downtown that sells many varieties of looseleaf rooibus!

What do you think?

Fall Two Thousand and Ten

On Sunday, we went to the Botanical Gardens here in Austin. Here are a few pictures of our outing.

Sweet Butterfly

He has a very good pensive look.

Lucas and Daddy

Little family.

He loved the fern/rock setting.

Sweet and tired.

Beautiful boy.

A boy and His Dog…

Recently, Lucas is becoming increasingly aware of his puppy dog, Jake. They are becoming fast friends with Jake longing for Lucas to be able to play with him. I look forward to the day (with a little healthy trepidation) when the two of them will be running around my house chasing each other. What fun!

Here are a couple of really cute videos of the two of them playing:

And if you pay close attention, you'll hear Lucas making the new grunting noises that he's discovered!

Remembering...

One year ago today, Felipe and I went to the IVF medical center to get our baby. Our embryo that is. It was one year ago today that we made our last attempt to get pregnant through the IVF process. Two weeks later, we found out that our embryo did not survive. He was our third baby to lose.

It's strange that it's only been one year. It feels like 20... or a lifetime ago. So much has happened since then, I guess. Yet, God is still healing my heart.

A few weeks ago, I went to a women's retreat. On the last day of the retreat, a woman came up to me, knelt before me and grabbed my hands. She told me that God wanted her to ask me a question. She said, "Leigh, how many children do you have?" I smiled and said, "One." Gently, she asked me again, "Leigh, how many children do you have?" I then laughed and said, "Well, I'm assuming that one is not the right answer... so... (thinking in my head that I must have spiritual children out there that I've discipled or what not) I have many children." She said she was to ask me the question 3 times. "Leigh, how many children do you have?" I sat there a little dumbfounded feeling the pressure of answering her question and getting the right answer (being the perfectionist that I am). I waited. Then a wave of grief came over me. I realized that I have 3 children that I never got to hold. Though, I have pictures of them as embryos, I never got to see our children in the real sense of the the word. I then told her "I have 4 children. Three of them are with the Lord." I began to weep and she held me and let me cry. God comforted me through that. And so did my friend.

I think it's good to remember.

Several months ago, I went to a children's boutique to use a groupon that a friend gave me. Love Groupon btw! As I was checking out I saw one of those twirly things holding lots of key chains with kids' names on them. I looked for "Lucas" of course. They didn't have it. But another name stood out to me. A year ago, it was very clear to us that God named that baby we lost. His name was Joseph. Joseph, means "Jehovah increases." Rachel after being barren named her firstborn Joseph saying, "He will add unto me another son." It's a long story, but a very clear one that God named our third child Joseph. And then he added unto me another son. I bought the Joseph key chain and carry it with me daily.

Here's a picture of Felipe with Joseph. It was a happy day to be going to get him. We look forward to meeting him again.

It's good to remember.