HAPPY 1/2 BIRTHDAY ROSE CATHERINE!!!

Oh how busy this week has ended up being.  It's Friday evening and I am blogging what I meant to blog on Monday.  Both girls are battling a tummy bug, so today has been even busier. Oiy vey!  Chet is hard at work landscaping the back yard, so it's been a fun, but very crazy week.

Sweet Rose turned 6 months Monday (and 26 weeks).  Chet and I stand in awe at how quickly her babyhood is flying past us.  As I was at Grey's half-year birthday, I was emotional all day; probably even more so with Rose, since I wrote and sent our first letter and photo to Rose's birth mom.  Imaging our life without Rose in it is almost impossible.  We are blown away every day by God's goodness to us.

Rose was born smiling and truly never stops.  She is amazing.

At 6 Months, Rose:

• Just started wearing size 4 diapers and 9-12 month clothing!
• Sits on her own!
• Loves baby food!
• Grabs and holds all objects she desires!
• Loves grunt and "growl", which is super cute!
• Is drooling and teething like crazy, but not one single tooth has made it's appearance yet!  She ghost teeth.  :)
• Is usually the happiest baby on earth, but when she does get upset, she gets UPSET.  I mean, it's almost just plain adorable!
• Is super intelligent, always watching everything going on around her.
• Prefers Daddy to snuggle with to sleep, and Mommy to feed her.  This has been a trend since birth.

 We love you and every moment with you in our lives, Rose.  We thank Jesus every day for your beautiful, brave birth mommy carrying you and choosing our family to be the blessed ones to be YOUR family. 

He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord. 

Psalm 113:9 (THANK YOU, LORD JESUS!)

25 Weeks around here :)

Princess Rose Catherine is 25 weeks!

Rose continues to be our cheerful sunshine.  She is so smart and very in tune with everything going on around her!  She is sitting very good on her own and loving all new baby foods.  She is communicating through sounds, babbles, grunts and of course smiles. :)

We've enjoyed our weekly park play dates and TONS of outside time.  This month has been incredibly mild and wonderful.

Tonight, our first little rainbow baby danced in the rain.  What a moment of PRAISING JESUS.  Wow.  I can't believe this is our life.  Two precious, precious rainbows.

Grey is nearly potty trained!  She did it all TODAY ... on her terms and her timing.  We are simply shocked. :) (We shouldn't be though; of course it would have had to have been on her terms lol!)

Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Genesis 9:16

Huge week for the Erwins!

It is FRIDAY, and I have not blogged once this week.  Wow.  This past week was filled with SO many great moments.

Chet and I celebrated 6 years of marriage last Friday.  Our marriage has been nothing like what I pictured, but thankfully it has been so much better than my dreams for the most part.  This past year we experienced more stress than usual, but I am grateful for the time we did make for just the two of us.  Our love has strengthened and matured in the best way.  I sure love you, Chet Sterling!

Rose's adoption celebration was Saturday.  It was one of the BEST days of my life.  We had so many family and friends join us celebrating her...so many that we didn't even take photos (it was a mad house in our home)!!  Seeing more people fill these walls than we have ever had in here before was something I will never forget.  Chet's parents brought their BBQ pit early Saturday morning and the men started BBQ-ing a hundred pounds of brisket, ribs, chicken and sausage.  All of my friends and family chipped in to help with food, etc.  Our friends Jerrod and Valerie let us borrow her bounce house for the kids.  It was just an amazing day, with amazing weather - the PERFECT day to celebrate our perfect little addition.

 I still CANNOT believe with ALL our friends and family here that SOMEONE didn't take photos.  I guess that is telling of just how much fun we had conversing and being together.  This was a taste of what was left of the decor the next morning.

 Cousins Cohen and Kayson enjoying the bounce house with Grey before everyone else arrived.

Cooking out with Daddy and Big R!

Sunday morning we snapped a cousin photo.  I LOVE IT! :)  (Even if Grey didn't want to smile)

Grey loved the bounce house SO much.  This was Sunday before we returned it to the Kerrs. :) 

Monday was Rose Catherine's 24 week birthday!
She is OFFICIALLY SITTING!!!  Rose continues to be the world's happiest, most content and wonderful baby we have ever known of.

24 Week Milestones:

• Sitting up by herself (woohoo!)
• Eating EVERY kind of baby food we have offered, and lots of fresh fruit
• Holding things while eating them (i.e. a piece of a nectarine or apple)
• Pushing up to an army crawl

 Wednesday was Grey's first REAL hair cut.  We have had several trims, but this time we took over several inches of scraggly hair.  She looks so grown up now, and absolutely loved the entire experience.  She said "pitty" over and over when she touched her hair. 

New hair has completely changed her looks!

Speaking of "growing up", Grey has been speaking and repeating almost anything we get her to say.  Of course certain consonants are still tough (f, s, l, j, etc.), but she is saying more than she ever has, and speaks in complete sentences quite a bit.  It was almost an overnight transformation!! She is working on potty training (we are taking the slow, let her make her own mind up route) and she can dress and undress herself.  She is helpful and always cleaning up her messes now.  I just can't get over what a couple months will do for a toddler.  We still have our "toddler" moments, but I am just enjoying this stage a lot lately.

This weekend is Father's Day.  I can't believe we are already at Father's Day.  YIKES!  I am SO grateful for this man, and his devotion to his girls.  They sure adore him.  Grey says, "Daddy work" a hundred times a day and SCREAMS and LEAPS into his arms when he arrives home from work.  We are some very blessed ladies to call him ours.

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,  to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.  

Galatians 4:4-6

ADOPTION DAY!

Even though God and her family have known Rose Catherine was ours since day 1, we officially adopted Rose yesterday!! 

06-03-14

Such a SPECIAL day for our family!!

I am in awe of every moment from yesterday.  It was truly dreamy and could not have been better in any way.  God was in EVERY tiny detail.  We looked forward to this day ever since September 21st, so having it be more than we ever imaged was too amazing for words.

The number 23 has been special to us (and Rose's birth mom), so having it show up TWICE yesterday was another precious gift. 
Our attorney, Rose's attorney ad litem and Judge Bobo were all so kind and wonderful with our girls and us.  Tisha met us in Odessa and we all walked in to the Ector County Courthouse together.  We arrived to an empty and quiet courtroom, so they gracefully allowed Grey to join us in court.  Chet and I both testified on the stand (a first for both of us), as our girls were perfect and quiet.  (Thank you, Jesus!..and goldfish haha) 
Something that gives me goosebumps still, was that Rose's Attorney Ad Litem literally waived his fees in honor of his new grandson.  The judge announced it and the attorney confirmed it halfway through the hearings; nothing short of a miracle.  Wow.  I was speechless and held back tears.  Then, the court reporter was asked to stand and be honored for her 23rd year of service during our adoption hearing.  It is Rose's 23rd week of life too.  Only God can work in the "little" places like that.  Only Rose's Mighty Heavenly Father. 
After the adoption was finalized, we went to the county clerk's office where Rose was treated like royalty and paraded around.  (She IS pretty cute) ;) 
Walking out of the courthouse as Rose's official parents felt surreal, dreamy and a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.  We were all smiles the entire way home.  Simply amazing.  Today I woke up in awe of yesterday.

I cannot wait to share all the photos Tisha took of Rose's Adoption Day.  Having her there with us was beautiful to my heart.  Though I will never have "real" parents, Tisha and JJ have been there for all the important things in my life.  I am so grateful for that.  They teach Chet and I much about Godly parenting.

Rose, to have you be legally a part of our family is something I cannot even put into words.  I sit in awe, knowing God had planned you before the world began.  Before your brother and sister were born.  You were always meant to be Rose Catherine Erwin.  Your bubbly, loving, snuggly, content character is exactly what our family needed.  You give your family so much joy.
We love you infinitely.

This is a photo from Monday on Grey's 23rd week birthday:

What a week indeed.  Welcome "officially" to our family, FOREVER, our beautiful little Rose Catherine Erwin. 

PRAISES BE TO GOD WHO GIVES US GIFTS UNSPEAKABLE.  Praise Him Praise Him Praise Him.