Stef's Blog...

I know some of you have been wondering what happened to Stef's blog. Well, it disappeared into cyber-space, and here is the new address-- http://toliveloveandlaughtoday.blogspot.com/ Just wanted you to know how to find her. :)

A little lesson in baby skin care products for new parents...

When we first adopted Hudson I, of course, was new to the differences in his skin care vs. what I had known. I searched the Internet looking for information to help this new mama out. I've talked with numerous other adoptive parents. I joined a yahoo group for adoptive parents of AA or bi-racial children. For those of you that will be adopting soon or recently have adopted, I wanted to share with you what I have found to be the best products for Hudson's skin and hair. I've tried gobs of products and these are the ones that far outweigh them all.

We love Burt's Bees. It is gentle on his skin. He doesn't break out from it. We use the milk bath, the baby wash, the buttermilk lotion, and talc free powder, the apricot baby oil, and the diaper ointment. All of these smell divine! The baby oil is all natural and mineral oil free. I use it in his hair too. For those of you new to adopting a AA or bi-racial baby, you will find their skin to need much more hydration that you would imagine. Another superb product is Bath and Body Works Lay it On Thick shea butter lotion. This also smells delicious and people always comment on how yummy Hudson smells when I rub this on him.

I did google searches to find Burt's Bees products on clearance. I found them significantly reduced at Vitacost (I think...I can't remember which website I found them on). I've also found some Burt's Bees natural mosquito repellent that I plan on trying on him later this summer...oh, and some Avacado Butter Pre-Shampoo treatment. It can be used as a styling agent and it works well in his hair for that as well. It hydrates nicely and smells good. Both of these were clearanced out so I thought I'd try them. Anyway...I just wanted you to know that you can find them at reduced prices. Target also carries them if you need them right away.

I've tried Coconut Oil...it is nice, but the smell was just a little weird on him. I now use it for baking. :) I used Eucerin cream, but it was pretty hard to spread on him. He would wiggle around and it would get everywhere. :) Ok...I'll stop there, but just know that I've tried a lot! We don't do as many baths, because his skin just can not handle it. We do sponge baths, but keep the actual baths to weekly. We just make sure to keep him lotioned-up.

He is 5 1/2 months now and his hair is really beginning to change. His soft baby hair is growing into kinky curls. It is more coarse and dry. I love it!

I hope this helps some of you out. I know I was so confused about what I should and shouldn't use on him. If there are products that you have found to be great, please leave them in the comments...I'd love to know what other products are great. If you have any questions, please post them.

May 30th--My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender. Yet we tend to say, "Yes, but— suppose I do obey God in this matter, what about . . . ?" Or we say, "Yes, I will obey God if what He asks of me doesn’t go against my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark."

Jesus Christ demands the same unrestrained, adventurous spirit in those who have placed their trust in Him that the natural man exhibits. If a person is ever going to do anything worthwhile, there will be times when he must risk everything by his leap in the dark. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold on to or believe through common sense, and leap by faith into what He says. Once you obey, you will immediately find that what He says is as solidly consistent as common sense.

By the test of common sense, Jesus Christ’s statements may seem mad, but when you test them by the trial of faith, your findings will fill your spirit with the awesome fact that they are the very words of God. Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis— only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the character of God.



May this be an encouragement to someone out there that is wondering what God is asking them to do. May it give renewed strength to those that are going against what their "common sense" says. May it give encouraged hope to those that are hanging onto to the Lord with all that they have following Him with unrestrained, adventurous spirit.

Another installment of Cuteness!

Pray for Kim

Update: Go see Kim's Blog!!!!

Kim is having their baby! Please pray for her. She went for a Dr.'s appt and her amniotic fluid was quite low, so they had to induce her. Please pray for her baby's safety during this and for strength for Kim. I told David to let her know we'd be praying for them!

I'm so excited for them!

thanks

Thanks so much for your prayers. It went fine. I can beat myself up after I do something like this...but I'm not going to do that here. I'll keep those thoughts contained. :) I'm glad it is over and I pray that God was glorified through me sharing our journey. I tried really, really hard not to cry. It was one year ago that we were meeting Juvenson and Esaie for the very first time. I cherish those memories. It was so hard to be talking about them and showing their pictures with the realization that we'll never see them again here on earth. I knew that if I did start crying it would be an ugly face cry and I still had a whole lot of story to get through...so my voice cracked a few times and my eyes watered, but I choked it down. Boy I sure miss those precious little boys! I pray for their salvation so I can hug them again in heaven.

It was fun to bring Hudson into the room after sharing our journey and hug his squishy little body. I sure love him! I love how the Lord worked all things for good. Oh man...I just realized that I didn't share how Hudson was born exactly 40 weeks and 2 days after the date that God confirmed to us that we were to adopt. Can you believe His timing? We had no idea that whole 40 weeks he was the bundle of joy we were waiting for...but God knew all along! I just never cease to me amazed with how God worked in our journey. I know it is *my* story, but when I remember all of these little details I stand in awe of how Great God is!

I really appreciated your prayers!

Sharing our adoption journey---

Tomorrow morning I am sharing our adoption journey at our Mom's Group at church. From the beginning, I told God that this was His journey and I would share it with whomever He wanted me to. When I was asked to speak, I tried really hard to think of good excuse to get out of it. But I knew that I had made this promise to God....now the time has come. Will you please pray that I will share what the Lord desires? I want them to see the hand of God throughout our journey and not just the details of the adoption. Pray that I'm not super nervous and that my thoughts are all coherent. Thanks!


(maybe I can luck out and come down with laryngitis!) :)