Maggie is nine!

We will be full-on adoption blogging mode in just one day, but before we leave I wanted to make sure I wrote about my Maggie.

Maggie is now nine years old! It's always hard to believe when I sit down and really contemplate how quickly the years go by.

Maggie is our middle child and feels all the feelings. When she's happy, she's the happiest kid you've known, when she's sad, she's in the depths of despair, when she's angry all her Irish side comes out in full blown fury. Maggie is very much how I was as a child. She loves deeply and feels the injustices in her life very strongly. Everyone in the world needs Jesus, but I think sometimes people like me (and Maggie) feel that need a bit more because we know how, on our own, we are so prone to failure in our words and actions.

I've noticed in the past few weeks after having some great conversations with Maggie that she has tried hard to mellow out the extremes in her personality. It has been really lovely to watch her take her younger sisters under her wing and teach them new games to play, to show them how to climb trees, and to print out paper dolls for them.

Being in the middle can be tough because the older siblings are, well, growing up. They're not as interested in playing make believe stories. I'm so thrilled to see Maggie teaching those stories and games to her younger sisters. I know it won't be too long until she isn't as interested in those child-like games either.

Maggie has a truly compassionate heart. She loves all animals, bugs, and reptiles. Catching toads is still high on her priority list all summer long.

Loves her chicken, Big Mama

She is happy to play with Legos, Woodzeez, and other small toys. She is not very interested in picking up any of the aforementioned items.

This year we started a new tradition where I take the birthday girl out for coffee for an hour. Even though I'm with the girls all the time, I don't get to spend much one-on-one time with them. This was a really special time for us. I enjoyed getting to give Maggie my undivided attention. While the things we talked about were mostly things I already knew about her, I did learn something I hadn't known previously. Maggie really loves to imagine herself in other people's shoes. Actually, creatures shoes. She wondered what it would be like to live the life of a bird or the life of a pig. We imagined together what that would be like. It was actually a chilly day so we decided to just go for a drive around the countryside after she finished her Cotton Candy Gelati. She chose the music (Disney Princess Music on Pandora) and told me about all the animals she was seeing outside her window. A very quick, simple hour, but a new memory to cherish.

Maggie & Mama

Her time with dad was spent eating the breakfast buffet at Lapp's. She said the baked french toast was the best thing. Her glass of chocolate milk was so huge she couldn't finish it. And best of all, she got to take a free whoopie pie home since she was there on her birthday.

Breakfast at Lapp's

They rented a canoe at Muddy Run and took along the fishing pole she got for her birthday. She didn't catch anything but it didn't matter. She still had a great time. And she saw a green heron standing on a branch and watched it fly away.



Maggie is so excited to have another little sister from China. However, she's really holding out hope that we'll have another biological child someday because she loves little babies so very much. Seeing her new baby cousin, Wally, has really stirred this desire up in her. I will say, baby Wally is probably the best baby I've ever seen in my life. He's so laid back, smiles, and is all around happy. Who wouldn't want a baby like him?

Best baby!

I think that Heidi will be a precious sister for Maggie to devote herself to, especially since she's not walking yet, it will make her seem more like a baby than her nearly 2 years.

Maggie loves:
-yellow
-lasagne
-tuna noodle casserole
-tacos
-iced coffee
-monkeys
-reading
-favorite book: Unicorn Quest
-Legos, hatchimals, and other toys
-cleaning the bathroom
-cauliflower and broccoli (cooked... with salt on it)
-athletic shorts  & tank tops in summer
-sweatpants & loose shirts in winter

Maggie doesn't love:
-hot dogs
-cleaning up toys
-asparagus
-rice and beans
-chili
-jeans
-shoes
-tights

Happy ninth birthday, my Magdalena Faith! We love you!

Maggie turns 6 & Adoption

Teeny tiny adoption update. We have been officially waiting for two months - so most likely another 7 to go! This means approximately 7 more months until we are matched with our daughter, then after that we will have another 5-6 months until we travel. I'm sure the waiting will be hard as we get closer to our match, but right now the time is slipping right on by, for which I am grateful. I'm also thankful for the consistency of the China program and for the way our adoption agency keeps in touch with waiting families so we don't feel forgotten.

She had a traumatic entry into the world, but not much slows her down now!

Now, for Miss Magdalena. It's hard to believe our smallest baby, our third daughter, is six.

Leaving the hospital after 6 days in the NICU

Her first day home - about 4.5 pounds and 17" long.

It's so hard to believe that our sweet baby is now six years old!

For her birthday she went to the Strasburg Rail Road to ride the train. This was followed by a trip to Isaac's for dinner. The daddy-daughter dates have been one of the best investments I believe we could make. This trip was very low cost (Maggie had a free ticket to the RR and her meal was free at Isaac's - both of those things she earned during the summer reading program through our local library). **Trent has these photos - I'll try to add them later!**

Princess Maggie at the fundraiser

While our kids do enjoy gifts, they all appreciate the gift of time more than anything else. They may not remember what gift they got during any particular year, but they can all recall where they went with their daddy at each age. These moments are more precious than anything I could ever give them. I've learned through my own experiences as well as parenting books and psychology courses I've taken the profound impact dads have on their children, but ESPECIALLY their daughters.

She always wanted a red-headed baby, and now she has one!

Just a little about Maggie:
-She loves babies
-She loves drinking water
-She does not love juice
-She loves coffee
-She learned to tie her shoes in one try this summer
-She is becoming a more confident reader everyday
-She is still very small for her age despite her perfect cheeks
-She wants 10 babies when she grows up (5 from her belly and 5 from China)
-She has big dreams of getting married and considers her options seriously
-Did I mention she loves babies?
-She is very excited to start soccer practice
-She loves catching frogs with her sisters
-She loves to draw
-She is thoughtful (she often will draw pictures for people and send them in the mail or hand-deliver them)
-She is generous (she is continually giving Caroline her own favorite toys to make her happy)
-She loves bugs
-Her favorite color is yellow
-She loves Taco Bell bean burritos
-She is a great story teller
-She is very creative and is always coming up with new ideas for crafts or building forts

Maggie says that when she grows up she wants to be a mom. When Anne tells her that she has to do something else first, like, get a job, her reply is always, "I'm going to paint signs, like Mommy!" Bless her little heart.

She was thrilled to find and inspect a cicada

Recently Maggie has had some hard feelings toward herself. She has struggled with feeling like she isn't good enough. Learning to read has been very difficult for Maggie, along with some other memory problems. It's such a challenge to see these precious little souls face their insecurities. Generally her frustrations blow up into fits of crying and running to her room. Recently during one of these fits she told me she feels like she is a "bad girl" and can never be good. I was able to tell her that she's right. None of us are good. Only God is good. But we can have forgiveness and peace because of Jesus' death on the cross.

Such a devoted big sister!

I know my girls will at some point have to experience some hard things and do some growing up. My hope for all of them is that when those trials come, that they will turn to my Savior and fully accept Him as their own Savior. I feel like my job as their mom, role model, and teacher is to lead them there. I want to provide them with the facts, but so much more. I want to show by word and deed what a Christ follower looks like, even the messy, ugly parts of failure and mistakes because that's where grace shines through brighter. Eventually they will all come to a point in their lives where they must choose for themselves whom they will serve. I cannot save my children. It's a humbling reality for a Mama who likes to DO things.

So happy sixth birthday, Magdalena Faith! You are more precious than rubies. I can't wait to see what grand adventures you'll have now that you are six!
xoxo,
Mama

Magdalena turns Three!!

First, let me start out by saying that yes, I realize this post is almost three weeks after her third birthday. I won't justify myself by saying how busy I have been, because, in general, I believe that we make time for the things that are most important to us. I hate to admit it, but I have a soft spot for novels, specifically love stories. Recently reading novels has been my form of relaxing after a morning of homeschooling, painting, and general household chores. So there, I've made my excuses, now you can hear all about Maggie!

As many of you recall, Magdalena was my littlest baby at 4 pounds, 10 ounces and just 17 inches long. She made her way into this world tiny, but strong. After a week stay in the NICU she grew nice and chubby and hasn't stopped yet.

Magdalena LOVES to talk. She is constantly talking to her sisters, to her baby dolls, and to the little people that go with our dollhouse. She loves sharing a bed with her two big sisters. If one of the girls is out of control at bedtime it is usually Maggie. If we hear voices in the room it is generally Magdalena's squeaky voice. She loves to tell her big sisters stories after Trent and I go out of their room.

Maggie is a constant source of joy in our lives. My difficult pregnancy with her led us unsure of what to believe her quality of life would be. She has proved to us that her quality of life will be JOY.

As I type out this post I happened to glance at a handful of pears sitting on the counter. Three years ago as I was being wheeled down into the waiting area for surgery all I could think of was the bushel of pears ripening on my counter top. I am extremely thankful to be on this side of that journey, with a happy, healthy daughter, and Maggie's constant chatter to bring so much light to our home.


















Maggie also loves babies. She was the biggest advocate for us having another baby "that we can keep" after our foster son left us. Of all the girls, Maggie was the closest to our foster son. Maggie is really hoping for a baby brother, but is coming to terms with the fact that a sister would be nice, too.

Just last week Maggie had her three-year well-child check up. She is 28 pounds (in the 20th percentile) and 36.5 inches tall (in the 30th percentile). We find this absolutely fantastic, as she has been around the 5th% or less for most of her life.

This is how she holds up "3" fingers!

And just for fun - a size comparison of the girls at age three:
Anne: 39.5 inches tall and 29 pounds
Abbey: 36 inches tall and 23 pounds
Maggie: 36.5 inches tall and 28 pounds.

CHEESE!

Special thanks to my sister, Audrey, for capturing Maggie's love of life in these pictures!!

Magdalena Turns 2

I did it!! I took all 5 kids to Park City to get Maggie's 2 year pictures taken. I survived (barely) and only lost one kid for about 5 minutes. Three of the kids fell asleep on the way home so I made many trips to and from the van to carry kids up to their beds. To say it was a long day is putting it mildly. But I was thankful I planned it for a Wednesday, knowing that we would be going to my in-laws for dinner so I wouldn't have to think about food. The more kids I have the more grateful I am for Wednesday nights with my mother and father-in-law.

 This is a funny Maggie-face. I can't tell who she looks like here. I guess she is just her own person!

Since this is an all about Maggie post, I thought I would think of what Maggie loves best at age 2. When she wakes up in the morning, the first things she wants is "nilky" (milk). She loves to play with the water table outside, but is not thrilled about the pool. She loves to take a bath but hates to have her hair washed. She is generally a good eater. I'm not sure what her favorite food is... maybe freeze pops!

She is opinionated. [Gasp! Surely this is not my child!] If she is upset that I am disciplining her she will say, "I don't like you, Mommy! You're yucky!"
 

But she can be very sweet, too. She likes to be held much more than either Anne or Abbey ever did. She can be very kind and helpful. She is starting to enjoy coloring more than she did before. She loves to paint. She loves her pink boots and her unicorn slippers and tea parties and babies. She really really loves babies. [Okay, she must be mine.]

I LOVE THIS FACE!!

 

For fun: Maggie's size and weight compared to Anne and Abbey at age 2:
Maggie: 33 inches tall and 22 pounds
Abbey: 32 1/4 inches tall and 21 pounds
Annie: 36 inches tall and 26 pounds

I think it is safe to say that she will soon catch up to Abbey.

Maggie has not been feeling great for the past couple of weeks. Yesterday and today she seemed much better. She has struggled to get along with our foster daughter since the day they arrived. But yesterday the two of them got along great. They were sharing and using kind words and sitting together nicely. I was thrilled at this change in both of them. Our foster-daughter has fiercely defended Maggie saying, "Don't you do that to my sister!" Maggie adores our foster-son. She crawls along the floor with him, makes sure he doesn't put small things in his mouth and refers to him using terms of endearments such as, "Babykins" and "sweetheart".

Magdalena continues to bring so much joy into our lives. We are thankful for her, for her fun-loving personality, for the different perspective she brings into our family. And I'm even thankful for the noise, the tears, and the hurts she brings. I cannot imagine life without her and am so often reminded of her small beginning, the uncertainty with her health, her gluten-intolerance, the long nights of being awake, and again, I'm thankful. The Lord has seen us through some very difficult days, and I'm confident that He will continue to see us through more of those days as she grows older.

I hope you have enjoyed the Maggie post.

Coming soon.... the Anne girl turns 5.

Moopsy turns 18 months

**One of my favorites. This is a very typical look for Magdalena:
A little mischievous, ready to run, grin.**

I know a lot of people don't use nick-names for their children. In fact, some people purposely choose names that cannot be shortened or request that people do not attempt to change their given names. I have no problem with that, but I'm definitely not one of those people. I think our kids each have 10 different nick-names.

(Cheese!)

Some of Magdalena's names are: Mags, Maggie, Magdie, Moopsy, Sissy, Baby, and Magda. I'm sure if A&A were awake they could think of more.

And this is a Magdalena post.

As I always say, "Where did the time go??" We have reached yet another milestone for this little girl. This precious bundle who started out so small.

Here's what Magdie likes to do:
~Run
~Chase sisters
~Play Magdie-Monster (a game in which she chases sisters)
~Close doors (this drives me crazy)
~Sleep in her toddler bed
~Climb on things that she shouldn't
~Yell (especially when she knows it is upsetting Annie)
~Wake up big sisters from their naps
~Read books
~Look at tractors out her window
~Hold Petey's leash
~Holding/sleeping with "big teddy"

(Mags and "Big Teddy")

Here's what Magdalena does not like to do:
~Sit still
~Stay in her crib
~Be looked at too closely by children who are not her siblings
~Sit at the table after she's finished eating

(Hold still?? What does that mean?)

Maggie is really starting to talk a lot. She can put about 3 words together to make a short sentence. These usually start with "I want..." and can sound like, "I want Mommy", "I want down", "I want tractor", etc. At this point she is definitely a Mama's girl, to a fault. She is really good when I'm not in the room. As soon as I come into the room she wants me to pick her up. If I don't pick her up she will usually scream and cling to my leg. So in general she's attached at the hip. I have to remind myself when I go to compare her to her siblings that they were both "big sisters" by this time, so they didn't really do what Magdalena is doing. They were already in big sister mode. I think it's high time this little girl has someone younger than her so she's no longer "Baby".

(My baby... can you see my hands in the picture?? I had to hold her because she wanted to run away!)

Trent, Annie, and Abbey often like to point out to me how big Magdie is and how she's really growing up quickly. I know it is true, but it is a little hard to swallow. Not that I want her to remain a baby forever, but it just makes me a little sad to see how quickly these years are going past.

Love those feet!

I know Maggie weighs 21 pounds since we were at the doctor last week, but I'm not sure how long (or short) she is. We'll go in a couple weeks for her 18 month check-up. I'll do a stats-comparison whenever we go!

Look at this little stinker!

Magdalena is 9 months

Didn't I blog about Maggie being 6 months just the other day? How has 3 months gone by already?

When you have your first child, many many people come up to you and tell you to enjoy it because it goes fast. And while I have always believed it, it's crazy to be living it. The next time Maggie goes to get professional pictures she will be one year old... but lets not get ahead of ourselves.

Here is Maggie at 9 months:



What can Maggie do? Well, she is sitting up unsupported, she is nearly crawling on her hands and knees. She can go about 3-4 hand crawls, then she usually ends up moving her arm/hands and half-dragging her legs. She can pull-to-stand!! This is so neat, but it really shows that the end of her "baby days" are very near. {Trent can hardly wait!}


She can also get herself into the sitting position from the crawling position, but not every time. At about 8 months Magdalena started saying "II", which I thought sounded like "Hi!" Just a couple weeks ago she started waving when she says it, so we confirmed that she really is saying "Hi!". When we are at the store she likes to wave to people and say, "III!" It's very precious.



Magdalena continues to be a poor sleeper. She is usually waking up 1 or 2 times in the night to nurse. Thankfully she goes right back to sleep after I feed her. A couple months ago we had taken her off all food to determine whether she has a food allergy. So, we are very very slowly reintroducing food. So far, she does well with applesauce and sweet potatoes. This week we will try pears. She still cries, but not nearly as much as when we first started food.

*evidence of Maggie crying*

Maggie also has (almost) 2 teeth on the bottom. I say almost because one is fully through and the other is very nearly through.

*Teething*

Magdalena likes to crawl around and find all sorts of fuzzies, string, and other random small things that she shouldn't have, and tries to put them in her mouth before I can get them from her. (I know, I know, you're thinking 'sheesh, Emily, clean your floor!')



So, we're living life. We're loving on each other every chance we get. I adore Maggie's chubby cheeks and arms, especially since she started out just so so tiny!!

*don't you love those chunky arms?!*

I am definitely thankful that Maggie is here, and healthy, and we aren't going to endless doctor appointments full of stress and uncertainty. I'll take the waking up in the night over hellish doctor appointments any day. Though, I suppose you must have one to get the other....

And the best for last:

Can she get any cuter with that spiky hair?!

Special thanks to my mom who made Magdalena's dress and matching headband!! Love you, mom!!

Oh, and she has a 9 month check-up next week (I think), and I'll post her height & weight then!