Top 100 Baby Purees!

Okay, so I have a quick minute; and I really wanted to blog about this awesome book I bought recently.  It's called Top 100 Baby Purees: 100 Quick and Easy Meals for a Healthy and Happy Baby by Annabel Karmel, and it's pretty much amazing!

We have no real way of knowing how old Baby C will be when s/he comes home.  When we get our referral, s/he could be anywhere from 3 months to a nearly a year - that could be the difference between breast (if I'm lucky enough to be one of the very few adoptive mothers who are physically able to breastfeed their adopted child) and/or formula and the beginning of "real food", as my own mother says.  So, we're preparing for both possibilities.

I have to admit, I was a little freaked out by having to figure out what to feed a near-toddler in regards to more solid foods; but Annabel  leads you through not only tasty meals that most babies love, but also foods that are high in all sorts of minerals, vitamins, and good fats and proteins to help baby's body and brain grow to their healthiest potential - hooray!  It took a load off of my mind for sure!  Heck, some of her ideas looked so yummy, I was tempted to whisk some up for Mr. C and I!  "Salmon Surprise"?  Uhh, YES please!

The most important thing Mr. C and I have talked about is that we are expecting to expect nothing on this journey; which I think is a really good outlook for prospective parents to have when adopting internationally.  So, even when it comes to food, we are just going to go step-by-step and day-by-day knowing that things can always change or not work out.

I'm actually really looking forward to making Baby C homemade baby food, though!  My mom was a warrior woman - she stayed at home with three little girls, planted a garden every year, canned veggies and fruit and meats from our own organic farm, and still had time to create art and craft projects, have a perfectly decorated home, and get us to our private school and all extra-curricular activities we were involved in as well!  I hope I will be even half as amazing as she was and still is!

Well, I need to get off of here!  It's so easy to get caught up in "baby talk" these days!  I hope you're experiencing a lovely day wherever you are in the world...it's a bit dreary here today, I must confess.  Let's hope for sunshine and blue skies for tomorrow, yes?

Go forth and be love,
*mandie*


PS:  Here's a link to Amazon where you can buy Annabel's book(s) and even download them to your Kindle - yay!

        

Cute Kid's Clolthes: Recent Online Finds

Just for fun!  Here are some cute clothing items I found recently while searching around online for both boys and girls.  It's so fun to think about dressing up Baby C in all sorts of precious, little outfits...now if only we knew what gender the wee one was going to be!  Ah the shopper's agony of having to wait!  Haha!

Checked "Bonnie Jean" dress from Sophia Style.

Adorable sweater dress from Australian online kid's boutique, Little Wardrobe.

I love this little coat from Etsy seller Mani Mina.

Knucklehead's "Malcom" cardigan at Little Dudes Only.

Knucklehead's "Elmer" shirt at Little Dudes Only.  I LOVE the shoulder patches!

Striped "sailor shorts" from Etsy seller zacobekids.

Do you have some favorite online kid's clothing shops?  Feel free to suggest them to me here!  I'm so eager to being shopping for Baby C, but until we get our referral, I'm going to try really hard not to buy anything gender specific - I wonder if I'll make it!  Haha!

Have a lovely day!
*mandie*

What I'm Reading...

I love to read; which is great, because with international adoption comes a LOT of necessary (and a lot of suggested) reading!  I've read so many books already, but these past two have been especially useful to Mr. C and myself.

The first is The Complete Book of International Adoption: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Your Child by Dawn Davenport, a mother 4-times over by both birth and adoption from China.  She has some very astute and personal observations about international adoption as well as a comprehensive, walk-through guide to some of the very things Mr. C and I have been both looking forward to and dreading about our future adoption - reviewing the medical reports and transitioning the adopted child to a new country, language, and lifestyle.  She has also included a very useful chapter on affording adoption with the help of loans, grants, and fund-raising - super helpful!  If you're interested in international adoption at all, I suggest reading Ms. Davenport's book (Amazon link below).

The second one is called Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today's Parents by Deborah D. Gray.  Attachment issues and bonding are one of the scariest issues for adoptive parents.  I'm finding more and more that we all worry - worry that we won't bond to the child, the child won't bond to us, that we won't be able to help our beloved children form the kinds of attachments that will define their ability to form lasting and healthy relationships for the rest of their lives...it can be quite daunting!

Ms. Gray gives lots of insight (clinical, observational, and anecdotal) about differing levels of attachment issues (both bad and good) with lots of suggestions and active options for guiding healthy bonding.  Both adoption professionals and those touched by adoption themselves (parents, siblings, and adoptees) are quotes in the pages of this book.  I'm not completely done, and I've already gleaned so much from what Ms. Gray has to share.  If you are touched by adoption in any way, I encourage you to read this book.  I think you will find it insightful and helpful.  As the child of an adopted mother and soon-to-be adoptive mother myself, I know I did!

After reading so many books on adoption, I'm thinking of breaking it all up with something fun!  What do you suggest?  Not long ago, I finished reading the last of what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had to offer in the way of Sherlock Holmes novels; which was a bit sad.  I really enjoyed those!  I also recently re-read Pride and Prejudice for the millionth time!  I never get tired of Jane Austen's works; it's the romantic in me!

I look forward to any and all reading suggestions; my Kindle is ready to be filled with more goodies!

Blessings,
*mandie*


              

Home Study Agency: Check!

Well, that's one giant check off of my list today!  After fretting about what home study agency we were going to sign on with, it all went rather smoothly - hooray!

We decided to go with Lutheran Family & Children's Services of Missouri out of Springfield.  They're close, friendly, right on target price-wise; plus, Gladney already has a long-standing relationship with working with their agencies nation-wide.  What a relief!  I had been dreading the seemingly endless list of social work and adoption agencies that provide home studies, but God truly lead my head and heart yesterday and today!  I am grateful!

Another plus, was that after digging around the house a bit, we realized that we have nearly all of the documentation needed for the I-600A form (the form that is cleared by the US government that will allow our child to come back into the US with us after s/he is adopted) - woo hoo!  The home study will be the last piece of the puzzle for that document; so, the faster things go with Lutheran Family Services, the faster things will go with USCIS and Gladney!

I feel as though God has truly had an active part in this process so far, even being in these very early stages.  Everything has gone smoothly (something we were/are not expecting) and everyone (thus far) has been beyond kind, compassionate, and helpful.  We are being blessed left and right!  God is so good!

Hope you're having a wonderful day in your part of the world!
*mandie*

TomKat Studio Free Downloads for "Operation Shower"

Operation Shower is an organization that throws baby showers for mamas-to-be in the military or with spouses serving abroad.  In honor of this upcoming season of giving thanks and this fabulous organization, one of my favorite bloggers, TomKat Studio, is offering up her super sweet "Give Thanks" downloadable party  good designs for FREE to those who make a donation to this worthy cause or host a shower for a deserving lady themselves!

Some of the super cute party items included in the FREE download from the brilliant TomKat Studios!

What a great deal, and a win-win situation too!  Click HERE to download the party goods and find out how to make a donation or throw a shower!

Happy Fall!
*mandie*