The Dream of the 90s is Alive

Earrings: Madewell.

I've been rocking all the earrings lately, thanks to Madewell. My inner 90s kid is supremely stoked that I've utilized all the self-inflicted holes in my head all these many, many years later. To be honest, it scares me that the 90s are back. It feels like it wasn't that long ago. But, oh Lord, it was. Birkenstocks, flannel, ripped jeans. I'm not into all of it but I like to do little things to make Little Lindsy of Yesteryear proud.

A Portrait of Motherhood

Dan snapped this the other day. I'm wearing his flannel shirt, three sizes too big, with unwashed hair and not a stitch of makeup. But, this is such a simple portrait of motherhood. Someday we might have more children but right now it's just the three of us. We're broke and happy and completely in love with each other and that's what I want to remember. This picture will remind me of the the 4 weeks (and counting) that Liam spent buck naked from the waist down in an effort to get him potty trained. I want to remember how small he was in my arms and that ear - to - ear grin. 

I love this portrait. Someday I want to frame it. 

No Coincidence

I truly believe that there are no coincidences. Mundane details may seem just that but it's only later, in times of reflection, that you realize the bigger picture. You see that everything happens for a reason.

The placement coordinator at our private foster care agency was a friend of ours. When she received Liam's file she really wanted to call us but we had a trip to France planned and didn't want any "offers" until March. Unable to place him, she sent his file along and he went into a state home. A week later his file came back because the foster parent he had been placed with needed an emergency surgery and wouldn't be able to care for a baby. The placement coordinator could not deny this urge to pair us with this child. She called, we said yes, and the rest is history.

Did you know that my friend Ruthy and I picked a baby shower date in December of 2011? We chosea random Saturday in February: February 11, 2012. Once we sent out the invitations my friends and family flooded me with questions. How do we know what to buy? Do you know if it's a girl or a boy? Are you getting a newborn? What kinds of things do you need? The answer: I have no idea. We got the call about Liam on Tuesday and I picked him up on Wednesday, February 8, 2012. The baby shower was that Saturday. We emailed everyone that we were the proud parents of a 5 month old boy and he got everything he needed and then some.

There are far too many good adoption stories.

The scary stories get too much attention. Most of these stories are of reactive attachment disorder or rebellious teens. (Maybe someday Liam will resent us... I pray that he wont... but dont most teenagers resent their parents?)

I want to share more of Liam's story because I wasn't able to when he was still foster-child-status. I thank God for the coincidences that contribute to the miracle. I want to continue to share the good news of Liam's story. Fostering to adopt was the wildest thing we've ever done. It wasn't pretty or safe. It was stressful and complicated. It continues to be complicated. It might always be. I pray that it's not. I pray that our son is proud of his story, that he's proud of us and knows how much his parents (adoptive and biological) love him. We all did... and are doing... the best we can.

Help Me Shop my STITCHFIX

I will be honest, I did not like my last Stitchfix box. It was a lot of chevron print and that is definitely not me. So, I emailed them to complain. "Randall" handled my request, refunded my money, apologized profusely and then asked if he could style me. I was like, "Sure, Randall!" but I'm not so easy to please. That is customer service, my friends. So, what do you think? What should I keep?

This is what Randall came up with...

1. Brinley Courduroy Straight Leg Pant by Kut from the Kloth
2. Adelen Scoop Neck Cable Knit Sweater by Mystree
3. Lars Metal V Collar Necklace by Bay to Baubles
4. Garrison Faux Leather Panel Blouse by Fate
5. Davis Leopard Print Button-Up Cardigan by Ellison

Also pictured are: 

• Dedra Slip Ons from Target 
• Gold aviators from H&M
• Winna Platform pump by Guess

Wanna try Stitchfix? It's simple, create a detailed style profile. For $20, you recieve 5 items. Keep what you like (the $20 styling fee gets applied to your total) and send the rest back. Still not sure? Ask me questions or use my referral link.