New

“You didn’t know how bad it was going to be, did you?,” my dear friend asked last week over dinner. As I finished the last sip of wine, “No” escaped my lips before the glass reached the table. I really didn’t. Or did I, and rather refused to believe the reality awaiting me? Regardless, I was not prepared...but who would be? 

The picture you see above is a caricature of the past six months...the screaming baby, the aloof three year-old, the determined husband~and me, the mommy and wife who is trying her hardest to smile through it all, albeit behind super shades to hide the evidence of sleepless nights and stress. 

Many of you know that about a week after my last blog post, life blew up for the Nix family. When the baby was a mere two weeks old, we relocated to Alabama; the husband started a new job; we moved into an old home which we quickly realized needs more than a facelift; the three-year-old stopped sleeping and peed in his pants more than we all like to remember; and the baby, well, I’m pretty sure the word I’m looking for is “colicky.”  As if that weren’t enough, I had a doctor look me in the eyes and tell me I had a 50% chance of having cancer. (This definitely deserves its own post; thankfully the biopsy was negative.)

While I never lost my sanity (the husband may disagree ;), I certainly lost my clarity. The fog was real, it was heavy, and it definitely impaired my vision. Thankfully, I have a partner who is committed and showers me with unconditional love; family and friends who generously love me; and a faith that yields a God who is patient and gracious. Amidst the fog, my God gave me vibrant rays of sunshine at just the right times and colorful rainbows to remind me of his promises. 

I don’t recall the exact day the tears stopped falling.  Or when the first home-cooked meal appeared on the table. Or when the yoga pants magically changed to something a bit more fashionable. I suppose the transformation paralleled the changing of the Alabama seasons, slow and subtle yet with bursts of warmth or chill that seemed out of place at times. Make no mistake~there are still tears, I ate Chick-fil-A and take-out pizza this weekend, and I’m currently writing in my most favorite yoga pants, but... I’m writing~ with thanksgiving and clarity. 

I hope to continue to write, to share the enormity of blessings I’ve been gifted...and also to keep it real, when focusing on the blessings seems impossible. Here’s to a new year, in a new town, and a reNEWed spirit. 

American

Living in our nation's capital makes the Fourth of July an extra special holiday. However, we didn't really plan extravagant activities this year... giving birth and preparing for a big move may have something to do with that. It didn't take a big fireworks show or a trip to the beach, though, to make it extra special..... Our sweet Judah became an American citizen last week on July 2nd! The timing was coincidental but could not have been more perfect.  This was the final step in his adoption finalization on the U.S. side of things~allowing him to obtain a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, and legal name change. I'll now be applying for DC birth certificates for both of these cuties at the same time!

It was a very special day, and we could not be happier for our little Ethiopian-American :)

with the judge who declared finalization 

Addition

Look who finally made her debut....

Josie Kathleen Nix 

June 21st, 2013

6 pounds, 15 ounces/ 20 inches

She is a precious angel and we are in love....and deliriously exhausted! We could not be more grateful for this amazing gift. I'm humbled that the Lord yet again has entrusted us to care for another of His miracles. 

And our first miracle is the best big brother ever! Of course, he has his moments of needing 10 times our attention, now that it's divided, but overall he is doing great. I will never forget the sweet moment in the hospital room when Judah broke the silence and said, "I love you baby Josie" out of the blue from across the room.

He loved that he was watching over her in the hospital :)

Josie Kate was named after three of her great-grandparents. Although she will never have the chance to meet them on this earth, I can only hope she has qualities of them all. My Grandaddy Joe (Joseph) is no stranger to this blog. Funny, energetic, and gracious...we were so close and I love that she will carry part of his name. Ella Jo ("Josie") was my precious Nanny who I spent so much time with during my childhood years. She was compassionate, care-free, and selfless, and I miss her so much. Kathleen is the middle name of Jeff's grandmother...a gentle, kind woman with a servant's heart.

Best of all, we had chosen the name Josie long before I looked up the meaning. My heart stopped when I read it...."the Lord will add." He certainly did.  

Different

It happened around his third birthday. It was a typical school morning, consisting of rushing out of the door only to catch our breath on the typically calm 15-minute drive to the little church that Judah calls school. Breaking the silence about half-way there was Judah's sweet little voice..."Mommy?" (The "mommy" I knew would be followed by an observation or a question). "Yes, Judah?" "We look different," he said. At that moment, the world stopped for me. What? This isn't supposed to happen for another year or so. What am I supposed to say? Before I had a chance to respond, he continues while holding up his arm..."I'm brown and you're um, umm.....pink." Still trying to come up with a monumental response, I say "That's right honey, our skin is different." I then immediately launched into my "filed away" answer, "God made all of us different, sweetie." And just like that, he was on to talking about something else. Not sure what...perhaps someone walking on the sidewalk, the traffic light, a tall tree....I'm not sure because I was still pondering the previous 3 second conversation.

Why was I shocked? He is a bright kid. I've read the books and research and know that he's not too far ahead of the curve for noticing skin color differences. Why did I feel like I didn't know what to say? After all, I've thought about these conversations waaayyy too much already (thank you psychologist/analyst brain). Why did I have an "Uh oh/Oh no"moment? It's not a bad thing; it's actually a beautiful thing.

After kissing him good-bye in the classroom and spending more time reflecting upon his three-word statement in the parking lot, I realized it's simply the loss of innocence that makes me sad. The innocence is still there for now (it's just a pink vs. brown color observation), and it will more than likely stay that way for a while. I just know that comment was the beginning point on a long continuum....unfortunately, a continuum that will lead to less pleasant conversations in our future.

Wouldn't it be nice if we, as individuals and as a society, still had this innocence? A world where color of skin was not attached to meaning, hierarchy, or stereotype? A world where we are truly not judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character, as one of our greatest leaders once proclaimed? I have to say that being the mommy of my beautiful child with brown skin has forced me to swallow the truth....this world is cruel and the innocence will soon come to an end. Dinner table conversations at our house will be different....and I'm glad. I just pray that the Lord equips us with the words and actions to guide our sweet Judah in truth and love. I pray that He sends other people of color into Judah's life to influence and mentor him. And most importantly, I pray that He protects Judah's heart and gives him strength and courage to face this colorful world in which we live.

Sugar and Spice

And everything (twice as) nice! Two baby showers in two months, and I am incredibly grateful. Still a bit surreal that we'll have a tiny angel in our home in just a few weeks.

It was wonderful to be showered in Alabama, our future place of residence:), by these sweet ladies.

I caught up with friends from high school...

And college...

And lots of little friends...

Who were great helpers :)

The whole day was just beautiful!

Let's take a closer look at that cake, shall we? It's all sugar!

And gifts galore!

Can't wait for this Bama Baby to arrive :)

And thanks to these amazing friends....

I was showered here in DC, too! Look at all this PINK!

And this spread!

I could never imagine the abundance of meaningful friendships the Lord would bless me with here in DC in just two short years. I really will miss this place. Humbled and grateful that these ladies honored me in this way.

Baby girl, we are ready for you!!!

(Busy) LIfe as We Know It

Hi there folks, I'm keeping with my theme of blogging once a month these days. Just wanted to give you a little spring recap before we head into summer (because that may be the next time I post).

I have 2 jobs. 
Yep, my first update may help explain some things~like my lack of blogging. I'm a "working outside of the home Mama". Well, actually I'm working from inside the home but you get the point...I took on another job in addition to full-time mommy to Judah. This past February, I began working as an educational research analyst for the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). Check them out if you get a chance...really amazing organization. I'm honored to work for them. My position is temporary and will be complete at the end of this month because baby girl is coming next month...ahh! Anyways, parenting Judah and working 20 hours/week while being very pregnant has been a challenge but I am grateful for the opportunity and the income.

The Nix Fam is sleeping again. 
After almost three months of very little sleep by our little man, I'm happy to report that Judah is sleeping again...11+ hours/night and 2-hour naps.  How, you ask? Lots of prayer and paying a professional. Seriously. We hired a sleep consultant mid-March. Prior to her working with us, Judah was exhibiting tons of bedtime refusal (think screaming and clinging on to us so he would not have to go in his bed, then constantly running out of his room), waking up anywhere from 4-5:30am every morning, not napping, yet falling asleep anytime I strapped him into his stroller or car seat. And let's not forget the poor eating habits, less than desirable behavior (remember this post?), and stagnant speech/language. I'm now convinced that all of this was affected by his cumulative sleep debt. I know every child has different needs, but I'm here to encourage any of you who has a toddler/pre-schooler who is having trouble napping to stick with it....even if it requires drastically changing your schedule or implementing behavioral plans. Two and three-year olds (and older for that matter) need their sleep. It was a difficult two+ weeks of interventions but totally worth it in the end. We are all happier and healthier :)

We have a diaper-free household.
That's right, J-man is finally in nothing but undies and doing a fantastic job! It's been a long time coming as he's been using the potty for over a year, but he is now an exclusive user and very proud to be a big boy! Mommy and Daddy are proud, too, and are enjoying our few short months before we break out the diapers again for a tiny little girl :)

We're moving. 
I know, this is a big one. Where? Birmingham (Alabama). When? July. Yes, one month after baby girl is born. (You can start praying now for our move with a 1-month old.) Why? My awesome husband was offered an Assistant Professor position at UAB medical center for urologic oncology. He will run a clinic, continue to do amazingly advanced surgeries to remove kidney and bladder cancers to save lives~all while conducting cutting-edge research and teaching all urology residents who come through UAB. I know, he rocks. The way this job came to fruition is again by the handy work of God. We were not seeking a job (they sought him out and began recruiting almost a year ago); in fact, we were slated to stay in DC another year. But every detail fell into place and we began to see this is where the Lord wants us. After 10 years of medical training in three different states, we are so ready to settle down with more permanency...and couldn't be happier that it's come full circle to where it all began...sweet home Alabama.

We bought a house. 
It's old, but adorable. It needs some work, but we're excited to make it our own over time. It's not that big, but will feel like a mansion to us considering the shoebox we currently live in. Judah will have a yard~something he's been asking for since before Christmas. I think he is ready to move on from city-life :) And the best part, it's 3 doors down from the kids' future elementary school. There is something so freeing about never having to get in my car for the next 10 years to make the morning trek to school or sit in long lines for pick-up.

The time is near. 
We have about six weeks left until we meet baby girl, and I'm feeling incredibly grateful for a smooth pregnancy thus far. Some days I still can't believe it's happening. And if you look at the big picture of our life, we're in no way "ready," as society would label it. We may not have all the newest, cool baby gear and she may not have a gorgeous nursery (or any nursery for that matter)~ but we have diapers, a bassinet and ready, open hearts.  Words cannot describe the blessing that she will be to our family.

Spring is here.
We're really enjoying the warmer weather around here. Lots of picnics, walks, and outdoor sports action.

That's it, not too much going on around here ;) so hopefully, I'll be back sooner than a month!

Party All Week

*Warning: Picture Overload*

I say it this time every year...I love birthdays. Thus, my little man gaining another year gave me a great excuse for all of us to celebrate for an entire week in March!

One of Judah's new favorite treats is donuts. So Jeff and I took him out to breakfast on his actual birthday for a birthday donut. Lucky for Judah, they still had leftover St. Patty's Day donuts so he got to enjoy a chocolate-glazed donut with GREEN icing.

We then headed over to DC's new National Children's Museum. As you can see, Judah thought it was pretty cool.

Making a pizza 

Having fun with letters

Learning the concept of pulleys and gears

After our fun at the museum, we all had a lunch date at a nearby hot dog joint (again, Judah's request...he enjoys the healthy foods you know :) I should mention here that Judah's actual birthday was on a Monday. Jeff is a very busy daddy but he took the morning off from work so he could spend Judah's special morning with us. Yeah, my husband rocks. I should also mention here that it snowed that morning. A nice surprise birthday gift for Judah, but this mommy wasn't exactly wanting snow in mid-March.

Later that evening, we had a (semi) quiet (and again, totally unhealthy) evening at home with pizza, cupcakes, and Toy Story.

The  next morning, we had a little birthday party for Judah at his school. I took our play firehouse and had fire hats and cupcakes for the kids. They had a blast putting out fires all morning. Thankful for J's energetic and patient teachers!

I now give you DC's most heroic fire chief in action :)

Hard at work with his best friend, Henry

Hard a play with his best friend, Henry :)

Time for cupcakes!

He's getting good at this

"Hey Mom! Can we do this every time at school?!"

The following Saturday was his official birthday party. Both sets of grandparents came for the big day/weekend, which made it extra special! Judah chose a "gardening" theme for his party this year. Interesting, huh? We don't garden. In fact, we don't even have a yard. There are a few plants/flowers in our little condo, but they're all pretty much dead thanks to my not-so-green thumb. However, one of Judah's favorite books is about gardening and the day I happened to ask him about his future birthday party plans a few months ago, we read that book. So I'm assuming that's where he got the idea. I took it and ran with it because I figured we'll have plenty of super-hero themed parties ahead of us :) Here is what we came up with:

Favor preparations....A Coloring Book about Seeds/Plant Growth and a magnifying glass for spying bugs in the garden.

Can you tell Judah was excited about his special day?!

We reserved a space in a local park...

We dug for bugs in the sand....

No, we did not plan for Judah and Gabriel to match...I promise!

We planted flowers for the kids to take home.....

We opened gifts....

And had lots of yummy bug/garden-themed treats...

Butterfly crackers, Mini-garden cups, and "dirt cake"

Enjoying "muddy milk" & ladybug apples

Silly with gummy worms

It was a wonderful celebration (all week long)! Wishing my little love-bug a very special YEAR 3!