The Adoption Journey Weight Gain

I gained weight while we were in the process of adopting Josiah.  It's the ugly truth.
Falling in love with a tiny human being and not knowing what the future holds is...the hardest thing ever...and I found myself eating & eating & eating.  I consumed sugar more often than necessary too.

Not sleeping much at night due to his tummy issues meant no energy the next day to exercise, when exercising would have given me more energy...so I drank coffee, FULL of sugar, in order to have energy.
See the endless cycle?
I have managed to gain 20 pounds.  20 pounds on a 5'1 girl equals about 2.5 dress sizes.  It's not pretty.

This is me before Josiah: (January 2012)

This is me 17 months later on Gotcha Day: (July 2013)

(chubby cheeks on the right hand side belong to me)

So there it is, the ugly truth.  I have been very careful about my sugar intake for about a month now.  And last night I said "hi" to the stupid treadmill again.  I hate working out.  I do not like putting on exercise clothing and getting my heart rate up purposely.  I'm an outdoorsy girl...I like to play tennis, but I don't have anyone to play with me. I like to go hiking, but the closest hiking spot is an hour and a half away.

But I thought if I put myself out there, I may be more prone to actually say "hi" to my treadmill more than once every other month. I NEED to lose this weight.

I miss having energy.  I miss feeling pretty.  I have scoliosis and this extra weight makes my back hurt. Bigger boobs make my back hurt too... HA!  Hey, just keeping it real and I'm pretty sure only girls read this blog.  

Anyways, so this is one of the not-pretty-sides of my adoption journey.  There's a few others which I may or may not share.

If anyone would like to go walking in SW OKC, please let me know!

Josiah Matthew Morrow

Dear Little Man

My Dear Little Man, My Bubba, My Sugar Bear, Sweet Muffin Butter Cup, Little Booger,
Stinker Bear, Bubster, Bubbers, Shooey Looey, and Little Bear,
Tomorrow you become MINE.  And Daddy's.  Tomorrow you become a Morrow.
I have dreamed of this day for approximately 19 years, but who's counting?  You are the product of answered prayers.  You are my miracle baby.

"I want a black baby, I think they are the cutest babies in the whole wide world!"  "Well Mary, you're marrying a white boy, I don't know if you'd noticed that yet, BUT you can't have a black baby!"
I was 17 years old, and engaged to your daddy, the day I uttered this to my momma.  Little did we know, that you CAN marry a white boy and have the cutest baby in the whole wide world!  (Your sisters are the prettiest girls in all the world too!)

I want you to know, the night before you become "ours" - that we didn't get "stuck" with a black baby.  I PRAYED for a black baby, specifically!  There will probably be mean kids in your life who will tell you we got stuck with you, but it isn't true, you were PRAYED FOR.  And I don't want you to fall for the line that some people say that they don't see color, just a sweet face, because I DO see your color.  And it is breathtaking.  Your skin is a wonderful chocolate color that is the perfect blend of the prettiest browns in all the world!

You are perfect, my sweet love.  I will never tire of telling you that.  Late at night, when your tummy is hurting and only momma holding you close helps, you are perfect.  You have the sweetest little personality mixed with wonder, spunk, joy, stinker-ness & ridiculously amazing giggles.  You are perfect.  When you bonk your sisters upside the head. Or pull their hair. Or scratch their legs because they won't give you what you want. You are perfect.

You were brought into a fallen world, into a messy world, into sin, strongholds and struggles. But YOU.ARE.PERFECT.  I am claiming this because Christ makes us perfect in His sight.  He adopts us.  He makes us His very own.  He teaches us how a REAL daddy gives up His life, and loves sacrificially, selflessly, ALWAYS, for those He loves.  He gave you an earthly daddy, who loves you very much, and is such a humble, gracious picture of our heavenly Daddy. He brought you into our lives through adoption and we are praying for Him to make you perfect in His sight.  We know He answers prayers and how we thank Him for YOU.

I can't wait for tomorrow.  I can't wait to share your name with cyber world.  I can't wait to share your picture, my perfect little man.  You will no longer be an orphan, but a Morrow!

Love,
Your momma

In you the orphan finds mercy.

Hosea 14:3

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

James 1:27

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families.

Psalms 68:5-6

And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.

Matthew 18:5

I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!

Matthew 25:40