I can only imagine....PINK!

This is the extent of what I could find PINK in my house!!! (and one of them came yesterday in the mail) :) Imagining PINK for you, my friend Cindy, and praying PINK thoughts...

More pink to come!! ;):):):)

PINK, PINK, EVERYWHERE!!!

OK--HERE IS ALL THE PINK I COULD FIND (that I'm willing to share!) FOR TODAY! :) Benjamin and I are having fun with the "find the pink" game!! :)

He has a great one for you tomorrow!!!!! Hee hee!!!

GO, CINDY, PINK, PINK, PINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PINK SNOOPYS FOR CINDY! 4/9/2008

UNFORTUNATELY--they make EVERYTHING PINK, including poor Snoopy! You will note below, Vanna-Benjamin, displaying them for you to see! :)

Little Pink Houses for Cindy 4/9/2008

Oh yes...I know where a very large PINK house is...just for Cindy!!! :)

(courtesy of my friend, Bridget, who lives in it, although she and her husband were not aware the siding was pink when they built the house until it was too late!)

So here's some more PINK for you, Cindy!!!! More to come....

New Pink for Cindy!!! 4/8/2008

CINDY!!! Here's a pink tree just for you and Alexandra...still praying in pink for you!!!

Psalm 105:1 "Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done."



More pink to come... :)

PINK FOR CINDY 4/8/2008

Cindy--here is my first PINK thought for you today...straight from God to your heart!! May God give you the desire of your heart in the form of a PINK SLIP today! :) Much love, Julie

Michael Pitts--March 2008 Update

I will be 5 months old in just a few days...and here is my update:

I need more C-scans and blood tests to determine what is best for me and my long-term health. I still have a flat side to my head, and my soft spot is still not completely closed. I may still have to wear a helmet someday, although no one will tell Mommy whether or not that is true. I still don't hear well out of my left ear...if at all. I apparently have an Iron deficiency, although Mommy hasn't been able to track down how my foster family would know this and have me on Iron supplements. She's trying really hard to find out everything she can to make me well.

I still have issues with sleeping through the night, but that's because I'm still only 11.8 lbs. Thankfully, the doctor put me on cereal with my formula, and while it has caused some abdominal discomfort (big words for me!), it is helping me sleep better. That's good, because Mommy and Grandma were very tired because I wanted to stay up after I had a good bottle and diaper change!

My neck and back are getting stronger, but since I am not being forced to lie on my tummy, I don't get to work them much. I did; however, watch Mommy fall asleep while I layed on her belly in the middle of the night. When she woke up, I was right there, keeping an eye on her to make sure she was Ok. I held my head up high so she would be proud of me!

She made me do situps, too, which did not make me the happiest baby, but when she and Grandma cheered for me, I wanted to do it more!

Mommy and Daddy are not sure what will happen after I have all of my tests run over the next few weeks, but they are going to do their best to make sure I get the help I need until I can come home. Which reminds me...

I need the social worker to finish her report and turn it in so we can get into the last stage of my homecoming process, which is called PGN. Please pray for me so I can come home to Mommy, Daddy, Benjamin, and the loveys as soon as possible. I hear that Benjamin and the loveys are pretty cool, and I can't wait to meet them! And, I'm ready to sleep in my own bed so I can spread out!

By the way, I am in love with my hands and my feet. I just find them fascinating!!! And, I think my Mommy and my Grandma are soooooo funny!!! Especially Grandma. She's so goofy that she's hilarious!!

So, please pray that we will get through the Guatemalan processes quickly. My family needs me home. If you have any more questions, please ask Mommy or Daddy. They can tell you. Otherwise, I heard that Benjamin prays for me all the time, and I like that. I want to come home so I can steal his toys and pull his hair!!

Take a moment to look at my pictures...and you will see just how great I am! God made me sooo special that He gave me to Mommy and Daddy forever. It's time for forever to begin now!

Grandma, Mommy, and Me!

Grandma, can we have a talk?





Grandma will never tell my secrets!!



Mommy and Me...aren't we sweet? :)

Trying to go nite-nite!

Off to the attached mall...time to have some fun!!! :)

I LOVE TO SLEEP!!!

Don't be deceived...I kept Mommy awake ALMOST every night for hours!! But aren't I cute when I DO sleep?

Look at me!!!

Can I help you?


I love my hand...it tastes very good!



I'm sorry...I was about to take a nap!

Hanging by the pool...oh cabana boy...where's my bottle?!

How old am I?

Did you know that Peeps and Jelly Bellies can live for years and years? They may be a little hard around the edges, but they stay strong through the year tucked safely inside an Easter basket! Yes, that's right...these are leftovers from last Easter!!! (Oops...we forgot him!) Watch out Twinkies...Peeps may have an edge on you!!!!

Which One of These is NOT Like the Other?

Martin the Quasi-Dog...

Sammy THE Dog...

VOTE NOW--WHICH DOG IS THE REAL DOG?

(Martin is a by-product of the marriage of Mom (Gloria) and Bob)

(Sammy is our youngest girl!!)

The Truth About Cats and Dogs...

CHLOE THE CAT...



MOLLY THE DOG...

CAST YOUR VOTE NOW--WHICH IS BETTER (cat vs. dog)

AND WHICH IS PRETTIER? :)

(Chloe the Cat belongs to Michele...Molly the Dog belongs to none other than me!)

Trip to Guatemala...

Michael thinks heavily while he sleeps...


SHHHH....I was speaking....

Look how long my hair is!!!

Ya gotta love a face like this...

Already a Colts fan...

Update on Michael...



Michael is a little character. The first night (Thurs), he didn't sleep ALL NIGHT LONG. At 6am, he fell asleep, and only slept for 3 hours, as we had to be at the Dr by 10am. (on top of this, Steve got food borne illness from airplane food) The rest of the day, we spent taking turns napping and trying to function with a clearly unhappy baby. He didn't cry the entire day, but he did cry a lot. We had to learn the difference between his cries for being wet/dirty and/or being hungry.

The Dr's appt went relatively well, although we still have a few concerns. We are not sure he can hear very well, so we may have him tested for that. His head is severely malformed due to his skull not closing properly, and he favors one side when he sleeps. I believe the FM lets him either lie on his back the entire time, or she carries him. I tried having him on his tummy a few times, and he REALLY hates it. So...in order for his head to get stronger (his neck muscles are not strong on one side, either), I am going to have the FM do some things differently. The dr believes his head will be fully healed by the time Michael is 6-8 months old. We are still considering having him see a specialist to determine this, but in the meantime, we have his C scans to bring home for our pediatrician to see and give us an evaluation.

Saturday was much better...he (Michael) was much happier and even smiled at us several times! We are both still EXHAUSTED...and I can't imagine if we had brought Benjamin! (Many have brought their older siblings...oh my goodness) Of course, he did not want to go to sleep last night...and actually only slept every two hours or so.



Today, he is really sick...running a fever...won't eat...all he does is sleep and cry today. Right now, Steve's holding him sleeping. We decided that we would give him back to the foster family today so he can be back in a familiar environment and get well.



Overall, it's been a good trip, just one with almost no sleep and one baby who has been thoroughly confused the entire time we've been with him. We are hopeful that the next time we see him, he will not be so nervous with us--especially since that will likely be when we bring him home.



It's going to be so hard to leave him and give him back to them tonight, but we are thankful that God has blessed us with a very good foster family. Both of us have cried today...oh, and Michael, too.



Thank you for your prayers--please continue to pray...more pictures when we return.



Julie and Steve




(More pictures below...)

Update on Michael (Jan 17, 2008)

We received new pictures of Michael this week (see below), and we (Steve and I) go to visit him next Thursday through Monday. We are so excited to meet him for the first time and look forward to holding and playing with our youngest son.

We were told today by our agency that there is a slight delay in our adoption due to one piece of paperwork that has not yet been filled out or filed. This piece of paperwork can take up to 8 weeks to process, depending on the person doing it. That being said, we are scheduled to enter "Family Court" tomorrow, which is where they dissect us for the first time and also dissect the birth mother to make sure she really wants to give Michael up for adoption. The paperwork that is missing is critical to completing the Family Court process.

Second, we were given very bad news regarding Michael's health today:

"On another note, they say during the routine exam by the pediatrician he was concerned that Emanuel's fontanel was bigger then it should be at his age and his head is flat on one side. They will take him to a specialist on Friday for an exam and let us know the results ASAP."

This means that the"soft spot" on his head is bigger than they would like it to be. There are a variety of reasons as to why this might happen, and we are hoping they are able to figure it out at his doctor's appointment tomorrow. We are frustrated that we were not told before today, but are still very glad we can go and see him next week for ourselves.

Needless to say, Steve and I are worried and frustrated. Please take a look at his pictures below, and then pray...



Please pray that his health report will come back quickly, so that Steve and I can decide about getting him to Benjamin's Guatemalan doctor (who was trained in the US and is very good) when we visit next week.

Please also pray that the soft spot will be something minor, and will not cause any permanent brain damage for him. It could go either way. We ask that you pray for strength for us as we prepare for whatever the doctors determine is wrong and seek out treatment.

Above all, please know this (as we have already been asked): We ARE still adopting Michael, regardless of his health condition. He is our son, just as if I had given birth to him biologically. We will do what it takes to care for him regardless of the outcome. So please pray for our strength and our ability to handle whatever God's best is for us in this situation.

We love our youngest son and pray that you do, too. Please pray for him and for our family.

Thanks-

Julie, Steve, Benjamin, and Michael Pitts