Oh my heart! I celebrate when all my kiddos have a birthday, but Britt turning two was extra special. {We had a super low-key celebration yesterday. We’ll throw a big party next year when she gets it. I’ll share pictures with you tomorrow.} Every other birthday a Slaughter has celebrated, I’ve taken the fact that I’m there for granted. This birthday there wasn’t a minute of that happening. I was so very thankful to be there celebrating as her mama.
Like the majority of international adoptions, we don’t have a birth certificate and know her exact birth date, but November 12th is the date the orphanage estimated as her day. It’s the day we’ll party and celebrate her every single year.
I think I mentioned that after we got Britt every single one of us had “Grinch” moments. We experienced our hearts growing bigger. It really felt like mine grew three sizes that day.
Prior to getting my hands on her, I didn’t understand the feelings I would have toward her birth mom. But just thinking about her this week brings me to tears. I’m so thankful for the life she gave. Oh, how I hope and pray she has a peace that passes all understanding this week when it comes to Britt. She is safe. She is happy. And she is oh, so loved. I pray she can feel that.
This sweet baby has come out of her shell in big ways. She is starting to jabber a lot, but in the mean time she’s managed to get all five of us to do exactly what she wants with just a couple sounds! {Can you say spoiled?-ha!} #wrappedaroundherlittlefinger
This past week she’s started singing and she’ll close her eyes and sing. It’s just random sounds but they are the sweetest little sounds.
Tomorrow we’ve had our girl six months. I’m still in awe at how far we’ve come in a mere one hundred-eightyish days.
This verse comes to mind, “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” Ephesians 3:20 MSG
If I’d imagined how everything would look six months from the day we got her, I couldn’t have even imagined this. Britt has gone from a quiet, majorly introverted girl to a fun-loving kid with personality!
You guys I had no idea how much the love of a family could change a child. Six months ago, I saw tons of therapies, doctor’s appointments, and more in our future. In 2018, we’ll be down to just speech therapy once a week and random check-ups. {With more surgeries in our future for cleft related things later.}
She can still be shy in larger crowds, but around the house she is loud, crazy, and constantly has us all laughing.
Just like adding any child to your family, I had moments of-WHAT ARE WE DOING-prior to getting her. We could have missed this, but I’m so very glad we didn’t.
I’ll never begin to describe how blessed we are to have this girl in our family.
So we celebrate her sweet life, the six months we’ve had with her, and the future of birthdays we’ll get to celebrate in the future!
A little update…
*She’s eating anything and everything. She can’t drink from a regular sippy cup yet. We’re working on this. {If you’re a cleft mama with ideas on how to get her to suck, please comment!} The cups she uses I’ve cut so she basically just tips it up and it comes right out.
*She’s sleeping all night long. {HALLELUJAH!}
*Lots more jabbering is happening this month. Along with that pretend singing {which happens to be the cutest thing ever}.
*She’s figured all the names out so if you ask where Bowen is, she instantly looks for him or points at him.
*Thanks to speech therapy, she’s attempting sounds. For instance, she can’t say, “please”, but she’ll say, “p, p, p” and we get the idea.
I wish you could all meet her. I promise you, she’d steal your heart.
This past week in therapy, the therapist came out and recapped their session like she does every week. She told me they worked on color matching. I wish I could have seen my face when she said that…SAY WHAT?! Color matching? hahaha! She’s a little sponge soaking it all up!
We’re looking forward to celebrating many more firsts with this sweet girl…first Thanksgiving, first Christmas, first New Year, and more.
We’re so very thankful God chose her for us and us for her.
Happy Birthday, Britt Bradford Slaughter! We love you more than you’ll ever know sweet girl. XO
A laid back birthday FULL OF CELEBRATION pics are coming tomorrow!
Such a beautiful big 2 year old! Happy Birthday, Britt! You and your family are so fortunate to have each other! 🙂
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Happy Birthday to that sweet girl !! 2 years old 🙂 Love love following your adoption journey !!!
Love following your adoption journey! Happy Birthday sweet Britt! So thankful God brought her to your family. His plans are always far greater than our own!
As a speech therapist, I love reading about what she is doing in therapy. Happy birthday, Britt!
Oh my goodness!!! Just too many sweet pics of your precious family to count. I can't imagine you guys without Britt. She just fits perfectly into your family! We love her so much too!
So sweet!! What a blessing from God! ❤️
Agghhhh, what a wonderful post so full of love. I can "hear" the joy in your words! Happy Birthday, Britt!
What a precious post about your precious little one!! Happy birthday, Britt! 🎉🎈🎂
What a beautiful tribute to a beautiful girl 🙂 Happy tears for you! xoxo ERIN
Oh, Britt!! 😍 She is such a special girl! We love that little cutie! Xo
WELL GOODNESS GRACIOUS! This post made me cry! Like not just tears in my eyes, but actual tears spilling out. Britt is precious as can be, and you are right, she is so loved! Happy Birthday, Miss Britt!
Ohhhh, I get to love on and spoil one more Slaughter baby!!! This is what makes me happy beyond words!!💜💜💜💜
She is SO SO loved!!! My heart swells every single time I see her so I can't even imagine how much yours does. I just love that girl. And I loved this post. xo That Inspired Chick
She is PRECIOUS!
Keep in mind my cleft kid is now 14 but when she was a toddler, we had difficulty transitioning to sippy cups, we bought them ALL! The one that worked the best was the Nube Soft Spout sippy cups, we found them at WalMart but probably available elsewhere now. The soft top felt more like a bottle and it was easier on her sensitive mouth. We are up to 9 surgeries with our cleft kid, 7 are cleft related. We believe we are done with the major plastic surgery and hope we are done with oral surgery too. Most people do not realize our daughter is a cleft kid! Surgeons are miracle workers if you ask us!
Oh that sweet girl!! Happy Birthday, Britt!!
Happiest Birthday to Britt!!! And happy almost 6 months as the Slaughter Six!
She looks like she fits effortlessly into her forever family! Happy birthday to Britt!
Happy birthday to your beautiful baby girl!!
This post put tears in my eyes! Happy birthday sweet girl!
God less her, sweet baby. How lucky you all are to have one another.
So sweet! I hope you can catch her pretend singing on video to share!
I am right there with Sheaffer… this post had tears running down my face!!! I just love looking at all of the pictures and especially the ones with everyone in them b/c you can see all of the JOY in everyone's eyes!!! What an AWESOME GOD WE SERVE!!!
I am right there with Sheaffer… tears streaming down my face… what a great post!!!! I love seeing all of the pictures of Miss Britt w Ebby Lee Nixon and Bowen (mom and dad too) because you can totally see the JOY in everyone's eyes!!! What an AWESOME GOD WE SERVE!!!
Happy bday to Britt! Such sweet words- and amazing to see her progress! 🙂
She is so precious! There's a sweetness and gentleness that radiates from her pictures.
A very happy birthday to your precious girl!!! You are all so blessed to have each other!
Happy 2nd Birthday sweet little "Britty". What a blessing you are to your family!!!❤️
Happy birthday to your sweet girl. She has a wonderful family that's raising her and taking care of her. I love your special bond with Britt.