Celebrating Adoption {photo shoot}

Last fall I was reading one of my favorite blogs (which I began following two years ago, after reading her and her husband's adoption memoir) and the author mentioned this incredible organization called Celebrating Adoption, which provides a complimentary photo shoot to recently adopted children. It's basically a web of photographers all around the country that opt to give this gift to families nearby. I clicked the link on her blog, doubtful there would be anyone doing this in our neck of the woods and was pleasantly surprised to find an incredible photographer right here in town. I made a note to contact her when we returned from Ethiopia... 

We arrived home April 1 and after the first fog lifted, before the second heavier fog settled in, I emailed this photographer to see if we could set up a session. Just that morning we had taken Mercy to the middle school youth group so our students could meet the beloved Baby Fatty they'd been so faithfully praying for all these months. Afterward a lovely mom, who has a student in the group, came up to introduce herself and say hi to Mercy. Turns out she was the photographer I would email that same afternoon! It really is a small world after all. 

After our schedules and the weather cleared up a bit, we finally landed on a day in May. Mercy was nine and a half months old and of all things, the photo shoot took place exactly four months from the day we first met our baby girl. I love these kinds of details. The photo shoot went well; Daveen was kind and easy-going, but Mercy was a bit baffled as to why Mama and Papa were always standing so far away and calling her name over and over. She just wasn't her usual lively, smiley, happy self. She was reserved, inquisitive and contemplative (slash confused, wiggly, awkward....) and these photos reflect that mood. We love that these capture more than her big grin and draw out more of her beautiful features. 

It's been months since the photo shoot and we just recently got back to Daveen (wups). We have been crazy busy and the daunting task of selecting photos was always easily put off until "tomorrow". There were so many breath-taking photos to choose from but in the end we selected them with grandparents in mind, plus a couple for us. We were also surprised with an incredible gift of thoughtfulness and generosity by Daveen's middle school son, Dalton, who wanted to give us a huge (like 16x20)  canvas photo of Mercy. Wow. Thanks, Dalton!

Below are a few of the images we selected. We have about forty more at home. And our prints will be ready any day. Hooray! What a joy and delight to capture these young months forever. If you have recently adopted, please check out the Celebrating Adoption website to see if someone in your area participates. For those of you with living in Salem, check out Daveen! She is a gracious perfectionist, which is exactly what I look in a photographer.  

So, behold these sweet photos of our then nine and a half month Mercy Michael Fikir Mann:

This gorgeous purple sweater was knit by my sister-in-law's mom just for Mercy. I never want her to out grow this beauty!

The quilt Mercy is on was sewed by Mercy's great great grandma (from Josh's dad's side of the family) It's held up beautifully all these years. Talk about vintage chic! We are exceptionally grateful this quilt has made it's way to Mercy Bear.

The story on this funny little dress is that it was mine when I was a baby. My mom found it, washed it and gave it to me for Mercy at a baby shower in December. The '80's are back.