Monday

Due to anxiousness and a false labor alarm this week Jesse and I have decided to head out 6 days earlier than we originally planned! We will now be heading to Florida on Monday the 4th!

Birth mom had an appointment today and the little one seems to be doing great. A perk of going early, birth mom has given the ok for us to come to her next appointment on Tuesday so we will get to hear the heartbeat again and be close to the little one before she is born!! We are pretty well packed and ready to go, come on Monday :)  Sooo excited to meet this long awaited blessing sometime in the coming weeks!

Prayers for safe travels and healthy baby and birth mom are so greatly appreciated! We are going to miss our friends and family in the next month!

3.5 Weeks!!

As you can tell by the title we have 3.5 weeks until we leave for Florida!  Our little sweet pea is due in 4.5 weeks.  Time is really going pretty fast for us.  Some days are slow but overall it's crazy to think that we will finally get to meet our little girl in only 4.5 weeks, maybe even less!  I think Jesse and I have decided our little one is going to be spoiled as she already has a stockpile of clothes and other baby things.  When you wait so long for something you just can't contain the excitement when it's finally coming and so the spoiling has begun.

We have been partially packing over time and making a stock pile of things in our living room that we will be taking to Florida.  Baby's things are pretty well packed and our suitcases are out and ready to be packed once we get a little closer!

We have also been working on her bedroom.  It's not totally finished but pretty close. I still hope to get some canvases of the sweet girl above her crib and her name in wood letters by the birdcage. Oh and maybe finish painting the doors to her armoire and put them on :) 

Looking into her room it's hard to believe this is reality.  Will we really have a little one to love and call our own? Will I finally get to experience the joy of being a mom?  I have been reminded several times just how quickly things can change and an unborn child can be taken from this life to be with God in heaven.  It scares me but ultimately my faith is in God.  Not that He is going to make everything go perfectly smooth but that no matter how it goes He will provide the grace and comfort to get us through.

I once again want to ask for your continued prayers for us as we prepare to welcome our little one into the world.  I also and more importantly want to ask for your prayers for the birth family.  I am constantly reminded of how selfless and sacrificing it would be to let your child be placed into the arms of another woman because you know you can't provide her with the life you want for her.


In adoption a child is not GIVEN UP.
A birth mother GIVES life,
A child a family, unconditional love.
She GIVES a part of her heart that will never feel whole.
She GIVES another mother a part of her heart that was always missing.

An adoptive mother GIVES a life and family to this child.
She GIVES unconditional love.
She GIVES a part of her heart to another mother.

You GIVE a lot-just never GIVE UP.
                                                  -Terra Cooper

The Beat of Her Heart!

So as most of you are aware, Jesse and I made a very quick trip to Florida last week to go to a doctor appointment with birth mom!  Lots and lots of driving!! I am thankful we had a safe trip and I am glad to be back home.

Jesse and I left for Florida early Tuesday morning.  We stopped at about 7 pm that evening and we had just gotten into Florida.  The next day we drove about another 3 hours or so to a town nearby the birth mom. We got there about 2 pm and spent the rest of the day relaxing in the sun and swimming in the ocean.  It just so happens our little girls birth moms lives right by the ocean!!

The next morning we picked up birth mom and headed to Orlando for her Dr. appointment.  We so appreciated birth moms openness with us that she allowed us in the room for the appointment.  We were able to hear our sweet baby girls heart beating away!! She also had an ultra sound and they measured just about every part of our little girl! It was amazing getting to see her moving around! We could see her little hand waving at us and her little lips gulping in the amniotic fluid.  She measured on time for her due date which is August 18. I believe the Dr. Said she weighs 2lb. 10oz at this point, such a tiny little thing! Birth mom is 28 weeks and baby is expected to start gaining 1/2 lb. every week once she hits 30 weeks!  Dr. said everything looks healthy and birth mom and baby are both doing well.  Birth mom gave us the sono pics so here's our baby girl! So excited to show her off!

A Profile Pic of our sweet pea!  You can also see her heart
  in the bottom left corner!

A view of her nose and lips looking straight on.
The arrow is pointing to her nose.
You can also see one of her arms on the top side!

Another profile view.  This one she has her mouth slightly open!

The appointment took a long time (3 hours!) and once we got out we were all pretty starved! It was 4 pm and we hadn't had lunch!  On the way home we stopped and got lunch and then took birth mom home. We were so thankful for the opportunity to visit with birth mom face to face again and to get to be so close to our baby girl. Since the birth is closer than we all think, birth mom is working with our social worker to put together a birth plan. It is so crazy to think that in a few short months we will be in Florida witnessing the birth of our baby girl. We know our lives will never be the same again but we are excited to welcome this sweet little one into our home!  At this point birth mom is very sure that she wants us in the room for the delivery if we can make it in time.  She told us that no one should miss the birth of their baby.  We are constantly amazed with her heart for this child and her openness with us as she involves us in every step and shares so much with us.

After taking Birth mom home we headed out of Florida. We drove until about 10 pm and then stopped somewhere in Georgia.  Friday we got up early once again and headed for home! We made it home around 7:30 pm Friday night.  I am glad to be home and not have to drive anymore!!

We thank God for a healthy baby and birth mom and we are constantly amazed at how God is stretching us and growing us through this time.  We are so thankful that we have this opportunity to interact with birth mom and to adopt this sweet baby girl.  Thanks for all the prayers and support and we ask that you continue to pray! Pray that birth mom will have strength when she needs it and that she can feel Gods comfort when things are hard for her and pray that we will have words to encourage her and support her.  Also pray for a healthy baby and smooth delivery come August. We don't know exactly how everything will go but we do know that if we leave it it God's hands He will use us according to His purposes!

While We Wait

I just wanted to give an update of how things have been going since we found out about our little girl!  We have been keeping pretty busy.  We had to get our Home Study updated because it will be just over a year when we adopt from when we finished our Home Study last year and they have to be updated yearly.  We had our case worker come check our home again, signed more papers, got updated physicals, and sent in to have our backgrounds checked again.  We have also hired an attorney in Florida who will do all the legal work for this adoption.  We have been signing papers and getting everything set so we are ready when the baby comes!

We have been keeping in regular contact with the birth mom.  She is so selfless and strong when we know she hurts so deeply to think of placing her child in our arms and allowing us the privilege to love her and parent her for life.  This past Sunday (Mothers Day) she sent me a text that said, "Happy Mother's Day, this time next year you will be holding your baby girl"  she is so thoughtful and we are thankful we get the opportunity to know her.

As far as baby goes, everything seems great so far and she looks healthy.  We have been told often by birth mom that we have a very active daughter who is constantly kicking!  Hope we are ready for all her energy ;) we are so excited to meet her!! August can't come soon enough (sorry to wish away your summer everyone) April was a very sloooooow month and seemed to drag on forever! Thankfully May seems like it is whizzing by, I can't believe it is already half over and we have lots going on the rest of the month! Toward the end of May we hope to take a short trip to Florida and go to an appointment with Birthmom! We really appreciate Birthmom giving us this privilege!  We are so excited to be able to get to hear from the doctors how our little girl is doing and get to be so close to her!

We have also been busy getting the little sweet peas room ready! It has been fun to get to pick out a crib and paint colors etc. It isn't finished but it gives us something to do while we wait for August.  We have also been looking at different car seats and strollers and other baby gear we hope to get.  Some we will have to purchase before we head to Florida because we will be there for at least two weeks after the birth and will need to use it.  Other stuff we won't need till we get home! Sometimes when I look in her room it's had to believe that there will actually be a baby to fill it.

So that's kind of what's been going on recently.  Some days seem slow and other times I can't believe how fast times going! In less than three months we will be on our way to Florida to bring home our baby girl!!

Kickin' In My Heart

Last night we got a message from Birthmom.  This is what it said;

"Your daughter is just a kickin' like crazy tonight"

Such a small thing and yet it means the world to us!! We are constantly amazed at the how strong this Birthmom is and the incredible sacrifice she is making to give us her child.  She didn't have to share that with us but she chose to let us know that our daughter was kickin' like crazy last night!! As a woman I have always dreamed about what it would be like to have a little baby growing inside of me and to get to feel those little kicks as the baby grows.  Infertility has robbed me of that dream.  I am so thankful that Birthmom was willing to share with me and let me have a little glimpse of what it's like to have my baby kickin' inside of me.  I may not feel her in my womb but I can sure feel her kickin' in my heart and I am in love!  I can't wait to meet this little girl that is just a kickin' away as she grows and is formed into the perfect little baby that God is creating her to be.

Please continue to pray for the birth family and all involved.  Your prayers are sooo appreciated and I know God hears each one!

"For this child I prayed"

Words can’t express how excited we are to announce that we will become parents to a sweet baby girl in August!  To give you all a little background information, Jesse and I connected with a birth mom from Florida over the internet back in December.  She had just found out she was pregnant and was unsure of what she was going to do because she recently had a baby and was not planning on having another one so soon.  In January she contacted us and said she was considering adoption but was scared because she didn't want to commit to something she might not be able to handle emotionally.  We sent her our profile book and have kept in contact throughout January, February, and March.  We encouraged her to take her time deciding, pray a lot that God would show her what she should do, and to be sure of her decision before she makes it.  In February it just so happened we had a vacation planned to go to Florida, so one day of our vacation we drove to her hometown and had lunch with her and her fiancé.  It was awesome being able to meet them and really get to understand their life and circumstances that led them to where they are.  After meeting she said she would make her decision around the end of April or sometime after she had her 20 week ultra sound at the beginning of April.  After her ultra sound she felt she knew what she had to do and so she has chosen us to adopt her sweet little baby girl.  As we are rejoicing and thanking God for the little miracle He is providing us, we pray that you will all remember there is one family who is hurting so deeply and making one of the hardest decisions they have ever had to make.  This birth mom and birth dad love their baby so much but are not in a position to parent her at this time.  They need a lot of prayers!  We hope that each time you pray for us or our sweet baby girl you will also say a prayer for the birth family because the emotional pain they will experience and are experiencing now is something we could never imagine! We also want to let you all know that this adoption is not “for sure” until after the birth when the papers are signed.  With adoption things can change at any time until the papers are signed and irrevocable.  It is scary to think about getting our hopes up and planning for our baby girl only to have our hopes and plans lost if the birth family would change their minds.  I was reminded in God’s word of one thing we can be sure of and that is God’s unchangeable promises!

“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…”  Hebrews 6:19

No matter what comes of this we know that God will be right by our side through the whole thing and give us grace and peace even if it does not go as we planned.  Please pray for our baby girl, that she can be healthy, please pray for the birth family, that they can feel God’s presence and peace in this very difficult time, and please pray for Jesse and I that we can have the words to say to comfort the birth family as well as show Christ to them.  We appreciate all the prayers that have been said on our behalf in the past and we are so thankful for our God who is almighty and powerful and knows our future better than we know our past!

Connecting Hearts with the Forgotten

This past Saturday Jesse and I, as well as some of our friends, were able to attend the Connecting Hearts Conference in Downs Illinois!  This conference brings awareness to and provides information, and resources for Orphan Care, Foster Care, and Adoption.  It was such an eye opening and encouraging day!

The day opened with some music from His Little Feet.  A group of children from countries such as China, India, etc. who have all been orphaned at some point in their life and now are adopted.  They come tour the US and sing with His Little Feet for a year and then go back to their country and family.

Next they had a guest speaker, who works for Lifesong, open the day with some thoughts about orphan care.  There was one thought that stuck out to me most.  He said that as we consider orphan care, adoption, or foster care we need to be aware of our motive.  If we are getting involved with any of these things out of guilt, to make ourselves look good, or even to try to earn Gods favor our efforts will not last.  As Christians who have experienced Gods love and awesome power in our lives we need to be getting involved with these missions because we want to pass on the love we have experienced from God, to these children.  All these missions will be very difficult at times and if we are in it for impure reasons we won't last through the difficulties.  We have to realize our strength to do anything comes from Christ and it is for His glory that we are open and willing to allow Him to work through us to care for His children.  I loved the thought because it is so easy to go to a conference and become very excited to do all these great things but if we don't begin with lots and lots of prayer and seeking God's will for how He wants to use us, all of our efforts will come to nothing or possibly even cause more damage than help.  When we first decided to adopt we wanted to fill a gaping hole in our hearts with a child as quickly as possible.  God knew that wouldn't be enough for the journey He had planned for us.  He had to be the one to fill that hole in our hearts and only then could He use us to fulfill His purposes in providing a loving Christian home to a child.  In our time of waiting before we began the adoption process God worked all those things in our hearts and created in us a pure motive for what He has called us to!  We are so excited to get to pass on the love that we have been shown from Christ, through adoption.

At this conference there were about 10 different classes available and you could choose three to attend throughout the day.  We choose one from each category.  Our first one was on Foster Care.  We were able to hear about one families journey with Foster Care and learn more about how it works and what difficult circumstances to expect as well as the blessings of Foster Care. It is always incredible to me to see people willingly making themselves vulnerable to the hurt and frustrations that go along with foster care all to show Christ to a hurting child!

Next we went to an orphan care class about why the Church must care for the orphans.  It was a great class and I realized just how much our church actually does for the Orphans through World Relief and the orphanages in Mexico, Haiti, and Dominican.  One thought that really stood out to me was this; When we care for the orphans we must do it through our church, not on our own.  There may be times we can accomplish more and at a quicker pace when we set out to help the orphans on our own but when we go through the church and all work together to care for the orphans we build the body of Christ and create a strong group for the orphans or adopted/fostered children to depend on.  These children need the whole Body of Christ not just one individual!

Lastly we went to a class called Beauty from Ashes.  A couple shared with us their experience with infertility and how they worked through the hurt and sorrow and eventually were able to use this for God's glory as they adopted two children from Ethiopia.  It was incredible to hear what God brought them through and the little things along the way that God used to show His presence and just how He works everything out in His perfect way.  It was also encouraging to see how we too have worked through many of the same feelings and have been able to come to a place where we are at peace with God's plan for our life, whatever that may be.  It is awesome to see what God can do with ashes!  One thought that was expressed was this; Ashes can be used to bury or they can be used to bring forth life!  There is a seed waiting to turn into a beautiful flower but are we going to use the ashes of our life to fertilize that seed or to bury it away in bitterness and anger never allowing it to blossom into what God had intended.  I loved this thought and am thankful that God has worked in our hearts to give us the desire to use our ashes of infertility to bring forth life and help us blossom and grow in Him.

At the end of the day there was more music from His Little Feet and some of the children shared their stories of being orphaned and how God provided for them.  We also heard another testimony of a young woman who was adopted from Haiti as a child because of the compassion one 60 year old missionary had on her.  It was an incredible story of how ONE person having compassion on ONE child can make all the difference in the world!  This young woman who was adopted from Haiti now works for Compassion International, which is an organization that connects people with helpless children all over the world through sponsorship.

It was an awesome day and gave us a lot to think about! I am so thankful for where God has brought us and it is going to things like this conference that make me so excited to see where He will take us in the future!