After the Airport

I am doing a bible study by Jen Hatmaker with some friends from my neighborhood. I don't think it is coincidental that before doing this study I hadn't heard of Jen Hatmaker (such a shame) now her names pops up everywhere in my adoption feed. She writes the best blog post about life after the airport...I am posting this now so all those who love us will understand our life "after the airport".

Jen Hatmaker's After the Airport

Waiting for Chloe

Life waiting for Chloe is much better than life not knowing Chloe. Most days, I feel like I need to pinch myself to remind me this is really happening! I have a daughter...a daughter I have dreamed of for so long. A daughter not growing in my womb, but in my heart. It is amazing how much you can love another just from seeing her picture. I find myself studying each picture I have...I love her eyes...and she has the sweetest little nose. Did she get those from her birth mother or father? It makes me so sad that we will never know whose features she has or the mother who gave her life. Many tell me how lucky Chloe is to have us for a family. You know, WE are the lucky ones. And quite frankly, yes, she will know love like she has never known, but with adoption comes loss and trauma. Our precious daughter will never know her birth parents, the circumstances of her first three days of life, and will soon be ripped away from everything she has ever known. I am not anticipating balloons and roses in the weeks and months following her Gotcha Day. My biggest prayer for Chloe now is that God would start to prepare her heart. We are so, so, so incredibly over the moon to be so close to her, but it hurts my heart to think of what grief she will experience on the Gotcha Day and after. Please join us in prayer for little Chloe, her health, and most of all her heart.

Blog slacker!

Just a quick post to say I am a slacker! There just has been no time to blog. Since getting our referral (Chloe) we have had two surgeries (Ethan and myself) and are in the midst of construction, painting, carpet etc in all three bedrooms. I have a mound of paperwork to go through...I need to find a surgeon for Chloe...prepare to have a baby with cleft...well, prepare to have a baby in general...make travel preparations...prepare to leave my bio babies for weeks...you get the picture! Life is insane, but I am so grateful for every insane moment!! Thanks for extending me grace for lack of phone calls, attendance at events, return emails, etc.

We got ANOTHER update on Chloe today!! I can't figure out how to post it, but I will because she is just so darn cute!!! Look for that to come soon!!!

Happy Easter!

Rejoicing today!!! We know the Savior and our daughter! And this will be her last Easter without her mommy and daddy! Praise God for sending His Son and Chloe Rae!

Orphanage Donations

I am collecting onesies and jackets size 0-16 months for Chloe's orphanage. Please consider helping...I have included a link to one of my fb friend's blog about her visit last week to her little one's orphanage. I don't know very much about Chloe's orphanage, but this could be her reality. Even if it's not, it is the reality for these children. My heart breaks...please consider helping!


http://chantelleg.blogspot.com/2013/03/orphanage-visit.html

Our DAUGHTER!!!!!

Referral

Last Wednesday night (March 13), God revealed His promise. A precious, precious little girl. She is all the we have hoped and dreamed of!! I can't give many details publicly yet, but wanted to document our referral story so I never forget.

I was picking up my friend Tracy for a Life Group bday dinner (for me) when the phone rang...CCAI Denver, CO. I have wondered for weeks when people say it will happen when I least expect it how that could possible be when it was all I ever thought about. Needless to say, it was 6:15 p.m. our time so I certainly wasn't thinking about CCAI (atleast for that moment). The social worker from waiting child prefaced the phone call that she wouldn't even have called me about this little girl had I not emailed her earlier that day (inquiring about our timeline). For some reason my MCC (medical need checklist) had indicated some specific requests (that I don't think I ever wrote or stated) that this baby did not meet. However, as the social worker began to talk....I just knew. She was EXACTLY what we have been praying for. I told her to send me the file and thank you for calling even though my MCC didn't match up. We went on to our Life Group dinner...yes, I was going insane thinking about my daughter in my inbox!!! The girls at Life Group knew and we quickly ate and they sent me along. When I got home, Nick and I prayed and opened the file and it was an instant yes!! This time there wasn't anything questionable (though there is always risk in adoption). I emailed the files to both our peditrician and our International Adoption Dr. in Cincinatti. Dr. Lacy called the very next morning to give his blessing. That afternoon I had a phone conference with the IA dr. who seemed very optimistic. She was slightly concerned about her measurements and asked us to get an update. We did get an update yesterday from China, but did not wait for the update to submit our Letter of Intent to Adopt. So on Sunday, March 17, 2013, we took all the necessary initial steps to make Baby Girl ours!

I can't begin to adequately express the emotions I am feeling. I have been sick so it is hard to feel too celebratory, but there is peace! There is absolutely no question that this is the little girl God has planned for us! We have a daughter and a sister...our hearts our overflowing with thanks to the One who created her. She is ours and we are hers...coming for you Baby Girl!!