WOW! I am just still in complete SHOCK that we received our referral. A perfect, precious little girl! Jason and I have been grinnin' from ear to ear since we got the call last Wednesday. We are SO thankful to our wonderful God. Tonight we realized that if our immigration forms hadn't been delayed due to our lost homestudy, we very well may not have received this particular referral. Sure, we would have loved whoever they had called about - but it wouldn't have been THIS precious little girl. She just entered the orphanage in June. Our paths could have never crossed. When we look over her paperwork and stare (and stare, and stare....) at her pictures, we know THIS is the little girl God has chosen for our family.
So - now what? Well, we had our pediatrician look over all of the medical information we received, and he gave us a big THUMBS UP regarding her health. Yes, she is malnourished. Although she is a year older than Houston, she is much smaller than he is. But she just needs some good ole' southern cookin' to help that. We received our official acceptance packet in the mail on Friday, and I have it ready to be notarized and shipped off first thing tomorrow morning. Once WACAP gets our paperwork and $$$, then they will be able to start the process to book our court date. Our caseworker says we should know our court date by the end of this month. We can then book our travel arrangements and HOPEFULLY travel in early October.
When we travel, we want to help the precious kiddos in the orphanage. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE consider helping us do this! We need: formula, diapers, blankets, protein bars, over the counter medicines, vitamins, toothbrushes, underwear, bandaids, toys, shoes - all kinds of stuff! Anything you can give would be MUCH appreciated! I received a $20 donation in the mail the other day, and with that I was able to buy 2 cans of formula, 3 pairs of tennis shoes, and 2 pairs of flip flops. All for $20! I also found out over the weekend that although the orphanage that Macy is in RIGHT NOW is excellent in the way of care from the nannies, there are very, very few toys. (In one of Macy's pictures, she holding the rattiest, nastiest looking My Little Pony you have ever seen.) This is a new orphanage, and is not yet equipped with things for the kiddos. So there is a small television that all the kids sit around. How sad is that? An adoptive Mama that just went to pick up her child said that the orphanage really needs some well made, quality toys. All she could find in Ethiopia to buy is super cheap, plastic ones. And think - these toys are being played with by a BUNCH of kiddos. So if you have any toys you could donate, that would be AWESOME! Puzzles, art supplies, soccer balls, blocks, etc. (Nothing with batteries please, as they can't replace them.) Or if you would like to donate $$$, I can buy the items myself and save you the work. :)
Thanks for all of your sweet comments and emails. We love sharing our JOY with you!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
THE WAIT IS OVER!!!!!
Forty-five minutes after I tearfully typed that last blog post, we GOT THE CALL!!!!! We are still in amazement. Jason and I just can't stop smiling. (The above picture is of us seeing her face for the first time!) Okay, okay....here's what happened:
As you could probably tell from the previous blog post, I had a HARD time today with WAITING. It's just rough. I don't know why today was harder than other days, but it was. So after I typed the blog, I emailed our case worker at WACAP just to see if she thought there would be any more referrals before courts reopen in October. I pretty much just BEGGED her for any kind of info she could give me. I pushed *send*, closed the computer, and headed to the kitchen to cook dinner. At 5:38 I had my hand in a hot oven trying to rearrange my pork chops, and I heard this weird sound from behind me. Since we have about 5 gazzillion toys that make music in this house, I figured it was one of them. Then I realized I didn't recognize the tune. (A momma knows what music goes with which toy.) So I glanced down at my phone on the kitchen counter and realized the music was the special ringer I had set for when we got "THE CALL". I started screaming for Jason, answered the phone, and the tears began to flow.
We were then told about a precious little 2 and a half year old girl. Our case worker, Rachel, told us she was born on December 8, 2007. Jason and I IMMEDIATELY started laughing. You see, we were married on Dec. 3rd. Hannah was born Dec. 11th, and Houston's birthday is Dec. 2. And, of course, there's Christmas. We are SO broke in January! And through the adoption process Jason and I have said repeatedly, "I bet you anything Macy's birthday will be in December". And looky-there, it is. We were then told that she was just brought to the orphanage on June 14th by her mother. Which makes THIS momma very happy that my girl has been loved on for the first two and a half years of her life. We were told about her family, which I feel rather privileged to know - as I know one day she will ask. We received all of her lab reports and developmental assessments - which were all perfect. She has "mild malnutrition", but show me an orphan in Ethiopia who DOESN'T.
Ohhhh how I wish I could share the ten pictures we received of her. But due to privacy stuff, the Ethiopian government asks us not to post pictures of her on the internet until she is officially "ours" after court. BUT, if you see me out and about around town, you KNOW I will show you a pic! I'll describe her: she has the biggest, hugest, most gigantic brown eyes you have ever seen. And her eyelashes are absolutely ridiculous. Insane long lashes. She looks very sad in all of her pictures, but that is understandable since she had just been relinquished 11 days prior to the photos. Did I mention that she is precious and perfect?
So what happens now? Well, our caseworker said there is absolutely no way we can make it to court before they close down for August and September. BUT she said they may be able to go ahead and schedule our court date for the beginning of October. This is huge because if we had gotten our referral much later, we would have had to wait for them to reopen before we could even schedule one. We will travel to Ethiopia in October for court, then come home, then head back 4 to 5 weeks later for the embassy appointment and to BRING OUR GIRL HOME!
THANK YOU for all of your prayers and support. We now ask you to shift those prayers to our sweet girl. It's gonna be 2 and a half to 3 months before we can lay our hands on her. We want her to remain safe and healthy.
And thank you, my Precious Lord, for showing me that YOUR timing is always better than mine! Your grace, your love, and your timing - all amazing.
As you could probably tell from the previous blog post, I had a HARD time today with WAITING. It's just rough. I don't know why today was harder than other days, but it was. So after I typed the blog, I emailed our case worker at WACAP just to see if she thought there would be any more referrals before courts reopen in October. I pretty much just BEGGED her for any kind of info she could give me. I pushed *send*, closed the computer, and headed to the kitchen to cook dinner. At 5:38 I had my hand in a hot oven trying to rearrange my pork chops, and I heard this weird sound from behind me. Since we have about 5 gazzillion toys that make music in this house, I figured it was one of them. Then I realized I didn't recognize the tune. (A momma knows what music goes with which toy.) So I glanced down at my phone on the kitchen counter and realized the music was the special ringer I had set for when we got "THE CALL". I started screaming for Jason, answered the phone, and the tears began to flow.
We were then told about a precious little 2 and a half year old girl. Our case worker, Rachel, told us she was born on December 8, 2007. Jason and I IMMEDIATELY started laughing. You see, we were married on Dec. 3rd. Hannah was born Dec. 11th, and Houston's birthday is Dec. 2. And, of course, there's Christmas. We are SO broke in January! And through the adoption process Jason and I have said repeatedly, "I bet you anything Macy's birthday will be in December". And looky-there, it is. We were then told that she was just brought to the orphanage on June 14th by her mother. Which makes THIS momma very happy that my girl has been loved on for the first two and a half years of her life. We were told about her family, which I feel rather privileged to know - as I know one day she will ask. We received all of her lab reports and developmental assessments - which were all perfect. She has "mild malnutrition", but show me an orphan in Ethiopia who DOESN'T.
Ohhhh how I wish I could share the ten pictures we received of her. But due to privacy stuff, the Ethiopian government asks us not to post pictures of her on the internet until she is officially "ours" after court. BUT, if you see me out and about around town, you KNOW I will show you a pic! I'll describe her: she has the biggest, hugest, most gigantic brown eyes you have ever seen. And her eyelashes are absolutely ridiculous. Insane long lashes. She looks very sad in all of her pictures, but that is understandable since she had just been relinquished 11 days prior to the photos. Did I mention that she is precious and perfect?
So what happens now? Well, our caseworker said there is absolutely no way we can make it to court before they close down for August and September. BUT she said they may be able to go ahead and schedule our court date for the beginning of October. This is huge because if we had gotten our referral much later, we would have had to wait for them to reopen before we could even schedule one. We will travel to Ethiopia in October for court, then come home, then head back 4 to 5 weeks later for the embassy appointment and to BRING OUR GIRL HOME!
THANK YOU for all of your prayers and support. We now ask you to shift those prayers to our sweet girl. It's gonna be 2 and a half to 3 months before we can lay our hands on her. We want her to remain safe and healthy.
And thank you, my Precious Lord, for showing me that YOUR timing is always better than mine! Your grace, your love, and your timing - all amazing.
Waiting
We are still at the top of the list...and we still wait. I jump when the phone rings, and each Sunday morning during worship I wonder "Is THIS the week, Lord? Is THIS the week we get THE call and become a family of six?" (Gosh. Six.) And yet, we wait. I handled the wait rather well at first. I mean, heck, I have three kids under the age of five - I have PLENTY to do around here to keep my mind off the fact that my daughter is on the other side of the world. Wondering if she's hungry. Wondering if she's healthy. Wondering if anyone hugged her today. Wondering if SHE is sick of waiting for someone to come and get her.
I don't really know how to describe "the WAIT". I know people probably just think I am silly. The only way I can describe it is that it is the same feeling I have when I am away from Aidan, Hannah or Houston for an extended period. And emotional memories of me having to leave Hannah in the NICU come racing back. I ACHED to be with her, just as I now ache to be with Macy. It's hard that I KNOW she has been born, and is over there. It's not like, "Oh, I wonder if she's been born yet?" Because of our age request, I know our little girl is over there. And I wonder about her during the day, and look at the little clock on the side of this blog wondering if she's sleeping, eating, playing? It's so hard for this momma to not KNOW how her daughter is. At least with Hannah I knew she was getting the best possible care in the hospital and I could still visit her twice a day until I brought her home to be a part of our family.
All along I have been telling myself, and others, "God is just waiting to get Macy perfectly ready for us. He is working things in Ethiopia in HIS timing." But then the other day I heard this song (that should be playing on this blog right now). It's one of my faves, and I have heard it many times. Of course, now it makes me cry my eyes out every time I hear it. But the other day, as I listened between the tears (driving down the road, mind you) I wondered what if He is making ME ready. What if I am not the one "in line" for this to happen yet. Is my heart where it needs to be? Yes, I think so. Am I ready to be a mom of four little ones? Gosh, I hope so. As ready as I ever will be, I guess.
So now as I listen to this song, I not only pray for Macy to be ready, but for the One who created her to make ME, her mother, ready. Prepare my heart, oh God. Prepare our home. Prepare her Daddy and brothers and sister. Prepare US for her, as she, I am sure, is waiting for us too.
I don't really know how to describe "the WAIT". I know people probably just think I am silly. The only way I can describe it is that it is the same feeling I have when I am away from Aidan, Hannah or Houston for an extended period. And emotional memories of me having to leave Hannah in the NICU come racing back. I ACHED to be with her, just as I now ache to be with Macy. It's hard that I KNOW she has been born, and is over there. It's not like, "Oh, I wonder if she's been born yet?" Because of our age request, I know our little girl is over there. And I wonder about her during the day, and look at the little clock on the side of this blog wondering if she's sleeping, eating, playing? It's so hard for this momma to not KNOW how her daughter is. At least with Hannah I knew she was getting the best possible care in the hospital and I could still visit her twice a day until I brought her home to be a part of our family.
All along I have been telling myself, and others, "God is just waiting to get Macy perfectly ready for us. He is working things in Ethiopia in HIS timing." But then the other day I heard this song (that should be playing on this blog right now). It's one of my faves, and I have heard it many times. Of course, now it makes me cry my eyes out every time I hear it. But the other day, as I listened between the tears (driving down the road, mind you) I wondered what if He is making ME ready. What if I am not the one "in line" for this to happen yet. Is my heart where it needs to be? Yes, I think so. Am I ready to be a mom of four little ones? Gosh, I hope so. As ready as I ever will be, I guess.
So now as I listen to this song, I not only pray for Macy to be ready, but for the One who created her to make ME, her mother, ready. Prepare my heart, oh God. Prepare our home. Prepare her Daddy and brothers and sister. Prepare US for her, as she, I am sure, is waiting for us too.
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