Family of 5
On May 1, 2017 our family expanded by one little baby! We are in the process of adoption and we couldn’t be more excited for God to place this little precious girl into our lives. It has been so hard not to post about her but the attorney suggested until it is final that is what is best. So until then, this blog will have to do!
There are so many things the Lord has been doing to line this up and I just can’t get over the way things have been laid before us. So these are all of the things I have pieced together in a huge process of time.
When Jason and I first got married we knew we wanted to adopt. We had a heart for it then, but we went ahead and had our first 2 babies. Then the same week God started stirring things up in this new season before us is when we found out about this precious baby being considered for adoption. Jason lost his job on a Friday and that Wednesday before is when we first heard of adoption being an option for this specific baby. I was with Jessica Smith and Lindsey Mathews, and I immediately fell in love with the idea of this baby being ours! Lindsey said, “The way your expression changed, I knew then you fell in love.” It was plain as day on my face and in my heart that I was overwhelmed with love. And now looking back on the situation, I do believe God spoke into my heart and I knew something was special about this situation.
I have always prayed for a specific kind of adoption. One that we would know someone and it would just come together. Not that it would be easy, but just through relationship. In December, I contacted a friend about adoption and asked her where to even start. She told me so much information and it was great, but I never imagined why my heart was geared towards adoption so much until now…
After finding out about a specific lady who was considering adoption, I prayed through some things and then ended up messaging her. I just wanted to let her know if this is something she wanted to pursue, if she would consider us. Our conversations continued but within 2 weeks she decided to keep the baby.
2–3 months go by and one day I got this overwhelming feeling that this birth mom was going to call me once the baby was born and just ask me to take this baby. I mean this feeling was not an “idea,” it was a gut wrenching, overwhelming feeling. Then not even 24 hours later I get a message from the birth mom that said, “Adoption is back on the table.”
So we went ahead and discussed things, and she had been back and forth with her decision, but she also had been honest about not being sure. So I am beyond grateful she had been so honest. As Jason and I continued to pray and seek the Lord for discernment, I knew I just needed to go and have lunch with her. I needed us to talk in person, so she could ask me any questions and I could ask her questions too. Then I could tell how serious she was.
Our lunch could not had gone any better. God was definitely in the works of making both of us feel comfortable because things did not go as planned, but at the same time I couldn’t imagine it being any other way! Our conversations were great. All of my questions were answered and so were hers. We even got to laugh and still just have good conversation even with the very unique relationship we were sharing.
I went ahead after lunch and scheduled our appointment with the attorney to get paperwork started.
After lunch I prayed that whole afternoon for a sign because I felt in my heart she was already ours! That evening I had small group and after small group a lady in my group came up asking me about moving and things, but then this adoption got brought up because of the timeline of everything…needless to say, we are driving to SD, setting up our house, then driving back the day before this baby is born. So I was just telling her I was coming back because we could be adopting a baby…as soon as I said that, this lady tells me to stop and just starts crying. I mean she knew no information and she said, “It’s the lady at church isn’t it?” I said, “Yeah, how do you know?” She said, “I didn’t, but a month ago when she walked into church, I went home that day and told my boyfriend, another couple in our church are going to get that baby because she will place it for adoption!” Needless to say I got my confirmation and I couldn’t do anything but cry. Someone who knew nothing on either side of things said this!!
The next day I received texts from the birth mom saying she was going to place this baby with us. But was 90% sure. I can tell no matter what at this point I am attached. So like all new parents to be, Jason and I decided we should probably start discussing little girl names because in less than 2 weeks we could have a precious little girl. So I am very particular about names. They have to be biblical, they have to be semi unique, because our last time is pretty lame. And they have to have good meaning. So my initial thought was I want something that means “gift from God.” Something along these lines. No lie…I looked for 3 hours and did not find anything. So I closed my phone and just started praying. Not even 10 minutes into my prayer I felt the Lord say to me “I gave you her name before I even gave you her.” So I went back to the girls names we had discussed with our other two kids and immediately knew which one it was! Then I went and looked up the meaning… “gift of God.” I knew right then our precious baby girl’s name. I knew God had big plans for her and that the Lord was preparing my heart even more!
Oh there’s more…
The next night we had marriage small group and we decide to tell our marriage small group and just ask for prayer because it is going to be a lot but the unknown is the part that is the hardest. Everyone was so supportive but no one said anything that jumped out at me, until the next night. We had a serve team party. At the end of the evening a couple that were part of our small group came up to me and told me these things… they said 6 months ago we knew that you and Jason would be moving. We knew God had other plans for you! Then they continued to tell us that after small group when they were on their way home, that one of the reasons God was calling us else where is so we could have this baby and so that the birth mom could continue to go to our church and not have to deal with seeing our family each Sunday. I did not even tell anyone who the mom was, but I had not even thought of it that way. This couple said they knew without any concerns that this baby was suppose to be in our family and this was all in God’s plan of our transition.
I mean how are other people knowing this baby is suppose to be ours? I feel that way, but how do they know? I was fully trusting the Lord to see this through! I know He didn’t prepare me for this baby, for nothing! I know, I already loved this baby like my other 2 kids!
I know it sounds insane to drive, set up our house, and then come back, but the Lord has laid this out so perfectly so that this birth mom can still have the support she needs at church! I’m beyond blessed to be called somewhere else knowing that God is opening His arms even wider to the birth mom!
This is the crazy part…When we were being called to somewhere else…not even sure where at this point, I started immediately praying for a new baby. I prayed that it would be a surprise and we wouldn’t have to go and seek help to have another baby, because with Naomi and Behr we had medical help. It was beyond stressful and I felt like mentally I could not handle that again. I prayed it would be a reward to obeying what God asked of our family. I never imagined it being this way, but I couldn’t imagine it any differently now!
Through all of these things I have just be in complete awe of how the Lord has laid out not only our life, but this baby’s life, as well as the connections with the birth mom. God had these things planned long before we could even begin to imagine them. The way this all folded out before our family is only because of the LORD.
Now we are so head over heals in love with our new baby girl. Continue to pray as we finalize the adoption and as we get acclimated to a family of 5.
❤️ Welcome to your family baby girl.
