First Phone Call: Our introduction to little man's birthmother

So we had a busy weekend and I really couldn't update but last Thursday evening we had our first chat with little man's birthmom on the phone.  I spent the entire day totally nervous.  I had no idea how it was going to go.  I feel like I am, definitely, "so much cooler online" and probably not as interesting as our profile book. It was a very self-depricating day.  
But you know what? It went GREAT. Like, better than great.  Turns out she grew up in our area and we had a lot of talk about and connect on so that we could talk about the harder stuff.  We've exchanged phone numbers and have texted back and forth a couple times since.   Sometimes, I find myself wanting to text her. When someone buys something sweet for little man or like today when my mother in law took us to get some fabic to make his crib bedding.  I want her to be able to share in it a bit so that she knows he'll be going to a family that will love and cherish him so, so much at the end of next month.  But I'm not sure she'd want that.  In a way, it's like beginning a dating relationship.  Don't want to come on too stong but at the same time, you want the person to know you care, you are very in love with the life that she is carrying and care deeply about her and how she is doing.   So we keep praying we are doing the right thing in terms of relating to her. Because, from what we have surmised from the past couple weeks, she seems to be a pretty amazing person, who loves this little boy very much but knows her limits and when she has met them.  We always want to present her this way to him and hope we can continue to be able to give him access to her, whenever he feels like he needs questions answered about his life.
In the middle of this, we have been applying to grants like CRAZY in order that we might be able to be fully funded by the time little man makes his arrival.  We've been anticipating this for so long, it's crazy that it's finally becoming real.  Claire, at Babies R Us today, kept trying to pick out different things, "for baby brother."  I had to hold her off, today, but will bring her back so that she can pick out something special to give to him.

I know this road is paved with twists and turns, but right now, we are enjoying the smooth highway and loving the connection we've made with little man's first mother.

News: The art of being cautiously excited :-)

So on Sunday, Christian and I were able to speak in church about our heart for adoption and our throught process in all of it and how God's really placed this on our hearts.  We told them we didn't know when it would all go down.  We could match the next day and have to fly somewhere right away OR it could be another several months before we heard anything.  Turns out it was somewhere in between.  Early Wednesday morning we got a call from our fantastic consultant.  My phone has been on the fritz for months and it was downstairs attempting to charge when I got a frantic text message at around 6am.  So an hour later, I call back and she doesn't pick up.  I figure it's another situation, another question or update about a situation we'd presented on.  I start making breakfast.  She calls back. I pick up the phone and she says, "Sooooo you matched!"  Um, WHAT?!  REALLY? Us?!  Since for the last several months the answers were, "nope, no, not you, another family, birthmom isn't placing, no idea what happened with that situation etc."  So, at this point, we are "cautiously excited." We just finished up the paperwork for the placing agency and emailed it in. Not sure what the next step after this.
So here are the details (well, not all of them ;-) )  But it's a little boy and his birthmom is due for a c-section at the end of March.  We'll be driving to Utah to meet him. (At least, driving is the plan for now)  Not sure the timeframe of that.  Not sure what his expectant mom wants for the birth (some want the adoptive parents there, some don't. . . all personal preference) so we may drive up there after he is here or we may plan to be there for his arrival.  Just not sure yet (noticing a theme here?!).  He is African American so we are beginning to brace ourselves for life with a boy, life as an adoptive family, life as a transracial family.  And we are feeling humbled and blessed that this person has picked our family to raise her precious little boy.

So now we ramp up our fundraising and saving efforts.  One of the purposes of us speaking in church last Sunday, besides giving the congregation an update on our process was also to launch our baby bottle fundraiser that we have started.  We call it "Baby Bottle Boomerang."  You fill up the bottle with change and bills and then return the bottle to us (or we'll come get it from you!)  Then, if you want, you can take another one and do it again as many times as you want!  There's no end date on this.  So far, people have been pretty excited about it but we do have several bottles to pass out so let me know ASAP if you'd like one!


Then, a sweet, sweet friend offered to give us a portion of the profits on a Origami Owl party.  I'm excited to host this since I think the pieces are ADORABLE but I also think that it'll be a huuuge hit and a fun event for people.  If you'd like to be included in that, I'll let you know asap as soon as we iron out dates and the details.

THEN, I signed up to distribute Lilla Rose as a side business.  Not only am I in love with these hair clips because they are SO pretty, but I LOVE how they work like nothing else in my stick straight hair.  There are tons of sizes so they work on just about any hair type.  So check out that when it launches, as well!


Later on, we'll annouce an event that we are working on.  Christian and I are both pretty musical and have a few friends and family members who are as well.  If you play, sing, have a band etc. and wouldn't mind donating your time and talent, we are working on a music/coffeehouse night as well!  We are most excited about this and how it will be a fun way to bring friends together and help us bring this little boy home!



Most of all, we need your prayers for this little boy, his birthmom, our family, the girls, travel, funding and all the details that need to be worked out before the end of March.
Already, even in the last couple days when we matched, things have been crazy.  Ashlyn was diagnosed with RSV the night before we got our phone call so Christian filled out the agency paperwork while I took her to the doctor right after we heard.  My brother was in a pretty serious motorcycle accident the weekend before and our minds and hearts have been with him since (he is, thankfully, looking like he is going to recover and we are very blessed that he is still with us).  Since last night, my phone has been unable to hold a charge and is, now, completely dead which has made it difficult to inform family, communicate with our consultant and do things with my business or contact friends and doctors for the girls. Working on getting it fixed but this week, of all weeks, has been rife with issues.
We'll keep you posted on how this journey unfolds.  For now, we are excited about this new family member and focusing on the best way to work on the details to get him home.  Oh, and I am, of course, scouring the internet for acceptable baseball themed crib bedding ;-)