Perspective & Prayer

As I sit here sipping my morning juice I can't help but think how far we have come over the course of the last year. At the beginning of November last year we just received an approval on our Home Study and began the waiting to find a match. It was such an exciting time. We began putting our profiles into birth families immediately and each instance felt like this could be the one.

The days ticked by and other adoptive families were receiving the best news, they were matched. And all we could do was hang in there and wait. Waiting became a bad word to me. I was so impatient and at the same time I felt bad because other couples were waiting long before we began the process, yet I was still aggravated, after all I just wanted a baby.



Though through our experiences in life there is always hindsight to be found. At the time we were finalizing our home study Liam was conceived. When I blew out my candles in January and wished for a son, Liam's birth mother was trying to decide if Adoption was for her boy. In February we waited and in March his Birth Mother chose adoption. We submitted our profiles and in March we were matched! Such a short process, such a short wait, yet at times it seemed forever. Still others have waited and are waiting much longer. But the goal remains the same, to find their child and bring them home.

Please pray for all those families looking for their children through adoption and even more for all those children hoping for their parents to find them.   We were blessed to not have to wait so long. But I think it goes back to the verse that God never gives you more than you can handle. God knows how impatient I was and poor Keith had to live with me during that time. :) So God knows...

A Day Out

Liam is now four months old and I still can not believe how blessed we are! Despite all he has been through he is flourishing. Keith and I are so in love and so happy with our new addition. I really can't remember what it was like without Liam. Being a new parent certainly has its difficulties, but it is soon overshadowed by the wondrous adoration we have for our little man.

Perhaps the most challenging issue in the beginning with Liam was getting me out of the house with the baby. Keith and I would take turns going out alone while the other watched the baby, now we've gotten to the point where we can go just about any where with the little guy. It takes a lot more planning than it ever did to go out before alone, but it is so exciting watching Liam take in all the new sites for the first time.

Yesterday we went on a trip to a local science museum with my little brother Jimmy and his lovely wife Candace. This was really exciting for me, because I absolutely love museums and I don't mind admitting that I haven't been out of the house for more than a few hours to run the grocery or a quick errand all the previous week. So off we went to the museum. A little pre-launch preparations were key to our success.

First, we were due to leave the house around Liam's bottle time and I have sadly spoiled the dear boy into having only warm formula bottles. So despite all the contraptions technology has given us, we have not yet gotten around to purchasing anything to keep the bottle hot or warm up on the spot. Needless to say, sometimes going with the obvious is the best route to go. So I prepared two bottles with nursery water and nuked (microwaved) them for about a minute (way too hot for baby immediately,  but after a half hour in the car good to consume). Next I wrapped the bottles in dish towels and placed them in Keith's lunch box.

Along with our usual provisions: Fully stocked diaper bag for any catastrophe (diapers, wipes, change of clothes, extra binky, etc.), our trusty stroller and a soft baby carrier (just in case Liam became fussy) were all loaded into the trunk. Liam thankfully fell asleep in his car seat and we were off with four adults and a baby car-seat crammed into a midsize sedan. We arrived at the museum in one piece and went on without a hitch through the museum  We had a good time too and Liam woke up just in time to see the water exhibit and have his luke-warm bottle as we converged on the "Body" exhibit.

A good day= Good company + Well prepared baby gear + Warm bottle = Happy Baby