Little Miss Chubby Cheeks

We wanted to put a face with the little baby that we have been talking about since March so you all could see how precious she is. With today's amazing technology this is actually possible! At the ultrasound on Thursday we all giggled at her little chubby cheeks and funny expressions!

As we are nearing the due date, things are not looking very good as far as the probability of us actually adopting this little one. There are many complications right now. We are writing to ask for prayer. Not that we will get to adopt this baby, but prayer for God's will, for wisdom and strength (for Hayley, the birthfather, for us, and everyone else involved)! We do not know where this little one will end up, but one thing we do know for sure is that she is precious to God!

One month to go (or less)...

These past couple months have been a roller coaster ride! As of just a week ago we were pretty sure that the adoption would not be going through. We talked with Hayley and she told us that she was having a very hard time with the decision and was considering keeping the baby. She really wants to do the best thing for this little one, and she felt like that might be best because there were some complications with the birthfather.

Then I received a voicemail from Hayley a couple nights ago saying that the birthfather has agreed to sign paperwork and that they have a meeting with the pregnancy counselor on Monday! This is very exciting news for us.

These next couple days are going to be pretty huge in the whole process. Hayley's friends are throwing her a baby shower today for all the basics in case she ends up keeping the baby or has to have the baby at home for a short time. She has invited us both to attend. At first this seemed too uncomfortable for me (Emily), but we really care about Hayley (no matter what decision she makes) and are excited to go to support her and celebrate this baby! Monday will be a big day with the birthfather and then Thursday we have been invited to attend one last ultrasound with Hayley before the baby is born.

So, that is where the adoption stands. I am sure the decision will get even harder for Hayley as we get closer to the due date. Please continue to pray for wisdom for all involved and for this baby girl! We are really excited to meet her!

As I was talking with some friends the other day about this whole process I was thinking about all that Jesus has done in my life to get me to the point where I can really say these things with peace and confidence! Until recently, my life has been overrun with anxiety and fear. Even just a year or two ago I would have been an absolute mess over this! I am so thankful that God brought healing in my life and has given me an amazing peace, not just in this adoption process, but in all areas of life! I am not saying that I never worry or never fear, but it no longer controls me and for that I am so thankful!

We are really excited for what this next month holds! Whether we adopt this baby or not, we know God has cool things in store for both us and all who are involved. Thank you for your prayers!

Emily

July already?

I remember when we first met Hayley in March I felt like the baby's due date was forever away (September 14th), but now that we're nearing the end of July it is just a couple months off! In fact, the doctor told Hayley to expect this little one to come a few weeks early.

Here is a little update on the progress of the adoption:
We finished up our last meeting with our caseworker. She made her way out to the East Valley to meet with us in our home. It was a pretty relaxed visit. We went over some info from past meetings and she asked us a few more questions to finish up the interviews. Then we gave her a tour of our house to show her how we are preparing for a baby. All in all, it was a really good visit and also a relief to know that we are done with our part of the paperwork and interviews for now :o)

Hayley had an ultrasound last Friday. We did not attend the ultrasound with her, but she did let us know that the baby is still a girl :o) I laughed thinking about what a surprise it would have been to hear differently! She is about 3 1/2 pounds already!

We made our first main purchase for the nursery! We bought some really cute baby bedding! We decided to go with a neutral bedding so we're prepared for a baby boy or girl. We are also starting to look at baby furniture. We know that a nursery does not need to be completed by the time we adopt, but we want to purchase some of the bigger things ahead of time and then go from there. We will be having a baby shower once we have the baby and all the paperwork is signed for the adoption.

We do have some specific prayer requests:
*The birth father has recently been notified of the adoption plan and at this moment he has not decided if he will claim his rights to this child (although it sounds like he might want to). He would prefer to wait for a paternity test which will not be preformed until the baby is born. We are in no way upset with him and understand that this is a very big decision! We would appreciate your prayers for God's wisdom for everyone involved; that the best thing will be done for this baby.

*Please pray for wisdom for Hayley! I am sure this decision gets so much harder at this point in the pregnancy. Our agency told us to expect the birthmom to change her mind many times before the baby is born. We are not quite sure where Hayley is with her decision, but we pray that God will give her wisdom and peace.

*Please also pray for us as we try to prepare for the possibility of adopting this baby in September. We are trying to figure out exactly how to balance excitement with caution. It seems to be especially difficult for me (Emily) to face that we may or may not have a baby in September. It is such a big life change and I don't know how to prepare for both possibilities at the same time.

*As always, please pray for the precious baby growing inside Hayley!

We really appreciate your prayers!

We know that God has a plan through all of this and know that if this is not the baby we are to adopt, then He has another one out there for us. For now, we just feel blessed to have met Hayley and formed a new friendship!

A verse I rely on often is Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I am so thankful that God has a plan!

~Em

A whole month?!

I cannot believe that it has been over a month since we last updated our blog! How time flies! I don't have a lot of time to write tonight, but wanted to give you all a quick update on how things are going with the adoption.

Last week we finished our last of seven adoption classes. They were amazing and we learned so much about the heart behind adoption and how to raise a child who is adopted. We went to class in downtown Phoenix every Tuesday night and would leave after 2 1/2 hours inspired, excited, and exhausted!

After a few meetings with our caseworker, we were presented to the agency board for acceptance into their adoption program. From what our caseworker told us, there should be no reason for us not to make it into the program.

We have one more meeting with our caseworker, where she actually comes to our home for more interviews and to make sure our home is safe for a child. Kurtis and his parents have been working very hard to prepare our house for a baby. I would go to work on Mondays and come home at the end of the day to a different house. I am so thankful for all the work they did! They moved our office to a different room and we are still working on preparing the room that we would like to use for the nursery.

Overall things are going really well with Hayley. We keep in contact weekly and we are really enjoying getting to know her as a friend. We got to meet her 6 year old daughter last week and that was a huge blessing. Her daughter is a little "mini me" of her mom and is so much fun! I am hoping to spend some time with them in my free time this summer.

Although September seems pretty far away, I know that it will be here before we know it (especially with how crazy our summers always are)! We would really appreciate your prayers as we continue to work out the details of the adoption and the financial side of it all. We trust that God has it in His hands and love watching Him unwrap his plan for us moment by moment!

We are so thankful for the prayers, encouraging words, and support we receive from our friends and family and we feel so blessed to have people in our lives to share this journey with! We will do our best to keep you updated over these 3 1/2 months.

Our hearts...

As we have been announcing events we realize we have the "luxury" of thinking through the adoption process every day :) and many of our friends and family get left behind on the journey. We know that there are many concerns about this process and so we wanted to take a moment to process with you.

As we have mentioned, we are not adopting for the sole purpose of "getting a baby". We are convinced of God's calling upon our lives to the journey of adoption. For now, that journey is just as much about the friendship we've found with Hayley as it is about the baby she carries.

Hayley is a remarkably selfless girl! She cares deeply for people! Hayley cares so deeply for this baby girl that she wants to make sure she is raised in the most loving environment possible. Hayley cares so deeply for us that she wants to give us a gift nobody else could!

We feel blessed that Hayley has been so open with us and is allowing us to walk this road with her! It was amazing to be present at the ultrasound and see this miraculous little life that is only 11 oz but already has quite the story!

The decision to place her child in our care is still Hayley's to make (and the decision will remain hers until papers are signed 3-10 days after the baby is born). But what we know about Hayley is that she wants what is best for this child more than we do! That is seriously comforting!

So, what it comes down to for us is that Hayley is a very significant new friend - whether she chooses ultimately to place her baby in our home. We love Hayley either way and so, for right now, this is about a new friendship, following God's lead, and trusting that all things will work together for the good of us all!

Heartache is inevitable in this process, (especially for Hayley), but we trust that God will provide for every need. Some day we will be the right parents for a precious child. We do hope this little girl is the one. We are especially thankful for the opportunity we have been given to know Hayley, and we choose with her, to trust the One who holds the future.

Big Day!

We went to the ultrasound with Hayley today and IT'S A GIRL!

The baby is due September 14. There is still a lot that needs to happen in the process but we continue to see the Lord's leading and trust this is all for Him either way!

Kurt & M

What a Week!

After more than a month with not much to update, the past 9 days have been very eventful! On Saturday, March 28 we drove over to Phoenix to drop off our paperwork at our agency! Pretty much our whole lives condensed down to 52 pages! Our agency isn't open on Saturdays, but I was so anxious to get it out of my hands and turn in. I brought along my tripod and camera for the event :o) We dropped our paperwork in the mail slot and spent a few minutes reflecting on this step completed. We spent some time praying together, thanking God for this amazing process and asking for direction as we take the next steps. To explain why this prayer was especially on our hearts, we will have to back up a few days...

On Wednesday last week, I was on my way to pick up students for church when I got a call from our friend, Jina. I answered, and the first words I heard out of her mouth were "I found a baby for you!!!" She kept explaining, but I think it took me a few minutes to catch all that was happening.

In short, Jina knows a “friend of a friend” who is pregnant and planning on putting her child up for adoption. She told this woman about us, and she decided that she was interested in meeting with us. Just a couple days later we went to lunch with Hayley and we were just amazed by how God orchestrated the meeting.

For the sake of your time we’ll just say that Hayley asked us to be the adoptive parents for her child. Wow! We feel so blessed that a person would consider us to raise their child! Whether we end up adopting her baby or not, we feel blessed to know Hayley! She is a beautiful person who has been through a lot in her life, but is making every effort to do the right things for this new baby. We pray for Hayley, that she will find healing in her life and truly know how much God loves her! She is one of the most selfless people we have ever met.

We are praying that the best thing will happen for Hayley and this baby growing inside her. We do not know if it is best for the child to stay with her, be raised by us, or by someone else. We know that God will make that more clear as the months go on. The baby is due in September, so we have time to figure it all out. Right now we have decided to pursue the possible adoption of this child. We really appreciate your prayers as we go through the process! We will keep you updated.

-M