Hey, Third Trimester!

Well I forgot to write when we entered the third trimester a few weeks ago! We are now starting week 31 tomorrow! I'm back to a 2 week rotation on Dr appointments, which I love! We just saw Dr. P on Thursday and everything is still looking good! Little J is almost 4 lb! He still does not exactly cooperate for good pictures on the ultrasound so we didn't have any printed that were clear of his face. We are debating whether or not to do the 3D ultrasound. We would like to see him, of course, but we've already had a few early on with the high risk doctor and we don't necessarily want to spend the extra $$. Who knows what we will do!

Dr. P is still saying she doesn't think we will make it to 40 weeks. That's ok with me as long as it isnt TOO early. She is comfortable with week 37, but says 35/36 would be 'okay' but likely NICU time. Let's all pray it isn't week 33 because that is too early and we will be at Peach Valley camp! And who knows, he may stay content in there 'til 40 weeks.

At the appointment last week, she put the strap monitor thing on me for the first time. That was kind of neat and intersting. One thing recorded his heart beat, the other thing recorded any contractions, and I had a button to push anytime he moved- which was alot! We still get such a joy out of seeing/feeling him move.

A little over a week ago, we were on the mission trip with our youth group to a children's home in Oklahoma. The girls in our group also enjoyed feeling Little J move and often stuck their hands to my tummy just in case he did move :) I didn't mind at all- I loved seeing their excitement.

I have, however, found out recently that I do not handle the heat well at all. We went to visit at camp Hensel one night and that's when I realized the heat is no joke. Swelling is real. Also, leg pain is real. XX amount of pounds added in a short time period makes a big difference. Even so, I'll take the swelling, the heat, the leg pain, back pain, and extra weight over and over again with no complaint. People have made comments about how awful summer pregnancy is, how they don't envy me, etc...I just don't see it the same way. I couldn't be happier to be pregnant- even in the hot Texas summer!

This summer has been going by a lot quicker than I had imagined! Of all the youth 'big' events, we only have Peach Valley left! Two weeks until PV, then the next big event for us is BABY J!

We've been working more on his room and almost have it ready. We have a few showers coming up the end of July and after that, we will have more of the items to finish his room. I am definitely in FULL NESTING MODE!

We have failed on bump pictures the last few weeks, due to Jordan's camera diving off a mountain on our last trip (Yosemite). But we have a couple of maternity sessions with friends coming up soon and I am excited for that! I will also include some nursery pics soon :)

How Blessed We Are!

Day #159. It's been 130 days since we found out we were pregnant again. I know I say it in every post, but I just can't believe we are already this far along. Up until about week 10, it seemed like every single day drug on and slowly passed as we were waiting to reach the end of the first trimester, waiting to feel like we were in a safer "zone", and waiting to be able to find the heartbeat at home. Since we have reached the second trimester, days and weeks are flying by and before we know it, Jackson will be in our arms, Lord willing. And I think I have a hard time consistently updating my blog now; just wait until he is here! :)

A LOT has happened in our lives since the last post at 18 weeks. Jordan got to feel Jackson move for the first time on April 9- 18 weeks 6 days. We were driving to our caring group meal that Saturday evening, and as he started moving, I showed Jordan where to put his hand on my tummy and he felt a few nice, strong kicks! At least we call them kicks, I guess they could be punches? That was such an exciting time! We also learned that evening that, in our state, abortion is legal at that point in pregnancy. As we felt Jackson moving around, it was a somber moment realizing that people could and have killed sweet little babies the same age as him. Since then, Jackson is still moving around a lot, Jordan feels him more and more often and several family members have been able to feel him too! He moves throughout the day, and every evening when I lay on the couch we can feel him move. I can't help the smile that spreads across my face each time. Maybe it is coincidental, but sometimes, if I hold my hand on my stomach for a few minutes he will start to move in that spot. I like to think it isn't just a coincidence, but who knows :)

The next week we left for vacation. We had a wonderful time, saw new parts of God's beautiful creation, and enjoyed our time together. I was nervous just about the whole time; I was so worried something would happen to Jackson while we were there- I guess that's what mothers do- worry about their babies. My worry was relieved every day, though, when I would feel him move or listen to his heart beat. We had a doctor's appointment the week we got home and everything is still good! He is still growing, heart still beating, and always moves during an ultrasound. It was both exciting and weird to feel him move and see him move on the screen at the same time. We also had an appointment prior to the trip and still had the doctor's approval to go. She just said one thing, "make sure you don't fall". Because of Jackson, of course, but also because of the blood thinning medication I was on. I wasn't going to do any strenuous hiking, no long distance, no difficult paths, so I didn't think I would fall. Leave it to me- day 1 of vacation, first photo site, flat, wide, short path to see a waterfall meet the ocean and I fell. I am still not really sure what happened other than I lost my balance and could not regain it. It was definitely a slow motion, old person fall which we laugh at now. But at the time, I was terrified and hysterical. I only hit on my knee and hip and arm- on the side, not on my stomach. I found the next bench, sat there and cried. And couldn't stop crying. As if the fall wasn't embarrassing enough! The end of the trail was only about 50 more yards and I refused to go any farther. I told Jordan I would just see the waterfall from his pictures rather than walking any farther. I laid on the bench -the way that I lay in the evenings when he always moves- and prayed and prayed that he would move and prayed that everything was ok. He did end up moving which gave me some relief, but I was still worried. The moment we got to the hotel that night I checked his heart rate and checked it everyday after that. And, everything is fine. I had a scrape and a knot on my knee for the rest of the trip but nothing that hasn't healed by now. Once we felt him move and checked his heartbeat, we began to laugh with relief at the fall and both agreed that we would not tell our mothers until we got home! We knew they would worry the rest of the trip!

Prior to going on our trip, I always research Pinterest for things to do/see at the park we are visiting. I came across the blog of a couple who have had some of the same struggles as us bearing children. Throughout the time they were waiting to become parents, they would also travel to National Parks to get away, hike, camp, relax, etc. Once they got pregnant, they wanted maternity pictures taken at Yosemite. Her pictures were so beautiful! I showed them to Jordan and wanted to take some while we were there- even though we were only at 20 weeks. So, we spent about an hour before supper one evening taking maternity pictures. It was fun and I know we will cherish those pictures forever!

We came back from vacation and hit the ground running! Focal Point started the next week so we had some final prep work to get done that week. And it's always busy returning to work and playing catch up after vacation. We also had a family reunion of sorts (Decoration, for those who know us well :) ) that coming weekend and dear friends who would be our house guests for the week were arriving. We were then hit with the sad but joyful news that Jordan's Pawpaw had finished his race and had gone on to meet the Lord. Plans changed, friends helped, arrangements were made, family gathered, and a time of reminiscing and rejoicing was had. Focal Point began, early mornings, late night, full days, and before we knew it, the week was coming to an end. As we laid Jordan's Pawpaw to rest, I couldn't help but think about the passing of one life and the coming of another. Both joyful, but one a little bittersweet. We have both lost our Pawpaws in 2016. We both were blessed to have grown up with all four of our grandparents living and we wanted our children to be able to know all of our grandparents as well. We pray that Jackson will be blessed to know, love, learn from, and grow up with all four of his grandparents around, and we know that because of our Pawpaws and our other grandparents that we have been blessed with godly parents, faithful families, great memories, and a legacy of Christian service that we pray we will pass down to Jackson. While he won't meet our Pawpaws on this side of eternity, we pray that he will live in such a way that he meets them on the other side and spends an eternity in Heaven with the whole family. How blessed we are with such an opportunity. Let's all take advantage of it.

Week 18!

Is it REALLY 18 weeks already?! It is so hard to believe that this is actually happening and that we are *almost* half way! You have probably wondered sometime in the last 6 weeks where we have been and if I will ever write another blog...sorry! There hasn't been a lot that has gone on over the last 6 weeks. Four weeks ago (at 14 weeks) we had the shortest doctor appointment ever with Dr. P. We went in, listened to the heart, asked "what now?", and then went home. Dr. P told us that everything was looking great, all the reports came in from Dr. Horton (high risk dr) and that now we just treat this as a "normal" pregnancy. We don't really know how to handle normal ;) but we are so thankful to have had good, "normal" check ups. And we love having a doppler at home so we can check on his heartbeat anytime!

The last five weeks have been pretty pleasant. I have not been sick since week 13, so that is nice! I just tire out much quicker than I used to, and I like to sleep, and I really like to eat. Alot. And the scale showed it today :/ but doctor said it was ok!

Today we had a super long appointment with Dr. Horton. We had a full anatomy scan of Jackson and ended up not having to do any blood-work, so that was a bonus! While he did not cooperate well for a good 3D face picture, he was in a great position for the echo part of the ultrasound. We got to watch his heart beating for a long time. Even Jordan and I could clearly see all 4 chambers of his heart pumping away. He is about 10" long, 9 ounces, and has a perfectly beating heart. It was just amazing to watch. We saw 10 fingers and 10 toes, arms and legs, bladder and kidneys, and everything else. We just stared at the screen in excitement and amazement.

Sidenote- I am feeling him move as I type now!)

Once the tech got all the images of Jackson she needed, she had to take some of my cervix. She was so patient and told us everything she was seeing with Jackson, naming all the parts she was checking. Once she got to my cervix she got a little quiet. ---Sometimes, I think knowing more than most people do about what to look for but not knowing as much as doctors do might do more harm than good--- As she quietly continued the ultrasound of the cervix I noticed a large black oval, and I did not think it was supposed to be there. So, I asked what it was. Then she says, "I am just getting some images of the cervix and I will let Doctor talk to you about it." Talk about worry and nerves. So the tech leaves, and we worry and worry some more. Then we get on google...here's some advice- stay off of google for medical advice (I know, duh!) but especially when you are already IN the doctor's office! We would have been better off practicing a little patience rather than trying to find what was wrong ourselves! Dr. Horton comes in and tells us she needs to get some more images so we are going to do another ultrasound. More worry. She starts talking about Jackson and tells us how good everything looks, but she hasn't said anything about this spot! So, I asked her. And turns out, it's no big deal. She says it's just a common cyst; they come and go, nothing to worry about. We literally had ourselves in tears thinking the worst before she came in. Moral of the story: STAY OFF OF GOOGLE! :)

Dr. Horton ended our appointment with some more good news: she has released me from her care and feels confident that I do not need high risk care for the rest of this pregnancy; but she is just a phone call away if anything comes up! Secondly, she says I can stop the daily lovenox injections after the 20th week. I was worried about stopping them just because I am scared to make any changes to what has worked. But she told me today that the injections are a help in the first trimester and at this point, she does not feel that they are doing anything for Jackson. I will continue the baby aspirin and progesterone. I had originally said I would not stop the injections, but the more my tummy grows, the harder it is to do the shots and the more it hurts. So, we have agreed that we are comfortable with stopping after 20 weeks.

Now, I just visit Dr. P every 4 weeks and let little Jackson keep growing! By the way, he is growing a lot! Half of his measurements today measured at 19 weeks, rather than 18 weeks!

We are so blessed and so thankful. We can't wait to hold this little guy!

profile of face

 baby bump!

 

footsie!

12 Weeks!

Moving right along, and we are so very thankful! It's still kind of surreal. We met with the high risk specialist yesterday, Dr. Horton. It's the same office but different doctor from the last pregnancy. We really loved her, though! As she was spending a lot of time with us, explaining all of our options in full, easy to understand detail, we were talking about how we are (or have been in the past) always in the 1%, 3%, 5% category that meant we were receiving bad news. We are so thankful that so far with this pregnancy we have not been in those scary small percentage categories!

Our appointment yesterday went great! Since baby was ready to be busy and move around a lot, we got to watch on the ultrasound screen for what felt like close to 45 minutes, waiting for baby to get in the right positions for certain measurements! We didn't mind at all :) We got to watch baby flip over, moved arms and hands, kick legs, ans wiggle around!We took video of the screen so I will upload that soon. She even took the 3d/4d (? I'm not really sure what it's called) pictures! They said there is no way to tell gender from the ultrasound this early, and that's what we expected her to say.

She says that nothing on the ultrasound gives her any reason to be concerned, and we are waiting on some bloodwork to come back that will give some more verification. And....it will tell us the gender! 

Hopefully those results will be ready next week. Our last pregnancy ended due to a chromosomal abnormality and because of all of the problems we have had in the past, the doctors wanted us to do these additional screenings. We chose to only do the noninvasive ones (ultrasound and bloodwork from me, rather than from placenta) and since the ultrasound looked good, she did not feel that anything invasive was necessary. The doctors know that no matter what results we may have gotten or still may get, we are keeping this sweet baby. Unfortunately, some people use these tests to decide whether or not they want to keep the baby. That has never been a question in our minds.

Everything else is going great. I had a week break from "day/evening sickness" and then it returned in full force last Wednesday and has continued to stick around. I don't mind it; it reassures me in the two week wait between appointments that something is still happening. We did get a fetal heart doppler to have at home. However, we found out two weeks ago that the placenta is anterior  (in front) so that blocks the heartbeat from the doppler and makes it hard to find. I haven't been able to find it at home yet, but they say it may take a few more weeks because of the position of the placenta. From what I read, that will also make it more difficult for me to feel baby moving, so that may be delayed from what's "normal". But, it isn't anything bad or dangerous so it's not a big deal :)

Here are some pictures from yesterday! Baby is laid back and hanging out in one. :) And thank you for the continued prayers!

Week 9!

I have had several requests for updates on the pregnancy, so I figured I could go ahead and write about it here! I will continue to post updates on the blog, but I will not be sharing all of them to facebook. We have friends who have been going through the same struggles as we have over the past few years, and we know that pregnancy announcements and updates are hard to see. So, we welcome you to check back at the blog every now and then for an update. We may share a couple of 'big' updates via facebook. :)

Today we have reached 9 weeks 3 days! We have already seen so many milestones, for us, anyway! With each appointment, we go in with excitement, fear, hope, and anxiety. My doctor is amazing and will see me anytime I need to. I already have many more ultrasound pictures than most do at only 9 weeks! I have welcomed all the sickness and fatigue and have been taking short and easy days at work. Maybe we're crazy, but every time I throw up, Jordan and I grin and giggle- giddy with excitement that symptoms are still around. In fact, between week 6 and 7, I started feeling pretty good and the nausea had faded quite a bit. I got so nervous that I called the doctor and she saw me the next day, did an ultrasound, and everything was fine! I have been seeing her every 1.5-2 weeks so far. My next appointment is with the Maternal Fetal Specialist (the high risk doctor I have  been referring to) and that is not until February 22! My longest wait in between appointments yet! As long as there are no reasons for concern between now and then, I am going to try not to worry myself enough to have to schedule another ultrasound! Doctor suggested we order a fetal heart doppler, so that has been ordered and we're waiting for it to arrive. I know it is too early for us to use right now, but maybe before the 22nd we will be able to hear the heart beat at home. But, I have read they can be tricky, so I am telling myself that if we don't hear the heartbeat at home, it is probably because I am using the machine wrong!

As far as sickness goes, my mornings are usually pretty good, late afternoon and evening are what get me. Also, we have learned that I get most sick when we travel. I am still trekking along with the medication plan- 400 mg Progesterone, baby aspirin, special prenatal, and Lovenox injections. We're thankful that we found out about the baby just at the end of last year, because we got one month of prescriptions on my old insurance. Thanks to more insurance changes, the price of my medication for the baby is now 6x more expensive per month than it was last year. As frustrating as the insurance part is, we don't complain- we are so happy to have a reason to buy the medication. And on the bright side- I have already reached my deductible for the year!! 

I'm excited to admit that I already have a mini bump! My mother in law had found some maternity pants at Goodwill and I love them! I'm wondering why all pants aren't made this way?? At this point, I don't want anything tight touching my tummy- my mom says she was the same way. 

In the midst of all the excitement, we had a some sad news last week. After 90 years, my Pawpaw passed from this life. I so badly wanted our kids to know him and Nanaw. We know that our first two babies are in paradise with Nanaw and Pawpaw, and we like to think that they've already met and are having the best time. 

Since we had already taken off work 3 days for the funeral, Jordan didn't feel like he should ask off again, so I took our moms with me to the doctor appointment yesterday. An ultrasound wasn't planned, but I asked for one so they could see. It was going to be an additional charge, but I had some spotting yesterday morning, so that gave a medical "reason" for an ultrasound and I didn't have to pay any extra! I have read a lot about women on lovenox having some spotting throughout the pregnancy. I also had slight change in progesterone pills the night before, and I have been told any change in that could cause some spotting. I still don't like to see that- but was comforted to see that all was fine! While the moms were there, the baby moved for us during the ultrasound! It was so exciting to see the movement, the growth, and the development! We even got a video of the baby moving! -see below-

We have been so humbled and so blessed by all of your support and prayers. Reading the comments from so many has brought us to tears! 'Thank you' just doesn't seem like enough to say!

Click HERE to see the video!

We're Pregnant!

When we go on hiking trips one of the top suggestions from the ranger station is to hike in groups of three or more. It has always just been the two of us on our trips in the past, but for our upcoming trip in April, Lord willing, there will be three! I don't think the National Parks Service had "baby in the womb" in mind for making the group of three, but we will call it three! No, we won't be doing any strenuous, long, or back country hikes this trip, but we do plan for a few short day hikes- with doctor approval. ;)

So, we're pregnant! 7 weeks and 2 days. The due date is September 4, and so far everything is looking great! On January 4, I had my first ever ultrasound with good results. We were so nervous because every other ultrasound I have ever had has given reason for concern, shown problems, confirmed heartbreak. But on January 4, January 8, and January 12, we had good ultrasounds! On January 8 and January 12 we were able to see the baby's heartbeat- a first for us!

After the last miscarriage, we were able to do a LOT of bloodwork and more testing. Doctors discovered two more problems- inability to break down folic acid and a blood clotting disorder. Folic acid is vital for egg quality and baby development but my body doesn't accept it so I needed a different form- folate. Secondly, my blood is, apparently, too thick to get through the little veins/vessels that get to the baby- so I needed a blood thinner. I have been taking a different vitamin with folate, rather than folic acid for several months and since the day after we found out about this pregnancy, I have been giving myself blood thinner injections in my stomach daily. Along with baby aspirin and progesterone daily. The doctor has told me there is no medication that I could be taking that I am not currently taking...in other words, we are doing everything we can at this point. +a lot of prayer...

Everything seems to be working as it should- blood levels are great, measurements are great, heart rate is great...and in our book, morning/all day/evening sickness is even great! In fact, if I find myself feeling good at any point in the day, I start to get worried...I'm not over thinking this at all... ;) (yeah right!)

Many of you are probably thinking "only 7 weeks and they're already sharing the news?" Let us explain a little bit. I used to say that I would, under no circumstances, share this news until we had moved into the second trimester. I understand that thought process and if that is what works for you, then that's great. For us, we have learned more than we knew, experienced things we wished we hadn't, and changed our thought process about what works for us. Never say never, right? :) First of all, we believe that life begins at conception. So, yes, our 7 week, raspberry sized, tadpole looking, heartbeating baby is a baby and is a life and we have chosen to celebrate that. Secondly, due to our past experiences, our opportunity to celebrate, share, and give thanks has been cut short. We are hopeful and confident that our God can (and praying He will) let this baby continue to grow, but we want to celebrate and enjoy every minute of this experience and that includes sharing with our friends and family. Three years waiting, two babies lost, countless prayers later, we are pregnant and are thrilled and so very thankful. We hope you understand our decision to share our news a little earlier than the "norm".

Current plan: I go back to my local OB during the 8th week for a check up If all is still good, I will meet with the high risk specialist at 10 weeks for more testing and to start a plan since this is a high risk pregnancy. For now, I stay on track with all the medications, and a lot of rest. She doesn't want me on my feet or walking around much until we get to 14 weeks. As tired and nauseous as I have been feeling, I don't mind the shorter work days and longer nights one bit!

What about the Adoption?
     We are still going to adopt! However, right now our profile is "on hold" with the agency. The adoption agency has a policy stating that a couple cannot be on the list while pregnant. If we happen to lose this baby, the agency will put us back on the list once they feel that we have had time to grieve. If God blesses us with a healthy pregnancy and we get to meet this baby, the agency will allow us to return to list after the baby is 6 months old. We can choose at what time we will be added back to the list, but it cannot be sooner than 6 months after the birth. All of the money that has been raised/donated for the adoption is a separate adoption account and will only be used toward the adoption. All money that has already been paid to the agency will just be held along with our profile.

Please be praying for our little raspberry sized baby to continue to grow and for a healthy pregnancy. We want nothing more than to love, meet, hold, and raise this little baby. <3

Why Isn't God Answering My Prayers?

Have you ever spent a large amount of time praying for the same thing? Maybe you've been praying every day for a month, or six months, or an entire year, or maybe every day for three years, yet God still hasn’t “answered” your prayer? Maybe you've been praying for the health of a loved one, or a financial burden, or a new job, or a spouse, or maybe you, like me, have been praying earnestly for a sweet baby. So, you’ve prayed. And prayed. And prayed. And you’ve asked others to pray. And you’ve prayed believing that God can bless you with what you are asking, and you know that He is able; yet, it still isn’t happening for you. It’s happening for others; God is blessing others with the exact thing for which you’ve been pouring your heart out begging, but not you. When we pray for something for so long and the things we have been asking for aren't happening, it is easy to get discouraged and to start having questions:

‘what’s wrong with me?’, ‘what’s wrong with my prayers?’, ‘am I praying wrong?’, 

'why isn't God answering my prayers?', 'why am I even still praying?' 

Here are three things to consider when it seems that God isn't answering our prayers:

1-     We have to remember that prayer is not simply a wish list that we give to God. It's not simply a list of things that He is supposed to fulfill at our every desire. So we ask the question: What is prayer? Prayer is approaching the throne of God with thanksgiving. Prayer is casting all of our cares on Him. Prayer is praising God, our Father. Prayer is falling to our knees in supplication to the Father. Prayer is comforting, calming, reassuring, and commanded.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6

Where does this peace come from? The "peace that surpasses all understanding" is not a peace that is contingent simply on God fulfilling your prayer wish list. It is a peace that covers every area of your life; it is a peace that can only be found by fully depending upon, trusting in, and committing your life unto God. A peace that says, "Whatever God wills..."

2-    Another thing to remember is that our timeline is not God’s timeline. Maybe He will eventually say ‘yes’ to the things we are asking for in prayer, but maybe He won’t. And if not, He is still good. We need to be persistent in prayer, keep praying for the things we are praying for and be faithful and confident that God hears the prayers of the righteous. (Col. 4:2)

We need not to lose heart while we wait. It is easy to fall into the trap of losing faith in the power of prayer. Ashamedly, I admit that when I have been told by someone that they are praying fervently for us, I have, at times, both said and thought, ‘well, it’s not doing any good.’ Or when someone says ‘God has answered our prayers’ I have thought, ‘why your prayers and not mine?’. What a terrible attitude. I don’t write these things because I am proud of my spiritual struggles, but I write them to let others know that we aren’t expected to be strong all the time. While unwavering spiritual strength should be our goal, we need to remember we are human. People have commented that I have handled our situation very well and that I have been so strong. But at times, I really am not. I want other people who are struggling to realize that they aren’t the only ones having a hard time accepting what God has or has not given them. But I want to encourage others and ask others to encourage me to continue in prayer and to believe in the power of prayer. After such a long time of begging, it is easy to just give up.  

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers…” 1Pet. 3:12

3-   Lastly, we must remember that our plans are not God’s plans. Maybe our plans are somewhere on His timeline; but maybe they aren’t. Maybe He has completely different plans for us. We need to remember to fully trust in God and the plans He has made, even when we don’t know what those plans are. We do know that it is in His plan for us to help others, teach others, and glorify Him in all that we do. So, for me, if that means I have an opportunity to teach others and to glorify God through our struggles in bearing children, then I better do my best and find contentment in doing so. We do know some of His plan; we know He has Heaven planned for us and He desires that all mankind should enter into eternity with Him- what better plan could we have than that?!

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…UNTO HIM BE GLORY IN THE CHURCH AND IN CHRIST JESUS THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS, FOREVER AND EVER.” Eph. 3:20

If you are interested in an in-depth study of prayer, I encourage you to check out the Bible Marking post on Prayer at Come Fill Your Cup. 

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Adoption Update:

We have been on the list now for 1 month and 12 days. People ask when we think we will hear something, but we really have absolutely no idea. I don't have much of an update for you, since nothing is happening, so I will jump right into the currently popular questions...

1- Do you get to name the baby?
     Short answer- yes. Long answer.... We will discuss this when we have a match meeting with the birth mother once we are chosen. Sometimes the birth mother wants to give the baby a name, sometimes she goes with the name the adoptive parents have chosen, and sometimes they decide together. If the birth mother wants to pick the name, we can always have the name changed on the birth certificate. The last name will be changed when the adoption is finalized anyway, about 6 months after the baby is born. Of course this will be decided upon at the match meeting. Do we have names picked out? YES and we love them! With my addiction to planning, you shouldn't be surprised to know that we've have the names picked out for a while; the girl name has been picked for about 5 years and the boy name was decided upon earlier this year. Emmalyn Grace and Jackson Grady are the names we have picked and we can't wait to meet and hold and love and raise him or her! Ever wonder why we choose the names we do for sample baby monogrammed items at our store? Now you know! :)

2- What if you get a call for a baby tomorrow- are you ready?
     Um, YES we are ready. We have been ready and waiting for three years! Now, is our house ready....no, not exactly. But we really aren't concerned about that at all. We do have a boy crib and a girl crib, but that is about it. In most situations, after a call is received for a match, we will likely have a month or two before the birth of the baby. Of course, it could be a situation in which the baby was just born and we pick him/her up within a couple of days, but that is not very common. And if so, then that's great too. As far as nurseries go, we (or I) :) have had decorations and fabrics picked out for a long time. So, once we know if it is a boy or a girl, I wouldn't be surprised if we had that nursery completed in a couple of weeks! :)


If you ordered an adoption t-shirt, first of all THANK YOU! Second, they are ready! We have mailed several out and handed out most of them, but if you have not received yours, you can contact us or we will contact you to figure out a time to get it to you.

Thanks for keeping up with our slow moving journey to becoming parents!