We are now #32. Not the most exciting thing ever, but better than not moving at all right! I had a long phone conversation with our agency and here is what I got as far as waiting goes right now.
She said that the the people waiting for infants that are about to be matched have been waiting for 9 months. All southern Ethiopian Orphanages are shut down and that has caused a bit of a slow down. She said that our dossier arrived and we were officially placed on the waiting list on Feb. 18th. So, if we are going by the notion that our wait should be no longer than 9 months we are looking at 7.5 more months of waiting. I was told that some months they have an influx of children and that some months they only have 2-3 come through which was the case this month. She said at times they have 10 referrals a month so we could drop from #33-#23 in one month. She said it is hard to give exact numbers b/c you never know how many children on any given month are going to come into the orphanages and be "adoptable". SO in a nutshell, if we have 7.5 more months to go we are looking at being matched with a baby in Oct-Nov. It could be sooner I suppose too. She did say that she had a family that was #20 and got a referral the next week b/c they got so many babies in. This is not typical however, I am not going to underestimate the power of prayer!! Please join us!! :)
Monday, April 2, 2012
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Adoption video :)
I think we figured out how to post our adoption video. Here is our story so far! Can't wait until we can finish this story!! :)
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Glue
One of my VERY best friends had a baby today. I got on facebook and saw her little girls face and just started crying at my desk. The tears were 100% tears of joy for her! Carli and I were each others glue, keeping the other one together for the two grueling years we were in grad school. God made us friends when Lubbock was so far from all that was familiar to me. And we became instant friends. Two years passed and school ended. We both went through some really hard fertility stuff and continued to be each others glue keeping the other together through long phone conversations, letters and prayer. Carli continues to be my "glue friend" with my current circumstance and our adoption.
She can empathize because she has been there and she knows just the right thing to say ALL the time because she has lived it in her own life! I have to believe that God puts us in situations so that we can empathize and serve as others GLUE when we feel like we are going to fall apart!!
I thank God for this sweet friend! I am glad God chooses to place just the right people in our lives at the right time!!
Congrats Lance, Carli and baby Layne!!! We love you down here in Houston!!!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Adoption video disaster!
So I made a really cute video of our adoption so far, spent like 2 hours messing with the pictures and then posted the URL on here. I came back to the blog a few minutes later and realized that when you went to my video it took you to my account and revealed my credit card information!!! GEEZ!! That is scary. So now my cute little video is gone. So sad. Hopefully I can figure out how to get it back up here. The site wouldn't even let me download without a $3.99 per month membership. Thinking I wasted 2 hours! :) Oh well, happy Monday!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Something New A-Z
A is for age: 27 Today! Choosing to be happy b/c I am NOT getting old....right!?
B is for breakfast today: Cup of coffee
C is for currently craving: Cheeseburger.....always a craving!
D is for dinner tonight: Don't know. Hubbies are taking me and Betho out for a surprise birthday weekend!
E is for favorite type of exercise: Swimming!
F is for an irrational fear: Roaches....can't handle them!
B is for breakfast today: Cup of coffee
C is for currently craving: Cheeseburger.....always a craving!
D is for dinner tonight: Don't know. Hubbies are taking me and Betho out for a surprise birthday weekend!
E is for favorite type of exercise: Swimming!
F is for an irrational fear: Roaches....can't handle them!
G is for gross food: Shrimp.....been trying to like it for 20 years...thinking it's never gonna happen!
H is for hometown: Missouri City
I is for something important: My Family!
H is for hometown: Missouri City
I is for something important: My Family!
J is for current Jam: I am loving Hillsong United right now
K is for Kids: Waiting for our little Ethiopian angel, Jane Jordan, to be home with us!!
L is for current Location: Sugar Land
M is for most recent way you spent money: Starbucks birthday coffee for Betho....we don't go all out for each others birthday's hehe!
N is for something you need: Help painting my bathroom and landscaping the back yard!!
O is for occupation: Speech Language Pathologist
P is for pet peeve: People with a victim mentality and people who drive under the speed limit!
Q is for a quote: Well this is a verse, but it is what I strive to base my life on......"Love one another, share in each others burdens, and actively encourage one another in the body of Christ. Reach out to the lost and care for the down trodden".
R is for random fact about you: I have to have a cup of ice water AND a cup of coffee at my desk every single morning or my day is thrown off! Seriously.
S is for favorite healthy snack: Bananas
T is for favorite treat: The rare Saturday that Lance and I can sleep in and then go out to breakfast in our sweats and eat pancakes and drink coffee!!
U is for something that makes you unique: Our "first born" will be an Ethiopian....and I am an identical twin.
V is for favorite vegetable: Celery...I think that is a vegetable.
W is for today’s workout: Nada......it's my birthday so I think I can skip! However, not sure what my excuse was yesterday ;)
X is for X-rays you’ve had: Just had one of my lumbar spine.....I have had HORRIBLE lower back pain for six straight weeks and still no answer to the pain. HELP!
Y is for yesterday’s highlight: Went to my first ever movie by myself and snuck Chik-fil-a and water in in my purse. Sat in the back row and sunk into the comfy seat for 2 hours after a REALLY physically demanding day at work. I loved it! :)
Z is for your time zone: central
O is for occupation: Speech Language Pathologist
P is for pet peeve: People with a victim mentality and people who drive under the speed limit!
Q is for a quote: Well this is a verse, but it is what I strive to base my life on......"Love one another, share in each others burdens, and actively encourage one another in the body of Christ. Reach out to the lost and care for the down trodden".
R is for random fact about you: I have to have a cup of ice water AND a cup of coffee at my desk every single morning or my day is thrown off! Seriously.
S is for favorite healthy snack: Bananas
T is for favorite treat: The rare Saturday that Lance and I can sleep in and then go out to breakfast in our sweats and eat pancakes and drink coffee!!
U is for something that makes you unique: Our "first born" will be an Ethiopian....and I am an identical twin.
V is for favorite vegetable: Celery...I think that is a vegetable.
W is for today’s workout: Nada......it's my birthday so I think I can skip! However, not sure what my excuse was yesterday ;)
X is for X-rays you’ve had: Just had one of my lumbar spine.....I have had HORRIBLE lower back pain for six straight weeks and still no answer to the pain. HELP!
Y is for yesterday’s highlight: Went to my first ever movie by myself and snuck Chik-fil-a and water in in my purse. Sat in the back row and sunk into the comfy seat for 2 hours after a REALLY physically demanding day at work. I loved it! :)
Z is for your time zone: central
Monday, March 12, 2012
Yes I watch this!
I love this show! No judging until you watch it for yourself. Never thought of myself as a zombie loving girl. I mean, I rarely read a book if it doesn't hold some type of value and my radio hasn't been switched from the local christian station since 2008. Not saying I am perfect or anything at all, but this is not typically my kind of show. Or so I thought! I guess this is my entertainment weakness! heheSeason finale is next week and our Zombie watching party that has been together from the beginning will get together one last night to see how it all ends up for the season! Can't wait! Do other people watch this show too? Or is it just my family (and few awesome friends)!?
Thursday, March 1, 2012
You are on the right path
I am going to be honest here. I have had a HARD 2 months! I will spare you all from too many details b/c I don't want my blog to be depressing and this story, which is still unfolding, has a happy ending. But in a nutshell, here it is.
Most people know I have felt a specific calling from the Lord for almost 10 years now to adopt and specifically to adopt from Africa. This was never a question of "if" but"when". Lance and I struggled and struggled over whether or not to have children biologically first or adopt first. We decided that we would try to have a baby first and tried for 3 months. It was then that we both felt strongly that it was time to start the adoption process. I never doubted for one second, and still haven't, that this was the right time for us to adopt. However, I was fairly certain that the very near future was going to reveal a pregnancy too. So certain in fact, that I picked out our babies bedding the first month we started really trying. I was optimistic.
Fast forward several months and no pregnancy. Infertility is really hard. The world we live in with Facebook and the constant connection with others lives is hard. It is way to easy to fall into the pit of envy when everyone else seems to have a perfect life filled with children, weekly play dates and stay at home mommy hood.
I can't pinpoint when it happened, but I let this get to me! So much in fact that Lance and I (me kinda forcing Lance-never good) started seeing a fertility doctor and discussing ways to "get pregnant now!!" I have endometriosis and it can grow back. I would be insane not to do everything in my power to get pregnant before that happens right!?
So, I began injections and had a pretty ideal cycle. I went in the day before we were scheduled to do the procedure and my doctor said, "Things look great. So great in fact that I would place you at a 50% chance of having twins if this works and a 3-5% chance of triplets." I thanked him, calmly walked out of his office and burst into tears in the elevator. I knew right then and there that I wasn't supposed to go through with it. The Lord set me on a path to bring home a child from Africa and having twins or heaven forbid triplets at home to greet her was not part of HIS plan. I felt comfort in knowing the sovereignty of God, but mourned the loss of a biological child.
This was a hard road for me for a while. I admitted to a friend that adoption was so easy when it wasn't paired with fertility issues. I found so much joy in this adoption before I started envying the lives of those around me and loosing site of the end goal here.
My soul was not at peace. I was losing my joy and was doubting God. I was in a place that I never want to be again. I was not seeking HIS will for my life. I was seeking MY will. I was irrational and had decided that I was going to be infertile and unhappy forever. I had even convinced myself that my friends would all eventually reject me because I did not have a biological child. So dramatic I know!
So here we were. Possible 6 months away from seeing our babies face for the first time and I was SO conflicted. SO stressed and SO sad. I could not find my peace which is something I cling to and need to survive. But I learned something so valuable here and that is that there IS NO PEACE when you are acting outside God's will for your life.
In a pretty broken place I begged God to restore my joy and restore my peace. That's when I heard it. WAIT. NOT NOW. LATER.
So we have decided to wait on having a biological child. God has told us NOT NOW. So we will wait. WHAT AMAZING PEACE this has given me!! Gods peace literally washed over me and He has restored my joy!!!
I went into my fertility doctor and told him I wanted to discuss types of birth control and was actually in the process of adopting a child from Africa. He looked at my like I was a freak alien from Mars. It was actually a little funny!
So we are soley focused on preparing to be the best parents we can be to our little Jane Jordan and have taken the burden of biological children away for the time being. I told my mom just the other day that I can clearly see Jane coming up to the hospital one day to meet her new little sister or brother. I believe that is in our future. But I also believe Jane was meant to be chosen. To be first.
I read this in my Jesus calling today:
" You are on the right path. Listen more to Me, and less to your doubts. I am leading you along the way I designed just for you. Therefore, it is a lonely way, humanly speaking. But I go before you as well as alongside you, so you are never alone. Do not expect anyone to understand fully My ways with you, anymore than you can comprehend My dealings with others. I am revealing to you the path of Life day by day, and moment by moment. As I said to My disciple Peter, so I repeat to you: Follow Me."
I know this is long and I am honestly just writing this blog as an outlet for myself and a way to look back at life while we wait for Jane. But of course I do pray that I can be an encouragement to others too and hope my blog can do that in some way.
Oh and I forgot. WE ARE NOW #35!!!!!!!!!!!!
Most people know I have felt a specific calling from the Lord for almost 10 years now to adopt and specifically to adopt from Africa. This was never a question of "if" but"when". Lance and I struggled and struggled over whether or not to have children biologically first or adopt first. We decided that we would try to have a baby first and tried for 3 months. It was then that we both felt strongly that it was time to start the adoption process. I never doubted for one second, and still haven't, that this was the right time for us to adopt. However, I was fairly certain that the very near future was going to reveal a pregnancy too. So certain in fact, that I picked out our babies bedding the first month we started really trying. I was optimistic.
Fast forward several months and no pregnancy. Infertility is really hard. The world we live in with Facebook and the constant connection with others lives is hard. It is way to easy to fall into the pit of envy when everyone else seems to have a perfect life filled with children, weekly play dates and stay at home mommy hood.
I can't pinpoint when it happened, but I let this get to me! So much in fact that Lance and I (me kinda forcing Lance-never good) started seeing a fertility doctor and discussing ways to "get pregnant now!!" I have endometriosis and it can grow back. I would be insane not to do everything in my power to get pregnant before that happens right!?
So, I began injections and had a pretty ideal cycle. I went in the day before we were scheduled to do the procedure and my doctor said, "Things look great. So great in fact that I would place you at a 50% chance of having twins if this works and a 3-5% chance of triplets." I thanked him, calmly walked out of his office and burst into tears in the elevator. I knew right then and there that I wasn't supposed to go through with it. The Lord set me on a path to bring home a child from Africa and having twins or heaven forbid triplets at home to greet her was not part of HIS plan. I felt comfort in knowing the sovereignty of God, but mourned the loss of a biological child.
This was a hard road for me for a while. I admitted to a friend that adoption was so easy when it wasn't paired with fertility issues. I found so much joy in this adoption before I started envying the lives of those around me and loosing site of the end goal here.
My soul was not at peace. I was losing my joy and was doubting God. I was in a place that I never want to be again. I was not seeking HIS will for my life. I was seeking MY will. I was irrational and had decided that I was going to be infertile and unhappy forever. I had even convinced myself that my friends would all eventually reject me because I did not have a biological child. So dramatic I know!
So here we were. Possible 6 months away from seeing our babies face for the first time and I was SO conflicted. SO stressed and SO sad. I could not find my peace which is something I cling to and need to survive. But I learned something so valuable here and that is that there IS NO PEACE when you are acting outside God's will for your life.
In a pretty broken place I begged God to restore my joy and restore my peace. That's when I heard it. WAIT. NOT NOW. LATER.
So we have decided to wait on having a biological child. God has told us NOT NOW. So we will wait. WHAT AMAZING PEACE this has given me!! Gods peace literally washed over me and He has restored my joy!!!
I went into my fertility doctor and told him I wanted to discuss types of birth control and was actually in the process of adopting a child from Africa. He looked at my like I was a freak alien from Mars. It was actually a little funny!
So we are soley focused on preparing to be the best parents we can be to our little Jane Jordan and have taken the burden of biological children away for the time being. I told my mom just the other day that I can clearly see Jane coming up to the hospital one day to meet her new little sister or brother. I believe that is in our future. But I also believe Jane was meant to be chosen. To be first.
I read this in my Jesus calling today:
" You are on the right path. Listen more to Me, and less to your doubts. I am leading you along the way I designed just for you. Therefore, it is a lonely way, humanly speaking. But I go before you as well as alongside you, so you are never alone. Do not expect anyone to understand fully My ways with you, anymore than you can comprehend My dealings with others. I am revealing to you the path of Life day by day, and moment by moment. As I said to My disciple Peter, so I repeat to you: Follow Me."
I know this is long and I am honestly just writing this blog as an outlet for myself and a way to look back at life while we wait for Jane. But of course I do pray that I can be an encouragement to others too and hope my blog can do that in some way.
Oh and I forgot. WE ARE NOW #35!!!!!!!!!!!!
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