Fighting MMA style

I am not quite sure how to start this post but to say that our little Abigail has gone through, and will go through, more than any child should ever have to.

Daily injections.

Medications every 6 hours.

Weekly weight checks and formula adjustments.

Routine lab work.

But, she is a fighter. She is a MMA fighter.

When Abby's birthmom was pregnant with her, she had no idea how little Abigail's body was growing and being formed. Oh, of course she knew how her heart, lungs, and little hands were growing. But, what she didn't know...what no one knew...was how Abby's DNA was forming.

On October 28th, Abigail was born a perfectly healthy baby girl...or so it seemed. Within 24 hours, her body temperature dropped, her blood sugar dropped, and Abby became very lethargic. She was immediately taken to the NICU where many labs and tests were done to see what was wrong.

Remember my blog on the fingerprints of God in Abby's life? Well, they started long before we even met her. Abby's parents are from China and had come to the United States to give birth to her. They chose to deliver at a hospital with an incredible metabolic team...only they didn't know at the time of choosing the hospital that they would be needing that metabolic team.

As tests were being done and different diagnoses ruled out, the metabolic team stepped in and began testing for metabolic disorders. Right away, Abby responded to the medications and formulas that the metabolic team prescribed and once her newborn screen came back, it was confirmed that she had a very rare genetic disorder called Methylmalonic Acidemia, or MMA for short.

For the next 4 weeks, Abigail's birthparents were faced with the hard facts about MMA and the realization that the dream of taking their baby girl back to China was no longer a reality due to the lack of metabolic clinics where they live. They were given choices. Choices that no parents should ever have to make. And while her parents made choices about her life, Abigail continued to fight and do well with the regimen of injections, medications, and formula adjustments.

Abigail's parents chose the most selfless decision they could- they chose to choose parents for Abigail here in the states so that their baby girl could have the best chance possible to live with this very rare genetic disorder. And, they chose us. As a NICU nurse, I felt prepared to do whatever necessary to help this child medically. As a new mom, I was scared but so incredibly humbled that my husband and I had been picked by two amazing, loving parents to be just that- amazing, loving parents to this sweet baby girl.

At 5 weeks old, Abigail was finally discharged from the NICU. However, her life of being poked and prodded was far from over. In fact, it was just beginning. So, what is MMA and what does that mean for Abigail?

What is MMA?
Methylmalonic Acidemia, or MMA, is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder. Meaning, that both of her biological parents are carriers of MMA but do not show symptoms. Her birthparents have a one in four chance of having a child with MMA. Here's how- each gene has one copy from mom and one copy from dad. The gene that we are talking about, the one that makes the enzyme to break down 4 essential amino acids, gets a copy from mom and a copy from dad. Mom has 2 copies on each gene as well- her gene has one copy that is working and one that's not, making her a carrier of MMA. Abby's dad is the same way. As long as you have one copy on that gene that is working properly, it counteracts the non-working copy and everything is fine. However, when two people who are carriers, meaning they each have one bad copy and one good copy, have a baby there is a chance that their child could be totally fine (both good copies from mom and dad) a carrier (only a bad copy from mom or a bad copy from dad) or symptomatic (both bad copies from mom and dad). In Abby's case, she received both bad copies meaning she is symptomatic. Hence, Abigail has Methylmalonic Acidemia. This means that Abby's gene that would make the enzyme that breaks down fats and proteins does not work. Abby can't break down any fat or protein, meaning incredible complications if not treated. However, Abby was treated almost immediately after birth and is doing very well.

How do you manage MMA?
 Currently, Abigail is on VitB12 injections because one of the copies of her gene works slightly and the VitB12 helps that copy to break down the amino acids that make up protein. She is also on Levocarnitine which helps gives her energy. Abigail cannot drink just formula or breastmilk because her body can't break down the fats and proteins in the milk. So, she is on a special formula that contains the 4 essential amino acids her body can't make along with regular baby formula so that her body can get the nutrition it needs. She goes for weekly check-ups and routinely gets blood drawn to make sure all of her acid levels in her body are okay.

What does this mean long term for Abby?
 Right now, it is hard to tell. Our bodies, especially when they are little, need lots of fat and protein in order to grow properly. In fact, that is basically all the brain uses to grow! She is constantly watched to make sure she is hitting her developmental milestones, staying on track for her height and weight, and continuing to grow appropriately. Right now, she is in the 25th percentile for height and weight and that is right where we want her. There are many complications that can come about with MMA; however, we are praying that God continues to put His hand of healing and protection over her little body and that those complications do not become a reality for her. With every ounce she gains and every milestone she hits, it is truly a miracle!

Our precious baby girl is doing so well and we are so thankful that God chose us to be her parents. Yes, this road of MMA will not be easy, but how thankful I am that we live in a world of cutting edge technology and amazing doctors. And, how thankful I am that God prepared me many years ago to become a nurse. A nurse for many. But more importantly, a nurse for my sweet little girl.

Abigail is a fighter. She is a MMA fighter!!

To read more about what Abby has, check out this link about MMA !

Fingerprints

Fingerprints.

They are what set us a part from everyone else on this planet. And yet, they are pretty much invisible to the naked eye. They are something we never think about. However, without them, we wouldn't be who we are.

I've never been one of those people who believes in "good luck" charms or "signs". However, I do believe in a God who likes to show up and show off quite often. I like to call those marks on my life His fingerprints- marks of who He says He is in His word displayed in my every day life to remind me of who He is. I call them fingerprint moments.

I love fingerprint moments. And our adoption is filled with them!

For those of you that have been keeping up with our adoption journey, you may remember the reason why we began the journey. A face in China. A little Chinese baby girl with a heart and skeletal condition in need of a home immediately. I instantly fell in love with her picture and knew from that point on, I was supposed to adopt. However, we quickly found out that we didn't qualify, for many reasons, to adopt from China, so we pursued domestic infant adoption.

Again, as most of you know, things moved fairly quickly for our entire adoption process and on October 31st, we became homestudy approved and adoption ready. In the midst of all the paperwork and waiting, we were presented with 7 different adoption opportunities and had our profile shown 4 times, and we were even asked to foster a medical needs child. In the end, none of these situations worked out and we were starting to wonder why. Why weren't we being chosen? Didn't we look great on paper? Were we good enough? The questions continued as we continued to wait.

Then, on Thursday, November 12th, I received a FB message from a dear friend of mine who has 6 children and has also adopted. She was sending me the link to a 4 week old baby girl of Chinese descent with a very rare genetic disorder who needed to be adopted immediately. There was a picture of this precious baby and she caught my eye right away. However, we were in the midst of waiting for answers from Bethany about families who were looking at our profile, so we put the idea of this little one on the back burner.

Monday, November 16th, we found out we had not been chosen by the families through Bethany, so we began to entertain the idea of this little 4 week old baby girl. And from this point on, God's fingerprints started showing up everywhere. First, the way the information even got to me should not have happened. It was found by my friend on a FB page where the link was not supposed to be in the first place and as soon as my friend saw it, the link was removed. It was up for less than 5 minutes. Fingerprint moment!

 We called the agency that this little girl was under and by Friday, we had been approved to meet the family who was anxiously waiting to meet us. Side note- the birth family had become friends with a woman who knew my friend with the 6 kids and she and I had spoken a few times over FB message and phone. She gave my name to the birth family and the mother found my blog and read the entire thing. She was so excited to meet us after reading the blog. Fingerprint moment!

 Once we were approved, we arranged to meet the family at our house the following day, Saturday, November 20th. They came to our home to see where their daughter would be living and raised and to spend time getting to know me and Dave. During the conversation, we chatted about the baby's name, Cindy, and how my mom and Dave's mom both have the same name. We all got chills at that point. Definitely another fingerprint moment!

 On Monday, November 23rd, we were told that the birth family had chosen us to become the parents of their daughter, Cindy. We were so very excited and felt blessed beyond belief that they would choose us. As Dave and I chatted about the adoption journey we have been on, we were humbled by the fact that God had pricked my heart with the face of a little girl in China with medical needs who needed a home that we could not physically provide and still gave me and Dave the desires of our heart by allowing us to adopt a Chinese baby girl with medical needs right here in our country without all of the limitations! An amazing fingerprint of God's love, sovereignty, and grace on our lives!

 Tuesday, November 24th, was probably one of the hardest days of my life. That was the day that the birth family chose to sign relinquishment papers of their baby girl so that we could adopt her into our family. Her birth parents love her so much that instead of taking her back to China where she would not be able to get the medical care that she needs for her genetic disorder, they chose instead to find a loving family here in America to care for her and raise her as their own knowing that her medical needs could be met here in the United States. My heart broke as I hugged her birth mom and promised her that I would take good care of Cindy. My heart ached as she handed me the bag of clothes she had bought for this precious baby girl. And now, part of my heart is half way across the world in China with this momma as we are linked by the face of a beautiful little girl that we have now named, Abigail Cindy. God's fingerprints are everywhere!

The journey from last Tuesday to today has been filled with many phone calls, trips to the NICU to visit our sweet baby girl and anticipation of today, November 30th, as we signed papers to make Abigail an official part of the Woodley family.

As I sit and reflect on the many moments that have lead up to the culmination of today, I am completely overwhelmed with the faithfulness and love of my savior, Jesus Christ. He showed up and showed off when He placed Abigail in our family. But most of all, He allowed us to share Himself to Abigail's birth family in amazing, incredible ways! Adoption is the Gospel lived out here on earth. Just as God gave His one and only Son to save many from the sins of this world, so one mother grieves a loss as many are rejoicing in a gift. How blessed I am to be a part of God's plan for Abigail and how humbled I am that I was chosen to be her mommy.

God has had His hand on this adoption the entire time and in these past two weeks, I finally saw the fingerprints!

 Meeting Abigail for the first time

 



Love being a mommy

Daddy's little princess

Already stylin'!

Those cheeks!



Resting peacefully and loving being held

Our amazing, little blessing!

Adoption: An earthly view of a heavenly redemption

In the midst of something that is hard, you have to remember the "why". Without the "why", there's no motivation for sticking to it when the going gets tough.

Why do I workout? Because I want to stay healthy for my husband and future kids.

Why do I eat healthy? Because I want to stay healthy and fit for my husband and future kids.

Why do I go to work? Because I need money so that I can have a roof over my head and food to eat.

Why am I a nurse? Because I love caring for the sick and hurting and helping others in a time of need and desperation.

Why am I adopting? Because I want to give a child a home; to give a child a future; to give a child redemption from a situation that was not fit for the child.

Why am I adopting? Because as a Christian, I believe that earthly adoption is a beautiful example of the eternal adoption I have in Jesus Christ and I want to give back to a child here on earth for what Jesus did for this child. right. here.

Parallels between Earthly and Eternal adoption:

1) It's Costly
  In order for there to be a hope and a future for mankind, a price had to be paid.
Because of the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden at the beginning of time, all mankind was cursed with sin.
God gave Adam and Eve a choice and they chose their own way instead of God's way. Because of that choice, we are all eternally separated from God.
 God is perfect and He cannot look on sin.
 However, God loved us too much to leave us in a state of desperation. So, He chose to make a way to adopt us. He sent His one and only son, Jesus, to die for us. He chose to allow His perfect, wonderful Son to die; to take upon himself ALL of our sin, so that He could have a relationship with us- sinful, broken, hurting, depressed, poor, mankind- and give us the beautiful hope of eternity with Him in heaven.
 Our earthly adoption is costly.
It means we aren't going on a nice vacation this year.
It means we aren't buying nice Christmas gifts for each other this year.
It means we will continue to rent a home for a few more years.
However, the cost to bring home our adoptive child pales in comparison to the cost Jesus paid in order to bring us home as His adoptive children.

2) It's a Choice
Jesus paid it all for us. And now, we choose.
We choose to accept that free gift of eternal life...of adoption.
When we choose the gift of adoption that He offers to mankind, we become a part of the family of God.
Just like a family will choose us and their child will become a part of our family and no longer be a part of his or her birth family, so we also leave behind the birth into a sinful life and become heirs of God's perfect family.
With that choosing to become a part of God's family comes a choice to be like that family. When we choose to be adopted into the family of God, we choose to say no to the sins of this world- drugs, drunkenness, sex outside of marriage, pornography, crude language and behavior, stealing, lying, etc.- because those things don't characterize God and who He is.
God wants all of mankind to make a choice, a choice to choose His family and become an adopted heir of Jesus Christ!

3) It's Unconditional
When Jesus adopts us into His family, it's not because we have it all together.
 It's not because we look great.
 It's not because we do good works.
No.
 Jesus chose to pay the price and give us a free gift of eternal life with Him because...He love us. Unconditionally.
And, when we choose to be a part of His family, nothing can ever change that. We have taken on His name. We have been given the inheritance of eternal life. We have been given the power and indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
And nothing, once we are adopted into His family, nothing can ever or will ever separate us from Him.
When our child comes home with us it won't be because they are perfect. Or have it all together. Or look the cutest. Or have the best genetic makeup.
No.
It will be because we love them...unconditionally.
When our child comes home with us and takes on our name, nothing will ever be able to separate that child from us. We will never stop loving that child no matter what he or she might do in the future. That child was chosen and wanted and will forever be ours.

And that's exactly how Jesus sees us. He loves us. He wants us. He chose to pay the greatest sacrifice for us. He desires that none should perish but have everlasting life.

Have you been adopted? Have you chosen to leave this earthly life of sin and instead accept the costly, free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ? Have you chosen to become adopted into the family of God and be given the inheritance of eternal life in heaven with Him?

If you haven't been eternally adopted, I encourage you to take a minute now and ask Jesus to come into your heart, to acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a Savior, to have Jesus cleanse you from all of your sins, and to ask Him to become the Lord of your life.

When you make this choice, you become adopted into God's family. You become an heir to the eternal life that Jesus promises to all who are called under His name...His family. No longer will you be separated by sin and sentenced to hell forever, but you will be a child of God with the hope of eternal glory in heaven...with your eternal adopted family.

This. This is why I am adopting.

Paper Pregnant

We are almost 5 months along...in this adoption process. Kind of hard to believe!

Each day it is becoming more and more real and the excitement is beginning to build.

The hardest part about being "paper pregnant" is all of the things I DON'T have to prove we will be having a baby- a positive pregnancy test, a growing belly, a due date, cravings, and of course, the constant trips to the bathroom and swollen feet.

However, now that I am 5 months into this, there is definitely a list of things that I'd say prove we are "paper" pregnant!

Let's see, I'll start with the first trimester!

Symptoms:
 - Those first 12 weeks were filled with feelings of being overwhelmed...by mounds of paperwork and hundreds of questions.
- There were definitely sleepless nights as I toss and turned over all the "what if's"
- We had all kinds of appointments to go to- doctor's office, post office, adoption office- that reminded me this was for real when I had nothing tangible to hold, feel, or see yet.

Cravings:
- I craved the feeling of acceptance when we waited to be approved to adopt.
- I craved the feeling of completion when the homework would be finished for our homestudy.
- I craved chocolate when I stressed about the financial part of the adoption.

The first trimester was definitely the hardest as there were many ups and downs and so many unknowns.

Second Trimester (where we are currently!)

Symptoms:
- I am definitely in more of a routine and feeling "settled" now that we've been accepted and approved- I can sleep through the night without tossing and turning.
- The paperwork is in and our home study is completed which helps me relax and feel way less stressed.
- The baby room is finished and I know how to install our carseat which definitely helps me feel prepared and ready.

Cravings:
- I have begun craving for our little one and getting to hold him or her in my arms
- I crave the knowledge of who our little one will be and when he or she will be here
- I still crave chocolate when the stress of waiting and being chosen by a birthmom feels overwhelming!

I guess being "paper" pregnant has its own symptoms and cravings too!

Whether a family is made by being "paper" pregnant or "humanly" pregnant, it is a family. I can't wait for our little family of two to become a family of three! Because we have now completed the home study and are officially a waiting adoptive family, that reality could be any day!

Hang in there with us as we head out of the second trimester and into the beginning of the third trimester of this paper pregnancy!

Growing in my heart

The Waiting Room

"Please have a seat, ma'am, and someone will be right with you."

I really don't like those words. Most of the time it means I am waiting for the dentist, the eye doctor, the primary care doctor, or some government agency...none of which are fun areas to wait.

It is those moments of waiting that my mind begins to reel...
"What will they find when they look at my teeth today?"
"Will I have to get a shot?"
"Will my vision be worse this time?"
"What if I can't pay what I owe?"
"What if I don't get approved"

What, what, if, if- these words give me sweaty palms and a racing heart before I even make it back to the exam room! And then, I probably look pale, and have a HR of 200, and a BP that's in hypertensive crisis and I'll probably need to be sent to the hospital right away, and... the list could go on.

You get my point. Waiting is not fun. Waiting is hard.

And that's where we are right now in our adoption of Baby Woodley!

We passed our home inspection last Tuesday, September 29th, and are now waiting for our family assessment to be completed so that we can adopt in all 50 states! Currently, we are approved to adopt in PA while the family assessment is being written and could get a phone call at any time!

Exciting. Nerve-wracking. Awesome.

 Making all the outlets baby proof!

 Our Emergency numbers and fire escape plan up on the fridge and ready to go!

 

The must-have carbon monoxide detector!

 



Car seat properly installed!

 

The home inspection wasn't bad at all, and with a few things added, we passed with flying colors! Next, we are updating our profile to have it available to expectant moms by November 1st. Our profile will more than likely be seen many times before we  are chosen as an adoptive family. It is during this time of waiting that we will continue to fundraise for the last fees, fill-out paperwork for adoption grants, and pray fervently for our forever family!

 

Can't wait for Baby Woodley to join our family!

 

During this time of waiting I am choosing not to fear. I am choosing not to look ahead at the "what-if's." I am choosing to keep my eyes focused on Jesus. I am choosing to trust in a loving God who has proven Himself faithful over and over again. I am choosing to wait patiently for God's perfect timing!

 

"Please have a seat, ma'am, and someone will be right with you."



 

It Takes a Village

 

 

I've always wondered what it would have been like during colonial times to live in colonies and help raise one another's children.
Then, I adopted.
This adoption has been such an incredible time of seeing just how blessed we are and how it truly takes a village of others to help bring a little one home! Dave and I are blessed beyond words and we can't thank you all enough for all you have given and continue to give to help us bring our Missing Piece home!

Update on the Missing Piece Fundraiser:

For those of you that are participating in our Missing Piece Fundraiser, thank you! We have received back 10 pieces with incredible gifts of love and we are so grateful for your generosity! Through this fundraiser and other anonymous gifts that have been given, we are only $10,000 away from the total $30,000 we need for this adoption! WOW!!! Talk about an incredible answer to prayer! You all have been incredibly generous and supportive and we can't wait to share Baby Woodley with you!

Update on Baby Items:
 Many of you have asked how you can help provide in other ways as well and we, again, have been totally blown away by the generosity, gifts, and total outpouring of love on this little one that isn't even home yet! Take a look at all the gifts, big and small, that have been given to give Baby Woodley a wonderful start to life!

Gently used carseat

 

Beautiful hand-me-down crib

Room decorations and all the linens

 

Gliding rocking chair

Changing table

Baby toys

 

 

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to all those who have so generously given. We could not be doing this adoption without the colony of villagers helping us on this journey!

 

What's Next?

 

 

 

Along with many of you, we can't wait to bring this little one home! However, we have a few more steps before that becomes a reality. Next Tuesday, September 29th, at 1pm we have our home inspection. This is the last interview of our homestudy! Once we have passed the home inspection, the agency will put together our family assessment and our profile will then become open to the public.

And then, we wait. We wait for an expectant mom to choose us. We wait for a phone call to say we've been chosen. And in the waiting, we will continue to pray. And, we will continue to keep you all updated on the progress!

 

If you would like to help us on this journey to #adoptingbabywoodley, please email me at adoptingbw@gmail.com ! Also, if you would like more information on adoption or Bethany Christian Services, email me at the address above and I would be happy to tell you all about this incredible journey that YOU can go on too!

 

 

Adoption takes a village and we couldn't do this without YOU!

 

 



 



 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We're Almost There!

Our Infant Care Class

On June 9th, Dave and I sat in a room full of other prospective adoptive families.

We listened to stories of unwanted children. We listened to stories of wanted children who couldn't be provided for. We listened to stories of heartbreak and hope. We listened to stories of a need. A need for people to rise to the occasion and adopt the "orphans" of the USA.

So, we rose to the occasion.

We didn't know what kind of adventure we would be in store for. The piles of paperwork. The endless pages of adoption books. The multiple checks to the government for background checks and fingerprints. The trips to the doctor's office for drug tests and TB tests. The interrogating questions in personal interviews. The many chats about how we want to discipline our children. The many prayers for financial support. The overwhelming response from friends and family in their giving. The countless donations of baby items. The list goes on and on.

And, yet, we are almost there! We are almost finished with an adventure that started just 3 months ago. But this is just the beginning! The beginning of waiting for our precious bundle of joy to arrive. The waiting for the phone to ring to say we've been chosen. The waiting for the child God has been preparing for us. The waiting may be difficult, but the end result will be incredible!

 

 

The last step in the home study process is our home inspection! We will have our home inspection conducted on Tuesday, September 29th at 1pm! Once we pass the inspection, we pay the first of 3 large payments. Once the payment is made, our profile becomes public. Once our profile becomes public, we could get a call about a baby at any time! 

It feels so surreal. This moment. I can't believe it's here.

Though the first leg of the adventure is almost over, there is still so much more to come!

We're almost there! And we can't wait!

Just Jump

The other day a friend of mine and I were talking about her home buying experience. The ups and downs. The waiting and unknown. And the constant "Oh, one more thing." being told to her.

She and I are very similar- Type A, OCD...and all the other labels that go with being crazy, control freaks! Don't worry- she knows she falls into this category!

She then turned to me and asked me, "How are you doing this?" I said, "Doing what?" She replied, "This adoption thing. There are so many unknowns. You don't know when you are getting a baby, you have to be ready basically whenever, and you just have to wait. How are you doing it?" My initial response was, "Well, there is nothing to stress about at this point because we don't have a baby yet." But, her question got me thinking.

This adoption journey goes against every grain of my need-to-control-every-situation self.

This adoption journey goes against every plan I had in place...FOR ME.

This adoption journey goes against every Type A, OCD part of me.

This adoption journey has been the most incredible adventure I have ever been on.

I just had to JUMP!

Before I was married, I had a desire...I had a dream...to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

I know. I know. Totally crazy. But totally worth it.

As I climbed up into the plane, my heart began to race...just a little. As the plane ascended into the air and I watched the perfectly good ground go farther and farther away, I began to think, "What am I doing? What was I thinking?"

We finally hit 15,000 feet. Yes, you read that right. 15 THOUSAND feet above the ground! And it was time to jump. I had signed the waiver. I had watched the video. I had paid the fees. I had put on the jump suit. But nothing could prepare me for the moment of sitting on the edge of the plane, looking down to the ground below and being told, " 1. 2. 3. JUMP!"

 

My heart was racing. My palms were sweating. I was just a little scared.

 

I jumped.

 

And it was the most amazing feeling in the world! The ground that was so nice and secure, now looked so small and far away. However, the things I could have never seen while standing on the earth, were now so visibly clear. My perspective changed. If I had never jumped, I would have never been able to have witnessed my world from such a different point of view.

 

As I jumped, I had that momentary thought of, "What do I do if my parachute doesn't open?" It was in that moment that I had to have faith. Faith in the man I was tandem jumping with. Faith that the parachute had been packed correctly. Faith that the parachute would actually come open.

 

I could have been paralyzed by the fear of the "What if's" and never have left the comfort of the ground. Or, I could push past those fears, move out of my comfort zone, have faith and witness something that I would never had witnessed had I not jumped.

 

Seeing the world from that point of view was a moment I will never forget. It was truly amazing.


When it comes to this adoption, I can't be paralyzed by the "What if's."
What if we don't get enough financial support?
What if we are never chosen?
What if we are picked and the adoption falls through?
What if the baby comes in a few weeks and I'm not ready?
What if that baby turns into a teenager who rejects me and wants to be with his "real" mom?

Yes, the fears can be paralyzing and ones that should be worked through before continuing the journey.

But, ultimately, you just have to trust. I have to trust that I am doing what I believe I am called to do. I have to trust that the God of the universe is going to supply all my needs. I have to trust that my God is sovereign and in control of EVERY situation.

 Dave and I have taken the adoption leap of faith. And we have been totally blown away by the support from those who are a part of our life! From the financial support through our fundraiser, the donation of all of my baby items, to the many who tell us they are daily praying for us, we have been so humbled and blessed!

Baby gifts!

 

All the envelopes to be sent for our fundraiser!

 

Puzzle pieces returning and generous donations being given!

 

 

When that desire, that dream, comes into your life and you know that it will be amazing but it will mean stepping out of your comfort zone- do it! When that desire, that dream, comes into your life and you know that it will mean a sacrifice on your part to be a blessing to someone else- do it!

 

So, to my dear friend who asked, "How are you doing this adoption thing?" I am doing it by having faith in a loving God who cares so deeply about me and who said to me, " Are you ready?"

 

"1. 2. 3. JUMP!"



A Letter to My Little One

To my precious little one,

  We haven't met yet. But in my prayers, I talk to God about you every day. I pray for the little person you will grow to become and for the precious woman who is carrying you right now- in her arms or in her tummy.

  I don't know if you will come to me as a newborn, a 6 month old, or a toddler. But what I do know is that the moment I meet you, I will love you with all of my heart.

  My little one, you are a chosen baby. Your daddy and I prayed many months about making the decision to choose you. We still aren't finished with all of the classes and paperwork to be able to meet you, but that will go by quickly. And soon, I will be rocking you in our comfy rocking chair.

  Your daddy is so excited to meet you. He is brand new to this whole baby thing (I work with them almost every day) so he is practicing. He practices wrapping my baby dolls so that one day he can swaddle you warm and tight. He holds little babies at church so one day he can hold you and comfort you in his big, strong arms. Your daddy prays for you every day...and is already so in love with you.

 

  And I am already head over heels in love with you! As a nurse who works with babies all the time, I get to hold, feed, swaddle, and comfort many other peoples' babies, but I can't wait for the day when I can do all of those things for my baby- you! I can't wait to take you for walks, read you bedtime stories, and sing sweet lullabies to you as you fall asleep in my arms. You are a gift from God and will always hold a special place in my heart.

  My dear, sweet little one. Your room is ready, our hearts are growing with anticipation to meet you and love you, and we can't wait to see what God is going to do in and through you, our chosen baby. We will continue to pray daily for you and patiently wait until the day we meet.

I love you.

Love,
 Your Mommy

Asking for Directions

I know that they say guys have a hard time asking for directions. But let's face it ladies, we do too!

 

I hate looking like I don't know where I am going, what I am doing, etc. To the point where I will spend hours trying to figure it out before finally asking for help. Or how about doing a task...all by yourself! I am guilty of that one all the time!

 

I don't like to ask for help. I am a first born. I can DO IT MYSELF!! If there is a financial need, well, I'll just work more hours. If there is a physical need, well, I will just devote all my time and energy until the need is met. I got this!!

 

However, there are some things...okay, a lot of things, I just can't do by myself.

 

For example. There are some lovely bushes that grow along the front of our house. They are great for privacy and keeping others from peeking in to our little backyard. However, they grow like weeds. The first year in our home, I took the hedge clippers to them and gave them a good trim. Only to realize 3 days later they were filled with poison ivy, hence, the terrible rash all over my arms!

"I'll be more careful next time." I thought as I took the clippers to them again the next summer. Once again, 3 days later, I was covered in a rash. Only this time it was so bad, I was placed on steroids.

 

Now, you'd think I would have learned my lesson. Naw, I did it again. And was placed on steroids, again! Talk about a stubborn will! You know why I kept doing it? Because I wanted everything to be done just the way it should be. I wanted everything to look nice. I wanted to show my husband I could do it ALL BY MYSELF! Unfortunately, all I showed my sweet husband was a stubborn wife who couldn't learn her lesson! This year, though, I've stayed away from the bushes. Yep, they are a little long right now and yes, they will eventually get done. But I am going rash free this summer! My husband is perfectly happy to trim the hedges too because he doesn't get poison ivy and it keeps me from being a cranky wife for 2 weeks! Sometimes, we just need to ask for help!

 

Going through this adoption journey has humbled me in more ways than one. And one of those areas is asking for help. Like I have stated before, the adoption journey is not a cheap journey. Even though God has blessed us unbelievably financially, there are still some things that we just can't pay for on our own. So, we have come up with a fundraiser and would love to have you join!

 

The "Missing Piece" Fundraiser



  Dave and I have stated from the beginning that this journey through adoption is our adventure to find our "missing piece." And this sparked an idea! We turned the picture above into an 88 piece puzzle! But, here's the fun part! If you would like to help us financially and help make a difference for a little girl or boy, you get to receive a piece of this puzzle! When you choose to be a part of this fundraiser, you will be sent a puzzle piece along with a letter. Once you have received the puzzle piece, you will sign the back of your puzzle piece and send it, along with your donation, back to us. When we have all the pieces back, we will put the puzzle together and frame it as a gift to our adopted child! This puzzle will have all the names of those who helped make it possible for this child to have joy and hope for the future!

 

 

As much as I'd like to say, "I can do this myself," I can't. We can't. Adoption takes a village. Thank you to those who have already so graciously given- your name is already on a puzzle piece!! For those that would like to give, please send me your name and address to adoptingbw@gmail.com

and I will get a puzzle piece to you!

 

Thank you all for joining us on this journey! Knowing you are reading the blog and praying for us is the biggest blessing of all! We couldn't do this journey without you guys!!



The Uphill Climb

When we were little, we used to go hiking all the time.

I had the privilege of growing up in the Pacific Northwest and got to climb Mount Rainier...all the time!! I never knew how blessed I was to climb that amazing mountain until I moved to a place with hills for mountain ranges!

One thing we always did while hiking was encourage one another. Up the hill, down the hill, under the tree, over the rock- we were always cheering one another on. There were times we thought we weren't going to make it up the hill and crawling on hands and knees, we would cheer each other on  all the way to the top.

That's how this past week of our adoption has been. An uphill climb.

And so many encouraging us as we climb.

Right now, we are in the stage of a home inspection and interviews...which haven't actually started yet due to a fork in the road.

A week and a half ago, we got a call about a baby.

A baby that needed a home.

A baby that was due in 4 weeks.

Dave and I assessed the situation, felt comfortable with the outcomes, and said YES!!

We knew there would be peaks and valleys on this journey, but we never knew the magnitude of them. We were on an emotional high! We had to get a profile together in about 48 hours...24 of which I was working! For those of you that have adopted and put together a profile, this thing is no joke! Pictures, testimonials, stories- basically, an 8 page snapshot into our life!

We completed the profile. We were given the accolades of our social worker as she applauded our very nice looking profile in such a short period of time. We prayed and waited as Monday came and our profile would be shown to this expectant mom.

We waited and prayed.

We prayed and waited.

And today marked one week...of waiting and praying.

And then, we got the news...we had not been chosen.

In the midst of the highs and lows, peaks and valleys, of this past week, today's final answer found both Dave and I in a place of calm. The kind of calm that comes from knowing that everything is okay and that everything happens for a reason.

I never knew this kind of emotion existed. The elation of the possibility of being a mom in 4 weeks, the stress and patience of waiting for an answer, and the weight in a simple word of "no"- the possibility is gone. It is a kind of feeling that is going to be hard to go through again as we continue on this adoption journey.

The hike up the hill was real. The encouragement from our friends and loved ones was amazing, and we made it to the top. We conquered this mountain!

Now, we trek on to Baby Care classes, Infant CPR, and a thorough investigation of our home! Can't wait to see what other mountains there are to climb!

Faith Like Potatoes

Tonight was our Friday night. We hadn't had a "Pizza and Movie" night in a very long time and since I am going into a long weekend of work, we decided to turn Thursday night into a Friday night.

We had a nice, hot pizza and "Interstellar" from the library all ready to go. It was time for dinner and a movie with my sweetheart!

But, let me back up a little bit.

Early this morning, Dave and I went on a walk and were discussing ways we could raise funds for this adoption. We were told by the administrative assistant taking care of our many pieces of paperwork that we were going very quickly through this process and she was very impressed! Kudos to us....I guess! HA! However, because the process is going so quickly, the financial part of this adoption is beginning to become daunting. And Dave and I are fixers. We are planners. We are go-getters. So, the first thing we want to do is figure out a plan to fix the situation we are in and go after it! Makes sense, right?! It did to us this morning as we were planning and planning.

Now, back to tonight.

As Dave put the DVD in the DVD player, we settled onto the couch and waited for the movie to play. It wouldn't play. Dave took it out and placed it back in. We waited. It still wouldn't play. After several tries, we gave up and went to Netflix. We finally settled on a movie (that can be very hard for two firstborns!) and a message popped up saying too many users were on and we couldn't watch our show. Tried two more times. Same message. Bummer.

Then, Dave suggested we watch a movie called, "Faith Like Potatoes," a video my sister had given me for Christmas. Sure, why not. So, he opened up the movie and it began right away. "Faith Like Potatoes" is based on a the true story of Angus Buchan who was a Scottish farmer living in Africa. He was a hard working man with a short temper. He worked hard ALL the time and whenever an obstacle got in his way, he made sure whatever it was got fixed and life went on...at the loss of friendships and almost at the cost of his marriage. On the brink of desperation, he met Jesus, began a relationship with Him, and he was a new man. He began telling others about Jesus and watched as miracle after miracle happened in his village.

The worst drought of his time hit and the whole town was living in fear and desperation. Without rain, these farmers livelihoods were gone. But, Angus prayed. He trusted. He remained confident in the God of the universe that He would provide for him and his family. He planted potatoes. Now, if you know anything about planting potatoes, they especially need water. His neighbors thought he was crazy. But he trusted in a God who was in control of all things. And on the day of harvest, in the most severe drought, he had an entire crop of potatoes. Because potatoes grow underground, he had no idea what would be there until the day of the harvest. God provided. God gave them potatoes.

As the credits rolled, my eyes filled with tears. I couldn't speak. God was telling me to have faith. God was telling me to trust that He is and will produce an incredible harvest at the right time. God was telling me that He is in control and that He will never fail me. God was telling me that this adoption adventure is my time of faith; my time to trust and watch as God does miraculous things! What an incredible message!

This adoption adventure isn't just about bringing another person into our home. It is about growing the relationship that Dave and I have with God and about the relationship that Dave and I have with each other! I am so excited to see what other lessons God has to teach me on this journey of adoption!

Oh, and once we finished "Faith Like Potatoes," our other movie, "Interstellar," started right up..... 

Off We Go!!

 

 

This face.

 

This is what arrived in my mailbox after choosing to go with Bethany Christian Services.

 

This was a brochure that will forever change the Woodley family.

 

This face...will soon be replaced with the face of our own beautiful child.

 

Wow!!! So hard to believe that about 6 weeks ago, this dream, this desire, this passion, was just that...a dream. And now, here we are knee deep in paperwork and head over heels in love with this idea of adoption.

 

But just like the old saying, "What goes up must come down," the same is true when a high turns into a low. I was having a low day on Monday. Dave and I were preparing to send out a good portion of our paperwork that would lead us to the next step in our adoption process...and closer to the next payment that had to be made. It was in that moment that I was hit with the overwhelming responsibility of the adventure we are about to embark on...financially, mentally, and spiritually.

 

I opened my Bible like I try to do every day and prayed that God would help me see in a BIG way that this adoption was His idea and not mine. And then, I continued my devotional journey through the book of Luke. I was finishing up the book of Luke and coming to the end of Chapter 24 where Jesus sees His disciples after His resurrection and prepares them for His ascension into heaven. I didn't think there was going to be any BIG way God was going to show me that this adoption was His idea as I was reading through the book of Luke...but remember what I said about prayer?? Yes, it works.

 

I was finishing up my reading of Luke and got to Luke 24:50 which says, "And He led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands, and He blessed them." WHAT??? I had to read it again. and again. and again! He led them- his disciples- out to Bethany and He- Jesus- lifted up His hands and blessed them- his disciples! As a follower of Jesus, I am one of His disciples. I am the recipient of His blessings. And then, God just had to top it off in a BIG way and made sure I understood that HE was the one leading Dave and I to Bethany...Bethany Christian Services...and there, He will bless us. It doesn't say beforehand, on the way, half way there, but there.

 

I was once again blown away by the way God speaks to me. I fail Him all the time and yet, He is so faithful. He promises to take care of me. All I have to do is just follow Him.

 

So, as Dave and I mailed off the first stack of paperwork, I was at peace. I was at peace knowing that the Creator of the universe had this plan all laid out before I was even created. He knows my weaknesses; He knows my fears; and if I just follow Him, He will raise His hands and bless me!

 

 

 

So, on to Bethany we go to bring our forever baby home!

 

 

 

 If you would like to join us on this adventure to adopt baby Woodley, there are a couple of ways you can hop on for the ride. The first is by praying- pray for wisdom and patience for Dave and myself, and for our birth mom, whoever she may be! The second is by helping us reach our financial goals by donating to our GoFundMe account or by watching for more fundraisers that are coming in the near future! Thank you for helping us on our adventure to #adoptbabywoodley!