Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Forever a Family!!!
So we FINALLY made it - forever a family!!! We ended one chapter of our lives and we've headed full force into the next. Esther's been home for over a week now. I have wanted to post before now but haven't had enough energy to do so! Trying to adjust to our "new normal" is taking a lot out of all of us:) Both, Gavin & Esther, are doing well. They love playing together and enjoy teaching eachother new words. Esther is learning english and Gavin creole! I plan to create a new blog at some point for anyone who wishes to follow as we continue on this crazy journey called life! Stay tuned...
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I Love Ya Tomorrow... You're Only A Day Away:):):)
Our baby girl is coming home TOMORROW!!! We have waited nearly 3 years for this day. It is completely surreal! I have gone to bed every night praying that God would protect, comfort, love and sustain our baby. We have spent each night thousands of miles apart but tonight is the last night and I'm sure there will be very little sleeping on this end! Praise be to Jesus!!!
Although we are so very excited to begin this new chapter of our lives, we are not naive. We understand that our daughter is not only coming to a place that is completely foreign to her but she is also going to be living with people that are unfamiliar to her. We don't speak the same language, we don't eat the same food, we don't have the same smells, sounds and comforts of her former life. We understand that living in a family vs. living in an orphanage will be best for Esther. The only thing she will understand is that all of a sudden she will be taken away from everything and everyone that she has ever known. She will grieve. She will miss her caretakers and friends. She will miss all the comforts of home. We pray that she will eventually bond and attach to us as her new family and that one day she will call our home her home as well. That being said, we know this will be a process that will likely take a great deal of time.
Speaking of attachment and bonding... I wanted to get this message out to our family and friends w/o having to explain it to each individual person. We are going to keep Esther's world small for the first month that she is home. We will only introduce her to a small handful of people during this time. Other than appointments we will be sticking close to home. She will need this time to begin the attachment process with her immediate family and also to get used to her new surroundings and a brand new culture. She does not understand what a Mommy and Daddy are or what a family is. We will have to model that for her as she begins to bond with us and eventually learns to trust us. We will need to start from the beginning as if she were an infant in many instances.
Since we will be working diligently on bonding and attachment there are things that will be helpful to ensure that we will still be able to work on this once Esther does start meeting more people and going more places. We do ask that Dana and I be the only ones to provide for Esther's needs such as feeding, comforting, holding, etc. Please do not offer her food, pick her up, give her a hug, etc. We understand that this may be hard but do know that we have Esther's best interest at heart. It won't be like this forever. We will certainly reassess the situtaion once we feel that she is in a good place to do so. That being said, we would absolutely LOVE for our family and friends to play with our darling when the time comes - we look forward to each of you getting to know this sweet, precious child whom you have lifted up in prayer for several years! We are excited that Esther is already loved by many whom she has not yet met!
Thank you so much for all the prayers, kind words, donations, support and everything else in between that we have received over these last 3 years. Each time we began to feel discouraged it seemed as though someone would come alongside us and lift our spirits. For that we will be forever thankful! We look forward to sharing this next chapter of our lives with y'all... stay tuned for Homecoming pictures!!! I can hardly believe that my two babies will be falling asleep under the same roof tomorrow night - God is faithful!!! Thank you Jesus!!!!
Although we are so very excited to begin this new chapter of our lives, we are not naive. We understand that our daughter is not only coming to a place that is completely foreign to her but she is also going to be living with people that are unfamiliar to her. We don't speak the same language, we don't eat the same food, we don't have the same smells, sounds and comforts of her former life. We understand that living in a family vs. living in an orphanage will be best for Esther. The only thing she will understand is that all of a sudden she will be taken away from everything and everyone that she has ever known. She will grieve. She will miss her caretakers and friends. She will miss all the comforts of home. We pray that she will eventually bond and attach to us as her new family and that one day she will call our home her home as well. That being said, we know this will be a process that will likely take a great deal of time.
Speaking of attachment and bonding... I wanted to get this message out to our family and friends w/o having to explain it to each individual person. We are going to keep Esther's world small for the first month that she is home. We will only introduce her to a small handful of people during this time. Other than appointments we will be sticking close to home. She will need this time to begin the attachment process with her immediate family and also to get used to her new surroundings and a brand new culture. She does not understand what a Mommy and Daddy are or what a family is. We will have to model that for her as she begins to bond with us and eventually learns to trust us. We will need to start from the beginning as if she were an infant in many instances.
Since we will be working diligently on bonding and attachment there are things that will be helpful to ensure that we will still be able to work on this once Esther does start meeting more people and going more places. We do ask that Dana and I be the only ones to provide for Esther's needs such as feeding, comforting, holding, etc. Please do not offer her food, pick her up, give her a hug, etc. We understand that this may be hard but do know that we have Esther's best interest at heart. It won't be like this forever. We will certainly reassess the situtaion once we feel that she is in a good place to do so. That being said, we would absolutely LOVE for our family and friends to play with our darling when the time comes - we look forward to each of you getting to know this sweet, precious child whom you have lifted up in prayer for several years! We are excited that Esther is already loved by many whom she has not yet met!
Thank you so much for all the prayers, kind words, donations, support and everything else in between that we have received over these last 3 years. Each time we began to feel discouraged it seemed as though someone would come alongside us and lift our spirits. For that we will be forever thankful! We look forward to sharing this next chapter of our lives with y'all... stay tuned for Homecoming pictures!!! I can hardly believe that my two babies will be falling asleep under the same roof tomorrow night - God is faithful!!! Thank you Jesus!!!!
Friday, September 13, 2013
Sweet Boy
Last night I told Gavin that I was going to order Daddy and Esther airline tickets so Daddy could bring Esther home. He told me to wait a second. He came back a few minutes later with these 2 tickets in hand. "Mommy, you don't have to order airplane tickets for Daddy & Esther - they can use mine!" Oh my heart!!!
SHE'S COMING HOME!!!!!!!
Our beautiful baby girl is COMING HOME!!!!!!! Praise Jesus!!!!!! She will become a US citizen on September 30th! 2 years & 11 months, from the day we began our adoption journey, our family will finally be complete! Going to sleep under the same roof, hugging both of my children at the same time, laughing together, eating together, just being together... it's completely surreal. I've had to pinch myself a few times! Her smile in this latest photo says it all... "Mommy I'm coming home to stay forever!!!!"
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
He Already Knows
Update: The embassy received the medical report and is now waiting on the passport to be dropped off. That was supposably being delivered this morning. If all goes well the visa should be ready for pick up this week. Unfortunatley, we found out this morning that the only person who can pick up the visa is leaving Haiti today and won't be back until the 13th. Therefore, we have to wait until the week of the 16th for the visa to be picked up and to receive our travel dates. We're still praying that all will work out and Dana will be able to bring Esther home on the 23rd or 30th of this month. God has had her homecoming date picked out all along. Although we are anxious, it is comforting to know that He already knows exactly how everything will go. We're trusting and believing that the Lord is faithful!
Sunday, September 1, 2013
A Child of the King
Hi Sweet Baby Girl! I know you will read this blog someday when you are older. I want you to know how very excited we are today as we anticipate your arrival! We are anxiously awaiting the go ahead to make travel arrangements. We hope to do so in the next week or so. We are praying and hoping that all will work out and you will be home sometime this month. (Oh Lord we know you care about all the tiny details of our lives. Please allow everything to fall into place so that Esther will join her forever family this September) We've kept ourselves quite busy over the past week. Gavin wanted to show you some of the ways that he has been helping to prepare for your homecoming...
We have filled your dresser with clothes....
We have hung all your pretty little dresses....
We have filled your closet w/ little shoes.... (Gavin wants to know why you have so many more pairs than he does. I guess he doesn't know too much about little girls yet) :)
We also added warm blankets to your bed....
We have been waiting and praying and hoping and missing you for exactly 2 years and 10 months. It has been a long journey filled with ups and downs. We are so ready to bring you home and start a new chapter in our lives. You are loved my sweet child. You are loved by Mommy and you are loved by Daddy and you are loved by Gavin. You are loved by your birth Mommy. You are loved by grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins and friends and church family. You are loved by many who have met you and many many who have not. But above all my dear child you are loved by Jesus. He has held you through all that has happened in your short life and He will hold you through all that will happen in the future. He loves you more than anyone on this earth could imagine. You are His precious child, His baby girl, His daughter. You are a child of the King! I pray that you will know this and never forget it!
Love you forever & always,
Mommy xoxoxo
Update: Esther's visa was supposed to be printed last week. This is the final step that needs to happen before we can make travel arrangements. We inquired about this towards the end of last week and we were told of yet another delay. The embassy had not yet received her medical report therefore they could not print her visa. We made the necessary contacts and are hoping the medical report will be delivered this week so that the visa can be printed. So I am back to doing what I have done for almost 3 years now... waiting and obsessively checking my e-mail and waiting some more. I will be so relieved when I do not feel like my e-mail account is one of my children. It sounds ridiculous but if you are in the process of adopting or have adopted you likely know exactly what I mean! Please join us in praying that our baby girl will come home sometime this month:)
We have filled your dresser with clothes....
We have filled your closet w/ little shoes.... (Gavin wants to know why you have so many more pairs than he does. I guess he doesn't know too much about little girls yet) :)We also added warm blankets to your bed....
We have been waiting and praying and hoping and missing you for exactly 2 years and 10 months. It has been a long journey filled with ups and downs. We are so ready to bring you home and start a new chapter in our lives. You are loved my sweet child. You are loved by Mommy and you are loved by Daddy and you are loved by Gavin. You are loved by your birth Mommy. You are loved by grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins and friends and church family. You are loved by many who have met you and many many who have not. But above all my dear child you are loved by Jesus. He has held you through all that has happened in your short life and He will hold you through all that will happen in the future. He loves you more than anyone on this earth could imagine. You are His precious child, His baby girl, His daughter. You are a child of the King! I pray that you will know this and never forget it!
Love you forever & always,
Mommy xoxoxo
Update: Esther's visa was supposed to be printed last week. This is the final step that needs to happen before we can make travel arrangements. We inquired about this towards the end of last week and we were told of yet another delay. The embassy had not yet received her medical report therefore they could not print her visa. We made the necessary contacts and are hoping the medical report will be delivered this week so that the visa can be printed. So I am back to doing what I have done for almost 3 years now... waiting and obsessively checking my e-mail and waiting some more. I will be so relieved when I do not feel like my e-mail account is one of my children. It sounds ridiculous but if you are in the process of adopting or have adopted you likely know exactly what I mean! Please join us in praying that our baby girl will come home sometime this month:)
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Almost There....
We FINALLY received final I-600 approval yesterday - praise Jesus!!! Esther's visa exit interview has been scheduled for August 26th:):):):). We are almost there!!! There is a light shining through at the end of this long tunnel. It is completely surreal! After waiting nearly 3 years our baby girl is on the home stretch!!! We don't know when we will get the go ahead to travel but it will likely be 2-4 weeks from today. Just the thought of being only weeks away gives me the chills! When I received this news yesterday I must have gone a bit crazy for a moment because Gavin jumped out of his chair and said "Mommy you scared me - I thought you saw a monster":) When he figured out why I was acting like a crazy lady he too began jumping around the house squealing with delight! This news has been a long time coming for everyone - young and old alike.:)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)