Gotcha Day

Free picture slideshow made with Smilebox Absolutely perfect day. I really can't say what all today meant because it was just beautiful. In our file for petition to be Eli's parents there were many questions they asked us, but the one question that resonated above all the others was "Will you provide for Eli's mental, physical, and spiritual health?" I bawled my eyes out as I promised to do this. Then Michael got up and made the same oath. Just beautiful. God continues to amaze me. I can't say it enough. God is good all the time.

Not my own, I am His!

Yesterday, while being treated to a wonderful pedicure, my darling nail tech asked about the baby. We giggled about his latest 8 month old discoveries. In her sweet broken English, she explained to another customer our story, by saying "She love another baby that not her own. Uh, how do you say?" I replied "Adoption" and she went on sharing. As she was talking it was as if time were standing still for a moment, a portion of my heart froze for a second as I contemplated what she had just said, partly because I'll admit it "stung" a little bit to hear someone referring to Eli as not my "own", but I felt God gently say  "Whether born of your body or not, he's still mine. Lareta, your son is one of my precious blessings not your own." Thank you for humility Lord and repeatedly patiently teaching me this AGAIN and AGAIN. Hee hee! In this one conversation I learned that the three beautiful ladies sitting beside me were all a part of adoption too! An adoptive mom, child, and sibling... Love truly does create family! God's family and it's great to know we are His!! I loved this picture from Christian Homes so I had to add it!! Too cute! Thanks for reading!!!

Hunka Hunka Motherlove!

I don't know if time is going by so quickly because I became a mommy later in life? Or because we adopted? Or because life just keeps on going ever-so-swiftly??? But as I sit here tonight, I wonder where the minutes, hours, days, weeks, and 8 months have gone? My sweet baby is 8 months old!! Technically 8 months and 1 week, but why add the week??? Finishing out my school year was an easy countdown because I knew summer would give me time, like I never had before, with my son. Not that February-May was a "cake walk", far from it, but I decided to jump right in and finish out the best year ever with my little darlings. My sweet first graders shared my affection for Baby Eli and his many pics as much as I did!! Hee Hee! Needless to say, weekly pics were shamelessly displayed across our classroom promethean board! Lol!!! 

June finally arrived and we kicked off the summer of mommy and son bonding time. Love it!!! Eli started crawling and quickly demonstrated his need to move. Life as we knew it, was about to change! My sweet little man could coo, click, slobber, and communicate all his desires, well almost! His first two bottom teeth came in right away! Yikes!!! He fell in love with squash, sweet potatoes, and ham. The boy is serious about his food and sleep. By July, he started pulling up and really showing off his leg muscles. Ha!!!!!! It's been a summer like no other. My days are full of giggles, squeals, lots of diaper changes, cuddles, baby babble, lots of drool, toys strewn everywhere, constant bottle washing, afternoon naps, and moments of pure joy. I never knew how exhausting and rewarding it would be. I love this child with all my heart. I find myself staring at him and simply wondering how God chose me to be his mommy?  Open adoption has allowed us to stay in touch with our beautiful birthmom. I'd be lying if I said there are days when I wish I gave birth to Eli, but God in His wisdom knows how to perfectly weave lives together for His glory. My continued prayer for sweet Eli is that he grows up to love the Lord more than anything and that he knows he was chosen, wanted, adopted, and loved by God, his birthparents, and by his parents. Please pray with us that we can finalize soon. Stay tuned for more updates! Love you all! 

Fearless

Photo slideshow created with Smilebox

After our fundraiser event we knew we had just a few more steps in the adoption process. We needed to complete our home study. I was so fearful that we wouldn’t be approved. Again God said “I am with you. I am for you!”

After our home study was complete we knew it would take about 4 weeks until we received our approval letter. I kept singing that Kari Jobe song “I know that you are for me.”  It was the beginning of October when we rec’d our approval letter from the Adoption Agency. (I wanted to frame it and hang it on the wall.)

It’s at this point that they will show our profile to prospective birthmom’s and then the birthmom will choose who she would like to meet for what’s called a "match" meeting.

On October 19^th Friday evening my phone rang and said “Christian Homes” so I’m like whoooo hooo! This is the call we’ve been waiting on!  However, it was our caseworker calling to check on us to see how we were doing in this "waiting period". She reminded us that on average it takes 18 months before a couple is ever chosen. To say I felt defeated and crushed was an understatement. So I kept saying “I know that you are for me God” and resolved that it would be 18 months.

The next week on Wednesday, October 24^th I was teaching and got called down to the front office. Our secretary handed me the phone and on the other end was my hubby Michael. He said “Honey remember how they said 18 months. Well we’ve been picked and we have 18 days!”  The following Saturday we met our birth mom face to face. Talk about nervous!! What does one wear to a meeting that says “I promise I’m normal and will love your baby as my very own.” Hee hee!

Never have I met a more beautiful, courageous, and unselfish woman. I stared into her eyes and knew God had answered our prayers. 

Eli took just a little longer to get here than expected but on Sunday, November 18^th at 11 o'clock at night we got the call to come to the hospital. We waited all night in the waiting room. On November 19^th at 9:45 they called us back because birth mom was about 3 pushes away from delivering. TALK ABOUT RUNNING DOWN THE HALLWAY SO FLIPPIN EXCITED!!!!! Eli Matthew Jeter was born at 10:02 am. He weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and 20 and1/2 inches long. And looked like a little old man wearing a toupee! Heehee!

I asked our birthmom how God helped her through this process and she said “God is so great. I’m so proud of how he helped me find a wonderful family that has lots of love towards Eli. He has helped me so much through this and has made me a stronger person. When I see Eli’s pictures it hurts inside of me, but I’m proud of my decision. I honestly didn’t think I would have gone through adoption, but seeing you two so happy and excited I knew Eli would be loved and in better hands.”

That is a fearless, selfless love that I hope and pray I might live out.  I can't believe Eli is now 2 months old and tomorrow is my first day back at work. I'm putting all my fears and trust in God that He will give me the strength I need to inspire and bless my first grader's lives. I pray that God will watch over and bless Eli while he gets to spend a whole week with his favorite Aunt Dodie. I pray that God is not ever secondary or "neutral" in my thoughts, but my companion and my strength. Thank you God for the people you've put into my life that support, love, and remind me that you are my treasure, father, and king.