ANNOUNCEMENT: FAMILY OF 4!!!!!!!!!

We are super excited to announce that we have been matched with an expectant birthmother!!

Eli is so proud to tell EVERYONE that he's going to get a baby brother!

Here's the story:

I saw a post about a woman named Julie on our Adoption Answer Facebook site on Wednesday.  I felt a strong urge to pray for this woman specifically.  Little did I know she would soon change our lives forever!  Thursday was supposed to be our monthly adoption update, but since I hadn't heard anything from our coordinator yet, I decided to send her a lengthy email.  The email basically laid out my feelings that maybe we were doing, saying, or not saying something that was driving birth mothers away and not allowing us to be chosen.  I also told her that since our application was more than 2 years old now, that I would like to review it and make some changes/updates to the original information.  Granted, you have to realize that we were had originally filled out our application in January 2011, before we got Eli, so we may have been a little more "rigid" in our criteria then, as compared to now.  That evening, after I sent the email to Ashlene, I got a response from her that said she needed to call me but Sam had to be involved in the conversation and when would be a good time that she could catch us both.  I thought that was a little weird since she'd never before insisted Sam be there.  I told her that Friday morning would work fine.  She called Friday around lunch time.  She wanted to tell us about a very special birthmother, named Julie, that we perfectly fit the criteria for.  WOW!  It was the Julie I had read about.  However, Michelle (the founder of Adoption Answer) was personally meeting with Julie in a couple hours and they needed our answer ASAP of whether or not we were willing to take the risk and expense of Julie's situation and accept her baby if she chose us.  Julie is a 33 yr old Hispanic female.  She does not know who the father of the baby is, but said he could be African American or Caucasian.  Julie has made some not wise choices in her lifetime or during this pregnancy; however, Michelle said she is sweet and caring and truely wants what's best for this baby, which is why she chose adoption.  Sam and I only had about an hour before he left for work and we had to make a quick decision, so we prayed, did some internet research of Julie's situation and discussed.  We felt a strange peace, despite the circumstances, that this was the child we were meant to have.  God is bigger than anything we could imagine and can handle all the details that scare us to death.  We called Ashlene back and told her that we were 100% in and if Julie chose us, we'd be overjoyed.  Then we waited.......

We anxiously waited the rest of Friday and most of the day Saturday for her to call.  THEN SHE DID!!  When she called, I realized we were conferenced in with Michelle and knew it was big news.  WE HAD BEEN CHOSEN!!  She had actually chose us Friday but Michelle asked her to pray about it and sleep on it and wait until the next day to give a final answer.  Thankfully, she did not change her mind.  When I heard the news I was in shock.  We had waited so very long to hear those words and now that I did, it was almost like a dream.  It was a dream... come true.  This happened exactly 11 months from the time we'd re-contracted with them.  Counting the time before Eli that we'd been previously contracted with them, it took us a total of 14 months to be chosen.

Now, the next 10 to 12 weeks are going to go by so slowly, yet they'll also go by so quickly!  There is so much to do to get ready!!  High on the "to-do" list is picking out a name for our baby boy.  Ironically, Sam and I had only previously agreed on girls names so wouldn't you know we get a boy!  Ha ha

Julie and baby boy are in Southern California and Sam and I will be flying out as soon as she goes into labor, which they are estimating October 31st or sooner.  Once the baby is born, we'll have to stay in California for approximately 2 weeks while legal documents are being filed.

I'll continue to update as I know more and as time gets closer. 
Until then, PLEASE keep us in prayer for the following:
1. For the health of Julie and baby boy
2. For Sam's and my patience
3. For God to supply the finances or for us to have the wisdom of how to gain the finances*
4. For Julie to feel at peace about her decision and for her strength to follow through with it

*due to Julie's situation, our fees are increases by approximately $8,000 that we didn't originally plan for or save for.

BY THE WAY - in other good news, once baby is born, I will immediately become a stay-at-home mommy!!   I was planning on doing this come December 31st anyway, but due to his birth, I have bumped it up 2 months.  Yippee!!!