redwheelbarrow

My first Mother's Day Card.

Still in the joy-fog of excitement over the adoption, I was even more surprised to receive my first-ever Mother's day card from my step-mother-in-law, Linda.

"Your baby girl is blessed to be born into a family where love is a way of life."

So sweet! Thank you. Happy Mother's day to everyone!

- jennifer

We have been matched!!!!!!!!!!!!

Honestly, we thought the wait for a baby could be years, when we first started the adoption process...

But, we got the call yesterday that a birthmom in Arkansas wanted to meet us! I am curently in Hawaii on vacation with my Mom and Thad is home in Birmingham. Both of us, despite the time difference, got together with the birthmom and birthdad via Skype. It was so great! We talked through the help of a translater. The birthmom and dad are Marshallese, from the Marshall Islands and do not speak good English. They have lived in the U.S. for over 7 years in rural Arkansas. She is 4 months pregnant with a baby girl. And, they chose us!

So, just like that, they chose us; we signed legal documents; it's a done-deal.

There are just not words to adequately express the JOY that we are feeling. And shock. It's just so unbelievable that after 10 long years, this is really going to happen! Our dream of becoming parents is coming true. All we can do is thank God. It has been our prayer for so long!

We are very grateful, too for our Attorney, Vaughn who has worked to ensure the birthmom has what she needs, gets to her appointments, and is taken care of. Please join me in praying that she has a good pregnancy.

 

HOME STUDY APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are very excited and very thankful for our Social Worker, Tyler.

Next step: baby!

 

 

Nursery for Baby Hodges

We finished the nursery! We finished it for the home study (though not required per se) but also, just in case we 'get the call' about a birth mom, a baby, a lead - - we want to be ready. It is in our nature to be planners and preparers. Plus, it was so much fun.

As we've stated before, we are in the early stages of building a home. We are currently living in a mobile home on the home site. It's been an adventure moving to such a small space, but a lesson in simplicity for sure. And as an added bonus, we do not have rent/mortgage payments. So, I will take living in a small space for that!

We love birds and nature, so for the nursery, we picked out a unisex theme by Skip Hop called Woodland Friends. It's adorable with small birds, owls, trees and flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My very creative and artistic cousin, Danielle, made adorable fabric artwork a couple of years ago which inspired us to create a nursery with birds. Thanks, Danielle!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our First Baby Gift!

Today my Mom and Dad bought us our first baby gift: the Baby Brezza.

They are totally on-board with this adoption, can you tell???

It's like a Keurig for baby formula and a must-have for someone, like us, who will only be bottle-feeding.

There is a formula "tank" on top and a water tank on the side, so you can use any formula (organic for us). The machine dispenses the exact amount of formula and mixes it with water heated to body temperature. Instantly.

3 AM bottle feedings will be MUCH easier. Thanks Mom and Dad.

Exciting!

 

- jennifer