Praise God! We had our meeting Friday night! Thank you to all of you who prayed. We were so thankful it finally happened!
At this meeting, we were able to discuss the hospital plan and our plans after our daughter is born.
It was very low-key, as we met over dinner and the mental health counselor led our conversation to make sure that we talked about what we needed to discuss.
The birth mom was glowing Friday night. Of course, we always think she looks pretty, but she really was stunning to us this Friday night. She definitely has a glow. I’m sure it is like this with parents and their kids— you always think they look cute/beautiful/ handsome. Well, because of our love for her, she is even extra beautiful!
We laughed and cried, as usual and we discussed lots. She once again agreed to having us both in the hospital room with her during the labor and delivery- praise God!
We were also able to discuss the openness of our adoption after our daughter was born. We were all on the same page and it was good to make sure we all agreed and felt peace moving forward.
We discussed the realities of how difficult it will be for the birth mom once the baby is born. The instant connection she will feel. The failure she will feel as a mom. The disappointment and self hatred that she could feel, and most likely will. As a counselor, I try to walk that thin line of being real with the birth mom and giving advice and then just loving her. Most of all, I take off my counselor hat and just love her. So, it was good to hear another mental health professional start up those conversations without me having to.
She feels as prepared as she can be to make the adoption decision. She is incredibly loving, and it was important to discuss that this has to be a decision she feels is right to make. Not to make us happy, or her mom happy, or her friends happy, but a decision that she will have to live with forever. And she has to be at peace with that.
Of course we believe she will be, and she believes she will be, but it felt good to once again state the obvious and have those scary and hard conversations. The funny thing was I wasn’t even really nervous last night. Josh was nervous and he teared up several times in his conversation with her, but I just had an overwhelming peace about it all. I actually feel more at peace after having the hard conversations. I don’t know if it is the therapist in me, but I sometimes like a good hard conversation.
I’m more nervous to have them with my family members and those closest to me, but in general, I want to get the elephant out of the room. I want to go straight to the thing we know we are all thinking about and just address it!
I just love the birth mom incredibly. Her heart is so beautiful. I just want to pray God’s perfect will over her life. Please join me! She really wants to change her life- I believe she can! But it is impossible, and I mean impossible without God’s supernatural power.
After the meeting, we dropped the birth mom and birth grandma at their house. I always tell birth mom we love her when we get off the phone or we are leaving each other. As she was getting out of our car Friday night, she put her hand on my shoulder and said, “I love you guys.”
This week has been a week of trust, faith, dependance on God, learning selflessness on a new level and also learning to channel God’s unconditional love in a way we never have before.
The result: Two people whose eyes have been opened to those hurting like never before. The urge to love people to a point they can’t understand. To seek God on how we can serve others in both small and big ways.
We are seeing our biggest hero on this earth accept love for one of the first times in her life without feeling taken advantage of. Pretty cool that God chose us to be a part of this process.
We are honored and humbled.
On a different note, since we have been here, we have stayed at 4 different places. The first place was about an hour and a half from where there birth mom lives. I stayed there the first week and it was amazing. This was my mom’s friend, Cheryl, from college. Her place was beautiful and her hospitality was even better.
Once Josh got here, it was imperative to be closer to the birth mom as she was depending on us to take her to appointments, the hospital, etc… So, we stayed in a hotel for a few nights. We thought she was in labor, and as you know she wasn’t. So, we found ourselves needing to stay elsewhere as the hotel bills were adding up.
We then moved to one of my dear friend’s sister’s place, Tracy. She offered her one bedroom condo to us. We didn’t know it was one bedroom and when we got there, she slept on the couch while we had her bed! It doesn’t get much more selfless than that. We loved staying at her place and she was out of town the last few days, so we were blessed to stay at her place without her having to sleep on the couch for a few days.
Since Tracy came back, we couldn’t bear having her on the couch again, so we have moved to what we think will be our last destination pending the timing of this baby! A friend from LSU and Chi O, Regan, reached out to me about her dad living in this area. Well, we got to her dad’s house last night, and it is amazing. And I mean amazing. Her dad is one of the most generous people we have ever met.
When we found out where the birth mom was, I couldn’t have told you one person I knew that lived in this area. But because of people who cared, who loved, and who took the time to help us— we really have no words. Josh and I talked tonight at how amazing God is. That he always takes care of us. Then, we get a text message tonight from a precious friend who said she wanted to pay for a hotel for us for 3 nights, having no idea that we stayed at a hotel on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night, just trusting that God would provide.
God’s provision is always on time. It can always be trusted.
So, now we are enjoying this beautiful place. We will head to church this morning and then come back and enjoy what should be a gorgeous day tomorrow. We will go with our birth mom to her doctor’s appointment Monday.
They will check her at this appointment and we will get a better picture of when this baby is coming:) She has already gone further with this baby than with her previous 3! We will update you after Monday’s appointment.
Thank you for texting, calling, checking up on us, following us—it means the world. Helps us feel not so far away and removed from life:)
Whether it be God’s timing with our meeting, peace all the way around, provision in housing— God can always be trusted. I feel silly for worrying about all the details.
Encouraging you to trust in the One who has it all planned out. Just rest in him. It will not only help you, but also release God to do what He’s been trying to do all along.
Note: Josh still hasn’t been able to figure out what is going on with our email feed that is stopping the pictures from showing up. If you want to see the two pictures below and you are not seeing them, click here.
Continuing to trust and praying you’ll trust Him with me,
Aly
11 Comments
Would love to see pictures
Mackenzie – If you will enter your email to the right of where you are reading this post and press ‘Join our Team’ you will get all of the info.
Also, at the very top of this page you can click on Join our Team, that will take you to a form where you enter your email and then you are set!
I continue to be amazed by the two of you and the way God is using you in the life of this birth mom and her family. Her life will never be the same and I am trusting God to love on her in a way she cannot deny and she will give herself completely to HIM and allow Him to be all she needs. He can meet every need she has and He will! Can’t wait to see pics of that baby and know the three of you are heading back home together!!! What a day of rejoicing that will be!!!! 🙂
I know Ms. Ginny. We are so ready. Trying to be patient, but knowing we want it to be in God’s perfect timing! We can’t wait to see her either:):)
Love you guys.. cant wait to see your little family!
Love you!!!
I have been following your guys story and I am overwhelmed with joy for what has happened and about to happen in your lives.
God Bless
Aw, thank you for following us! We have been amazed at how this story continues to unfold. God’s goodness overwhelms us!
Love yall and excited foryall
Love you!!!
praying for both of you, the birth mom and that sweet angel baby!