Our 5th Adoption

From the moment I set eyes on this picture, I knew he was mine. Judah became my legal son 111 days later. We have had two instances where I didn't know if he would make it to adoption day. A few weeks ago, his shunt malfunctioned and we were told by the neurologist that he might only have hours left to live if we chose not to have it fixed. We felt strongly that the Lord was in control and chose to hold him and kiss him all day instead of heading to the hospital. His shunt self-corrected and has been fine ever since. Praise God.

He was in severe pain the Monday before adoption day. He wouldn't eat and nothing helped his cries of pain. We began giving him one dose of pain meds during the day and it has seemed to help him a lot. It doesn't knock him out, but seems to calm his senses down, so that everything isn't hurting or terrifying to him. I truly feel like I am on a roller coaster. I am trying to find a way to be peaceful during every circumstance and trust in His sovereignty.

In the past I have shared that God speaks to me and Seth often through the number 111 and it has happened so many times with Judah already. I feel like it's love notes from Him, reassuring me that He is with us in this to the end. On January 11, (1/11), Judah turned 111 days old... not a coincidence. :)

Rejoice with us as you look at Judah's adoption pictures from January 27. Thank you again to Poetry and Prose Photography for capturing this miraculous day.















Popular posts from this blog

Saying Goodbye to Judah

Image
On January 20, 2020 at 7:15am, I said goodbye to my youngest child, my “forever” baby, my Judah. Seth woke me up by gently shaking my shoulder. I startled awake as he tearfully said, “I think he’s about to go.” I couldn’t believe it. How did it happen so quickly, why didn’t he wake me up earlier?? Seth said that his color changed almost instantly and his breathing drastically slowed while he was holding him in the living room while I got a few hours of sleep. I took Judah from Seth and climbed back into bed and told him to wake up everyone quickly. Owen sat next to me with his hand on Judah’s chest as we cried and told him goodbye one last time. Everyone hugged and kissed him as we listened to Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus and he took his final breath. The sobbing was audible and painful. I kept most of his face covered for the next two hours because I wanted the kids to remember him with his rosy red lips and beautiful complexion. Our heaven-sent hospice nurse came and pronounced him de
Read more

38 Years Young

Image
My goal for my 38th year is to quiet the negative self talk and begin to embrace my gifts and my strengths instead of focusing on my weaknesses. With that thought, I decided to write myself a reminder using the same grace I would with a friend. Happy birthday Elizabeth! I know it is so hard to believe that you are 38 years old. Last year was tough, but in the midst of all the trials you saw so much beauty from ashes. You grew in your faith and your roots deepened as you saw God come through time after time with unfailing faithfulness. I think it is fair to admit that life is difficult right now, considering all of the needs of your 8 children. It would be difficult to manage a family that size without one of them being terminally ill and another with severe attachment issues. You really are doing a good job. I know that you see the faults more than the successes, but you are an inspiration. You encourage others to seek after God first and obey the scary things He asks them t
Read more

Judah is 2!!

Image
I've been trying to come up with adequate words to describe how I feel about Judah turning 2. I don't think it's possible, so I will share the thoughts that have been running through my head. Judah's birth mom was encouraged to abort him. He wasn't expected to make it through birth. He came to live with us at 6 weeks old after circumstances that no one could deny God's hand on. The first 9 months of his life were filled with anxiety, little sleep and lots of funeral planning. We almost lost him more times than I can count. When he was 9 months old, by the grace of God, a water pipe melted and prevented our house fire from spreading to his room. The room next to his was 400 degrees and full of smoke. He had no smoke inhalation or any issues afterwards at all. After that trial, I begged God for a break and to keep Judah healthy for awhile. For more than a year now, we have only had one close call, where I thought it might be the end. God is so good to have gi
Read more