Court Date, Update, Dates Dates Dates!!!

Alright,
It's been a while but I'm not convinced that many people are actually reading and relying on this silly blog anyway. ;0)

So, we received an update on Micah David this week. His head and height are at a good place, but he's still a little on the skinny side. That makes a mama worry but, what can you do? His picture was of him lying down, again. So, really, nothing new to report there.

We do have a confirmed court date of January 20th. If we pass on that day, we will travel in early February. So, 6 more weeks to travel and bring him home. We will actually be in ET for our 1 year anniversary of having sent our dossier to ET (DTE date). This hasn't happened for a family waiting for a boy yet. So, again, we are the trail blazers! Don't we just LOVE setting records!

On another note, we are SO UNBELIEVABLY IN LOVE with our son of late. He's like nothing we've ever imagined but still so amazingly ours. Sweet, cuddly, clown hair, biteable cheeks and all. We just adore every ounce that we haven't held, every sigh we haven't heard, every hour we've missed.

Oh buddy, if you only knew...

Broadway Baby! Devon's Christmas Program

This is too funny NOT to post! Sorry about the video quality, I was laughing so hard that I was shaking. The good stuff starts about 1 minute into the video.

Enjoy, we sure did!

News

So, I wish this was THE news, but it isn't. However, it's good news! Today we received pictures of Micah that were beyond cute! He looks happy, FAT, and loved, which has been our prayer for so long. He has a buddha belly and rubber band wrists, all signs of serious CHUB! In two photos he was reaching for the camera, in one he had his arms straight up in the air. Daddy said he's a KULP, "TOUCHDOWN!" Football's in the blood, my friends! (Have you met our linebacker 3 year old?)

Today we received a little message from the Wistrom family who recently traveled. Karen said

"By the way - Micah looked healthy and happy!!! He was so responsive

and would smile back when I would smile at him. What a cutie!!!"

We are SO excited that he is smiling as we have yet to see a huge GRIN in his pictures. Let's hope we see one in person soon.

Kim

One Week Down (well, 18 months and 1 week!)

Hey Everyone~
It's been one week since we didn't pass court. This has been a LONG week, let me tell you! I want to say, in public, that I could not have done this week without Sherry Semlow, my dear Sister whose sweet kiddos are also from E*** like Micah David. She is a wonderful counselor, friend, and companion on this journey. I am almost as excited to see her meet her 3 lovlies as I am to meet Micah David!

We received new photos of Micah David yesterday. He is SO FAT!!! His Buddha belly rivals that of Devon, which is saying a LOT as we named Devon BB when he was a baby! He has sweet little arm rolls and chubby cheeks. He's sitting up in the Bumbo seat quite well in the photos, which is nice to see. Before he was slumped over and looking a bit disheveled. We fall in love again with each new photo.

I have come to realize this past week that adoption is never what we think it will be. With Devon's adoption, we actually lost a child 2 months prior to his birth. We didn't believe that he would be ours until the car ride home from the agency when he was 3 days old. I remember all three of us, Mom, me, and Chad, BAWLING at the fact that we were finally parents. The process was grueling and very disappointing at times, but ultimately SO REWARDING.

This process has been SO MUCH HARDER than we ever expected. So much longer, so much more pain, so much more heartache...I said to Lisa Supplee and (that) Shannan Fodale (who gave me TRUTH that will always ring in my ears and heart, TRUTH that I have passed on!)

IF I HAD KNOWN... I WOULD NEVER HAVE DONE THIS. I immediately felt guilt and shame for saying this, but this is how my heart feels lately.

When I got home, it occurred to me that the baby whose birth we are celebrating this month KNEW what He was being born for. He KNEW the pain He would suffer, He KNEW the heartache, He KNEW the trials, He KNEW the ultimate cost of his time here on earth. JESUS KNEW AND HE STILL DID... What an amazing truth to encourage those of us who are weary and heavy laden.

We are clinging to HIM and to His promises still.

Kim

We're Still Here

Hey All,
I just wanted to say that we are still here and...waiting. No new news but we will hopefully hear something this week regarding the SIZE of the paperwork mountain before us.

This week has been beyond tough and I can't begin to tell you the range of emotions we are feeling from moment to moment. We are exhausted from this journey. As my wonderfully encouraging and uplifting friend Sherry explained, we know where we are going, but we have NO IDEA WHERE WE ARE! Wandering in the dark is an activity in insanity.

I wish I could say that it doesn't still hurt, but the pain is ever present. These verses are constantly on our minds as we continue to miss time with our precious Micah David.

Romans 8: 23-27
"We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."

Burks PASSED!

So, my GREAT friends Becky and Michael Burk passed court today. They will be with their son on Christmas, and with Micah too!

Just try and NOT fall in love with their sweet little man!

Miss you already, Becky!

Kim

The Impossible

"God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible. What a pity we plan to do only the things that we can do by ourselves." A.W. Tozer

Today it feels impossible; its a good thing God is able.

Kim