A Call to Prayer and Fasting this Holy Week for Fellow Blogger

Dear Faithful Readers,

A fellow blogger is desperately in need of prayer. May I suggest all who are able to pray and fast for R, at The Road Home, join me in the The Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary. And, if you are able to offer up more fasting this Holy Week, that would be most wonderful, too.
May you all have a blessed Holy Week.
E

We Are a Family of Four (well, almost!)

Elias James was born on Friday September 5, 2014. Since the beginning of his little life, I have been his mama. Perfection!

This whole adoption process had many ups and downs, was quick but expensive, and full of many, many new emotions. But, overall, just so much easier than infertility. Every step we made, we were actually one step closer to bringing our baby home. We kept looking at each other and thinking, "This is too easy!" After many, many, many years of infertility, 2 miscarriages, plenty of surgeries, treatments, medications, ultrasounds, blood draws and tears, adoption was a breath of fresh air.

Ella has been a super, amazing big sister and taking to Eli so quickly. She  just loves him so much and was so ready to have a sibling. The little moments we have all shared are really some of the most joyful I have ever felt. Now that Eli is cooing, smiling and laughing, his favorite person (besides me) is Ella. 

In our state, the birth mother's rights are irrevocable 33 days after birth. We have thankfully passed that milestone and we will finalize sometime before the end of the calendar year and at the same time the birth father's rights will be terminated by publication. 

We have learned so much about the adoption process throughout this last year but overall we are pleased with our agency. Another adoption is probably in our future at some point!

We had Eli baptized in October and it was such a glorious day! I know that I felt incredibly loved by our friends and family and I hope that Eli did, too. 

Gratitude isn't enough of a word to describe my feelings for Eli's birth mother. We are in communication with her and are trying to find a time for a brief visit with her. Our appreciation for each other is mutual which makes everything easier. We are all blessed to have each other. 

Good Times {Answer Me This}

1. When driving, are you more likely to listen to the radio, to CDs or an iPod, or nothing at all?

I usually just listen to the radio because a certain little one put pennies in my CD player so it is unusable. :( But usually I chat on the phone or talk to that certain little someone. 

2. Do you prefer window or aisle?

I prefer the window. And on our trip to Seattle last year I was able to get the window and it helps with the motion sickness!

3. Do you fall asleep on your side, back, or stomach? What position are you in when you wake up?

I sleep on my side because I have some slight scoliosis and a tight back but at times end up on my back. 

4. Do you have a favorite quote or inspirational saying?



5. When is the last time you attended a zoo, circus, carnival, county fair, or parade?

This past week we were at the Jersey shore and saw the Mummers Parade. But the week before that we went to our local bi-county fair three times! It was so much fun. The first visit we entered our goods for the home goods judging and ate some good food. A couple days later it was kiddie ride day and I got to see what we won. It was a good year! Six blue ribbons (sweet sliced pickles, pepper jelly, peach jam, enchilada sauce, salsa), one second place (dill pickles) and 2 third place ribbons (blueberry jam and grape jelly) and I won a grand total of $29! DH won 5 ribbons this year for his produce. Good stuff! 


6. What's the best thing about summer?

I think all of the above, the fair, the warm weather, the beach, plenty of good times with friends and family. And ice cream, way too much ice cream. ;) And the anticipation of our adoption the first week in September! A summer to remember!!

On Adoption

My apologies for the lack of posting around here. I just really couldn't put my thoughts into words. Well, I probably still can't, but I'll try.

The adoption is moving along. We are communicating with the birth mother regularly and are planning on meeting her this Friday. Everything on our side of things has been completed for the home-study so we are just waiting to hear that our agency completed their side.

This process has moved very quickly. Faster than I thought it would when we started out. But, this is good for us because we tend to stall on projects that take too long and lose steam. So, the good Lord knows exactly what we need and when we need it.

May and June are typically very busy for us with Mother's Day, DH's birthday, E's birthday and our anniversary. Lots going on every weekend and then there is just the every day kind of stuff. We have the nursery set back up and I just need to get a few small things together for the baby's arrival. We think that delivery date will be the first week in September. It is coming up quickly!

But the one part of adoption that I can't stop thinking and praying about is that this baby is coming into our lives due to the birth mother's sorrowful situation. It is more sorrowful than words that she is placing her baby for adoption and that our joy will come from this. Our journey to parenthood has been so filled with blood, sweat and many, many tears and this situation is no different. It is beautiful that we get to share our sorrow with another woman, the biological mother of our baby. I have been leaning on the Blessed Mother because She really knows sorrow, uncertainty, trust, and complete charity. She knows. Mary Mother of Sorrows, Pray for Us.

E is 4!

We celebrated the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua at the Shrine in Ellicot City, MD. Beautiful Mass, Procession, Adoration, Rosary in the Grotto, and BBQ! 

Joy and Sorrow

This year's Holy Week was not what I was expecting. While I was making plans on Monday for two Easter dinners and an egg hunt at our home on Easter Sunday, I got a call that my Grandma went to the hospital and was declining fast. Then, in the same day we got a call from our case worker from our adoption agency that we had a birth mother that wanted to talk to us. She loved our profile.

The next couple days we got updates on my grandmother; the priest was there giving her last rites, they all prayed the rosary and her four children and their spouses kept a vigil by her bedside. She continued to hang on. I went to our adoration chapel to pray for her and felt so conflicted about making the 3 hour drive to say good bye.

On Wednesday afternoon, we had a 30 minute conversation with the birth mother. She talked most of the time and wanted to tell us she loved our 'simple lifestyle' and cried when she read our profile book. She couldn't go through with the appointment she made to terminate the pregnancy because she was so tormented. Then the tears came for me. Oh, how this baby was meant for us.

Thursday I couldn't wait any longer and jumped in the car with Little E and drove the 3 hours to get to my family. I made sure Little E was in bed and taken care of when my sister and I drove to see my grandma. My mom called. Grandma had passed peacefully trying to get the last laugh. Oh, I missed it. She died at 7:50 PM or so on Holy Thursday, perhaps she wanted to be at Holy Thursday mass. She was ready, 92 years is a long life. It was full of laughter and love. We got to the hospital to have a shot of Irish whiskey with my mom, aunts and uncles and said goodbye.

The funeral plans were made for Easter Monday and Tuesday. We got to spend lots of time with family celebrating Easter and reminiscing about Grandma. The viewing was both sorrowful and joyful. Extended family came and we all got to chat and share laughter and tears. She wanted bagpipes at the mass. The readings were perfect and the homily was personal and beautiful. More tears. It was a beautiful Irish Catholic send off, so much like her.

After the luncheon, I got a call from our case worker. The birth mom loved us. She wants to place her baby with us. We will draw up the contracts. Baby arrives at the end of August.

I really can't believe that this all happened in one week. One week. It has been hard to catch my breath. So many of my prayers were answered in one week.  Grandma had a peaceful passing from this life. A birth mother chose us.  I am eternally grateful to the Blessed Mother and God's Plan. Amazing.

Liebster Award

Not sure its actually an award, but I will indulge by dear friend Cristina.

1. Where do you live? And why do you live there?
We live in Carlisle, PA. My husband is from here and had the job. His parents live close so it makes life a little easier when we want to get away so we have someone to watch the menagerie of animals here. 


2. What are you currently watching and/or reading?
I am reading My Life with the Saints by James Martin SJ. It is very good and I'm enjoying this Lenten read. 


And Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew. Very enlightening. So much I didn't even think of when discerning adoption.


I also just finished Father Elijah. Wow. Very, very good. There were some scenes beyond my comprehension but overall an excellent read by an excellent writer.



3. What kind of Catholic are you: cradle, or convert? (Or considering?)
Cradle. I don't ever remember not going to mass *almost* every week. My family was very active at our local parish and I went to a *Catholic* university. 


4. Can you point to one moment or experience that made you a practicing Catholic? (Or want to be?)
I attended a TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) weekend my senior year of high school that was very powerful. But really it was when I was on my Cursillio weekend in August of 2006 that I was struck my God's immense love for me and that I wasn't really doing my part. 


5. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Probably 10-15 but I wear the same 2 or 3. I tried to donate the shoes I wore for my wedding and my friend saw this and said, "You are donating your wedding shoes?!?!??!" So back in the closet they went. 

6. Are you a good dancer?
Not really. I was in 2 musicals in high school and took ballroom dancing lessons with DH when we were engaged. But I don't think that qualifies me as "good."


7. Who usually drives, you or your husband?
My husband. Even though I can be rather critical. It seems to me that he drives slower when we late and I said this recently and when I was driving Little E somewhere recently she informed me that it felt like I was driving slow. Go figure. 


8. What's your favorite holiday and how do you celebrate it?
Christmas. We go to family friends' on Christmas Eve and either go to midnight mass or 10 AM Christmas Day. I bake cinnamon rolls (that another friend gifts us) in the morning and we open gifts after mass. We have my DH's family over for dinner and open gifts with them. Usually the next weekend, we travel 3 hours to visit my family and have another gift opening fest. It.is.fun. 


9. Which is correct? Left or right?

I don't really care as long as it isn't empty. 

10. Do you have any scars?

One on the palm of my hand from when I fell onto a heat vent on New Years Eve (no, I wasn't drinking) and had to get about 5 stitches. My dad was annoyed that he had to leave the party at our house to take me to the ER. I was a senior in high school. 

11. What's the most famous thing you've ever done?

Not really much of anything. I have run a few community 5K and 10K races. Our high school girls soccer team was #1  in the nation (ranking by USA Today) my freshman year. I wrote a couple Letters to the Editor in 2011. So, nothing famous. 

Thanks, Cristina!

I'm tagging Sew and Mrs. Mike. 

What's Been Going On Around Here

Not much. :)

You know...just some painting projects.

And some updates to our foyer. We have lived here for over 7 years and never painted our front hallway, it was time. But when your husband is extremely tall, he builds things from his perspective. The coat hooks are about 6 ft from the floor and he tried to build a bench with cubbies but that was 24 inches tall. It needed to be at least 12 inches. Oh well! He did fix the bench.

And...we are in the middle of getting our home study paperwork together. So exciting! We are working with an agency in our state that only does domestic infant adoptions. We feel that will fit our family the best at this time. So...if you have any leads for a birth-mother, please send them our way. We should be home study ready by May.