2 Years Later: Part One

It is so hard to believe that a little over 2 years ago Josh, Hannah, and I were desperately begging the Lord to grow our family. I can remember the frustration and helpless feeling of waiting, not knowing if our baby was alive, or even conceived! So, in honor of the brothers' birthdays, I'm going to attempt to write about how God showed Himself faithful and powerful in all of our lives.

It is impossible to determine exactly when this journey started. Josh and I always knew, even when we were only dating, that it might not be possible to have biological children. I have endometriosis, a condition that potentially affects fertility. The Lord had given us a peace, and we trusted that He would bring us children in whatever way He saw fit (including adoption). We had a desire to have biological children, but we were also beginning to desire adoption as well. After 7 months of marriage, we were PREGNANT!!!!!

Pregnancy was not what either of us expected. I was sick EVERY day of my pregnancy. I had strange cravings for kiwi and hot dogs, and puked every time I walked into the kitchen. So I spent most of the time in the bed sleeping, so I didn't barf. (Yeah, I literally stayed in bed all day; I only got up for quick potty breaks.) One day, Josh told me that I absolutely had to take a shower or he was going to drag me into the bathroom and hose me down. (It's hard to believe that just 8 weeks earlier I refused to let him see me without makeup!) I was brought to an incredibly low point. The Lord used the challenge of pregnancy to draw Josh and me to Himself, and we grew stronger as a couple. Our precious baby girl (Hannah Grace) was born August 12, 2004. We enjoyed every part of being parents. Having a baby TRULY changes your entire life.

When Hannah was a little over a year old, we started getting "baby fever" again. I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that I DID NOT WANT TO BE PREGNANT AGAIN. Pregnancy was an awful experience for me, and I didn't want to go back there! We knew that we wanted to ADOPT, but we had no clue where to even start. We didn't even know anyone who had adopted a child! So, there we were, just praying "Ummmm, God, what are You THINKING????"

*Stephanie Lindamood took this pic of my babies! She is SO talented, and a sweet friend too :-)

I'm TRYING to get organized for Christmas. My goal is to send out Christmas cards at some point. Here's a "sneak peek" at the photo shoot we had with Stephanie Lindamood. She took these waaaaay back in October, and we had so much fun! She got some fabulous shots, but I wanted to share this "real" pic. This one is REALLY what we're like. I'm debating...maybe I should send this one out! I'll post the pic that I choose AFTER I send out my cards :)

(All of the tears were SO worth it!)

Byron, GA

Josh and I went to Byron, Ga. for a wedding this weekend.  We only had Ezra with us, so it felt ALMOST like a vacation.  Micah and Hannah had a blast with Grancie and Poppy (Josh's parents) in Appling.  I'm pretty sure they didn't even realize we were gone :-)  

I'm a total geek and I didn't take ANY pictures.  I was busy trying to keep Ezra from disrupting the whole service.  Josh looked so NICE in his tux :-)  I can't believe I forgot!!!  If you were at Brian Morris' wedding and you took a pic of Josh will you PLEASE send it to me?  I need proof that he actually DOES know how to dress up :-)  

I almost did not get to go, but I am so glad that it worked out!!!!  I connected with two other AMAZING girls, and had so much fun while our guys were doin' the groomsmen thang!!!!  They were SO encouraging!  It is like a breath of fresh air when I get to actually talk to other girls in the same season of life.  We chatted it up at Zaxby's until Ezra and I spilled an entire cup of sweet tea.  All good things must come to an end :-)

Our reunion with Hannah and Micah today was so sweet!  They were happy to be home with their toys, but they were more excited to see Ezra again!  He was thrilled to see them too.  It is such a joy to have kiddos that are sweet to one another (momentarily).  

Josh's Health

Josh had his annual checkup with his neurologist in Savannah yesterday. We LOOOOOVEEEEEE Dr. Bodziner!!!! He has been so kind to us, and is always so encouraging! Josh is doing GREAT on his meds. The Dr. ordered another EEG to keep a baseline, and is going to slowly decrease the dosage. This is good news, but I am very nervous. All of the thoughts and memories of that insanely crazy day of the first seizure come flooding back to me. I pray that the Lord will keep us from repeating that season, but if he chooses to we will. He has already used it for SO MUCH GOOD. We know and trust that He will only do something like that if it will bring Himself glory. And, isn't that why we're here?

November 2010

What we've been up to in NOVEMBER:

Ezra: Currently has 6 teeth- four on top, six on the bottom
Pulling up and Cruising all over the place, and sometimes stands by himself
Babbling
Waves bye bye

Micah: Does the "Hot Dog" dance with Mickey Mouse
Loves Halloween Candy!!!!!!!!
words: hot dog, please, Mommy, beep, cup, cracker
Sings "Wheels on the Bus" and "Who Made You?" (catechism songs)

Hannah: Learning her addition facts
Riding her bike without training wheels
Starting to read "easy reader" books!!!
Continuing to go to "Homeschool"
Attending Gymnastics once a week