I Heart Mom 2 Mom. . .

I love Wednesdays! Aside from Saturday, it is my absolute favorite day of the week. I got up early so I could do a few things before Camy got up. It's so nice to have that time to shower and prepare for the day, it's just hard to get out of bed! I'm going to try and do it more often, but I have a long standing love affair with sleep, so we'll see. Cameryn got up and was in such a good mood. I have always loved our time together first thing in the morning, I have a feeling she may be a morning person as she grows up.

Anyway, we had breakfast and then headed to Mom 2 Mom. Tera Melber spoke today about the theology of adoption and she was awesome! Highview has such a heart for orphan care and adoptions. It's amazing to be part of a church were you don't just hear the gospel, but see it in the lives of so many. As an adopted child, today was a little emotional for me, but in a good way. Being on the other end of it and seeing these moms around me that have made that choice or are in the long process of adopting a child into their families made me feel so special and loved, not only by my amazing parents but by my creator.

Tera's presentation of adoption was from the point of view that we are all, as believers, adopted by God into his family through Christ. I won't go into as much detail as she did but I was so touched that I have to share some of the main points.

1. Our adoption was accomplished despite our condition.

Romans 3:10-23 Tells us that not one of us is righteous but we are made right by our faith in Jesus. This mirrors a physical adoption in that orphans often times come from bad circumstances or have different circumstances. You don't adopt to get a perfect child, you do it out of love.

2. Our Adoption wa accomplished through the suffering of our savior.

Romans 5:6-11 explains how Christ died for us while we were still sinners and showed us his great love. Children don't understand all the trials and tribulations you experience in the adoptions process, but it is so small compared to what Christ did for us.

3. Our adoption required a ransom.

Matt. 20:28 and 1 Tim. 2:6. Christ paid the ultimate price for us. If he calls you to adopt a child then he will provide the means. All we are to do it trust and obey.

4. Our adoption is for the glory of God.

Romans 15:7-9. God adopting us is all to bring Him glory and when we adopt children it brings light to the gospel. We are ambassadors of Christ every single day.

In closing Tera did not make us raise our hands if we planned on adopting and anyone who didn't was kicked out! The whole point is that, as believers we are given a mandate to care for orphans. They are one of the most vulnerable groups of people in the world and because we have experienced an adoption by our heavenly father, we should take action to spread His love. She gave us great practical ways to love on the fatherless that ranged from prayer, gifts of money things and encouragement, helping a family in the process of being foster parents or adopting, going on mission trips, or being a forever family to a child. I have a lot to pray and think about. If anyone wants the detailed information Tera gave us on how to help, just let me know.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
James 1:27

Valentine's Day. . .

I know this is a little week but I have had a heck of a time since then! I made heart french toast that morning before church and it was a hit! I had to wake up a little earlier but it was so worth it. My family knows I show my love through food so this was a super obvious way to make the day special. Cameryn got a cool, hot pink giraffe that says, "I'm wild about you", and the most adorable kitty cat pj's. Her daddy seemed to enjoy being Cameryn's only Valentine, but to quote Darius Rucker, "It won't be like this for long." (By the way, that song still makes me cry every time I hear it!)

It was a great day to celebrate love and make the ones I love most feel extra special.

"A new command I give you; Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another."

John 13:34-35

Baby Will Has Arrived!

Baby Will arrived at 3:22 am on Feb. 15th via emergency c-section. He is absolutely precious and perfect in every way. He was 7 lbs. 12 oz. and 19 3/4 inches long. Kim and Chucky could not be happier or more in love with anything. Mommy and baby are doing well and should be coming home tomorrow!

Will was due on Valentine's Day so we knew he would be a sweetheart. During Kim's weekly doctor's appointment the Wednesday before she was already 4 cm. dialated but no baby. I would text my brother daily with, "Still no baby?" and he would just say, "nope". Well at noon on Valentine's Day Kim got up to let the dog out and her water broke. She was so ready for him to be born and he was courteous enough to start the process on his scheduled day. By the time they got to the hospital and got into a room it was 2 in the afternoon. She wasn't really having very strong contractions so they just waited it out. The day went on with no dialation. I thought it would go so fast since she was already 4 cm., but what do you know, I was wrong. I got to the hospital around seven thirty or eight to keep them company. My mom and sisters arrived and we all just waited it out together. At 1:00 they started her on pitocin. This brought on contrations but still no big progress. Around two thirty they started moving her around because the baby wasn't tolerating the contractions very well. By three I told my brother I may have to go home before Will was born so I could be with Cameryn while Josh leaves for work. Not five minutes after I said that, the nurses come rushing in. The baby's heart rate was going down and they needed to deliver him right away.

They unplugged everything and wisked Kim away. Chucky was shocked and scared. We prayed and then I had to leave the room. It seemed like eternity to him before the nurse came back into the room where he was to give him a sterile suite to go into the operating room with Kim. The whole time he waited we texted back and forth. I tried to reassure him but the truth is I wasn't sure. I had faith in the doctors and most importantly in God, but they took her so fast and the nurses were running down the hall I didn't know what to think. I can't imagine what was going through his mind. His whole life was in that operating room. After Kim was prepped and ready they finally came to get Chucky and take him in there. Ten or fifteen minutes later we had Will.

It was a crazy, wonderful night. I got home at 5:45 am and Camy got up at 7:30. Let me just say, I was tons of fun to play with that day! Thank goodness for Finding Nemo! Cameryn will get to meet her baby cousin soon. Like I said, they should be home tomorrow and everyone is doing great. Parents are exhausted and baby is happy and healthy. What more could you ask for. God is good.

Cabin Fever = Indoor Gymnastics

Today I was off from work so I got to spend the entire day with my favorite girl! Since Mom2Mom was cancelled because of the weather we had the whole day to be silly. Camy carried her baby doll on her back and walked around the house for a while and it was so cute I had to take a few pictures. When I put it on her, she acted like it was perfectly normal and fine. She didn't try to take it off or anything, just walked all over the house with it.

Later in the day, I took an idea from Erica and Sawyer and brought her mattress into the living room for some fun. Her favorite part was walking on it and trying to step down onto the ground with out falling. She must have done this for at least 20 minutes. Then I started to show her how to flip (sorry no pictures of that!). She would squat down and put her little head on the mattress and I tossed her legs over. It was soooo cute. My little gymnist did pretty well for only 14 months old. She LOVES to slide so of course we had to prop the mattress up on the couch for a little sliding. Fun times. Hope everyone is staying warm and has a good rest-of-the week!