Our baby girl

Thank you again for all of the prayers. Continue to lift Delaney up because she did have to start on some medication yesterday. I really was positive and felt like we would be home by this weekend. On Tuesday a nurse practitioner came in and looked over her chart. She told me it looked like she may go home on Wed. if everything looked good with her antibiotics. I was amazed and really excited! They told me I could "Room in" for the night. This means I have my own little hotel room down the hall and I got up every 3 hours to come in and feed her. I felt like she had a pretty good night but apparently the withdrawal symptoms started showing. When I got in here yesterday around 8, the nurse said she was starting her on Phenobarbital, an anti seizure med. It is supposed to help with the drug withdrawals :( We were told she would take this every12 hours, and if it started working, she could go home on this med. So, that was still a little encouraging. I spent the morning trying to figure out the financial stuff because in addition to all of the legal and medical things happening, now we are trying to make sure that we are not going to be charged a NICU visit. She was originally covered by Tenncare but when we got legal custody that changed. She can be added to my insurance but it still may be expensive. Also they may not go back to her date of birth, so those bills can really add up!

I had a sweet friend  bring me lunch yesterday and while we were eating Delaney got worse. Allen sent me a text that said "Brenda needs you!" Brenda is our nurse. I hurried back upstairs and she told me that she had gone into full withdrawals. Apparently she got really upset, had a high pitched scream and even had some tremors. Her poor body doesn't deserve what is happening to it. I just can't believe someone could harm a child in this way :( I just want to reach in and remove all the pain. I have prayed to God to please heal our sweet little girl. They started her on another strong drug that she takes every 3 hours in her bottle. This should help with the major issues and if we don't have to increase the dosage then they will slowly ween it off of her and we could still go home on the Pheno. drug. At this point it is hard to tell how long we will be here. Could be just a few more days or maybe several weeks. I just pray that this precious miracle be healed from the horrible things going on in her body.

My step mom came in yesterday. She is a lactation consultant/pediatric nurse, so she is a huge help with things like this. I really needed some moral support too because I was feeling pretty drained, overwhelmed, and worried. She got here about 2 yesterday and was able to feed and hold Delaney. She saw all the different side effects and just loved on her and prayed for her. We constantly tell her how blessed we are to call her ours. We are not sure why God chose us to be her mommy and daddy, but we are honored and more than excited to answer the call!!

We left yesterday afternoon to get finger printed AGAIN!! I'm telling you what, they sure don't make adoption of any kind easy. If people had to jump through all of these hoops to have a baby, we wouldn't have many I can tell you that :) Just the legal and financial stuff alone is overwhelming. I just want to be a mommy and I'm being pulled away to go to court and do paperwork. I know it will all be worth it though. We ate dinner at Cracker Barrel and Gloria bought us this Willow Tree statue. I have wanted it for a while and now its perfect for our situation. I put it on her special shelf in the room.

Nana Glo feeding Delaney

When we came back over last night we helped give her a bath. Then Glo and I rocked and read to her. Allen came in and read to her also. We are definitely trying to get a nightly routine established so when she does come home we will already have it in place :) I've been looking forward to bath and reading time with a sweet one forever :) I know it will be one of the most cherished times of my day! I got a pretty good nights sleep and Gloria fixed us a nice breakfast. I got over here about 930 and she was sleeping so peacefully.

She had a pretty good night last night. The medicine seems to be working because her levels were down. If they stay down over a period of several days then she will slowly be weened off. I fed her a little while ago and she was wonderful. Her score was REALLY low this time :) They won't adjust meds till probably Saturday though so we still have a long way to go! Vanessa, Adam, and Hannah will be in this weekend so hopefully they will get to meet her. I can't wait till she comes home so we can take pics of Hannah and Delaney together. I have been working on her birth announcement this morning. I can't wait to take good pictures to share with everyone. The cell phone is an easy and quick way to communicate and share pics right now. We are still not posting on FB because of legal stuff. It stinks because I really really want to say something about my precious baby girl!! The time will come tho :) I am very hopeful God is paving the way and knows what He is doing. Four years ago I never imagined this would be where I was....I wanted to have a baby so badly and wanted to experience pregnancy. While I haven't lost that hope, I am SOOOO glad God chose us to endure a bit of a test of faith to see if we were willing and capable of standing up to the test. He knew this little innocent baby would need a mommy and daddy, and that we should be that for her. If that meant all the years of infertility and suffering were to bring us to here, in the NICU with our sweet daughter Delaney Jane, then I am so glad HE knew what He was doing and that He didn't let me get in the way. What a sweet story we can share with others about God's faithfulness. And the way that He brought her to us in such a special way....

Love this pic! She is so tiny next to Allen's hands.

Here are a few pics of the door and board in her room :) She also has a little bookshelf that we put her books we read every night on there as well as the pic frame Rachel did for us :) It's a little piece of home here at the hospital.

Her name tag on her room :)

Continue to pray for our special little miracle! God's got big plans for her I have a feeling ;) We just love to stare at her and thank God for entrusting her little life in our hands. We love our sweet girl!!!

Delaney Jane

Well, I apologize for not posting for a few days...we have been a little busy :) It has been a whirlwind of emotions the past couple of days, but the best news is I'M FINALLY A MOMMY!!! Our sweet baby girl was born Friday morning, Feb 10th at 10:22 a.m., weighing 6 lbs 1 oz and 18 1/2 inches long. A week ago I wasn't even sure this was going to happen, and we still have a long process before its final, but Allen and I are in love.

I guess I should start with Friday morning. The Birth Mother's mom called and said she could not get a hold of her by phone and she wasn't answering the door. I was so scared. I feared the worst. I just prayed and prayed that everyone was okay and that God would protect our sweet baby. Allen tried to get in touch later on that day, but wasn't successful. Friday evening we had plans to go over to some friends house for dinner. We were hanging out over there around 10 when Allen's other phone rang. We all just froze. When he answered, it was the Birth Mother's mom. She told Allen that the baby had been born and there was a DCS case worker who wanted to speak with us. We were given her name and number and Allen called her. She said she wasn't allowed to tell us much except that she only gets involved when drugs are involved. She said the Birth Mother named us specifically to take the baby. The father had named himself on the birth certificate and claimed he wanted the baby, but refused a drug test at the hospital. We were told that the case worker would speak to her supervisor and call us in the morning with what details she could give us. Allen called the birth mother's mom back and they talked a little more. She felt that the boyfriend came back into the picture with drugs and that is why she wouldn't come to the doctor's appt. She also believes the BM was beat up by him :( There is still not a guarantee that he is the actual father, but he did name himself on the birth certificate. I went to bed Friday night anxious and scared. I wasn't sure what God's plan was in all of this. I knew I wanted this little girl but I was scared to death! Saturday morning the case worker contacted Allen and said the baby did test positive for several drugs. I was devastated :( This was not what we had planned. I pretty much laid in my bed and sobbed, crying out to God, asking him why he wouldn't bless us with a child? We had prayed for so long. We had waited for so long. We yearned for that fulfillment. We thought we'd make good parents. He had brought this adoption situation to our attention and we didn't understand why it would fall through. A little while later Allen called and seemed very positive. I couldn't figure out why. The way I saw it, this boyfriend was going to try to swoop in, he was on drugs, and our chances of getting the baby were slim. He said to me, "Beth, this baby needs a home, and we need a baby." Why wouldn't we at least try?

So the case worker told us that the baby was in the NICU but we had permission to go back and see her. So we got ready and went to meet our daughter! I wasn't entirely ready for this. I was so worried we were going to lose her and I didn't want to get attached. Well, that was pretty much impossible. Look at this precious face :)

When we went into the room the nurse was amazing. She explained short and long term effects caused by the drug use. She was in the nicu to be monitored for any withdrawal symptoms. I knew when I looked at her I thought she was a perfect gift from God and I begged for Him to take away anything that would hurt her :( She was an innocent baby and didn't deserve the things that could happen to her. We left there to speak with our attorney but then raced right back to the hospital that night. That has pretty much been our life the last 4 days. We spend every second we can there and are running around like crazy every other minute! Our attorney advised us on several things but was very encouraging. She just needed us to be aware of the risks. We scheduled a meeting for Sunday afternoon with the DCS case worker and our attorney. From the second this little angel entered the world, people have been praying for her. I am just overwhelmed at the amount of prayer, support through text messages and phone calls, and the giving of everyone around us! It's amazing how wonderful everyone is in a time of need. We just feel blessed beyond what words can describe! I know this baby girl isn't going to need a thing!! HA :) Between church, school, and family, people are so anxious to bring us things. We don't even know how to express our gratitude :)

Sunday morning we couldn't wait to get back over here! We are allowed to stay the night, but its a chair and the nurse advised us to go home and get our sleep while we can :) We hung out and held her Sunday morning then met my Dad, Gloria, and Nick for lunch. They weren't allowed to go back yet so they just came to visit with us and bring her some cute outfits! We had our meeting at 2 and it went really well. We actually thought we were going down the foster care route but it turns out we had a better chance and maybe a quicker time frame, if we asked for legal custody then moved forward. Since the birth parents have had no contact with the baby since she was born, and drugs were involved, they would really have to do a lot to prove they are fit. We still feel very strongly that the BM still wants us to have her. The father was probably being difficult in the situation but in all reality, wouldn't even know where to begin to raise a baby. So, we filled out some paperwork and the case worker made sure our home was fit for a baby. We were told we would file for custody Monday morning, then probably have a preliminary dependency hearing later in the week. We ate dinner with some friends from school and got some precious things! Rachel had copied some pictures I had sent and had them framed! We have them up in her room :) We came back over to the hospital Sunday night and were able to give her a bath, read to her and rock her to sleep. That is one blessing about her being in the NICU. We have been the only ones allowed back so she has gotten used to our voices and smells. We talk to her, tell her we love her, pray over her every time we leave, kiss and squeeze on her, and just let her know she is our perfect miracle from God. I had gotten these two books on Amazon last week and we read them to her the last few days. We could barely get through them because of all the emotion. We are just so amazed at God's timing and His faithfulness to provide!!

This is her own little shelf in her room!

Monday Allen went to work and I came back over here. The nurses are so welcoming and helpful. We have been treated wonderfully and were just overwhelmed considering we weren't even legal guardians yet. God has really just worked out so many things in our favor. Monday afternoon we went to juvenile court to get legal custody. We were there a while but it all worked out! We left with legal custody and the birth parents cannot see her. We have a hearing scheduled for Friday which just starts the process. There is a lot in our favor and we feel confident this little girl is meant to be part of our family. Last night Allen's parents got to meet her for the first time!! They were just in awe. They couldn't believe what a precious angel she was. She is so loved already!!

I am staying over here all day today finally! We have the court date Fri. morning and we are hoping she will come home this weekend! The levels they check for have been pretty good. She hasn't had to be on any meds for the withdrawals which is really good!! I know that is because of all the prayers!!! She is still on some antibiotics (1 of 4 cords that I have to work around when changing her diaper or clothes AAHH!! :) but other than that she is doing great. I will continue to keep this blog updated with info about what is going on with our little adventure! We are hoping that she will officially be "ours" in less than a year. The process can take that long though. In our eyes and hearts she is already ours. We love our precious Delaney Jane Goins with all of our hearts, and cannot wait for her to meet all of the wonderful people who have prayed for us for years, and have prayed for her as well!!

Our perfect family of 3 (not including Hank :)

Sweetness!!

Thank goodness for some hair! This girl will wear some hair bows :)

Prayers please

So our exciting day didn't start out like we hoped. We were on our way to grab Chick-fila for breakfast before the doctors appt. when we got a phone call from the Birth Mother's mom saying she wasn't going to be at the appt. She said she was going to go over and check on her and then call us back. We were so upset, nervous, frustrated ...etc...Just too many emotions to explain. We prayed and had people praying for us ALL day long. We left Chick-fila and actually went up to the hospital to see if anyone could help us with a few questions about when the baby is born. The lady on the OB floor was very hateful and not helpful at all. The nice older lady downstairs at the information desk was EXTREMELY nice and very helpful! She called a patient advocate for us and they took down my info. Someone called me a few hours later and answered my questions. She told me that when she is born, if they have room, they will put us in a room with her, free of charge! If she is healthy and everything is fine then we should be able to stay there with her! That was so encouraging to hear! She also told me 2 people that I needed to get in touch with when we arrive. I was so glad we finally got some answers :) Allen went back to work, but I honestly didn't feel like going in, so my sub told me she could stay the full day. I ran to Hobby Lobby and got a few things. It seemed to help my anxiety to shop for her....I kept the receipt just in case.

I got this cute rug for in front of the crib!

And these adorable frames were 50% off!! LOVE THEM!!

After that I ran to McKay's and dropped off 3 bags of books that had been in my car for weeks :) I only got 23.00 in trade but that's better than nothing. I picked out a few baby books including Jamie Lee Curtis' book "Tell Me Again about the night I was born." It's a book about a little girl who was adopted. One of the pages talks about how "mommy couldn't grow you in her belly, so another mommy had you and then we became your parents." Talk about some tears!!! I am gonna just cry reading it to my sweet baby!!

I got some classics and didn't spend a dime!! They are all in perfect condition too!! 

I also went to Hallmark to try to find a baby book that is more geared towards adoption. I just don't want a book that has the pages about the pregnancy and finding out etc... I have found some online but I really would like to look at them first. I took Allen some lunch and then was heading to get my oil changed before relaxing at home. Well, that didn't happen like I'd planned either. I had just passed by the school when a car was driving beside me and motioned for me to roll down the window. It was a Government Official car so I was a little worried :) He said my tire was flat and looked like it was about to blow! So, I pulled over and they did too. I told them I would call my husband and thanked them for telling me. It definitely could have been a lot worse!! As I was waiting for Allen another car pulled up beside me. It was Brother Mike and Kerry, our Music Pastor! HA! I'm sure they were wondering why I was sitting on the side of the road, on a work day, with an empty car seat in the back seat!! I told them about my tire and that Allen was on his way. They began to get to work helping try to figure out how to change the tire. Between all 3 of them the tire was changed in no time. It's funny how the Lord works. Kerry said they usually eat in Clinton, but Bro. Mike suggested Chilli's on Clinton Highway today. If they hadn't gone there, they wouldn't have seen me. They did have to turn around in the Hitching Post parking lot(a local bar) HA!! They said they hoped nobody saw them pulling out of there!!! We ended up getting all 4 tires replaced (shew...thank goodness for a tax return :).

Well you might be wondering what happened with the Birth Mother. Allen finally called her mom this evening to check on her. We were thinking the worst!! She said that she just didn't get up for the appt. They re scheduled one for tomorrow morning at 8:45. She doesn't know if she will get up and go to that one either, but we can't control that. We told her to please let us know because if she goes we want to be there. I am really praying that they will just go ahead and induce her tomorrow so that all of this worrying can be over. I know we will have a whole new set of obstacles after the birth, but at least I will know our baby girl will be safe. Her mom feels like she wants to go through with the adoption but doesn't want to do all the work involved. We don't know what that means for us. We think we can still take her home, but the process could be a long one. We are not sure why God is testing us with all of this, but He must have some big plan in store! Please pray that she will get up in the morning and that this baby girl will arrive soon.

More pics :)

I wanted to share some more pictures so that I have everything documented! We go in the morning at 7:45 for another doctor's appt and there is a chance she may be induced tomorrow! So....this may be my last blog before becoming a mommy! AAHH :) I am praying so hard for this to happen!!!

Here are the pictures of Allen putting together the crib:

Hank watching :)

Without the mattress but you can sort of see the bedding

We got the mattress today and are going to put all of it together tonight! Hank has been very interesting this week. I think he knows something is going on. He has been right in the middle of everything but has been absolutely precious. He also has slept with us the past 2 nights. It's really weird to think that he knows something is changing soon! This is where he prefers to sleep.......

Yes, that's my pillow :)

 

 

A few minutes ago I was asking him if he was "Momma's sweet boy." Then I said, "Are you going to be a good big brother to Delaney?" He jumped down off the couch and ran over to the swing we have in the living room and nudged it with his nose....I took that as he knew that was for her!! :) Maybe it was a coincidence but I think he knows and I think he will be a great protector for her :)

We put the pack n play, stroller, and glider together in the last few days too. Allen has been wonderful and has worked diligently to get everything done! Here are a few pics:

Ready to roll!!

Notice who is by my side ;)

One last picture before I sign off! I have wanted a coming home from the hospital outfit made and knew I wanted it monogrammed. Even though there is no guarantee in this situation we are trusting God and hoping He is going to work in mighty ways! My sweet friend Karen from church made this for us. Our sweet baby girl will look adorable coming home from the hospital!!

I am hoping and praying that we will bring a sweet baby girl home from the hospital very soon!! Please continue to pray for the health of the baby and the delivery. Also for the Birth Mother during and after the delivery, that God will give her a peace and comfort her. She will never know how much her amazing sacrifice means to us. We can't even express in words the gift she is giving to us; becoming parents :) Our dream come true!!

The Best Day!

Let me just start out by thanking everyone for all of the prayers! I know we have only gotten this far because God is hearing our prayers. We have been very anxious, wondering if we were going to meet the Birth Mother and get to go to a doctor's appt. We finally were told her appt. was Monday, Feb 6th and she wanted us there! Allen and I have been at peace about the whole thing. We feel very hopeful, but also know that things may not work out. I wanted to post a few things I got recently...

I couldn't resist! A Marshalls' cute buy! It also has a cute navy dress with it :)

Rachel from school and her hubby Greg picked these adorable blankets out :)

We have had so many friends over to give us things and bring us stuff! Rachel from church got us some bottles, pacifiers, nipples, and a thermometer! And Jessica, from our Sunday school class let us have her daughters baby tub! She also gave us a sweet outfit she had never worn. We are just overwhelmed with how generous everyone is! I can't even imagine what it will be like when we bring her home!!

So Monday finally came! I was pretty nervous at school. I left around 1:15 and Allen came to get me. On the way there I tried to relax and just pray that everything would go smoothly. I really had no idea how things would work. How would she know who we were? Was it going to be uncomfortable and weird? Well, we waited in the lobby for a few minutes and then an older woman and her daughter walked up to us and we figured out pretty quick, it was them. From the moment we met C, she was full of joy. That is the only possible way I can describe it. For her to be meeting the couple who she has chosen to parent her baby, she was extremely calm and confident. I'm not sure what I was expecting. She told us she would go back first, but then we could come back for the ultrasound and ask the doctor any questions. I was pretty excited about the ultra sound because I wasn't sure if she would even have one this late in her pregnancy. We waited in the lobby and talked to her mom. She was so sweet and even though she seemed a little uncomfortable, I think she was also excited for all of us.C came back out into the lobby and we shared with her a little bit of our story. We let her look at our profile book and told her she could keep it. We talked about how we started the adoption process in June, sent our last profile fee Dec 8th and that her mom called Dec 9th. She then said with a smile, "Well, the baby was conceived in June." Wow! I was just amazed. It was definitely a moment where I felt like I got to see a small part of God's big plan :)

The nurse came and got all of us. C told us that the nurses knew the situation and said it was fine for us to be back there with her. We sat down in the ultrasound room and waited. When the nurse walked in she smiled at C, then looked at Allen and me and said, "So, you all are the parents?" I honestly didn't know how to answer. In my mind, this little girl was ours. But here is her biological mother sitting in the room getting ready to make the biggest sacrifice of her life and I didn't know how to respond. I think Allen and I just smiled and sort of mumbled and nodded!! She started to do the ultrasound and I reached over for Allen's hand. I had imagined this day for so many years. Obviously, my dream was to be in the chair with a child growing within me. But I have to say that although this baby girl isn't in my womb I already love her. She was already face down so they were unable to get a face shot yesterday. We did get to see and hear her heartbeat which was pretty incredible!! The nurse spent a lot of time trying to find different things to show us. We got to see her spine, some toes, and even some hair! They were able to print those pictures off for me and also went back to past visits and pulled up more shots of her face and profile! I think she is beautiful and I almost think she may have a nose like me and Allen!!

This is an older ultrasound but it shows her little profile :)

This one is the face straight on.

We were able to find out some more information about her and the possible fathers. Right now, there are 2 guys that it may be. We are praying that it will all work out and we won't have a bunch of legal issues. The doctor checked her and she had dilated 2 cm. They did another test and were going to possibly induce her, but instead they want her to come back Thursday morning. If they check her Thursday and things have progressed they may go ahead and induce. She is 37 weeks tomorrow. So, yes, that means we may become parents before this weekend! How exciting! She asked us to come back to the appt on Thursday so we left with pretty hopeful hearts and a peace about the entire situation. I just feel as we spoke with her that she was certain about her decision and that she knew this was the right thing to do for the baby. She admits that she can barely provide for herself and she wants a better life for this little girl. I told her how many people have been praying for her and the baby and that this little girl will be loved beyond what she can even imagine! Between friends and family, I honestly feel she will have every need provided for her! HA :)

As we left them in the parking lot we hugged goodbye. I can honestly say I felt like we had known her a lot longer than an hour!! That's how our awesome God works!!! We left the hospital making many phone calls and sending some texts!! We were able to share the pictures with Allen's parents and tell them about the visit. When we got home, Allen started to put the crib together. He finished the crib and pack n play last night and the stroller tonight! We are set! Our glider should be here in the next few days and we still have to get a different changing table, but other than that, our big stuff is bought. We took a short break and went to eat with our friends Tina, Shane and their daughter Isabella. They tried for over 10 years before they were blessed with sweet Bella. It was so wonderful to talk to Tina about God's timing and promise.

Bella loves her Allen :)

I have so much more to blog about but I am exhausted!! I will try to post more pics tomorrow!! Hank has been very excited too! He was so sweet last night when we were putting the crib together :) I think this sweet little face says it all!

Please continue to pray for the health of the baby. As of yesterday she weighed 5'14 and the doctor said everything looks great! We are just praying that God will work a miracle and bless us through this beautiful gift of adoption!

Baby D, Update

Thought I would post about what we have found out the last few days. We hadn't heard from the family all weekend and we were beginning to get a little worried. However, Allen talked to the BM's mom yesterday and got a few things figured out. They said they would get in touch with our lawyer and hire their own. We are in charge of paying for her lawyer. She knows she has a lot of paperwork to fill out and she is fine with that. She is very sure of her decision. She cannot sign anything until four days after the baby is born and then there is the 10 day period where she can change her mind. We are still unsure if we will take her home the day after she is born or wait until the 4 days is up. I'll be honest; it will be very hard knowing our possible daughter is in a hospital close by and we won't have her at home :( But we will see what we decide to do. She scheduled her Dr. appt for next Monday at 2:15. She still wants us to come. Hopefully she won't deliver before then so that we can at least meet her, and talk to the doctor about any complications etc...

Today she was pursuing the possible fathers. I know it sounds like a soap opera but she has to figure all of this out. I wish it was just some cut and dry perfect situation, but it's not. Obviously our ideal situation would be to get pregnant and have a child of our own :( For whatever reason God is not answering that prayer right now so adoption is the path we have chosen. We know there are risks when adopting and we are just trusting God that He will take care of everything. One guy acts interested in keeping the baby, however according to her, he has been living off of her for a year and a half. He doesn't sound very capable of caring for a baby, but if he is the biological father there is nothing we can do. We still will pursue the adoption though because she doesn't want him to have anything to do with her. He may change his mind too. Also there is another possible father and he is very supportive of the adoption. So we are hoping he ends up being the father. There would be less complications where all of that is concerned.

We are hoping to hear back from our lawyer this week after the BM has contacted her. Please pray for the health of the baby. She needs to stay in the womb a while longer for many reasons. Please pray that the entire situation go smoothly and that we will be blessed with a child through this whole ordeal. I want to be so hopeful yet I allow doubt and fear to creep in sometimes. Everyone at school is so encouraging. We know we have alot of people praying for us and will continue to support us in the whole process. Jessica Conatser is letting us borrow a cradle and a bouncy seat. I brought those home today. Our pack n play came yesterday and the stroller came today.

My sweet friend Lauren from church brought over an adorable outfit Sunday night! Her and her husband have been trying almost a year to get pregnant. I am hoping and praying they will be blessed very soon!

Hopefully I will be posting in the next week or so with really good news. We know we have a long road ahead. It could be 6 months to a year before the adoption is final, but we are prepared to do that if this little girl is supposed to be ours!!

Babies, birthdays and hockey!

The last few days have been a whirlwind to say the least. Everyone has been so sweet and helpful to help get us ready for the possibility of a baby in our home very soon :) As of right now we have our crib, pack n play, stroller, and bedding already bought for us! All of it will arrive this week probably :) We made a few more purchases this weekend at Babies R Us. I can't wait to go shopping when we know it is somewhat official. It was still fun to imagine everything we may buy!! We picked up some burp cloths, blankets, and sleepers. Karen is making a nb gown with her initials on it. It will be monogrammed in purple and have ribbon underneath and bows on the bottom. She also is giving us a headband with a sweet bow. I can't wait to see it!!

Friday night we went to Abuelo's for Rachel's birthday. I finally had an excuse to wear my new dress!!

All the girls and our hubbies!

After that we went to get some icecream and just talked and hung out! I seriously love these ladies. We always have such a blast together!! And it definitely helps that our husbands like each other ;)

The girls and Noah

Saturday we got up and cleaned. I have been trying to organize things in the nursery. I cleaned out the nursery closet and moved things around in the guest bedroom. Around lunchtime we ventured out to Babies R Us to look at gliders. My mom wants to buy that for us. We still haven't found one we like yet. I'm being picky because I know it has to be comfy!! I may be sleeping in it some nights! HA!!

We also went to Noah's first hockey game yesterday afternoon. He is such a good little skater! He was very nervous and scored some goals in the wrong net (He is 5 ;) but overall he was great! They even announced his name over the loudspeaker! It was pretty cool. I'm not gonna lie....kind of made me want to let my kid play hockey ;)

The boys cheering Noah on!

The girls supporting #9!! (Rachel was sick and unable to come :(

#9 Noah

Action shot!

It was cold in there!!

The Clawson's and Us. Don't we look cute in our black and red? HA!

The Mallery's! Such proud parents.

After the game we had a nice dinner at Fuddruckers! Noah spent most of his time playing games and buying dinky toys, but he did pause for a quick picture with Allen.

This morning after church I decided to organize some things in the nursery. I am preparing a diaper bag in case we get a phone call this week. I bought some Dreft yesterday and washed some of the blankets, birth cloths, and sleepers. I know it may sound silly, but I was so excited to finally get to buy that expensive baby detergent. Just another thing I have dreamed about in my journey to parenthood! Here are a few pics of what we already have done in the nursery.

View from inside the room. We are keeping that changing table until we can get the one that matches the crib.

Packing the diaper bag

Our car seat and the cute and warm blanket to put over her!!

Allen is speaking with our attorney tomorrow to figure out what our next steps are. We are hoping to hear from her about the doctor's appointment. I've already spoken with my family and my mom will probably come down as soon as we know anything and stay around a week. I know my sister and sister in laws have both mentioned coming in as well. One thing for sure; if this little girl joins our family she will be loved!!! A LOT!!!
Please continue to pray for God's will to be done and that everything will go smoothly in the coming weeks. I have an unannounced observation at school this week...YIPEE! On a good note tho, I already have a sub lined up for my maternity leave. If everything works out, I will take off from the time she is born until right after Spring Break. I have already chosen a pediatrician,and I have to call tomorrow about my insurance and make sure everything is covered. There is a lot involved whether you have a baby or adopt one! I will miss my teaching girls, but am so excited at the possibility of staying home for a few weeks with a sweet baby girl!!