Adoption T-Shirts Now Available

We were only a few hundred dollars away from having our adoption funded a few months ago and then when we least expected it I got in an accident that did quite a bit of damage to our vehicle.  2 weeks later we received the call to pick up Jonathan.  Our car was in the body shop for over a month...So a big chunk of our tax return that was going to get us within $400 of our total fees instead had to go to a rental car, insurance deductible, defensive driving school and travel expenses to get Jonathan.   Ugh!  Another lesson in not being in control and trusting the Lord.  We are still hoping for a grant to come through but may not know for a while.

That said we, our placement meeting is scheduled for June 17th in Phoenix at which time our remaining balance is due.  We still need to come up with about  $3000.  Our fundraiser through Cookie Lee Jewlery is still going and you can support our adoption by shopping online at http://www.cookielee.biz/esuite/home/donnachamblee just make sure to enter "EMILY REYNOLDS" as the hostess when you check out.

Also we are offering our adoption T-Shirts in size S-XXX.  They are $25 each which includes shipping and can be pre-ordered before June 1st.  The shirts are an ultra blend 50/50.  To order click on the "Donate" button on the right side of this page and send us an email (thereynoldsfamily6@frontier.com) with the number of shirts and sizes you would like. 

Please feel free to pass this on to friends as we now have a ways to go.  Thank you for your support!!!

God's Ways Are Higher Than Ours

I am afraid, as I begin to write, that I will not be able to adequately express our awe and sense of gratitude for all that God has done. 

On Wednesday April 6th at lunchtime I got a call from Amy, my best friend from High School.  She felt the need to call and encourage me as her cousins just got a hospital call and in a matter of days had a baby in their arms.  It was a sweet call to remind me that God's timing is perfect and He did have a baby for us it was just a matter of waiting for that baby to come along.  I went about the next hour or so putting the kids down for naps and honestly (for once) not thinking I wonder if the agency will call today.

At 1pm Aaron walked in the door and announced that Jonathan Michael (the name we had chosen if our baby was a boy) was born Tuesday afternoon and we need to sit down and pray about him.  I was floored.  He explained that the agency somehow had his work number as our home number and the director of the adoption program had called him at work.  There was a little boy born the day before.  His birth mom did not have any prenatal care and had drunk excessively throughout the pregnancy.  We knew from our adoption classes that exposure to alcohol while in the womb was worse than if she had used illegal drugs.   The doctors at the hospital said they did not see any physical evidence that the baby had Fetal Alcohol Syndrome but he was experiencing withdrawls and was very agitated and unable to keep formula down.  Aaron told me that the baby was born at 8 lb 12 oz and I just fell apart.  I couldn't believe there was a baby that actually had a weight and was laying in a hospital just waiting for us to come pick him up.  We prayed about this little life and called back the agency to let them know we wanted to go be with him as soon as possible. 

On the road!!!

With Christine (first time holding him)

Daddy meets his new son

From the time Aaron and I found out about Jonathan we both had such a peace.  We just knew no matter what complications may arise from the alcohol this was our baby and we would love him no matter what.  In our classes we had been told that attachment may take some time we may feel guarded until we know the birth parents had signed consents but we believed this baby was the one God had prepared us for.  We walked around dazed and tried to pack for the kids to go stay with friends as well as get clothes and stuff for ourselves.  We were on the road in a couple of hours to go get our boy.  We were overwhelmed with love for this little man without knowing anything about him but his struggle to come into this world and the odds stacked against him.

We arrived in Phoenix too late to be escorted to the hospital by the pregnancy counselor so we went to Ryan and Sarah's guest house where we stayed during our classes.   They had gone grocery shopping and stocked the fridge with breakfast foods and our comfort foods.  Sarah had set up a cradle and stocked it with burp rags and receiving blankets.  Ryan met us at the car and asked if they could pray with us before we went to bed.  We sat with them and prayed for little Jonathan that someone would hold him as he went through the withdrawls and that he would have a special nurse who would love him that night.  We prayed that God would comfort him and prepare us for his needs.  Neither of us slept well we just couldn't calm down and get our minds to rest.  I got up at 3:30am and prayed and showered and tried to mentally prepare myself for so many unknowns that were ahead.  We arrived at the agency and met Christine, the pregnancy counselor, to follow her up to the hospital.  When we arrived the hospital really didn't know what to do with us.  They said that because the agency had custody of Jonathan we could not be with him unless Christine was with us at all times.  Typically the pregnancy worker introduces the adoptive parents to the hospital staff and the parents receive wristbands and can be with the baby as much as the birth parents allow.  Jonathan's birth mom had already left the hospital and so they would not give us wrist bands.  Christine walked us up to the nursery where there were two babies in bassinets.  One little peanut and one HUGE swaddled bundle.  She said, "There he is?"  I asked which one and she said, "The big one!"  Jonathan's nurse, Diane, wheeled him out as Christine and Katie (the hospital's social worker) discussed what to do with us.  Diane told us Jonathan was a very cranky baby and had been very agitated all night.  She had held him while she did her orders and talked to him to soothe him (answer to our prayers).  Aaron and I stood there overwhelmed not knowing if we were allowed to pick him up or touch him.  It was kind of awkward.  Christine and Katie worked it out for us to visit with Jonathan in an empty patient room as long as Christine was there.  We pushed Jonathan to his room and he started to fuss.  I still didn't know if we were allowed to hold him or care for him as the hospital seemed really uncomfortable with us at first.  Finally I told Christine, "Bag it, I'm picking him up he needs to be held."  From that moment on he was the most content baby I have ever seen.  He seemed to know us right away and was soothed by our voices.  The night before when we were talking with Ryan and Sarah she warned us that he might be so hyper-aroused from coming off the alcohol that we could only talk quietly to him and work up to touching his had then caressing etc.  He immediately seemed to bond with us (another answer to prayer).

Katie was able to get us permission to care for Jonathan and we ended up staying the night with him in a private room.  The staff even put a little picture of a nest of eggs on our door that said-"Nesting" so we wouldn't be disturbed.

Nurse Diane

With Katie

With Dr. Fleischaker

Heading home!!!

We had prayed that the staff would comfort and care for Jonathan as he struggled with withdrawl symptoms and Dr Fleischaker was a HUGE answer to that prayer.  She was the pediatrician attending to him and she was actually able to talk with the birth mom and encourage her.  Dr. Fleischaker said she had called in a specialist to check on Jonathan in the night because she was so concerned for him and he was having such a difficult time with the withdrawl (constant, sucking, throwing up and tremors).  The specialist told her he would have to just get through the withdrawls and there wasn't anything to really do for him.  Dr. Fleischaker said that wasn't good enough he is little and uncomfortable.  She had obviously bonded with Jonathan and she continued to be a God sent advocate for him.  She was knowledgeable about future concerns for Jonathan and wrote us a letter and chart notes to make sure we could file for subsidy in the future.  She even called our pediatrician in Havasu to make sure he was fully aware of the symptoms and markings of FAS and would thuroughly check Jonathan.  We took pictures of each person who cared for Jonathan in the hospital so that he would know that he wasn't alone.  God ordained special people to care for him and love him when we couldn't be there.


We cannot even Imagine how all the details could have come together to bring Jonathan into our family.  We are confident that God ordained this little man coming into our lives at just this time.  God has been faithful in each step of our journey and we are amazed when we look at the steps He took in leading Jonathan's birth mom as well.  There are somethings about Jonathan's story that are personal and only his to share but when we ponder the events of the past year we clearly see the hand print of God and we cannot think of a better place for our family to be than resting in the tender hand of our savior.  Thank you for praying us through this process.  Prayer accomplishes much!

Adoption Grants Done!

What an undertaking! This past week we completed and mailed five adoption grant applications.  Oh my word is that a lot of work!  It will be so worth it though if we get even one.  I have heard a lot of people say "I want to adopt but we could never afford it."  Let me tell you there is so much funding out there for families with a heart for adoption.  Many of the programs are in the form form of grants which you don't pay back but there are also lots of interest free loans out there.  Here is an incomplete list of grants that are available.  These are grants are available to families that are adopting domestically.  Not all are Christian organizations but many are so those would require a testimony and pastor references etc.

Show Hope (Started by Steven Curtis Chapman)
showhope.org

Help Us Adopt
helpusadopt.org

National Adoption Fund
nafadopt.org

God's Grace Adoption Ministry
ggam.org

Gift of Adoption Fund
www.giftofadoption.org

Topeka Family Foundation
(preference given for families with ties to Kansas but others considered if funding is still available)
topekacommunityfoundation.org/



This is by no means a complete list.  There are many organizations out there who also provide funding and assistance for families wishing to adopt internationally.  Fundraising is also a very productive method of paying for adoption costs.  We have held garage sales, made items and sold them on Etsy.com, hosted a Pampered Chef and Cookie Lee fundraiser & taken on babysitting a baby until we are matched.  The possibilities are only limited by your creativity.   God has provided numerous gifts from friends and family as well.  We have been blown away by his timely provision. 

Two more of our friends from our adoption class have been matched or received their babies and it has been so exciting to watch.    We cannot wait to meet our baby and share our story.

Waiting

Took some time today to go through our list and get our hospital bags ready.  I got to make a Wal Mart run and get some pacifiers, teeny tiny socks, mits and diaper wipes.  It was so fun to wander through the baby section and so strange to look around and realize I don't even know where to start-we don't know if we are getting a boy or a girl.  So many things to look forward to.  It sometimes seems unreal.

Online Adoption Fund Raiser With Cookie Lee Jewlery

  We are so close to having our adoption paid for. We are having an online fundraiser through Cookie Lee Jewelry to help raise the last bit. They offer super cute, quality jewelry at affordable prices. Please go to cookielee.biz/donnachamblee and make sure my name (Emily Reynolds) is in the hostess line when you order. Please feel free to share this link.

Thanks for helping us bring our baby home.

The Matching Process

Last week we got a call from Sharon.  She needed to find out some details in order to complete her report on our home study.  She said she was hurrying to complete it because we were being shown to some moms in particular a mom had requested our profile Monday.  I was literally shaking when I got off the phone with Sharon.  It was so exciting to know we were being viewed by birth moms and potentially could be matched at any time. 

Today Sharon told us that the specific mom she had mentioned had chosen a different family.  It was kind of disappointing because all week we knew we could get the call to set up a match meeting. 

I was struck today with the realization that going through the adoption and especially the matching process really makes you consider who God is.   There are two ways that I have felt during this process.  On one hand I KNOW that God has a baby for us and this will all happen in His timing.  On the other hand there are so many factors-is the birth mom looking for a family with or without children?  Will she want a parents who are the same race?  Will it matter that we live so far from Phoenix? Will she want parents who have both completed college?  The questions are unending and there are no answers.  Then there is the number of waiting families and the urge to watch the numbers dwindle as couples are matched.  Depending on your view of God's involvement in the adoption...or in life, actually, you may think these details affect you being matched. 

What I have come to realize though is that if we truly believe that God is sovereign (and He is) then nothing matters but that we obey.  It doesn't matter how many couples are out there waiting, what your family size is, what your talents or race are.  If He  is sovereign than HE IS SOVEREIGN!  We just have to obediently take each step He lays before us and trust that He will orchestrate the mystery of this gift. 

Our response to the ups and downs truly reflects and depends on our view of who God is.  Yes, we were hopeful.  Yes, we are excited to know we are being shown and that couples are being matched.  Through all the ups and downs God will be constant and our trust needs to be placed in Him!  Satan will grasp at any opportunity we give him to gain a foothold in our minds and doubt is a tool that seems to work really well.  Just a bit of what I has been churning in my head. 

Pregnancy Care

Today we met with Colleen, the director of Pregnancy Care Center in Havasu.  She spent some time getting to know us and our hearts for birth parents and open adoption.  She does some amazing works with the moms that come through the center and it was exciting to hear her heart of ministry and find we shared a passion for loving on these moms and ministering to them. 

She is keeping our match letter and information on hand in case she has a mom who is interested in making an adoption plan for her child. 

I is strange being on the other side of our training and home study and just having to wait.  Up until this point we have been actively working to complete paperwork or requirements for our adoption certification and now we have to wait and trust the Lord's perfect timing.  It's hard.  This journey is so crazy-there are no guarantees, no formulas, no for sure scenarios of how our experience will be.  We can do nothing to prepare for our birth mom's situation other than pray.   Immediately after we completed our home study and were approved by the agency it felt like we were well on our way to bringing our baby home.  It felt so real now it feels so surreal.  We know God has a baby somewhere but we have no idea when or how they will come to us.  We are so excited.  It has been so thrilling to see the Lord's hand in this process.  Now we must trust His timing as well.  He will bring it all to pass in His perfect timing.  So far His timing has been so much better than ours. 

Sharon will have all our paperwork ready for us to mail in with our grant applications in the next few weeks.  We have figured out our finances and God has graciously worked out our tax return to bring us just short of our goal.  So any grants we receive will allow us to use less of the tax return and put that toward our much needed car repairs or student loans.  Today we were blessed with two love gifts which brings us so very close to our financial goal.  With our return we are only $350 away from having our adoption covered.  I can hardly believe it.  God has provided every cent.  In a matter of a few short months we have gone from not having the $50 application fee to being $350 away from having a fully paid for adoption including all our travel expenses back and forth from Phoenix.  Truly we must stand in awe and exclaim, "What a mighty God we serve!"

As always please continue to pray with us for our birth mom and dad and for our little baby wherever they are.  God's hand is upon them we are very sure of that!

With all our love and thanks,

The Reynolds Family

Agency Approved!!!

Today Sharon presented us to the agency for approval in the monthly board meeting.  She discussed our meetings, personality test results, home study findings, references etc. (basically just every intimate detail about our marriage and family).  She called us this afternoon to let us know we have been approved for adoption through Christian Family Care.  We are now in the match book and tomorrow she will distribute our 50 match letters to local pregnancy care centers.  We are ready to accept the placement of a baby!!!  We are so very excited.  Thank you once again for your prayers.

Dear Baby

Dear Baby,

  Today I spent the day with Kim.  We both registered for our little adopted blessings.  Tonight as I sit here and think about you and pray for the mommy who is or will soon be carrying you in her tummy I am overwhelmed.  I ache for you.  I cannot wait to meet you and your birth mommy.  I know she is doing a very brave and hard thing and that she loves you very much.  I cannot imagine the kind of strength it takes for her to make such loving plan for you.  We have been praying for you for a very long time and know that God has a very precious plan for your life.  He has taught your daddy and me so much about who he is since we started planning for you.  It is exciting to know that God has had your life planned out all along even though we don't even know who you are yet.  You are becoming so real to us.  We have your little bed set up and your little clothes hanging in the closet.  We don't know yet if you are a boy or a girls so we have bins of blue clothes and bins of pink clothes just waiting to be put away.  Today I washed all the diapers Papa Doug & Grammy Deni sent so they will be ready for you whenever you arrive. 
  Your sisters and brothers can hardly wait to meet you.  They have been praying for you too-that God would keep you safe and healthy and that your birth mommy will have wisdom and know God loves her as she makes difficult decisions.  We are so glad that we will get to know her and that you will too.  I am listening to the hymn cd Daddy bought me for Christmas and am so grateful that we serve such an amazing God.  I am excited to learn all about you.  I cannot wait to see your little face and begin to get to know your personality and dream about how God will use your little life and be glorified through you.  You are a miracle and we love you so much.  We have worked really hard to get ready for you now we just have to wait to meet your birth mommy and trust the Lord for each day.  You are so loved and so longed for.    

See you soon.

Mommy

Psalm 139:13-18

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

 ¹³ For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
   How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
   they would outnumber the grains of sand—
   when I awake, I am still with you.

Our Match Letter

Home Study Complete!

We are so very excited.  Yesterday was a big day.  Sharon, our adoption worker, was here for 3 hours interviewing us, interviewing the kids and touring the house.  It went very well and we are excited to say our home study is complete! 

Sharon will present us next Thursday January 20th for review by the agency and will call us after that meeting to let us know we are officially in the matchbook.  We turned in our match letter and match book fee yesterday.  Yet another milestone reached!  We are so grateful for the prayers and support of family and friends.  We are working hard to raise the remainder of our adoption fee.  As of next Thursday we will be able to accept placement of a baby if we have our finances in order.  We still need a large sum but are again blessed by God's timing.  If we do not have enough money raised our tax return should cover the remaining fee amount.  God's timing is perfect.  We have been so blessed throughout this adoption process to see God's hand at work confirming and providing for each step. 

We have been blessed by freecycle and craigslist finds this week of seven cans of unopened formula  & a some cloth diapering items.  We are still needing diaper covers and have registered at Target and Walmart for the remaining items we need.


We are still working on getting the T-Shirts printed at a reasonable price.  Hopefully we will be able to offer them soon. 

Please continue to lift our family up in prayer.  We are getting closer to meeting our birth mom and baby.  Please pray for health and safety for both the birth mom and baby and that God would be preparing us for an open relationship with the birth family.  There are so many variables in an open adoption so there is no way to be truly prepared but we trust God will work in this relationship and bring about His glory.  Please pray that we will be vulnerable and available for Him to use us.

We love you.

Adoption Update

  I am excited that we actually have some news to report!  We have been waiting for our scheduled meetings to complete our home study and now we are almost done.  Last Thursday we had our last meeting in Phoenix with Sharon where she went over the results of our personality tests.  She was very encouraged by how well Aaron and I know each other and work together in our marriage.  We feel like we are blessed with a wonderful marriage but it was exciting to see that we have a good marriage on paper too.  Our next and final step is our home visit on January 14th.  Sharon will interview each of us and the children separately.  We will turn in our match letter at this time.  Then on January 20th Sharon will present us to the board and we will enter the matchbook.  Which means in 18 days we will be ready to be chosen by a birth mother! 

  I can hardly believe we are so close to meeting our baby.  Of course it could take some time for us to be chosen but our work is almost done.  Now we just wait and pray.  Please join us in praying for God's best and His peace during the remainder of our journey.  Please pray for wisdom and peace for our birth mom and for health for her and her baby.  It will be exciting to see how our story plays out and learn of all the details God orchestrated to bring her to this place.  We have so clearly seen the hand of God in our journey and I cannot wait to give Him the glory for all that He has done in both our lives and the lives of the birth parents.

  We have been getting our nursery completed and have been preparing our stash of newborn clothes and necessities.  We were blessed to find a sit and stand stroller on craigslist in Phoenix for an amazing price.  We have been given so many items from friends whose little ones have grown.  We have registered at Target, Walmart and Nikki's Diapers for the remainder of what we need but we are pretty well prepared to go pick up our little one when the call comes.  Thank you for your love and tremendous support. 

  May God richly bless you in this new year!

The Reynolds Family