Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Fed Ex is my Friend


Our hard copy of our LOA arrived in Birmingham, Alabama today.  They have packaged it all up safe and secure in a Fed Ex envelope and have sent it out overnight to our home.  The very nice Fed Ex man will deliver it to our front door some time tomorrow.  I hope that poor Fed Ex man has dealt with the crazed pre-adoptive mama crowd before, otherwise, he is about to have his socks knocked off, and he may be shaking his head for days to come.  There will be much, MuCh rejoicing when that truck arrives.  I cannot be fully responsible for all that may happen.  We *might* run out to meet it at the curb.  We *might* ask to have our picture taken with the truck.  We *might* even request a photo of the actual Fed Ex man.  There *might* be squeals of joy and uncontrollable laughter or maybe even a few tears.  My hands *might* shake and I *might* babble rapidly about how we've been waiting for this for a long time.  I *might* embarrass myself doing a few cartwheels or old school cheerleading jumps.  It feels like such a huge weight off to have this document coming....yet...

The paper chase is far from over.  I received our "next steps" packet of information in my e-mail today.  Overwhelming is far too small a word.  I felt "overwhelmed" when I opened our first packet of information when we began our adoption journey.  Petrified might be a better word now.  We thought we had a lot of abbreviations to keep up with before, well, I'll be educating you on MORE in the days to come....800 applications, NVC's, Cable Letters, Article 5's, GUZ's, CA's, and TA's.  Not to mention we have to actually get ready to travel amidst all of this swirling around.  I am beginning to seriously doubt there is another corner of space available in my brain for all of this.  Home school is becoming harder and harder to remain focused on.  I am thankful for an upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas break!  My brain simply cannot hold anything more, so if I forget something I told you, or say something wrong, or show up late or not at all, would you please extend me some grace?  Many call this "pregnancy brain."  While my belly isn't swelling, my heart certainly is, and it takes all the energy and focus my body has right now!  I've also reached that stage where getting to sleep is difficult, staying asleep even harder, and many of my dreams now include Hannah.

So, while we rejoice that our "hard" LOA is on a plane, headed to our home right now, we also need our prayer warriors to stick with us, stay strong, and help us cross the finish line!  Continued prayer needs:
  • For all these "next steps" to fall into place and happen quickly and smoothly.
  • For me to find peace and rest in all of this.
  • For the finances to continue to come together.  Y'all, God is providing, and I'm so humbled to be a part of this part of the story!  We are incredibly blessed!
  • For our kiddos here at home.  These are our last months as a family of five!  Please pray for me to come out of the cobwebs of my adoption brain to be fully present with them in this time, helping them realize they are fully loved and going to be amazingly wonderful big brothers and sisters to Hannah!
  • For our parents and close family.  We are about to make them grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins again.  This is a big adjustment for all families, but Hannah may be especially challenging.  We will have some restrictions as we bond and attach to Hannah (watch for another blog about that soon!) and while these restrictions are for the best for Hannah, they may also be difficult for the aching arms of grandparents.  Pray for their hearts to be prepared for how it will be different to welcome an adopted grandchild home from how it was to welcome an infant grandchild home.
  •  For us!  For our hearts and minds to be open and clear right now.  For stamina, energy, and health in these coming months.
  • Lastly, for precious Hannah!  She has no clue what is about to happen to her.  Her little heart is going to break and we're going to have to try to put it all back together as best we can.  Pray, pray, pray for us to bond right away, for healing to come rapidly, for her continued health, and for her heart to be at peace in this process.
So much more yet to come, but so much done and accomplished!  Keep running the race with endurance!

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