Getting closer...

Our precious Secondary Case Worker came for a home visit today. She sat & played with Bubba and visited with Matt & I. And then she made our jaws drop...she said this was her last visit. We were like "whaaa?"
We really have grown to love her!  She loves her job. Loves her foster babies. And is GREAT at what she does.  This fits her.  She said that because we've moved to the next phase - Adoption, our Primary Case Worker will take over from here.
We are going to miss her.  She has been great!
I was sure I told her so!

And so we are getting closer to adopting Bubba.  And this is a HUGE PRAISE!  :)

Baby is 10 Months Old | better late than never...

Baby Boy turned 10 Months Old over half a month ago! HA!

Our sweet, precious, scrumptious boy, at 10 Months you are...

• walking like crazy
• running away from us anytime we pretend to chase you
• losing a tiny bit of that chunky monkey chub
• still giggling like crazy
• clapping anytime anything wonderful happens
• enjoy family worship like never before
• flip OUT when daddy leaves the room
• squeal deliriously when daddy enters a room
• SICK of applesauce
• bananas about bananas
• think bath time means it's time to severely drench momma
• love exploring cabinets & drawers
• enjoy drinking water from your sippy cup and spitting it out (ha!)
• still hate taking your medicine
• helped pick out your First Christmas ornament
• not too sure about the Christmas Tree's prickly branches
• enjoy putting EVERYTHING in your mouth
• TEETHING your first tooth! (I don't think that's proper grammar)
• went to the beach for the VERY first time...and LOVED it!
• met more family over Thanksgiving and had EVERYONE gushing over your absolute cuteness!
• and most of all, you are an absolute joy to your sisters and your daddy & mama!

Praise!

He did well on Nutramigen AA last night!  Thanks for the prayers friends!

Updates...

Bubba had his 9 Month Well Baby appointment this week.
He weighs 20 pounds and a few ounces.
He's 26 inches long.
He seems to be right on target w/ everything.
No shots this time.  Thank YOU Jesus!!!
Dr. Harvey rocks!  He visited w/ us for about 30 minutes and just caught up on
all our little adventures w/ DHS and FPIES. He is never in a hurry.  He makes time for all my mommy fears, reads up on weird stuff like fpies and sends us to great specialists.  We LOVE Dr Harvey!!!

We also had our in-home meeting with our Primary Case Worker yesterday.
It went super, duper smooth.  Can I get a fist pump?
So next Wednesday is the Criteria Staff Meeting which means the Primary Case Worker sits down with some VIP's and requests that the Morrows get to adopt Bubba!!!!!   :)

God's grace throughout all this just blows our minds away!

And in FPIES news, Bubba's body still only accepts bananas & apples.  He has failed our tries at fresh pears, fresh grapes & Gerber Bananas... We are still asking the Lord to simply heal our little guy but in the meantime, this mommy sits down every night for about 15 minutes pouring over as much fpies info as I can get my hands on.

Thank you for your continued prayers!

Answered prayer request

For those who were praying for us on Wednesday, thank YOU!  Our Primary Case Worker called us on Friday, after over a month of not responding to my emails & phone calls.
She is coming Wednesday, Oct 24 for an in-home meeting.
We are RELIEVED!!!
Please continue to pray for favor for our family.

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! Psalm 90:17

Also, it appears Bubba had an FPIES reaction to Gerber bananas.  At this point, we are just going to stick with FRESH FRUITS.  No more pre-made stuff.  It's just not worth it!
Thanks for those who are praying for the Lord's guidance as we journey through these unknown waters with our sweet baby boy.

Love,
The Morrows

Baby is 9 Months Old

Baby Boy turned 9 months a few days ago.  I can't believe how fast the time is passing by!

Baby boy, at nine months, you are...

• simply the love of our lives!
• crawling VERY fast, all over the place
• pulling to a standing position without any help
• creeping all around the living room on your perfect little feet
• able to stand in place without holding on
• thinking very hard about taking your first step
• still lovin' every single second of your precious life!
• the giggliest kid we have ever met in our lives
• extremely curious
• and loud 
• LOVE singing loudly
• good @ interrupting when daddy's reading
• so, so brave
• able to hold down bananas and apples (thank you Jesus!!!)
• flawless in our eyes
• dearly & fiercely loved by your morrow family!!!

Some answers, some waiting...

We received some answers today from our awesome Secondary Case Worker.
She shared with us that our Primary Case Worker needs to set up an Adoption Consultation. This is just a meeting between the P.C.W. and an adoption worker to review the basics of the child's case. The next meeting is the Criteria Staffing, which is supposed to happen 30 days after the consultation.  That meeting involves the worker, adoption worker, attorney, and any counselors.  The criteria staffing is held to make sure all necessary documents have been completed and requests made.  Any identified adoptive placements (that's us, the Morrows) will also be discussed.  If the identified placement has a current home study (within one year), the process is sped up a little because the home study does not have to be updated. 

Our Primary Case Worker hasn't been easy to get a hold of.  :/  Prayers for contacting her would be GREATLY appreciated!

So we've got some answers but we're still just waiting for the Lord to work everything out!

Wordless Wednesday

FPIES {Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome}

It has been a rough few months.  Because little man is our foster baby, we can't talk publicly about exacts.  But I can tell you that he has something called FPIES which stands for Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome.  I want to raise this awareness for our family & friends, to help keep our baby safe.  If you'd like to be included in the email, please be sure to let me know!
Everyone else, click on HERE for info on what FPIES is and please be praying for our Baby.

Thanks so much,
The Morrows

7 Months & 8 Months

I'm behind on updating this blog.
Bubba turned 7 months last month.
Which means he turned 8 months this month.
Am I smart, or what?
He is now...

• crawling
• pulling to a standing position
• cruising around on 2 feet as long as he has something to hold onto
• saying "nanananana" almost as much as he says "dadadadadada"
• giggling just as much as before whenever something tickles his funny bone and trust me, it doesn't take much!
• continues to not sleep much
• but when he IS sleepy, he nuzzles himself close to my neck and rubs his face all into me like he's trying to remember my smell before he konks out.  And it is precious!
• he also likes to sing himself to sleep after he's done nuzzling.
• it makes us all smile really big
• he is a total church distraction...as in, once it's quiet, he thinks it's time to talk.
• either that or he thinks he's helping the pastor preach.  
• i don't know, but it's totally distracting in a really cute way
• i just smile and tip toe out of service every sunday with our bag of toys  :)
• i love him!
• he enjoys bath time more than ever before
• i end up almost as wet as him with all the splashing he does
• he's still a total chunky monkey
• we are wild about our chunky money!
• his case worker LOVES to come visit us and play with him
• we LOVE her  :)
• she loves him  :)
• there's a lota love!
• this kid is the BOMB DOT COM!!!
• we go see a specialist this Wednesday about some feeding issues he's having.
• we'd appreciate prayers
• and last, but certainly not least, we got to see his BFF's picture this week
• and we are all just rejoicing!!!

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies. 

- Psalm 36:5

The Hearing | A Short Story

     He waited in his pickup for her.  Where was she?  He was always early.  He prided himself in this.  She, on the other hand, was always running late.  His mind kept racing to all the 'what-ifs' as he waited in what was quickly becoming his torture chamber.  And then finally, he saw her pull up in her mini van.  And she was smiling all big with not a care in the world.  What was wrong with her?  Did she forget why they were there in the first place?
     He expressed to her how he had seen a million single women walking around the parking lot and any of them could be "his" mom.  She looked into his worried blue eyes and asked Jesus to continue to strengthen her.  For herself.  And for him.  And then she reminded him WHO tells the rivers where to go.  And then they prayed together.  And then, he became her strength again.
      They walked hand in hand into the building, with a 7 month old baby in their arms.  She had visions of the first time she'd ever stepped foot onto the premises.  They'd received a call the night before and were asked if they'd be interested in fostering a 5 week old baby.  The next morning, she walked in that building with 3 little ducklings and walked out 30 minutes later with 4 little ducklings. It seemed like just a second ago... and now here they were again.
     And he'd been right, there were lots of single women around the entire place.  A big portion of them fit the description of "his" mom.  They could be in for some negative news today.  And God would STILL be their God. And He would still sit on His throne.  And He would still be Sovereign.  And they would still honor Him with their lives.
      An hour and a half later, they were standing in front of the Judge's stand.  But they knew who their real judge was.  And they knew He was on their side!
     The defense asked questions.  Other's asked questions.  The plaintiff (I really don't know what she was so we're calling her that) straight up told the judge "his" mom needed more time.  "She might come around if she were given more time."  And their hearts stopped beating.  And their breaths caught.  And was the room spinning?  And why was it so hot all of a sudden?
     And then the judge said the most beautiful words they'd ever heard, "She's been given enough time!  Bio Mom's Parental Rights, Terminated.  Alleged Bio Dad's Parental Rights, Terminated.  Other possible Bio Dad's Parental Rights, Terminated."  And someone sitting behind the Judge got up, quickly walked out and came back into the room and handed her a little blue Ty Beanie Bear & smiled at her.  She gave it to "him".  He quickly found the tag and started chewing on it.

To be continued sometime in December...

   

Daddy-Mommy Date

Matt & I celebrated our 17th Wedding Anniversary yesterday.

We KNEW we were needing some time away from the kids, but WOW, we didn't realize how much we had really needed the time alone.  It was AWESOME!  My in-laws kept all of the kids - little man too, for about 6 hours.  During that time we were able to focus on each other, pray with and for each other, and just enjoy being buddies again instead of a tired mommy & daddy!

We have been so intentional on "bonding" with Baby Boy.  It has been SO good for his well being!  We have succeeded well, but maybe in the process, we had neglected our marriage more than I'd like to admit...

So if you're a Foster Family and you're noticing you've been a little short with your other half, maybe it's time to call a family member or friend and ask them to bless you with an extended date!  Beg if you have to...

Hope ya'll are doing well,
Mary

Wordless Wednesday

Baby is 6 Months Old!

• Baby is 6 months old
• Happy Half Birthday Baby!!!
• He weighs 17 lbs and something ounces
• He is our chunky monkey
• and we LOVE him that way!!!
• He has decided he's not so sure he wants to sleep at night
• Nor does he find sleeping during the day much fun
• Eating is fun-ner!  :)
• Can we say Growth Spurt?!?!?!?
• He still giggles like it's his favorite hobby EVER
• oh my goodness guys, he is THE BEST thing ever!!!
• he loves when I nibble his toes
• so I nibble them a lot :)
• he can now sit up by himself for small increments of time
• and he is VERY proud of himself when he does that
• if he could clap, he would totally clap for himself when he sits up!
• he continues to find music to be a wonderful thing
• he loves family worship - his favorite thing to do is watch us sing while he "sings along" too!
• he is extremely vocal
• he doesn't cry much
• but he talks your ear off
• he reminds me of my almost 9 year old...  :)
• they're little parrots!
• LOL!!!
• his entire composure changes when "da-da" gets home!
• his face lights up and his arms & legs start moving like crazy
• if he could get up and run to him, he totally would!
• Have I mentioned what an insanely awesome thing it is to have Baby Boy in our home?
• It is insanely AWESOME!!!
• we have run into some issues with baby food however
• and we can't share details
• but we could REALLY use some prayer backup in this area
• we also have another court hearing in about a month
• we could REALLY use prayer for that as well!

Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Baby is 5 Months Old

Little Man is 5 Months old.

• he had a HUGE court hearing earlier this week
• his case worker is happy with the way it went
• we are too!
• he continues to fill our days with incredible joy
• he is the giggliest baby I have ever met
• he has learned how to make the "da" sound
• when combined together it sounds like da-da
• yes, I have video footage of this
• he has started putting himself to sleep when I lay him down for night bedtime
• this is HUGE!!!
• he enjoys sticking his feet in the pool
• he is rolling over from back to tummy with ease now
• the Halls are letting us borrow their exersaucer
• little man LOVES it!!!
• he loves being able to sit upright and look at all the toys on it
• thanks Halls!  :)
• he is sleeping better at night, only getting up twice between midnight and 6am
• he still isn't a good napper during the day, but that's ok
• his favorite past time is still being held and being talked to
• we do A LOT of that
• I can't believe he's already 5 months old
• we are eating up this sweet baby time with him
• I'm afraid of blinking because every time I do, he's changed massively before my eyes!
• we are SO thankful for being chosen to be his Foster Family
• and we're praying that the LORD will allow us to be his FOREVER family too!
• we had a blessed Father's Day  :)

Just around the riverbend...

Brother Bear is almost 5 months old.
He is precious beyond words!  Matt & I still fight over who gets to hold him.  No, for real.
He is like the cheese in our mac!  The icing on our cake!
Getting to be his Foster family is one of the most awesome things ever!

And right around the corner is a major important Court hearing.  *ahem* {Read between the lines.}
It makes me want to break out into Pocahontas's song "...just around the riverbend..."

For those who have been following us through this journey & cheering us on, thank you!  For those who don't quite understand why a family of 5 would feel the need to take on another child, but you are curious to see how this turns out, thanks for sticking around!  For those newbies, welcome!

We're not able to share distinct details about Brother's case.  But we can let you know how we need prayer and what is sorta going on.

We need prayer for this upcoming Court hearing.
What is sorta going on is that it's a MAJOR Court hearing.

Dontcha love how technical I am on here?

LOL!!!

In other news, Summer's been nice with Brother here.  My girls are content to sit around and watch Little House on the Prairie as well as work on their tans.  Brother already has a superb tan!  ;)

And you know how you don't really appreciate things until you are at the brink of possibly losing them?  Well that doesn't really apply to your children, nor Foster babies, because well, they are YOURS and you wouldn't ever want to think of losing them, but for story's sake...when Brother had a visitation with his momma...oh however many months ago that was: I had to come to grips with the fact that his momma is HIS MOMMA, and she very well may be rehabilitated and she very well may get to have him back.  And let's just say that it wasn't a pretty thing to see me try to come to grips with this. I had to go to my happy place and stay there in order to keep from losing my sanity, for sanity's sake. {And in the process I cocooned myself at home, keeping him safe and continuing to work on our bonding.}  And here we are, months down the road from all that...and he continues to thrive and grow.
He is safe here.  He is loved here.  His sisters shower him with sweet baby talk and tickles and lovin's and he just giggles like crazy and eats it up.

His momma...oh how I wish Jesus would fix her up.  I love this baby so much that I wish he could someday have a healthy friendship with her.  I know that would be healing for him.

Maybe that is just around the riverbend...

Good News!

Case Worker called.
We received good news.

Unfortunately, that's all I can say on a live blog.

Please keep praying.

Xoxo,
The Morrows

Thank you!

Oh my stars!!!  Thank you praying friends!  Thank you Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve!
Wait, what?  No, no, I haven't heard back from the Case Worker or the Attorney.
BUT... I DID have a baby who went to bed at 10:30 and didn't wake up until 5:30 this morning!!!

I may have woken up around 4 scared outta my mind because I felt rested and the baby hadn't woken up...the previous 5 nights we would've already been up at least 4 rounds by then!  Did the whole hold-my-breath-hand-on-his-chest trick to make sure all was well.  All was well!  :)

Thanks for your prayers!
We're hoping to hear from the Case Worker today, but it may not be until tomorrow.

Xoxo!!!

No sleep and court and prayers.

You know how I said he was only getting up twice at night.
Well then he had his well baby checkup.
And he was given 3 shots.
And now he doesn't sleep.
Like, at all.
I may be exaggerating just a tad.
He sleeps in 30 minute intervals.
And today's a big day for his future.
And I don't even care if he's not sleeping.
I like 30 minute naps all night long...

Okay, not really, but still.

We have a court hearing at 1:30.

Thanks for your prayers!

The king's (judge's) heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD;
He turns it wherever He will.   Proverbs 21:1

Baby is 4 Months Old

• Baby Boy is 4 Months Old
• his gibberish has gotten quite loud
• he gibbers happily most of the day
• unless he's hungry
• and then it turns into yelling gibberish
• which is equally adorable
• he still LOVES to eat
• i think we're related.  HA!
• he likes the zoo & going hiking
• he LOVES the outdoors when it's not too sunny
• his favorite part of Family Worship continues to be the music
• he is incredibly ticklish...much to OUR delight!
• his hands are constantly in his mouth
• his latest trick is rolling from his back to his tummy, but it is still hard work
• he has a well baby chkup today
• he continues to be super snugly, preferring being held to being placed down anywhere
• a court hearing is on the near horizon, please pray, cannot give more details
• we had a wonderful holiday this past weekend
• we continue to pray for his momma 
• he is incredibly animated & is a great conversationalist  :)
• he's also super photogenic

• no really, he IS photogenic, but you'll have to take my word on it!
• he is sleeping better... only wakes up twice between midnight & 6am  :)
• we moved him into a crib & he has done very well in it
• he continues to be such a beautiful blessing in our family
• Baby Boy is fiercely loved by the Morrows!

little update

• baby is 3 months old now
• he baby talks 
• he is very ticklish - which brings us all GREAT joy!  :)
• he is a very healthy eater which means he's a chunky monkey! super, duper CUTE!
• he prefers dancing at night with me, as opposed to sleeping  :)
• he loves bath time
• his favorite part of Family Worship Time is the singing part
• he's found his hands
• apparently hands are VERY tasty!
• he continues to be blessed with borrowed clothes from Ty Bobay (thank you Ty!)
• he's also received several gift cards which we've used for formula and diapers  (thank you friends!) and burp cloths & bibs from mamaw bonnie (thank you mamaw!)
• he was tested by Sooner Start and passed with flying colors.
• apparently he's even advanced in several areas
• yeah, that's OUR boy!  :)
• his bio mom's visitations have been put on hold for now
• which means we haven't had to be gone for half the day on Wednesdays anymore
• and our hearts have stopped being ripped right out of our chests on a weekly basis
• other incredibly favorable things are taking place that make us drop to our knees to thank our Heavenly Father for being in control of Baby's future and our family's future!

Fostering

So we're a Foster Family.  I never thought we would be.  I just wanted to straight up adopt!
But things got tricky and well, now we're a Foster Family.
We've had our little guy for 6 weeks now.
We are head over heels in love with him!!!  We think he's pretty in love with us too!

Every morning when he sees me peering into his bassinet with my sleepy, groggy face, his big brown eyes just light up like I'm the best thing he's ever seen!  Whenever he makes eye contact with us, he just beams with joy and shoots us a huge toothless smile!
When the girls sit down to talk to him, his little legs just start a kickin' away with excitement.
He and Matt have a language all their own.  They are AMAZING together!  And on the rare occasion when I have to put him down to do a chore (I "wear" him most of the time) or help someone out, one of the girls will just scoop him up and start talking to him.  Sometimes I just stop and stare at them...they take my breath away!  My precious family is so incredible!

He may be a "Foster" baby, but in reality, he's already "OUR" baby.
We don't know what the future holds, but he will always be our baby, in our hearts.

Can any foster families relate?

The Not-So-Great part of Fostering...

We were notified this Tuesday that Baby Boy would start weekly visitations with his Bio Mom.
He had his first visit yesterday (Wednesday).  If you're good at ciphering, you'll notice we had a 1 day notice.

If you've kept up with a good portion of our adoption blog, you'll know this is NOT something we were anticipating.

So please lift us up in prayer every Wednesday.

We're not allowed to share in depth stuff on here, but we'd love for you to know that YES, this is hard!  And YES, we need some extra prayers!  Feel free to read the entries from March 2 (written by Matt) & March 9 to get a glimpse into HOW hard this may be for us.

We love sweet Baby Boy.
He is just like part of our family.
We fight over who gets to hold him.
Okay, not really.
Okay, maybe.
Okay, REALLY.

Thanks for following along, even when we don't update this blog very often.  :)
Love,
The Morrows

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:6-7

Blog

I'm too tired to blog.
Being a Foster Mommy is wonderful, in an exhausting sort of way!  Trust me, it IS wonderful.
And it IS exhausting.  :)
Don't believe me?
Become a Foster Mommy!

I just wrote a personal blog on the Photography blog though... so if you're bored & wanna read, go here:  http://tomorrowsmemoriesphotography.blogspot.com/2012/03/life-personal.html

Tot Trot To Benefit Oklahoma Foster And Adoptive Families - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

"B" formerly known as "BMom" is back in my life.  Strictly "friendship" not "bmom-adoption-relationship", don't get all excited for me.  Actually, DO get all excited for me because I LOVE making new friends!  'Specially the younger kind who keep me young!  :)  B, wanted me to share this with my readers:

Tot Trot To Benefit Oklahoma Foster And Adoptive Families - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

We'd love to get a group together to WALK the 5k along with some kiddos.
Let me know if you're interested!

Xoxo,
Mary

Can't share details

As you read Matt's post a week ago, we have ourselves a Foster Baby who is just about the coolest baby EVER!
What's even cooler is the way it all transpired.
Tuesday (Feb. 21) I felt in my heart that BMom had either had her baby or she was in labor.  We prayed fiercely for her to make choices she could live peacefully with.
Wednesday (Feb. 22) was our final "walk thru" with our Foster Care Case Worker.  She's an old friend from a previous church (neither of us attend there anymore) and we had ourselves a wonderful visit, however, she assured me that we would be waiting awhile before a baby boy became available for Fostering. Most babies who are in Foster Care are a "sibling group".  I assured her we're trying to sell this house, so we can buy a bigger one so that we could possibly accept a sibling brother group :).
Wednesday afternoon, not an hour after she left my house, she called saying she had just received a call & needed to place a baby boy NOW.

We serve an AWESOME, MIGHTY God people!

Matt & I prepared our home Wednesday evening for our Foster Baby and I went to pick him up Thursday morning.
15 minutes after I picked baby up, my phone bleeps with a text.  BMom had her baby the night before and she had changed her mind about the Adoption.  She wanted to be her son's forever mommy.

We serve an AWESOME, MIGHTY God people!!!

We drove to Matt's work so he could meet his Foster son.  And I shared with him about BMom.  We smiled a knowing smile.  We were thankful for the peace the Lord gave us when we prayed about whether we should accept Baby Boy the day before.  We were so happy for BMom!  We were/ARE so happy for us!

Our girls are AMAZING big sisters to Baby Boy!
Matt has turned into BEST DADDY OF A BABY EVER!!!
The few friends that have come to meet him so far have gushed & made us so proud!
Matt's friends from work have blessed us with much needed diapers & formula.
Matt's parents have been beyond wonderful to us with their help.

We're not allowed to share personal details about Foster Stuff.  That's very difficult!  I have stumbled upon numerous foster blogs where they share EVERYTHING on their blogs, pictures included.  But we will honor their rules. We don't want to risk losing our little man.
All we can say is that there was a Court Hearing a few days ago.  It went well.  At first we were told he could be ours in as soon as 6 months.  Today I got a call saying that we needed to brace ourselves for something more like 12 months.  And he may even be re-unified with his mom.  However, he will live with us throughout this entire time.  Our Case Worker will keep us posted on Hearings.  We will be updated on whether baby's mom is taking necessary steps to work towards re-unification or not.

So that is where we're at.

I can't share details.
Or I would explain to you that at this point, re-unification is not a safe place for him.

I can't share details.
Or I would explain to you that kind of lifestyle is NOT a lifestyle for ANYONE, especially
not a baby boy!

I can't share details.

But I can tell you that we serve an AWESOME, MIGHTY God people!!!
He didn't just work this out so smoothly for no reason at all!

We give Him all glory & praise!
We are fighting for this baby boy through lots of prayer.
The judicial system has steps they have to go through.
DHS has lots of red tape they must weed through as well.
There are hoops to be jumped through.
But God is still on His throne.
The Judge's heart is like channels of water in God's hands, He turns it wherever He pleases.

We serve an AWESOME, MIGHTY God!!!

Please help us fight for our son's safety & future through prayer.

And yes, we would love for you to stop by & visit sometime if you're a friend!  Feel free to bring a pizza for our girls!  :)  Just give us a call first...we're running on Baby Time, not Real Time! (no sleep!!!)  Also, please help spread the word that we're still trying to sell our house by owner.  For those who know where we live, there are flyers in front of our house with all the info.  If you don't know where we live, well it's kinda creepy to tell you where we live so I won't do that!  :)

Thank you so much,
The Morrows

Hey Little Buddy,

Eight days ago.  That's when my life...wait, take that back...our lives, changed in a totally, massive way.  You may not remember since you were only 38 days old at the time, but that was the day that the four most important people in my life drove to somewhere they'd never been before and came home with the little guy who would totally turn our lives upside down.  Despite the utter lack of sleep, the spit up, and the dirty diapers, there's no one else we would rather have join our crew...than you.  Your toothless smile lights up the room, your huge eyes make us lose track of time, and your happy shrieks make us all hope and pray that this dream will never end.  The past eight days have definitely been a challenge for this already crazy busy family, but it has been worth every second.  When the Lord set us out on this journey almost a year ago, we had no clue that you would be the one who stole our hearts.  And even when we were tempted to give up in frustration at the lack of progress in our getting approved, and all the endless delays and false hopes, Jesus kept giving us daily peace as He reminded us that He was still in control.  And then there was the fact, that He knew and hadn't told us, that you hadn't even been born yet.  :)

So here we are...a little over a week into this adventure with you.  We're not really sure what the outcome will be the end. But three things we do know with absolute certainty...we ALL love you SO much, we ALL want you to stay FOREVER, and we ALL are going to continue to trust that the ONE who worked breathtaking miracles to unite our paths is the same ONE still running this show.  And all of this is to bring Him glory!

Sleep well little buddy,

Your possible future Daddy

Failed Adoption | All in God's Plans

We've debated blogging about this, but felt it was important in order to be as transparent as possible to those who have been praying so fervently for us.
BMom changed her mind about the adoption.
The proper terminology would be "Failed Adoption" in the adoption world.
We call it "All in God's plans".

This journey with BMom taught us that sometimes the Lord places people in our lives simply to pray for them during a difficult season in THEIR lives.
We were only able to truly focus on HER and HER needs, when we stopped focusing on ourselves and started interceding for HER & HER baby.  ("Do nothing out of self ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Philippians 2:3)

This journey wasn't easy.  I was brutally transparent with you at my lowest times.  My faith was lacking daily.

But God was always there for our family.  And He sent us encouraging bible verses, phone calls, texts & emails just when we most needed them.  He was faithful.  He IS faithful. (1 Cor 1:9)

I haven't spoken with BMom at all.  That is ok.  I think she knows we love her.  We respect her.  She made a bold choice.  A beautiful choice!  We completely support her choice and believe she made the best choice for herself and her son.  She has a special place in our hearts and we will continue to pray for her & her boy.

We love you BMom!

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeramiah 29:11

A "Sorta" Update

1. The Morrows LOVE BMom
2. The Morrows have not spoken to BMom
3. The Morrows are okay with this
4. The Morrows are resting in God's sovereignty

Mary thinks baby boy may have been born already...   It's just a gut feeling, I have NO proof of this.  If you are doubting me, look at #2.  But I'm at peace.  Look at #3 & #4.

We want BMom to know that we LOVE her!  For proof of this, look at #1.

We also want BMom to know that we are okay with WHATEVER the outcome of all of this is! We know God's in control.  His will for baby boy is what is going to happen.  Bottom line.  If you're questioning this awesomeness, check out #4 again!    ツ

• If we are able to get past the DNA testing and the court hearing and BMom still chooses us as baby boy's adoptive-forever family, we WILL keep our end of the Agreement for this to be a Semi Open Adoption, as requested by BMom.  
• He will be affirmed OFTEN of her deep love for him.  
• When he's old enough to ask questions, we will answer as best as we can and if we don't have the answers, we will ask BMom to answer him herself through a letter or a phone call.  
• We will share letters and pictures back and forth.  Because we truly believe that he cannot be whole without this.  
• I know that a LOT of people disagree with me about the Semi Open Adoption, to you disagreeable people, the Morrows stick their tongues out at YOU!

And if things don't go favorably for the Morrows with the DNA test and the court hearing and BMom keeps baby boy. This possibility is also included in #4 but we've got this, cause we're also a strong #3!

• We will rejoice with her on her decision.
• We will celebrate with her the life of her baby boy.
• We will continue to pray for her.
• We will continue to pray for baby boy.
• We will make ourselves available in whatever capacity we can.
• Because we LOVE BMom!
• And we LOVE baby boy!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Ps. This is between BMom & The Morrows, so any friends or relatives of hers, please mind your own precious business!  Yes, I have become quite protective of her!  ツ

Grieving for BMoms | the happiest sad

Grief and Healing {Part 1}
http://www.thehappiestsad.com/2011/12/grief-and-healing-or-something-like.html


Grief and Healing {Part 2}
http://www.thehappiestsad.com/2011/12/grief-and-healing-part-two.html

Grief and Healing {Part 3}
http://www.thehappiestsad.com/2012/01/grief-and-healing-part-3.html

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, in her book “On Grief and Grieving,” said, “The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not 'get over' the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal, and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again, but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same, nor would you want to.” 


*sigh*
I didn't know my love for BMom would entangle me in worrying about HER so much, but it has.  Please continue praying for her heart, for her strength & for God's will in all of this


Xoxo,
me

Dear Baby

Dear Baby,
2 posts in one day, weird, I know!
But I wanted to show you some ADORABLE things I found online.
These will be for YOU!!!  :)

*happy sigh*

Okay, you can go back to baking  :).
Love,
Momma

Dear Baby

Dear Baby,
You're due Feb. 29.  As far as I know, you'll come when you're good and ready and not a second before that!  :)
I signed up for a Mom's Retreat last Fall. I was so excited about going with a few of my friends. I was mostly looking forward to getting away & recharging my batteries with some Jesus fuel!

Then we found out about you sweet baby.  The retreat was February 17 & 18, in Dallas.  My favorite little nearby city!  That's today.
But I backed out from the retreat, just incase you arrived early.  So I've been a little down in the dumps today because babies never give us arrival dates.  I don't know if I did the right thing by staying home.  But I do have peace of mind that if you arrive this weekend, I'm here & eager to meet you!  I've even picked out a little "take home" outfit for you.
Just wanted you to know that.
I hope you're doing well.

Ps. I'm getting my hair cut.  Short.  It's a "new mommy" 'do.

Love you to the moon & back,
Momma

A letter | Personal

Posting this with permission from the author:


I don't know if this will help you. I sure hope it will just a little (or maybe alot). During Dylan's lesson today. We were reading about Joseph. We read about his dreams the Lord gave him (before his brothers threw him in a well). Then we read about his brothers conspiring and ultimately throwing him in the well to get rid of him. I know you are familiar with the story, probably even more than I am. But, I felt the Lord bring you to mind. How He gave you a dream, since you were young, of a baby boy. And, now, here you are, in the process of making that dream come true (who'd thought, 5 years ago, you be HERE today?). I know there is a lot of waiting, yearning, and longing involved.  But, the lesson was about how God can bring good out of what others try and mean for bad (this is on D's 2nd grade level here, so pardon the elementary speech). I imagined Joseph being scared in that well. Probably thinking "what are you doing here God?!" He had to have been scared and confused! I doubt he thought that dream would come true as he sat at the bottom of that well. I have been thinking so much about why/how God works things out the way He does. How I don't understand WHY things happen the way they do. But also seeing that God does keep His promises. I never understand the process when I'm in the middle of it. But I feel like the enemy (in the story, his brothers) has come against you fiercely. You are probably asking aot of the same questions. But, I know God will work it out to His glory, and your good. He promises that. He doesn't say the road there will be quick and easy. I know you know that and understand that. I just felt the Lord impress on my heart to share that with you.

I know you are hurting and struggling. I'm so sorry you are. I am praying for you! That is all I can do. I am here for you. I know I don't understand your struggles, but I am here to pray with you or whatever it is I CAN do. If you'd like to hang out, visit, or do something fun together, soon, I'm up for that too. I miss you! You are on my mind all the time! 

Praying for you and love you!!!


And this...will get me through another day & hopefully it can help someone else having a long bout of "why" with the Lord!  Thanks friend :)

Happy Valentine's Day Little Man!!!

Happy Valentine's Day Little Man!!!

• today was rough
• because you were missed dearly
• this afternoon, your sisters & I baked cupcakes
• you weren't here for that
• we watched Little House on the Prairie
• Gabi made a Smilebox of Friday's Valentine's Party
• it's cute
• you're not in the pictures
• that makes me sad
• daddy came home from work with a piping hot coffee for momma
• that cheered me up  :)
• he also brought Teds 
• which he can't eat
• because he can't have saturated fats
• but he brought it for the girls & i
• which means your daddy ROCKS!
• yesterday was his birthday
• i baked him gluten free cupcakes 
• and a ridiculously healthy & delicious meal
• so he thinks i rock too!  :)
• we gave your sisters valentines candy
• and some cutie patootie stuffed animals
• you weren't here for that
• i may have spent some time crying in the bathroom
• you are needed here little man
• where the stinkin' heck are ya?
• momma's not really sure how much longer she can handle this!
• i love you to the moon & back!

Happy Valentine's Day Little Man!!!

Incase it's running through anyone's mind  - No, Bmom has not backed out - we simply don't know what is going to happen with the dad, therefore we don't know if we will be able to adopt him or not.  Which makes this waiting period ridiculously difficult!!!

Dear B Momma

click to enlarge

The un-update Update...

The un-update Update, sorta...

• I've texted & called baby's mom
• No response
• I think baby's daddy totally screwed with her emotions
• I don't blame her
• I've cried more than my fair share, both for her and for our family
• I'm sure u don't blame me
• I'm shaking as I type this
• I find myself literally shaking a lot these days
• I've never had this problem before
• Our attorney has sputtered the words "be prepared for her to back out"
• Adoption is NOT for the faint of heart
• I watched Juno 2 nights ago at like 1 in the morning
• While I was editing
• Just me & Juno
• I cried on a lot of the scenes that used to make me giggle
• The phone rang a few days ago with the Caller ID name that said "Cloth Dona"
• Which obviously meant "Clothes Donation"
• But my eyes saw the baby's dad's name
• It's sorta close, just not in that order, but u know how your eyes twist letters around sometimes and u can read misspelled words perfectly clear?  That's what happened.  
• My heart stammered in my chest like I'd been caught stealing a brand new Canon 5D Mark III or maybe even like Bob Harper catching me eating a slice of Dulce de Leche Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. Be still my soul!
• And I started hyperventilating
• All it took was a millisecond of thinking it was baby's dad to cause my body to freak out like this
• So yeah, I'm a mess...
• What would I have done if it WAS him?
• I'd like to think I could be the bigger person, offer him grace, pray over the phone for him & be a positive influence in his probably negative life, rather than give him a piece of my mind
• Because really, who cares what I think?  It's what God thinks that matters most!
• I just seem to keep forgetting that...
• In other news:
• DHS has finalized our paperwork
• Our family has been approved for Adoption & Foster Care thru DHS
• And it doesn't even matter a flippin' bit to us because well...our son is in question at the moment.
• So much weight is hanging by a thread on this upcoming DNA test
• We have never been through anything so heart wrenching
• And then there's baby's mom
• Good grief, how can I worry so much about someone I've never met?
• The Lord has birthed so much love for her within our family, within our hearts
• We pray for her every single morning as we're starting school 
• And every evening as we're ending our Family Worship time
• I find myself loving her more and needing Father to give me peace about her safety, her emotions, her heart
• I will repeat it again, Adoption is NOT for the faint of heart!

3 Steps Forward, 2 Steps Back

Let me first of all say that God is STILL on His throne!  He is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow!  His goodness is infinite!  Nothing and I do mean N.O.T.H.I.N.G. comes into our lives that has not FIRST been gently sifted through His loving hands.  All that happens is to ultimately bring Him glory.
I believe this with EVERY fiber of my being.

Second of all, our Birth Mom continues to amaze me.  Her selflessness and love for her son melts me and literally brings tears to my eyes!  The Lord has GREAT and I do mean GREAT things in store for her future!  She may not know it, but I do!  I asked her if she would be willing to pump milk for her son for the first 2 weeks to give him a healthy start and she didn't even have to think about it, she just said "yes, that is way healthier for him!"  Are you crying too?  Umm yeah, she's amazing!  Please keep praying for her!  Our family loves her so much!

Third of all, baby's daddy has decided he'd like to father his son.  He doesn't want our family adopting him.

God is STILL ON HIS THRONE!  He is still IN CONTROL!  He works ALL things out for OUR good!  Nothing takes Him by surprise.  He is creating baby boy so tenderly in his momma's womb. He knows this baby, calls him by name and loves him more than our family ever could.

We are having a DNA test done when baby is born.

In the mean time, please join us in praying for God's will to take place.  That's all we want is for His Name to be glorified.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  -Ephesians 3:20

Answered prayers...

"I have not changed my mind on adoption and would like to know if you would still consider it."

I woke up from my nap yesterday to that question.
It was our precious Birth Mom.

See, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too hard for Me? (Jeremiah 32:27)


She's in.
We're in.
It's a GO!

I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. (Jeremiah 31:3)


I cannot put into words the emotions that come with having a conversation like that.
One second you think you're back at ground zero with waiting for a baby and the next second you're given this beautiful, precious, priceless gift from THE MOST selfless person I have EVER met in my entire life!

She is amazing, this birth mom!  I just can't get over how the Lord is writing this story.  Her story.  Baby boy's story.  Our story.
I'm pretty sure it's going to be a happy ending kind of story...  :)

Thank YOU Father for answered prayers!!!  I really just don't even know what to say, but Thank YOU!!!


The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them. (Psalm 145: 18-19)


Please help us pray for:

1. Birth Mom & the things that go along with giving a baby up for adoption - her fears, her strength, for the Lord to draw her to Himself, for healing & wholeness, for the family & friends who support her decision to rally around her and just TOTALLY be there for her during this time.  
2. Baby - to be healthy  :)
3. Funding for our attorney.  Everyone keeps saying "God will provide"... so I'm going on their faith right now!

Your father knows what you need before you ask him. So do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today's trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:8b, 31-34)

More of our Story

It's late.
I can't sleep.
It may be due to the freight train over worked, exhausted, only-averages-5 hours-of-sleep-per-night husband.
It may just be that so much has been going on.
And yet not much has been going on.

Let me back up...

Last Monday, I signed onto Matt & I's joint FB acct.
I had a private message from an old friend.
She was given the name of a birth mom, with the request of helping her find an adoptive family.
She said the Lord laid our family on her heart.
She messaged me late Friday night.
I didn't get the message until late Monday evening because I hadn't been on FB.
I called Friend that same night.
Birth mom was expecting a boy.
Next month.
"HOLY COW is this really happening?" was what was going through my mind.  Matt was away, so I hadn't even gotten to share the news with him.  Mind you, DHS was our plan all along for adoption.  Not a Private Adoption with a precious birth mom!

Friend gave me birth mom's number.

Matt arrived.  I shared the news with him.  We were both ecstatic!  We knelt down & prayed to Father.  Gave it all to Him.  Asked Him to guide us.  Thanked Him for this wonderful, wonderful gift.  My whole body quivered from excitement.  ALL NIGHT LONG!

I got in touch with birth mom the next day, Tuesday.
She is precious!  I immediately fell in love with her.
She loves her baby so much and wants only THE BEST for him.
We scheduled a face to face meeting for Wednesday.

"HOLY COW is this really happening?"

Remember, we'd been planning DHS all along.  They cover most of the costs & do all the hard stuff for us.  So Matt & I had to scramble to figure out what we would need to do to be prepared for a Private Adoption by next month when baby boy is born.

We texted & emailed our Prayer Warriors to kick it into high gear for us.

We prayed with almost every breath we took for Father to continue to give us the answers we needed and to make things perfectly clear for us.

We made a ridiculous amount of phone calls to important people who knew people.
We got in touch with a friend of a friend who very recently did a Private Adoption so she could run me through the process.
We got in touch with 2 attorneys.
We crunched numbers to see how much money we would need to beg Father for.

And then I got a text.
She was ill & rescheduled for the next evening.

So I called her the next afternoon to see how she was feeling & to get her address.
Then she didn't respond to my phone calls or texts.

And hasn't responded since...

And I still love her.
And her baby.
And I'm shaking as I'm writing this because I don't know how this story ends.
And I know I shouldn't worry.
But how do you not worry when a young woman needs a home for her unborn child and voices that to you and then doesn't respond to your outreach?
I do NOT know how to NOT worry about this situation.

Matt isn't worried.
He so calmly says "God's in control."
And sometimes I believe it with my whole being.
And sometimes I just want her to call me, and then I'll be okay.

I was great all weekend long.  I threw myself into praying.  And it strengthened me.
But this week has been hectic on my emotions!

Yes, DHS seems to be moving things along finally.
And no, I NEVER imagined the Lord would bring us a newborn.
But after speaking with her.
It's all I've imagined.
A precious little bundle of newness all sweet & snugly being handed to us, by his momma, who loves him so much that she's chosen US to take care of him for her.

So there you have it, more of our story... just hadn't felt comfortable sharing it until now.
And if you'd like to criticize my lack of faith, don't.
I know I'm lacking in that department, otherwise I'd be as peaceful as I was this past weekend.  :)
But if you'd like to encourage me.
I would love that more than you know!

UPDATE!!! 1 step forward!

We had a meeting w/ our DHS Adoption Specialist last night.  We received an invitation via mail for this meeting.  We weren't the only ones that were sent an invitation - there was a mass of people there.  Standing room only.  The question was brought up more than once why she wasn't returning phone calls or emails.  (We were relieved we weren't the only ones struggling w/ lack of communication from her!)

Her reason:  She is the ONLY Cleveland County Adoption Specialist that works w/ the parents.  There's another lady that handles all the Cleveland Co. kids that are up for adoption.  This alone explains A LOT about the lack of communication.

Please pray for her.  

Matt & I were able to speak privately with her.  We asked when we should expect to be open for Adoption.  She said "as soon as the Home Study Reader gets back with her".  We were told by a friend that should only take a couple of days.  Due to her workload, we're graciously waiting a few weeks before giving her another call & email.

However, it does seem like things are moving along now.  

The Lord keeps reminding us that these things are happening in HIS timing, not DHS.  His timing is a little unbearable at times,  but that may just be the drama queen that sometimes sneaks out in me but we are once again strengthened by hearing it could be soon!

Isaiah 30:18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

Thanks for the continued prayers friends!

Love ya'll,

Mary

Continuing to wait...

There's no updates because well, there's NO updates.
We were told we would be cleared for adoption/fostering (if you have a question about the adoption/fostering, email me, it's not something I will talk about publicly due to not being able to monitor who read this public blog) by mid-December, according to our Home Study Agent.
I've put in 6 phone calls to our DHS "Adoption Specialist" and 1 to her Supervisor since mid-December.

And nada folks.
Not a single returned phone call.

I don't know who to call next.

I don't even know where her office is located so I can show up with a plate of my mouth-watering chocolate chip cookies.

I am an extremely patient person.  I don't mind hearing them tell me it will be another 2 months for any progression.  But I don't like not know what's going on.  That's what makes this hard.

So I know I have a lot of lurkers who read this but don't comment, if anyone knows who I'm supposed to call, please either comment here or email me @ tomorrows_memories@sbcglobal.net

In other news, I had a wonderfully relaxing visit in South Texas with my parents.  I am energized and ready to face this year head on!  :)

Blessings,
Mary