9 Months of Love

I remember calling my sister to tell her we were starting the adoption process.
"You'll have a baby before we have our little one!" I told her.

Adoption is notorious for taking a long time, and she and her husband had already decided to start "expanding" their family.
Any day now I just knew I'd be getting a call from her squealing on the other end, "I'm pregnant!"

Months went by.
She still had no pregnancy news to announce.
Daniel and I started the massive amount of adoption paperwork.
We continued to flip pages on our calendars.

More and more adoption paperwork.
Pregnancy expectations mounting.

Seasons and holidays passed without even acknowledging the pain they brought.
My sister didn't have her baby, and neither did I.
We both felt hollow inside.
We took turns sharing tears on our phone calls across the miles.

Daniel and I received news that we would finally be traveling to bring our daughter home.
We could see the light at the end of our tunnel.
My sister felt trapped in hers.

It had been over a year since the original conversation about pregnancy and adoption.

My sister decided to meet with a specialist to figure out why she wasn't getting pregnant.
The day she arrived for her appointment, she was told there had been a mistake in scheduling.
Sorry -- come back next month to see the doctor.

My sister never ended up going to her appointment.

Halfway across the world when Mina was placed in my arms, my sister became pregnant.
The week we brought Mina home, my sister saw her very first positive pregnancy test.

This week marks nine months since God placed this precious gift in my arms...

Nine months.
Just enough time for Him to deliver another precious miracle...

God truly amazes me with His intricate details.
Weaving lives together all over the world.
He has a plan.
For everyone.
And it's filled with immeasurable love.

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.

Commitment and Dedication

If God hadn't moved mountains, like He so miraculously did, today would be the first time I would have met Mina.

February 25th was going to be our "Gotcha Day" if we hadn't received last minute approval before Chinese New Year.

Thank the Lord, He brought us to our sweet blessing an entire month early.

Instead of today being filled with terrified crying and inconsolable grieving, it began with sweet snuggles and contagious giggles.

I cannot imagine these past four weeks without our littlest munchkin.
How sad to think of the joy and happiness we would have missed.

Yesterday was Parent Commitment (aka: Baby Dedication) at our church.
It was announced in the bulletin in early January that it would be taking place over this past weekend.
I heard God whisper, "Psst. Guess what...you'll be up on that stage with both your daughters..."
At the time, our Travel Approval before Chinese New Year seemed on the brink of total hopelessness.
My faith felt frail, and I was scared to imagine the wonderfulness of that thought.
"Don't mess with me like that. Not cool." is what I told Him.

But yesterday, Daniel and I stood on stage with a host of other parents wrangling their children and made a public commitment to raise our children up with the love of Christ.

I pinch myself multiple times a day (as does Mina to poor Aubrey...) making sure this isn't all just a dream.
I have two daughters that -- while they drive me nuts at least once a day -- fill my heart with immeasurable love and thankfulness.

I feel so ridiculously blessed.
Thank you, Lord, for both of these marvelously crazy girls!

Dedicated

The second the doctor placed Aubrey in my arms after she was born, Daniel said a prayer of dedication over us as a family. It was a beautifully overwhelming moment.

This past weekend we were in Owensboro, and it just so happened that the church I grew up in was having their baby dedication on Sunday. So, considering we're not a member of a church here in Cincinnati, we decided to have her dedicated while we were home.

Since becoming a mother, I have realized that this new role is by far the most intense job I've ever had. I find it extremely humbling that God chose me, out of all the women in the world, to be Aubrey's mother. It's my responsibility to not just provide nourishment, safety, protection, and well-being -- but to teach her about her Creator, to help her discover God's purpose for her life, to nurture her passions, and ultimately train her to be a warrior for Christ.

Despite the enormity of the task before Daniel and me, we pray that God would guide our every step in raising this sweet, little girl.

Here are the lyrics to a song that I listened to when I was pregnant. I cried then, and I cry now as I read them.
(If you scroll to the very bottom of the blog, I posted the song if you'd like to have a listen for yourself.)

Find Your Wings
By Mark Harris

It's only for a moment you are mine to hold
The plans that heaven has for you
Will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I'll pray
For all that you might do
But most of all I'll want to know
You're walking in the truth
And If I never told you
I want you to know
As I watch you grow

Chorus:
I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

May passion be the wind
That leads you through your days
And may conviction keep you strong
Guide you on your way
May there be many moments
That make your life so sweet
Oh, but more than memories

Chorus:
I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off
But I'll cheer as you fly

And here are just a handful of people who are all "dedicated" to Aubrey (who is currently completely fascinated with her feet):