Things I forgot to say...

I am overwhelmed with the number of emails, Facebook messages, phone calls, and texts we have received in response to Parke's story...overwhelmed. I have tried to respond to everyone, but please forgive me if I don't get back with you right away. We appreciate all your thoughts and prayers SO much, and I am so thankful for each of you. 

There are a few things I forgot to say in our post the other day or thought of after:

-We were waiting several weeks for the right time to announce our match with baby Parke. We were going to wait until we found out the gender, then we were going to wait until we had the level 2 ultrasound, then we were going to wait for our trip to ACH, etc. We didn't know the "right" time to announce that we were expecting him, and that is why you are just hearing about him now. We kept thinking it was going to be a simple announcement like, "We're expecting a baby boy on January 13th!" 

-We realize that not everyone understands our situation or what we are dealing with right now. We didn't know we needed to prepare for this, or how we would respond to the news. We knew we loved Parke, but we weren't expecting that we would be preparing lose him so quickly. We may not say the right things, or we may handle the situation differently than you think you would, but please provide us with some grace and be slow to judge. I love this baby just like I loved Landry and Collier as they grew in my belly. We feel like we are 36 weeks pregnant. I think mamas who have adopted might understand. 

-We may not have many updates until he is born. We are talking with the specialist at ACH sometime on Monday to clarify our options and move forward making decisions. Our attorney is following up with birth mother next week, and we will move forward from there.

-We are moving on with our normal lives as much as possible while we wait. Landry knows about "Baby Parke," but doesn't know any details or that he is arriving soon. We're staying busy with the holiday season, and trying not to go crazy thinking about all the what if's.

-I have basically developed insomnia the past week and have slept very few hours each night. My head will not stop spinning, and I just can't wrap my mind around the whole situation.

-I'm hugging my babies even tighter (which is hard for me to believe because their eyeballs about pop out every time I SQUEEZE them!). There is so much going on in our community and world right now that the stories just make me thankful for what we do have and what we do know. I do have assurance of salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ, and I will rest in that truth and pray that for each person reading this post. I don't have to figure it all out or understand it all...I just have to trust in the one who wrote the story from the beginning. 

John 16:33b "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!"

Moving on to lighter topics, here is our princess boy yesterday. His sister helped him get dressed in her princess dress, and he has figured out how to climb on things to get what he wants. He is such a stinker, and such a joy. I have GOT to get this boy a hard hat or something manly to dress up with. He loves Landry's purses, shoes, dress-up clothes, or anything else that is "pribby!" (aka: pretty). What a mess!

Now, I'm moving on to enjoy this busy weekend with my sweet family! 

Blessings.