Thanksgiving

Joshua is the only baby on both sides of the family (not for long...congrats, Jason & Lorraine!). There was much to be thankful for this year, and his smiling, cooing, precious baby presence made the holiday so much sweeter.

Here is what I was thankful for last year....I'll see if anything has changed....

for Chris. He has been so faithful and true throughout our marriage. I've never had reason to doubt or distrust him. I've now learned what an absolutely amazing daddy he is. Seeing him interact with our son is a pleasure.
...for my family. My parents, brother, and extended family are my support and lifeline. They pray daily for us, and I know they will be richly rewarded for their investment in our lives. I'm so thankful that their hearts were open right away to Joshua. He is truly part of this family, and that means the world to me.
...great in-laws. Seriously, I couldn't ask for a better family. I appreciate their humor, commitment, and generosity. Again, they accepted Joshua with open arms and hearts, and he is so blessed to have them in his life.
...our new home. God has so richly blessed us with this beautiful house we now call home. Yes, still thankful - lots has changed in this little house - and I don't mean just the baby stuff. We're happy here and that's important.
...my friends. Those of you who are my friends, know that I don't make friends easily or quickly, and that I take friendship very seriously. Your loyalty and steadfastness have made all the difference. I have made at least 1 new, close friend and hopefully enhanced my other friendships. I hope this year to meet some new mom friends.
...my dog. She provides so much joy to us! She's also wonderful with Josh.
...my church family. They truly are like family to us. I know God has great plans for us as a body, and He is faithful! We've grown this year, and are reaching out in new and exciting ways. Praise the Lord.
...health. In spite of minor aches and pains, I thank God for his healing touch on both of us, and His protection. I'm also thankful for a healthy little boy.
...a good job. In fact, a job I love, which is so much more than I could ask for. And, in this economy, a fairly recession-proof one!
...a faithful God. Time and time again, He's proven Himself. When I've doubted, He's come through every time - not always how I think He should, but always perfectly.
Oh, my....I need Him more than ever before. How else can I be a good mom, a respectful wife, a loving daughter, a devoted friend, a wise teacher, and a sanctified Christ follower? That's a tall order, and there's no way to do it without Him.

I hope you found some things to be thankful for this year. I know that I have!

Dedication

Joshua was dedicated at church this morning. We are privileged to have a church family that has been praying for us throughout this adoption process, and to share with them the joy of dedicating our son to God this morning was a treasure. We also welcomed our extended family to see Joshua dedicated to God. All of Joshua's grandparents were there, both uncles, and 3 great-grandparents, as well as a great aunt and an honorary aunt! What a blessing to have so many there to witness our commitment to raise our son to be a Christ-follower.

We are blessed by pastoral staff at our church that we don't just consider pastors, but friends. They prayed for us and will continue to pray as we raise our son in the "training and admonition of the Lord".


We celebrated with lunch at Old Country Buffet. Joshua was wonderful, as usual. He turns 3 months old tomorrow, and we're proud to call him our son. With God's help, we hope to raise Him to love Jesus with all his heart.

Home for 1 month

Joshua has been home for one month. We think we've adjusted pretty well. In the last month, he's traveled to both Grandma and Grandpa's houses, made it through several church services, and a couple of baby showers, been to school 3 times, shopping many times, the doctor once (he got 4 shots), learned to suck his thumb, started smiling (not a lot, but occasionally we see a peek of one), and started sleeping through the night. That's quite an accomplishment for a little guy.

He's not such a little guy anymore though, he weighed 13 lbs. 9 oz at his 2 month appt, and that was 2 weeks ago!! He charms everyone he meets with his chubby cheeks and good looks, and is pretty laidback, unless he's hungry or gassy.

Today was a visit with M, Joshua's birthmom. She was glad to see him. We spent a few hours walking around the mall and talking. The best part for me was that at the end of the visit, I got to bring him home. He's ours - no going back. We have to wait for March or April to finalize the adoption, but there's no question that this little boy belongs in this family.

Over the next month, I expect even more changes. He will be dedicated at church on November 2, and get his 3 month pictures taken. He will dress as a pea pod for Halloween, and I'm sure I'll see some more smiles, and maybe even a rollover....this mama can't wait.

I go back to work on Monday. Part of me is ready, as I love my job, and the adult interaction I get there. However, I don't want to miss anything that Josh does. I'm thankful and very blessed to have wonderful daycare set up and I know he'll get great care with both his "babysitters".

8 weeks old

Joshua is now 8 weeks old, and has been home for 10 days! We are adjusting to life as a family of 3, and both of us, though very tired, are thoroughly enjoying our new son.

Joshua can hold his head up very well! Here's a picture of him doing just that:


He's been welcomed with 2 parties so far, and 2 more to come. The first was at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Fond du Lac. He got to meet all of his great aunts and uncles and we took both 4-generation pictures with Chris's family.



We also had a shower today for the Meixner side of the family as well as many friends from work, church, and life. I cannot believe how many clothes my son has!! Way more than Chris or I do.

We had our first post-placement visit with our social worker on Thursday. We talked for a while about adjustment and what to expect next, and she was very helpful. We meet with her again around Christmas for a 3-month check.

Joshua has his 2 month well-baby check on Monday, October 6. I expect him to weigh at least 13 pounds. He's growing like a weed. Sleeping pretty well, and eating a lot too. I think he's been going through a growth spurt, because he's been sleeping most of the day and at night too.

He's home

And this is the result of our very stimulating evening....

Big Day

Today's the court hearing to terminate M's parental rights. I didn't sleep a wink last night. We are praying for the best possible outcome. One of two things will happen. All will go smoothly, her rights will be terminated, and the agency will call us to tell us we can go get Joshua. The other thing that could happen is that Joshua's birthfather could show up at court and contest the adoption, in which case the judge would order him to get a DNA test. This would delay everything. I don't know how long it would delay things, that's up to the judge. If the DNA test shows that this man is not Joshua's father, then we can bring Joshua home.

There is still lots of room for prayer! Please, those of you who are pray-ers, we'd love to be in yours today.

I'll post again tonight or tomorrow morning and let you know what happens.

1 month old

Joshua turned 1 month old this past Wednesday. He had his dr. appt. on Wednesday, and is already up to 10 lbs. 12 oz. Mama is putting away some clothes that will be too small!!! He's just as cute as ever, and starting to spend more time awake, especially in the mornings. His foster family loves him, and they are all wonderful with him. I've been privileged to spend lots of time in their home, and I feel so good knowing that Joshua is in this safe place for now.

Chris and I will go visit on Saturday, and we'll get to spend the whole day with him. I'm hoping to convince Chris to try a diaper change - we'll see if I can talk him in to it.

We still plan on bringing Joshua home on September 17th. M, Joshua's birthmom, will have her court hearing that day, and assuming all goes well, then we will meet at the foster home. We will have a placement ceremony, where M releases Joshua to us. I'm told it's very symbolic and meaningful, and there probably won't be a dry eye in the house. We've invited Grandmas and Grandpas and Uncles Michael and Paul to be at our house waiting for us when we get home with Joshua. What a beautiful day of rejoicing that will be!

Joshua is strong and healthy, and I know that God has wonderful things in store for him. I look forward to seeing what his life will hold.