keepingfaith4us

Congratulations to the new forever families!

Congratulations to Fran & Mark and Mitch & Chrissy on being entrusted with your baby girls. I'm so happy for all of you!

Wishing this loved baby boy a life of happiness and understanding of his birth parents love for him. Congratulations to the new parents!

Congratulations to the newly formed family!

Welcome to the world, baby Alia, you are so loved!

So happy to hear of the sweet moments you share with your angel girl. I love seeing your relationship and love for one another grow. Thanks for sharing the pictures, they are great!

Congratulations to the newest formed family over the love they all share for baby James.

Another match pending for another draftee family! Spring Draft is becoming a tradition in Abrazoland.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the new family!

Mike & Dana, we are so happy you have become parents and met the sweet mom you has now trusted you with her son! Wishing you all a lifetime of happiness and for your son to always know how loved he is by all his parents. Congratulations!

May this sweet child always know the love of her mother's decision made on her behalf today. Welcome to the world baby girl, I can't wait to hear your name! Congratulations to the new extended family!

Congratulations to all who love baby Noah. Welcome to the world wee one!

Mari, I enjoyed your update! I love that you and your family celebrate Lauranda's life and her surviving such a scary season of her siezures during her pregnancy. Hugs to you both.

So glad she found Abrazo, Jen and Jesse. May this newly formed family always be bonded in love.

Welcome to the world, Aiden and congratulations to the new forever family!

Stork, we appreciate your encouragement, thank you, and also for trying. Ultimately what matters is that the expecting moms find the right family for their child and honestly, I can understand their perspective of wanting their child to receive all the love, care and affection of a couple. One day someone will share the same interest to have her child have a sibling and you will have a few profiles to show her of families you can trust to welcome her into their lives with some pretty special Abrazobabes! We admit some days are more challenging than others and it seems like the emotions also come in cycles. Some days are good, our faith and hope are stronger and we feel as though we can wait patiently for the right timing that is in store for us. Some days bring me back to those days years ago when we were trying to conceive and kept being met with a resounding NO. Those days are year filled and tough. I have questioned lately if indeed we will grow our family and have the privilege of being parents to another child. I find myself surprised at those feelings because on the good days my faith is so steadfast. I never would have imagined that the wait would have been so difficult while already having an amazing little one call me mommy. It's hard to explain because I love her with everything in me but also yearn for another child to adore. However, we will wait and endure the good days and the hard days as long as it takes, because when it comes down to it, we do believe we are on the right path. We pray for her, the expecting mom that will or is caring a child that needs us, that desires the love we can share, and an amazing big sister who is praying for her and her child every day.

You are not forgotten, little one. May you rest,, rest in the arms of our father and supported by our prayers. May your mom find peace and be comforted. Rest little one. May you be comforted in the arms of your creator.

Congratulations to the new parents and seeing your dreams come through by the miracle of adoption. Wishing you and her birth mom a lifetime of love surrounding the baby girl you share.

I'm so glad you are having a nice trip with your family, Mari. Enjoy your time together.

Thank you both for your words of encouragement. I think I will hold onto 'one day, one hour, one minute at a time'. Erin thanks for your suggestion. I reached out to a couple of my running buddies and have a few runs scheduled. :-)

FYI, it did arrive eventually. At right around the 4-month mark. Aside from that, I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed that they have a hard time not projecting the downfalls of other past, failed matches on their current match? I have a hard time not looking at things as me being 110% sure a placement will not happen, vs. even 50/50 sure that it might. I find myself trying to shoo myself out of a level of paranoia I felt with the 3-month match we had pre-Oliver. I honestly have to admit that I'm not really a person I like very much during the PIW phase in general. It tends to bring out the very worst in me and while I want to savor each day (especially these precious days we have as a family of 3, before things change), I am not really the best company for myself or others! Melissa, I appreciate your vulnerability and humility in this post. Specifically, I appreciate your honesty in expressing how you feel about yourself at times during the PIW phase. All I have to say is......iiiiicccckkkk, the PIW emotions, yuck!!! It's hard to explain, because it is an honor and an exciting time being a hopeful mommy in waiting, but I too found that I was a very challenging person to be around and didn't like myself very much during different phases of the wait. I'll put myself out there and elaborate, my mind was consumed with being a mommy and reviewing every baby product imaginable, was consumed with pity for myself over not having any control over anything and relying on faith and prayers only. That last one is hard to actually admit, because I am a woman of faith, but it's true that when I was challenged with relying on my faith, I fought it! Then there were the all thoughts and fears of all the unknowns that came up while you are emotionally preparing for the journey, it's hard not to think about it when your heart yearns for a (another) child. I remember though not always feeling that way about myself during the wait. There were times during the wait, I liked myself much better. Grant yourself some grace and just keep moving forward. Being a PIW is stressful. It's a wonderul place to be, but it is stressful (imo). Maybe it would help to mentally do a check every now and then...I do this all the time and it helps me to evaluate myself and look inward. "Check yourself before you wreck yourself." Thanks again for sharing. Merae I find it humbling to be reading this today as I now am a PIW, matched and waiting to see what is in store for our future. I have definitely had to do my suggested "checking of myself before wrecking myself" amongst many other mental checks. I admit too, that I don't like myself too much during the PIW wait. I find that the feelings of anxiety sometimes become overwhelming and I hate to say this, but honestly, I don't feel like I have been myself lately. I have gained weight and lost my love of exercise, which is awful because it is very beneficial for my mental health. I find that I lose my focus in what makes me, me. That is not fair to me, to my family or to the sweet woman who we are matched with. Trying to do the right things by reminding myself of the positive and getting back into a fitness routine. I find myself conscientiously reminding myself to enjoy this time as a family of three, that each day is a gift and is precious. We are approaching delivery and I am scared. I am scared that I personally will screw things up and not be there for her in the right ways. I opened up to Scott last night and shared with him these feelings. He texted me today and said he secured my sister to watch Jordan Friday and is taking me out. He is the best. I am looking forward to a night alone with him and having some fun.

I always like receiving jewelry gifts. Maybe something like a necklace or bracelet that she can wear and always remember the love your family has for her. Nothing extravagant, but something special at the same time. Maybe something with green in it since she is off to Baylor......what a great school she will be attending!

David will always be remembered in our hearts and talked about with love in our family. We are sad for this loss in many different ways, sad for the loss of relationship for our daughter, for Jordan's sisters, for Monica, and us. Our prayers are with his family, Monica, his daughters over the loss of life of a very genuine, loving man. We will always be grateful for the life he and Monica gave Jordan and will hold on tight to his memory to share with his daughters. We love you, David, forever and always.

LOVE reading of your special weekend with your angel girl and of Lauranda's upcoming graduation! I am so proud of her and her accomplishments and know she has worked really hard in her studies. I always enjoy reading and sharing in your happiness when it comes to seeing your daughter with her daughter. I know her parents have to feel so blessed by you all too! Xoxo