Summary of the weekend ...

There is so much I could write about what happened over the last 2wks. So much that I might end up writing a book one day ;)
Needless to say, it has been life changing in so many different ways.

We found out at 9:30 Thursday night that she was going into labor. Jer got home from Nashville at 2 am and we left at 7am that morning to drive to orlando. We went straight to the hospital to meet Isaiah and his birth parents. He was perfect and beautiful, and his birth parents were so sweet. Our hearts filled with love for them in a way we never expected ... they are wonderful people and love this little boy so much. They just knew they could not provide for him what he needed. Truly, they gave a sacrifice of love and we have such respect for them.

After visiting, we went to check into the condo and had plans to go back the following morning. We were all totally exhausted and got in bed right away. However, that night I woke up with a terrible stomach flu ... the sickest I have been in as long as I can remember. And then Riley got it. So, Saturday, Ri and I were sick and my amazing husband and sweet 18month old hung out the whole day while ri and I tried to get some sort of energy back. The next day we would be bringing home an infant, and I knew I was going to need energy somehow, some way ....
God is so faithful, and as I was reminded that day by a wonderful friend, as I was lying in bed unable to function, He is faithful, and He will ALWAYS provide us what we need to do what He has called us to do ...

The next morning, I woke up feeling great :) Jer, however, was sick. UGH! We went to get Isaiah from the hospital at about 6:30 that night, got home around 8:30, and Jer and the girls headed straight to bed. Isaiah and I hung out all night together :) Even though I was so exhausted, it was so special having that time with him.

So, now, we had Isaiah, however, there is a law that you cannot leave the state to travel into your home state until paperwork, called the ICPC, is completed. It is paperwork that both TN and FL would have to sign off on and submit. So, until that was complete, we could not leave Florida. This paperwork can, on average, take 7-10 days. And because Thanksgiving was Thursday, and offices would be closed, if the paperwork was not complete before Thanksgiving, then we would be forced to stay in Florida until the following week. And this, would have been just terrible! At this point, we were just so emotionally, physically, mentally exhausted and spent, that all we wanted was to be at home, with our kids, in our home.

So, we were praying for this paperwork to be processed so fast ... that the right people would be in the right place at the right time so we could be cleared to leave before thanksgiving break.

Isaiah and I went to see his birth parents Tuesday afternoon, then the 4 of us went to his first doctors appt. On the way to his appt, at about 330 in the afternoon, I got a message, that our paperwork had CLEARED! We were totally floored, and again, in absolute awe of the bigness of God. The earliest we had expected to hear anything about paperwork was Wed evening, and this was Tuesday. No explanation for the speed of this clearance other than GOD ... He is so good and so faithful.

After saying our goodbyes to his birthparents, we went to the condo. Jeremy had already thrown everything into bags :) haha ... We loaded the car, and headed back to Knoxville. We drove through the night. Our girls, who were completely exhausted from this trip, and from being sick, and having everything about their lives thrown upside down, were ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! The drive home, might have been the hardest drive EVER ... they stayed awake until 4 am ... yes, 4 am. Such a great thing that their little brother might be the easiest, sweetest baby ever, and he loves sleeping :) We got home at 5am, put them in bed. Of course, Isaiah was awake at this point, so I was up with him until about 6, we slept a couple hours and then the day began.... Exhausted, but overjoyed ... the first day as a family of 5 in our home :)

We got a call about a baby Sunday night, November 13. Totally unprepared, but willing to follow God wherever He leads and trust in His provision... The baby is born Friday November 18 ... He officially becomes our son, Sunday November 20 ... We come home with our new baby Tuesday November 22 ... 9 days ... 9 days ... 9 days ... what an unreal 9 days ... life-changing 9 days ... so in awe of God and how He works ...

What a trip, what an experience, what a life ... we are blessed :)