Thank you for a day with my little girl

Thank you so much for helping Home Depot to understand why I needed time with Deidra today. I have been so worried about her since she started getting sick last week. I'm still not sure that I totally buy the hospital's diagnosis of a bladder/kidney infection as I never thought it would make someone dehydrated and give someone such a situation with vomiting and diarrhea. Everything she managed to get into her would come out one end or the other a short while later. Anyway, we'll see how she does on the antibiotics. I didn't know how I felt about putting her in school today, especially since she was having such a hard time this morning. I was so thankful when I talked to my manager, Aaron, and he told me I could bring her in for part of my shift if I felt the need to. The only thing that I didn't like was that he told me she'd have to sit down at the service desk as he didn't want her in the "line" with us. i called on my break to check on her and she would act normal one minute and be crying that her belly hurt the next and that she wanted me, so I told my supervisor, Corey, that I was going to go get her on my lunch.

At first, he told me I could just go and that he understood if my shift was short today given what has been going on with her. I told him that I really didn't want to lose any more hours and I thought that she'd do fine if she could be near me. He finally agreed to let me try it out, so I left at 11:30am to go get her. We ran to Burger King to grab some lunch for Mommy and some lemonade for Deidra and we shared some french fries since she had already eaten mac and cheese at school. I took her up front and she was so excited to see my friend, Amy, up there. I got her sat up behind my register and on the bench up front. She wanted to go help Amy for awhile and Amy was ok with that, so she was Amy's little shadow for awhile. Then, she came over to help me give my customers their receipts. She just wanted to help. Then, she found our cashier paperwork and wanted some of her own, so Amy sat her down on a bucket and she drew all over the papers on a little table shelf type thing and she started pretending that she was at work too. Her customer was her stuffed kitty. We were all cracking up at some of the things that she was saying, but she sure was cute. My other head cashier, Susan, even got her all set up with a kid's apron (we use them for the kid workshops that we do) and I wrote her name on there for her. Amy gave her her own little stapler and calculator and an orange marker too and I gave her an extra pen and a measuring tape. She had so much fun with that stuff. She asked to go to lunch with my friend Amy and I told her it was ok. Amy needed to go run to her apartment to go grab something and asked if I minded if she took her. So, they went out together. Deidra crashed in the car I guess. I knew she'd be tired. They came back a half an hour before my shift was over. When it was time to go, Deidra cried as she didn't want to leave. I picked her up to comfort her and she laid her head down on my shoulder and within 2 minutes was sound asleep.

It was nice to keep an eye on her and have her close to me today. She did have a bout with diarrhea while she was working with me, but she seems to be doing a little better today. Now if only getting her to take her medicine would be easier....

It was nice to have people helping me to look out for her today too and I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed having her there. My co-workers adore her anyway and even the customers thought she was just precious. Little did I know that it was actually "bring your kid to work day." So, that's why the customers thought she was there. I told D that she was a very good girl today and got to do something very special, but we only got to do this on rare occasions. She of course, wants to come back and do it tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. I told her that when she gets older working won't be so much fun to her, but it was nice to share part of the day with her and Mommy enjoyed having her there too. Thanks for letting me be able to keep an eye on her today. :-)

Why can people hurt you....

without even realizing that they're doing it? I've heard some of the most stupid and hurtful things since we told people that we were going to be adopting. "Are you sure you really want to do this? Are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into? If you adopt 2 babies, you know you're just going to wind up pregnant with twins. Why can't you just be content with what you have? Do you realize how much adoption can cost?" Abba, I don't believe that you would have made me the person that I am and my desire to have children so strong, if You didn't intend for us to have more. Granted, I should have known that when people don't understand a certain situation they can say some really stupid and hurtful things without really truly knowing that they're doing it. I went through all that when we went through our infertility treatments as well. But, you know what? Getting Deidra out of that was so perfect and I couldn't possibly love her more. You truly blessed us when you gave her to us with everything that she is. She's such a sweet and beautiful child and has the sweetest personality. So, it was definitely worth it to go through all the pain and emotions of the infertility rollercoaster.

When I've heard her asking for a baby brother and sister for so long, it honestly hurt me. I couldn't understand why we couldn't have more. But, I still trusted that a door would open at some point. My infertility journey has taught me to truly understand the blessings that children are and that is the good that has come out of it. I don't know yet what this adoption journey is going to teach us as we're not at the end of the road yet, we've just took a couple steps out on the road and are looking down it yet. And one more thing...the comment about how much adoption can cost...yes, we realize it can be expensive, but it's not anymore expensive than having to pay out of pocket for all your OB care, labor and delivery, drugs, nurse care, and hospital room and stay. And some people spend that amount of money on a car...this is a child that we're going to help give a better life too as well as helping us to make our family more complete. I definitely think it's worth it and we're committed to doing this and little did I know when I knew you would eventually open a door for us to have more children, that You would use our little D to open that door. The day she handed me that adoption catalog telling me that this is how Baby Jesus was going to give her a baby brother and sister was the day that door opened. She didn't even understand what she said...she didn't know that adoption existed or what it was...she didn't even understand what that catalog really was all about. You used her to open our eyes and boy, did she. I guess I have to take people's comments and let them roll off my back, but it's hard sometimes. I want everyone to be as excited about this as we are. We truly want to do this and are totally committed to working to make this happen. We know that You have your Hand in this and will guide us through. And we thank You, Abba, for helping us through.

Thank you, Abba!!

We got our approval from the adoption agency today. We also got a copy of the contract and addendum to fill out and sign. We're still a little bit short on the $2200 that we need to give them for using them as our agency, but I know that we'll have that very shortly. I know that You will provide for us. I also set up a flower bulb fundraiser. I gave us a goal of $1000 to raise. Help us meet and even beat that goal, Abba. I know that we can do this with your help. This is going to get us one step closer to our babies. We already are in love with them and yet, we haven't even seen their little faces or met them yet. Thank you, Abba.

We submitted our adoption application

Hi Abba. We submitted our adoption application on Saturday. Our adoption mentor, Marilyn, has received it and said that she'd be in touch on Monday after the Pennsylvania office approves it. Please let everything go smoothly for us. I'm putting everything into your hands, Abba. I'm nervous and excited at the same time!

Jess

Thank You

I just wanted to say thank you for our first magazine order for helping with our adoption process. Thank you for all the blessings that you have given us. People are coming forward with fundraising ideas and with their prayers and I definitely feel that the door is being opened. We're getting more money towards our goals saved up too and that's a wonderful thing. Thanks, Abba, and we continue to put this in Your Hands.