Bringing Mason Home, Part One

Wednesday afternoon, November 14, I was driving to my friend Sarah's house when I got the call. E, our son's birth mom, was in labor! Jeremy, the kids and I raced to the bank to get our money out, and I made it to Sarah's and commandeered her computer to look up flights (thanks, Sarah, for letting me!). On the way home, making calls to my mom (come watch the kids!), our social worker (please get our stuff ready!), our case manager in Utah (eek! She's pushing already!), and Jeremy (are you home yet?), I pulled over. In a sweet, holy moment, the kids and I prayed for their new baby brother who was being born even then. 

Wednesday evening, he was born! How can we be expected to make reservations and pack when we have pictures of our new son to look at? The rushing, packing, hurried evening was strangely reminiscent of when we left to get Laina. Butterflies and all. It was terribly hard leaving the kids, again. 

We sat everybody down to tell them their new brother's name. All three loved it! That was the first time everyone agreed. Hooray!

(first family photo--see Mason on the phone?)

We spent most of the night packing, making copies of every piece of paperwork we could think of, and trying to get everything together. Mason wasn't due for two more weeks, so we weren't nearly as prepared as I wanted us to be! Add to that the fact that Iain started throwing up at 11pm, and it was a rough night.

Thursday morning, we were up after, what, three hours of sleep? and headed to the airport, well before dawn. We made it just in time to check our luggage, just in time to board the plane, and just barely in time to make our connecting flight. Talk about a nerve-wracking trip!

(Jeremy said, "Is this going to be a regular thing?" when I took out my new phone for a picture. Yes, yes it is.)

Thursday morning, later, we made it to the airport! After meeting our case manager (who is wonderful, by the way), we grabbed some food and headed straight to the hospital where we met E, and our son!

It was a beautiful moment, surreal and simple, when E handed me Mason. Jeremy got to hold him next. We passed him back and forth for a while, and then left him with E and went to our room (we got a room at the hospital for the first night because E was discharged and Mason had to stay another 24 hours). Later, Mason was brought to us, so we could spend some time alone with him. It was wonderful to hold him, look at him, and snuggle with him.

After a while, we took him back to E. Soon, E invited us back in for photos. Then back to our room again. Eventually, E brought Mason in to us, and headed home. She would be back the next day.

I took lots of pictures.

 (the view from the hospital parking lot. Seriously!)

Thursday night, as we sat around a little table in our hospital room, with Mason sleeping nearby, we signed papers. E, in her apartment, also signed papers. And then Mason was our son.

Friday morning, we just hung around, loving on Mason, doing nothing much. Waiting.

Friday afternoon, E came by again. We talked, laughed, talked, took lots of pictures, and then she said goodbye to Mason. Yeah, that was... no words. 

Right after E left, we left. Mason was discharged (with directions to come back the next day to re-screen his hearing, which we did and he passed), and we left the hospital with our precious boy.

More to come!

Welcome to the World...

...baby Mason Royce!

Our sweet new son Mason was born on Wednesday, November 14. He was about 6lbs, 6oz, and was born in Utah at 3:23 Mountain Time. He is sweet, sleepy, and has a head full of soft black hair. We rejoice in the gift God has given us in sweet Mason!

Mason's name is special. His first name, obviously, means bricklayer. We love it because of Nehemiah, the man God used to rebuild His city. Mason will be a Repairer of broken walls, and a Restorer of streets with dwellings (Is 58:12). We also love his name because his birth mom loves it. She helped choose it, which makes it very special. Royce, his middle name, is Jeremy's middle name, his dad's middle name, and his grandfather's middle name. It means "son of a king," or, as we like it, "son of the King."

Thank You, Jesus, for this gift.

Happy Birthday, Papa!

We love you! 

--your crazy grandkids :)

In the Meantime...

The past few weeks around here have been full. Jeremy had a stretch of working long days (and some nights, too!), we ushered in fall in GA--my favorite season, and we did a lot of fun field trips with friends. 

Oh, and Iain and Cory got this:

We've had the bunk beds for years, a gift from Jeremy's aunt and uncle. I told the boys we'd bunk them when Iain turned five, but then five seemed so young to let him sleep so high off the ground. So I waited until six. They love the bunk beds. There wasn't any arguing about who got which one--Cory likes the bottom because it's like a fort. I have plans to enhance the fort-like-ness soon. Iain is a huge fan of his top bunk. Yesterday he asked me for a "tiny welcome mat" to go at the bottom of his ladder. Love that boy.

Apple picking fun:

 (she looks so old here!)

(I promise he was having fun!)

My aunt Samantha is an artist/art teacher. This semester, she has very, very kindly been sending Cory art projects by mail (how fun is that!?) and then posting lessons for him on his very own blog. He is loving it. Iain gets in on the fun sometimes, too. Last week, they painted color wheels in watercolor. Iain had a smudge on his face, so being the sensible mother that I am, I turned it into this:

And Cory wanted to play, too. He did his own.

 Zoo trip with the Stephens family:

 So this one has a story. Cory's middle name is Daniel. He's never liked it. He likes to be called Cory D, but NOT Cory Daniel. We've told him the story of Daniel in the Bible many times, how brave Daniel was, how he followed God even when it was hard. Nothing doing. Still didn't like it. Well, the other day we started reading a book from the Childhood of Famous Americans series (I loved them as a kid, and now my kids love them! We're reading the same ones--I swiped them from my mom's house.) Guess which one we happened to start on first? Daniel Boone. 

Now Cory loves his middle name. He wants to be called Cory Daniel Boone Brannon. He talks about Daniel Boone all the time. He made targets to throw rocks at, he thinks a lot about being in the woods and how to hunt animals and hide from enemies. As in, he lies awake at night thinking about it. (Love this boy.) My favorite part is when he says things like, "Mama, Daniel Boone obeyed, so I'm going to obey, too," and "Daniel Boone was a hard worker. I'm going to work hard too!" Yes, we'll take it!

So the picture. There's an illustration in the book of Daniel Boone riding a horse bareback, with one hand in the air. You see where I'm going with this? Cory came up to me at the zoo and said, "Look! I can ride the duck like Daniel Boone!" Yes, dear boy. You can.

Hiking at a Civil War battlefield site with the Burtons. Love my sweet girl's smile!

Cooler days (and blankets from Nonas) are great for snuggling.

Some Laina funnies, so I don't forget. Two years old is hilarious!

Her cousin Penny gave her a hat and some mittens. When Laina saw the mittens she yelled, "Hooray! Hand thingies!"

At the breakfast table the other day, she was being so incredibly loud. I said, "Laina, please use your quiet voice." Her reply? "WHY?!! WHO'S SLEEPING!!?"

In the car--

Me: Look at the clouds!

Laina: Who made it? (side note: she asks this question about EVERYTHING. Clothes, food, toys, clouds, furniture. Everything.)

Me: God did.

Laina: Say thank-you to God. Okay, I will. Thank You, God!

Laina, while I cool dinner: I got a 'poon. It big, BIG like Laina Kate.

Last night while I was getting her footies on: I like you, Mama! I like you SO MUCH! (I like you too, baby girl.)

We're Gonna Need A New Puzzle...

We've been matched...with a boy! Baby Boy Brannon is due to arrive sometime around the end of November. We are so happy to be adding another sweet boy to our crew, and the kids cannot stop talking about their baby brother.

We found out about this match on Sunday night, late. We've been talking names, doing massive amounts of paperwork, buying precious baby boy shoes, and generally living on cloud nine since then! We can't wait for him to join our family. Thank You Jesus for Your kindness to us.

Please keep Baby Boy and his birth mom in your prayers over the next few weeks.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights 

with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17)

Fashion Show for Grammy

Trying to get a not-silly picture of this girlie-girl is well-nigh impossible. :)

 Ballerina in training? She did this on her own.

Some fancy new 'dos:

And more modeling. Tell me she's not the cutest little girl you've ever seen?

Matching Grant!!

Domestic adoption is different from international in many ways, but one way that it’s similar is in terms of cost. Adoption is expensive! There are agency fees, legal fees, medical fees, birth mother expenses, and more. As you know, we’ve been fund-raising, saving, working, and applying for grants since last year. 

This week we got the wonderful news that we’re being given a $4000 matching grant from Promise 686 and LifeSong for Orphans! That means, for every dollar that is donated, up to $4000, Promise 686 will match it. The $8000 this could potentially raise would bring us so close to having all the money we need to complete this adoption. And all donations are tax-deductible. Our goal date for raising this money is November 30, 2012.

So we’re asking for your help. Asking for money is never fun, but two things we’ve learned through Laina’s adoption are that people are generous, and that it takes a whole community to bring a child home. God has been so gracious to us through this adoption, and we invite you to be a part of what He’s doing, if you so desire.

We're sending out letters this week and next week, but we want to take advantage of social media as well--hence this blog post! If you're interested in helping us make our $4000 goal, read on. 

 If you want to donate, please:

1. Make a donation via check or PayPal to LifeSong for Orphans. In the memo line or on the PayPal screen write “Preference: Brannon #2955 adoption.” This is very important to make sure LifeSong knows where to direct your donation. (Also, please note that if you pay via PayPal, PayPal will charge a service fee of 1.9-2.9%.)

2. If you’re sending a check, mail to 
LifeSong for Orphans
PO Box 40/202 N. Ford St
Gridley, IL 61744

3. If you’re paying via PayPal, go to http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/donation.html and click the donate button. Remember to enter “Preference: Brannon #2955 adoption” on the PayPal screen.

Note: 100% of all funds received by LifeSong for Orphans will go directly to cover adoption costs. Nothing is taken out for administrative costs. And again, every dollar that is donated will be matched, up to $4000!

Also note: In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to the named non-profit organization. This organization retains full discretion over its use, but intends to honor the donor’s suggested use.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. We are humbled over and over again that people would donate to help us adopt. We really appreciate it.

Blessings,
Jeremy and Allie
Iain, Cory, Laina, and baby 

Failed Adoption

(I mentioned in the last post that we were in Florida for Iain’s birthday, but I didn’t say why. It’s a story that, for us, doesn’t have a happy ending.)

Dear Baby S,
We got the call on a Friday. Three weeks and three days ago, we first heard about you. You had been born the Sunday before, and you needed a home. I spoke at length to the social worker, and it seemed so perfect. Everything you needed, we were. Everything your birth mom wanted, we were. Even down to your name, which your birth mom wanted you to keep. It was perfect. We were so happy. We so wanted to be your parents, and we thought we would be. We would leave the next day to come and get you. To bring you home.

We went to dinner that night at our friends’ home. Everyone who was there either has adopted or is adopting, and they were so excited. While we were there, I texted with your birth mom a few times. Then she sent me your picture. I was so happy to see you for the first time. You’re beautiful, S. I showed your picture to our friends, and they agreed. The dinner was a joyful, wonderful, happy time. They would have loved to meet you, to hold you.

Late that night we got a call from those same friends. They showed up at our door with diapers, gift cards, sweet baby girl clothes, a blanket, a soft toy. They are such sweet friends to share in our joy that way.

Saturday, we drove the next day to Florida. As we drove, we talked about your name: would we make your birth mom’s choice you first or middle name? What would we call you? We thought about how we’d have to get a luggage rack in order to fit your carseat in the van. We talked about your birth mom, and I she and I texted back and forth all day. We were so happy as we made phone calls, talked to the social worker, told our families what was going on.

Sunday morning, my mom, Laina and I went shopping for a dress for you, to match the shoes in the puzzle picture. We found a sweet one.

Sunday night, we met you...what can I even say about that? Your birth mom is amazing, and you are precious, valuable, priceless.

Tuesday we learned that you weren’t ours.

Wednesday, we returned the dress. 

Thursday we came home without you.

I pray for you still, sweet S. I pray that your mommy and daddy know Jesus and teach you about Him. That you are happy and loved. I’m sure you are. 

You weren’t our daughter, but we wish you were. I grieve not being your mama; I wanted to be. And I also grieve the loss of relationship with your birth mom. She loves you so much, and she's so special. I wanted to be in her life.

Someday, we will bring our baby home, and we will understand what I hope you are already experiencing: that this was how it was meant to be. But we won’t forget you or your birth mom. We know already at least one good thing that came out of this: so many people were praying for your birth mom and you, during a time that was probably the hardest in your lives. Our church was praying. Our families were praying. If we had to go through this in order for you and your birth mom to have so many people lifting you up to the Father during this time, it was worth it. She is worth it. You are worth it.

Adoption is such a mix of joy and grief. Right now, ours is the grief. Yours is the joy--and I hope for you that it is always true, that you grow up strong, joy-filled, loving, and loved. 

Prayers and blessings, sweet baby.

This is one of the harder posts to publish. I have been sad...and I don't really want to put that "out there." I'd much rather keep it private. But I was reading posts by other people who had experienced failed adoptions, and was helped by them. So in an effort to somehow "not waste our failed adoption" (see John Piper's "Don't Waste Your Cancer", points 7 & 10), I figured I'd better share--to the glory of God and the comfort of others. This is a start, at least.