It has been a challenging summer with all of the adjustments (5 year old + 2 1/2 year old + newborn = exhausted mama), but R is so precious to us. The boys adore her and she has fit into our family so naturally it's quite amazing. From the moment the boys first met her they immediately accepted her as their baby sister. No questions asked. They haven't even noticed that she looks different from them- which I find quite intriguing. Nobody in our family really looks alike and I kinda love that.
Aaron and I have commented multiple times that we can't believe how much we love R. There were points in the adoption that we wondered how we could love another child as much as the ones we already had...but it really did come effortlessly. I love her as my own flesh and blood and it is exciting to call her our daughter!
We finished paying off the adoption this month (YAY!!!!!!!!). Besides the post placement visits that will occur over the next few years, everything is PAID IN FULL!! What a miracle that is in and of itself!
The next ( and I think last) hurdle is a post placement visit to squeeze in at the end of the month. It was another case of "nobody told us that..." and we ended up needing to schedule a post placement visit to appease the birth state before actually required by the agency. So...9 days before the final court date our Oregon social worker will come out for an early post placement visit and then overnight all of his paperwork to the birth state in time for the BIG court date!!!
Only 18 days until the adoption will be finalized! For some reason I am excited for R to finally get a birth certificate and a social security number haha! Fortunately, because we were able to meet with the judge when we were in the birth state to pick up R, we don't have to be present at the hearing. We are definitely grateful not to have to travel anymore!
I feel like we're going to need to have a huge celebration once we get word and documentation that R's adoption is finalized!! Since there was not a birth father in the picture at all, the lawyers were unable to get his consent for the adoption. So there was a waiting period for that, too. The waiting is almost over!!
The past 17 months have been filled with so many ups and downs, joys and hard times, excitement and discouragement...but God has never felt far away. The one who watches over us does not slumber ( Ps. 121:4). Nothing surprises Him. Nothing is too big for him.
"I lift up my eyes to the mountains--
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2