One year ago today, our lives were forever changed by this little face...
On December 22, 2010, we got the call that every adoptive parent longs for, dreams about, and prays for--our referral call! And ours came just in time for Christmas!
We were completely elated--and shocked--that we got the call when we did. If you've followed our story, you know that it was because we were open to a child with an infectious disease (specifically HIV) that we got matched with precious Edeneku. And you also know the miracle that God worked in her little body to completely free her from ANY disease!
NOTE: you can click on the "Our Journey to Eden" tab to the right if you want to get the whole story.
These were the pictures that sustained us until we got to see her for the first time in person on March 15th.
Sweet baby girl, we love you SO much and can't imagine our lives without you!!
Click here if you want to see the original referral post.
We did an impromptu maternity photo shoot at my family's farm in Louisiana over Thanksgiving break (my youngest sister is a photographer). Here is one of our favorite shots...
OK, so that's obviously just a joke. What can I say? We're a bit "different." heehee!
Here is the real 20 week baby bump shot...
"Bean" has a Name!
At our 20-week ultrasound, we found out that we're having another GIRL! She's measuring a bit petite (which I certainly don't mind!!) and is healthy. Her name is Callie Jeanne Huss. The first name is a variation of Ben's sports hero, Cal Ripken Jr. The middle name is Ben's grandmother's name. We'll likely call her all kinds of nicknames...Cal, Callie Jeanne, CJ, Callie, Callie Bean...the options are endless! We are super-excited to have another little girl around the house sometime in late April!
A Gymnast, Perhaps?
I'm now 22 weeks along and Miss Callie seems to be a little gymnast! She keeps me up at night sometimes with her acrobatics. And we're pretty sure that she's not a fan of loud movie theater sounds (maybe the bass?). We went on a date the other night and she didn't calm down until the movie was over. I hope the poor thing wasn't scared that entire time! I did my best to muffle the sounds (piling coats on top of my belly, etc.), but I'm not sure that helped at all. It's such a weird feeling, but I'm counting it as one of the many blessings of this pregnancy--there is LIFE inside my womb--how cool is that?!
Stretching and Growing
I'm starting to feel the pains of my muscles stretching, and I'm sure the lovely stretch marks on my skin won't be too far away. ;) My doctor says I'm right on track with weight gain, etc. so that's good. Sometimes I feel like my weight gain has got to be crazy, but then she weighs me and it's not much at all. Whew! I'm blessed to have a hubby who constantly tells me how beautiful my growing body is (and he actually means it!). Again, I'm counting my blessings.
And how is Eden?
I'm way overdue for an Eden blog post, so that's next on tap. She's doing GREAT! We are incredibly blessed with our baby girl--who is growing up right before our eyes! Stay tuned...
