Welcome Home, Sweet Baby!

Our baby boy was born on November 18th!  We were able to stay in the hospital, just three doors down from his birth mother and grandmother.  Our sweet boy stayed in our room with us, but we visited his first mom every day.  The hospital staff were absolutely amazing!  They were so supportive of everyone involved.

We all cried when it was time to leave the hospital.  We will always be connected by the love we share for this sweet boy.  But, it was such a bittersweet moment.  There is a quote that sums up how we were feeling that day:  A child born to another woman calls me mom.  The depth of the tragedy and the magnitude of the privilege are not lost on me.

We spent just over a week in a hotel before we were able to drive across state lines.  We had to celebrate Thanksgiving in that little hotel room.  But, that was the best Thanksgiving ever.  There was so much to be thankful for.

Matched!!!

We met the most wonderful mother to be this week!  She is making an adoption plan for her little one and has chosen us to parent!  Our families and friends are beyond ecstatic.  There has been such an outpowering of love.  We could not feel more blessed.  God has heard our prayers!  

For Parents Considering Adoption for their Child...

Lately, we've been thinking a lot about what you must be feeling.  It's easy for us, as hopeful adoptive parents, to get so caught up in our own emotions.  But, we must remember that there is a mother and father (or mother and father-to-be) who are struggling with a major decision.  If you choose to place your child for adoption, you are choosing to place an infinite amount of trust in us to care for and raise your child.  We know that you must be so strong in character and faith in order to make this huge decision.  The courage that it must take to make an adoption plan is unimaginable.  We will never be able to completely put ourselves in your shoes.  But, there are promises that we can make.  Here are some of the vows that we take as adoptive-parents-to-be...
1.  We promise to love your child unconditionally. 
2.  We promise to send you pictures/letters as often and as long as you'd like to receive them (and we'd love a picture of you for your child's room!)
3.  We promise to never speak ill of you in any way and to always be open with your child when he/she begins asking questions about his/her adoption.  
4.  We promise to raise your child in a home that is safe, clean, and warm.  He/She will always have his/her needs met.
5.  We promise to provide your child with the best possible education, including college if he/she chooses.
6.  We promise to make sure your child learns about God and Jesus and the love God has for each of us.
7.  We promise to talk openly and honestly with your child about his/her adoption.
8.  We promise to give your child plenty of opportunities to make lasting friendships through social gatherings or sports and activities of their choosing.
9.  We promise to encourage your child to develop his/her talents and interests.
10. We promise that your child will be absolutely loved and cherished by all members of our families and by all of our friends.  They have been with us every step of the way through the pain of our infertility and the beginning of our adoption journey.  They will be there when we celebrate, too!

Even though we will likely make mistakes, as every one of us does, we will always honor you and each of these promises that we've made to you and your child.
Thank you for reading...
Ryan and Emily

Emily's 2nd 5 K this year...

Emily ran a second 5K today for a former student of her school who is now in 2nd grade.  When Cam's mother heard about service dogs who can sense a child's seizures before they occur, she decided her son would have one of these dogs.  Since that time, she has raised money throughout our community - through individual donations, restaurant donations from a portion of the proceeds taken in during a given day, a HUGE yard sale, and, now, the 5K run/walk.  At this rate, this special little boy with have his service dog in no time!  Here is a picture of the shirts designed and sold prior to the race...