God has blessed me tremendously with family and friends that have faithfully supported and prayed for us.

From phone calls, emails, FB messages, comments on the blog, cards, texts…family and friends from every phase of our lives (thanks to FB which allows you to stay in touch with people you don’t see on a regular basis!) have reached out to us and ministered to us in some way throughout all this.

YOU have truly been the body of Christ at work ministering to a brother and sister in Christ in need of encouragement.

I’ve tried my best to respond to everything, but the truth is, I know I have not because there have just been so many!!!

THANK YOU FOR REACHING OUT! I have certainly read every single note of encouragement and I am so thankful for all the family and friends God has blessed me with!

I cannot tell you how awesome it was to have Rebecca here with me during the final weeks of waiting for my little Sweet Pea to be born. Rebecca and baby Levi were quite a good distraction in those final weeks of waiting! It was incredibly special that Rebecca happen to be at my mom’s house (instead of at the NICU) when the text came in from Emily saying Sweet Pea was ours! The above picture was taken right after that text.

We walked the adoption journey together, both desiring to parent Sweet Pea (which is how we met) and then, God saw fit to give us babies born 15 days apart and a friendship that will last a lifetime!

The night we came home from the NICU, Bethany brought us dinner. At a time like this, it is so nice to not have to worry about a simple thing such as “what’s for dinner?”. It was so nice to have a yummy dinner delivered right to our front door! Bethany also text me and asked if I needed anything. I told her I needed formula. That night it was brought to my front door!

That first week (and only week!) we were home we had more meals provided by Brooke, Morgan, Jen and Molly. THANK YOU!

We were home for only 9 days before we found ourselves back at the hospital on Saturday night. Sunday night, John, Katie, Luke (their precious 4 month old son) and Melissa came to the hospital with a homemade delicious dinner. After being in the hospital for 24 hours without leaving it was indescribably wonderful to see them all walk into our hospital room!! By that point we were so bored and ready for a little party!

I hate the only picture I have of Luke is one of him crying because he is the happiest little baby you will ever see! He was over the hospital by this time and ready to go home and go to bed!

The next day (Monday) was another long, boring day in the hospital but it wasn’t long and I had another visitor! Brooke came to see me and meet Sweet Pea! I did enjoy my time with just getting to know my little Sweet Pea but you don’t realize how draining it is to sit in a hospital room all. day. long. until you do it. Every time a familiar face walked into the room it was a boost for me and gave me a little more of what I needed to get through the hospital stay!

Please pray for Brooke! I wrote this asking for prayer for them as they wait to hear if they will be chosen to be a baby’s forever family. They are still waiting. The waiting is so very hard. Satan is attacking the peace that God wants them to feel at this time. The should find out something next week!

Monday afternoon Angele and Hannah came to the hospital with lunch, a bag of goodies for entertainment and snacking purposes and a “Get Well” balloon. We ate lunch together and again I was thrilled to have some visitors! On their way out, Angele told me I needed to leave Sweet Pea with my mom (who was also at the hospital during that time) and walk out with them to the car just so I could get out of this hospital room. I decided to go and OH MY! I didn’t realize how “down” I felt until I left that room for the first time in almost 48 hours! It was an immediate HUGE boost just walking outdoors and seeing the sunshine. Angele found an outside patio area that you can only access from inside the hospital. We went out there and sat for a while. That area became my little haven for the rest of our stay there. I would go there any chance I got just to get out of the confines of that hospital room.

Hannah had been through the whole spinal tap deal with hospitalization at 5 weeks old, so Angele knew just what I needed!

My mom made several trips up to the hospital with Little Bug. It did my heart a world of good to see my big girl. I took her to my little haven (the patio) many times. Little Bug enjoyed the walk to get there. There was a huge fountain along the way that she loved to look at and then she loved walking around the patio too.

I seriously don’t know what I would have done without my mom (and dad) throughout this time. I know Little Bug has done so well with all the changes in her life and the going back and forth from home, to Grandma’s house to back to home to back to Grandma’s with all our in and out stays at the hospitals recently, because she has had her Grandma taking care of her and keeping her on her little routine as much as possible. My mom has done house chores so that I can focus on other things and she has taken middle of the night feedings so that I can sleep. My dad kept Little Bug and even changed her diaper many times so that my mom could be with me some while Little Bug napped. I pretty much have the most incredible parents ever. I count it a HUGE blessing that I have parents that are willing to help out so much with whatever we need during this time.

Ashlie and Grace came up on Tuesday and brought me lunch! And, of course, seeing their smiling faces and being able to talk to someone other than the nurses and doctors was so refreshing! They helped the time pass that afternoon as we had learned that morning we would be able to go home at some point that day!

Aunt Nancy arrived at the hospital right at feeding time and when discharge papers were brought in and signed them! It was special to have her there with us as we fed Sweet Pea, packed everything up, got Sweet Pea dressed and then headed out of there!

Yesterday Sarah came over and hung out with us at the house. I’m not taking Sweet Pea many places until she is 6 weeks old so it was so nice of Sarah to come see us. She brought us a can of formula and …

… a crafty gift for each of my girls!

Amanda has been a lifesaver! Every day Little Bug asks to “go to the park”. It is just too hot for me to take Sweet Pea, yet. Amanda called me one day after we had been released from the hospital the 2nd time and asked if I wanted her to take Little Bug up to the neighborhood park! I immediately said, “Yes!!” Little Bug was thrilled! And, you know what? Amanda did this straight from coming home from teaching high school Spanish all day long. Talk about a dedicated Aunt! Little Bug loves her Aunt Amanda (who is also her Sunday School teacher now!). And I am blessed to have such an awesome sister-in-law!

I don’t have a picture to go with this next one because, well, we were rushing out the door and pictures were the last thing on my mind!

Saturday evening, when we got the call that bacteria had been found in Sweet Pea’s blood and we were told to bring her back to the ER as soon as possible, my in-laws happen to stop by the house right at that time! They were able to stay with Little Bug so we didn’t have to drag her up to the ER as well! I am very blessed to have wonderfully supportive an loving in-laws who love my little girls to pieces!

I don’t have a picture to go with this one either but…God puts people in your life for a reason. Jennifer and Tracy, both who have much experience of babies with methadone/drug exposure in the womb, have been right by my side from a far giving me advice and keeping me sane through Sweet Pea’s withdrawals. There was one night where we thought the uncontrollable crying that comes with methadone withdrawal had hit and I had both of them on FB chat as they were walking me through trying to help me figure things out!

And we can’t forget…It was Jennifer who sent me that text on March 8th. The beginning of my journey to Sweet Pea!

When I got home from the doctor yesterday, this was in the mail:

It’s a card from one of my friends I have basically known my entire life! Kelly sent us a gift card to a restaurant to take care of dinner for us one night!

Again, I wish I could specifically note every single phone call, email, FB message, text message and comment on the blog! Thank you for every single one and thank you for every single prayer. It truly does mean the world to us.

Blessed.

God has richly blessed me with family and friends from every phase of my life.

Thank you for being the body of Christ, the hands and feet of Jesus.

- Elaine