Little Girl Dresses

I'm not sure this is an image I could have ever dreamed of...little girl dresses hanging in the closet next to my bike kits. I'm sure I'll say that over and over and over again in the years ahead, "I never dreamed..."

We are so close, just two weeks out from the big day, although she could come at any time. Mom is doing great, but like any woman with only 2 weeks left, is attempting every strategy in the book for getting this package delivered NOW rather than later.

We are as ready as we know to be, which for those of you with children already, is code for, we don't have a clue, but we'll figure it out. My task list today is to finish reading What to Expect the First Year. It's on the Kindle and I'm in location 2250 of 22028...it's going to be a long day.

Some friends of ours, Uncle Brian and Aunt Kat bought the first book, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Suess. Anna's final baby shower is this weekend. Lot's going on right now but it's manageable.

More to come soon, just an update.

Amazement

The past few weeks have been fantastic.   We've celebrated the end of a great year, we are hopeful for the upcoming year and the new adventures that await.  I've found myself in this strange "freaked out" state.  I'm not scared, I'm not nervous, I'm just freaked out.  I do not know what to expect, and although I know it will all work out, the "not knowing" freaks me out.

This morning I was driving home from a meeting and glanced back to the little car seat base in the back of the vehicle; struck by the truth that in just a few short weeks, there will be a little human in there.   A little human that I will be utterly responsible for. 

I've been on break from school and don't go back until the 14th.   It's been an incredibly relaxing vacation and I'm using every ounce of it to get ready for this year.   I'm lifeplanning with my friend and business partner +Brian Fletcher and trying to get some running miles under my belt before things change.  

I'm curious...if you are a parent and you are reading this short post...what one word of advice would give to a new set of parents adopting a newborn?   Just curious!

Good news! The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (the bill to avert the fiscal cliff) made the adoption tax credit permanent!

Permanently extend the increased adoption tax credit and the adoption assistance programs exclusion. Taxpayers that adopt children can receive a tax credit for qualified adoption expenses. A taxpayer may also exclude from income adoption expenses paid by an employer. The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 increased the credit from $5,000 ($6,000 for a special needs child) to $10,000, and provided a $10,000 income exclusion for employer-assistance programs. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 extended these benefits to 2011 and made the credit refundable. The bill extends for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, the increased adoption credit amount and the exclusion for employer-assistance programs as enacted in EGTRRA.

While this may not apply to us because God paid all our adoption related fees, it is a great blessing to many people and may help us in the future.

Morning Time

In the morning before I get out of bed I think about what it is I have to accomplish. I run through the lists of e-mails to make, groceries to buy, lessons to prepare, student parents to call, people to pray for, things to clean, etc....
Lately though, I wake up to think about our little girl all curled up and cozy inside her birth-mom's womb. I picture her tiny yawn from the sonogram and remember the way we saw her stretch her back, already a little human with personality and style. I have memorized the shapes of her lip and the way she sleeps in the picture we her hands snuggled up to her face. All other concerns begin to fade away. She is the apple of my eye and I haven't even met her yet. Already, we pray for her future. We dwell on the attributes that we hope to build in her. We beg that she will be a lover of Jesus. We desire that she will recognize the sacrifice of Jesus to died for her (and of her birth-mom who longs for her successful life) and that she, too, will sacrifice for the ones she loves.

Psalm 139:13-16 ESV 

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Baby Room

The excitement and the nerves are mounting in the Taylor household. We have been busy painting, assembling, reading and generally being in awe. Here is a sneak peak of the baby's room.

God continues to provide...

I never imagined in a million, billion years, that the provision for this adoption would be what is has been.

While I cannot go into details, suffice it to say, God has provided to the penny with exquisite and perfect timing.   And I'm not aahamed to say that it is clear, super, crystal clear that this was definitely a God thing and not some sort of "coincidence."

Amen!

We are adopting. "Wow"

The lady at the adoption agency said it would probably be 1-2 years before anything happened...

Day 1 2:00pm,

Us:
Hi, [Adoption Lady] we are going to get our contract notarized and mailed over to you.  What's the address again?

Adoption Lady:
Fantastic.  By the way, there's a young lady that came in today, saw your book which I just put out on the table since I hadn't had a chance to add you guys to the website yet and she'd like to interview you to be the birth parents.

Us:
silence

Us:
more silence

Us:
Huh?

Adoption Lady:  That's right.  A young woman came in, was interviewing agencies all over the city and when she saw your book, she recognized Anna.   After taking a look at the book she wanted to meet you guys for an interview.

Us:
Wow.

Day 7

Us: (Sitting in the adoption agency office meeting the birth mom and answering some great, well thought out questions and having a blast.   What an experience.)

Day 14

Us: Sitting in the adoption agency office looking forward to seeing the birth mom again.  She had just one more question.

Birth Mom:
I'd really like for you guys to be the one to raise my little girl.  Would you be the parents?

Us:  TEARS AND CRYING....YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!!

Time = 2 weeks from contract to being chosen.   WOW.

I've been walking around the house and at school  and randomly just saying "wow" whenever the idea of being a dad hits me.   This, the whole being a parent thing, has suddenly gotten way way more serious.    We are parents, there is a little girl growing inside J*'s womb that we are going to have the incredible privilege and responsibility of raising and parenting.

"Wow"

We're still processing all this and there's a ton to say, but for now, those are the facts.    Last Tuesday - everything changed.    Absolutely everything...oh, and even the stuff we don't think has or will change....yeah, it's changed to.

Go God.   Thank you.   Thank you for making the process go so smoothly, so quickly and for answering our prayers.   We are so grateful.

Oh, and day 21...

This gorgeous, precious little human is due in early February.   We're working on a name but in the meantime, please pray for her mom, their health and for the pregnancy to continue to go smoothly and without any complications at all.