The last time we updated this blog, we mentioned that we were going to meet the birth mother that we were matched with after only a few days of waiting on "the list". SOOOO much has happened since then, and we wanted to make this blog current. Get ready for the ride!
Match Meeting - The match meeting at the beginning of December was, in a word... awesome! The birth mother's family and we hit it off from the start. We had a great time getting to know each other and she even gave us some ultrasound pictures. Things went so well, we even forgot the adoption specialists were in the room with us. We exchanged e-mail addresses and phone numbers, and knew we had the beginnings of a great relationship.
Holidays - During the weeks following and during the holidays, we would sporadically send e-mails to and receive e-mails from the birth mother. We also decided to reveal the name that we (the birth family & us) decided upon - Brynlee Rose Bennett. It, truly, was a collaborative effort. We picked the first name, and the birth mother picked the middle name. We all loved how it sounded and how unique it was - it just stuck! We also learned that her due date was moved up to the 15th of February, so we began working out the details of planning baby showers and getting the nursery ready for Miss Brynlee. We painted and reorganized her closet to make room for all the stuff she'll have in the nursery when she comes home. We had begun making plans for Brynlee and had begun the search for a pediatrician, insurance, and all the other things you need to consider when planning for a child. It was a very blessed, yet productive holiday seasons.
Plans Change - Two days after Josh went back to school, we got a text saying that she was going into labor about 6 weeks early. They were going to try medication and bed rest to stop her contractions. We really didn't think too much of it... until we got another phone call saying they could not stop the contractions and that Brynlee would be born in a matter of hours. Our world changed forever on January 8th. We spent a couple hours making work & personal arrangements, packing for who knows how long, and finally hit the road that night. After traveling an hour or so from home, we decided to get gas and we received another text saying our baby girl had been born. Brynlee Rose made her grand debut at 10:18pm on 1/8/13. She was 6 lbs 1 oz, and was 18 inches long. Since she was a "preemie," she was placed in the special care nursery where she could be monitored.
Roller Coaster - We've been in St. Louis ever since Brynlee was born. We have had a lot of "highs" spending time with Brynlee and her birth mother. We wanted to make sure to give her plenty of love & encouragement as she begins to adjust to life post-pregnancy. We've also had many "lows" as we deal with this rocky road called "adoption". However, even though these have been trying times, God has proven time and time again that He is faithful and He provides our every need. Many family members and friends have done so much for us, and we feel so unworthy of it all. Going forward, here are our prayer needs:
1. Pray for Cindy - Josh is going back to work on Monday, which will leave Cindy in St. Louis by herself. We hate that she has to be up here alone; however, we know it's best so Josh can have some time with her and Brynlee when they do get to come home. Pray for confidence and God's peace in her heart as she deals with different aspects.
2. Attorney Meeting - Cindy will be meeting with an adoption attorney on Tuesday at 2pm. A few of the first words out of his mouth were, "Bring a check for $2000". Our jaws dropped! We knew we would have to pay legal expenses, but at the same time, we were not banking (pardon the pun!) on the fact that Brynlee would decide to come early. Pray that God will open up doors to ways we can raise the money quickly.
3. Birth father - Please be praying for Brynlee's birth father. He has not responded to any communication from the birth mother or from our agency. We would like for him to be a part of the adoption plan; however, he is not showing any sign of being involved. There are also some legal "things" we need him to take care of. Pray that he will feel led to respond and that we can find ways we can minister to & encourage him.
4. Fundraisers - While Josh is back at home, he is going to be working on getting the last of our fundraising efforts going. He is also going to be working on getting some Pampered Chef catalog shows going so we can help pay for our adoption expenses. Pray that he can be productive and get the ball rolling, in addition to getting caught up at school.
We cannot say "thank you" enough to everyone who has shown us their love & support throughout this adoption journey. We serve an amazing God who has had His hand in every little detail, and we hold on to that hope that He will see us through the rest of what is to come. Again, we cannot say thank you enough, and we pray God's blessings on each of you 1,000-fold!
We love you all!
Josh & Cindy
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