Where am I?

Lots of writing these days is happening at the following sites:

A Different Dream

Comfort in the Midst of Chaos

PreemieBabies101

BIG news about our Tiny girl!

I just wanted to share with you all that our adoption was finalized in Indiana this month!  This has been such a rollercoaster of emotion, and I can now officially speak freely about Ellie (her brand new official name is Elizabeth but we call her Ellie).

Everyone has been asking about how she's doing.  I've been very shy to post on social media any photos or medical updates.  It is a delicate process when you have social workers in your home and life and I wanted to be cautious about all of that. Although I have to say, we completely LOVED our social worker.  I really felt that she was FOR US, and that I could ask or say anything.  She saw a lot of tears across our kitchen table as we talked about Ellie's lack of developmental progress and growth, and shared our tears of joy that we feel so blessed to be her parents.

Little Ellie is still VERY Little Ellie.  She is almost 11 months and still wears a size 1 diaper and 3-6 months clothes.  She sees several specialists: gastroenterologist/nutritionist, cardiologist, neurologist, and her pediatrician.  She receives developmental intervention and physical therapy at our house.  We are now stocked with a living room full of therapy equipment.  She has dropped into the "severe developmental delay" category, but is working hard. She is now full of smiles and coos, and has started to babble with consonant sounds.  We are really encouraged by that because Abbey never made any consonant sounds. She can't sit up, can't eat baby food yet, and takes a high calorie formula condensed to add even more calories per ounce.  But, she sleeps great, still naps, and really loves to eat her toes.

Her big brother had to write a personal narrative for school.  When I got to see it, it was all about her adoption. He talked about how hard it was to wait to meet her while we were flying out to Indiana, and that sometimes he couldn't sleep because he was so excited and sometimes he couldn't sleep because "my stomach was in knots." He talks about going to court, getting spit up on, and how much he loves his little sister. He is quite determined to teach her how to say his name! Sometimes when she's cranky I will give her to him and he walks her around a little and she falls to sleep.  He gets a big kick out of this and is sure to tell me that HE is the one with the "magic touch."  I love seeing God shaping his heart and using his sisters to make him, and his little brother, into a man of great character.  I don't care what jobs/careers my boys end up having in life if they know how to love God and love others...it's all that matters to me.

How am I?  That's a whole different post. LOL  God is shaping my heart too.  Sometimes it's hard and I don't want to change or surrender my plans and hopes and dreams for this sweet girl.  But I trust that the God who created her, sustained her in the womb despite the trauma of drugs and alcohol, and then saved her life after a traumatic delivery and lack of oxygen at birth HAS HER IN HIS HANDS.  Before she was my little girl, she was his.  I believe he has great big plans for this tiny baby. She's a miracle, you know? 

But now she's officially OUR miracle, and that feels really great.

No Guilt Allowed

Today I'm over at the Different Dream website discussing my sigh of relief when Abbey goes back to school after break, and why I don't feel bad about it anymore!

Click here to read this post NO guilt allowed

Abbey and Ellie update..it's been so long!!

Hi friends!  It's been a LONG time.  We finished our book last summer and have been working hard at the editing, marketing, and pre-publishing process.  I can't wait to share it with you! Here is the link for it on Amazon.  It's on sale right now, so grab a copy to share with a parent who needs to be encouraged!

Refresh: Spiritual Nourishment for Parents of Children with Special Needs

 After such a long time without blogging, I'm excited to get back into it and share life with you again.  I thought you might enjoy an Abbey and Ellie update. Here's a picture of the two Sisters!!!

Abbey turned 14.  WHAT!!???  She is turning into a young woman in every sense of the word, and hormone swings are in full throttle in our house.  It's been a difficult year in some ways because we are all learning how to adjust to what she is feeling but can't express.  We had one morning where she walked out of her room at the same time as Jayden and just grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him back into his room.  He threw his hands up and said, "What did I do!??  All I did was wake up!"  But we all had a good laugh after our firm talk with Abbey about keeping her hands to herself.  She is still full of joy with lots of love to share with anyone.  She's always teaching me what real love looks like.

Ellie is a tiny tot!  I've been hesitant to talk much about her online because our adoption is not final.  You can keep praying for continued growth and brain healing.  She has a long way to go and we are moving much slower than this momma would like.  I feel like I'm learning all the hard lessons all over again....I wonder sometimes if God is like, "Seriously Kimberly??  Didn't we already cover this one?" haha  I know he is a patient father and I'm incredibly grateful for that. He not only understands my tears over this, but I know in my heart he has compassion for me and for my girls. 

My girls...plural. I never, EVER thought I would say that.  God had other plans, and I'm so glad.  My heart is so full of love for our little surprise.  I'm being so stretched...sometimes too thin, but I ask you to pray for me and for our family as we work hard to surrender to His plans and purposes.  I've been listening to that new song Thy Will on a regular basis.  WOW  is it powerful!   Including it after this for you.  If you haven't heard it, grab some tissues first!

Thy Will by Hilary Scott

BACK TO THE BLOG

I am excited to announce that my break from the blog has resulted in my first book being published with my co-author Jocelyn Green!  Here is the link for the pre-order on amazon

Refresh:Spiritual Nourishment for Parents of Children with Special Needs

Thank you to everyone who has supported us, and contributed to this project.  It was a very emotionally fulfilling, and occasionally draining, process. But my heart is out there for the world to read, and I'm really praying that it encourages people in their walk with Christ.  Or better yet, that hurting families might find hope, joy, and  peace in a relationship with Jesus. Also, I will be getting back to the blogging, and would LOVE it if you would subscribe to the blog for future posts!  The link is in the upper right hand corner of this page! Thanks!