Matched!!!

January 17th: The day we found out our family has been matched with an expectant mama and baby boy!!

It has been a busy month of preparation since we received that phone call, and we are anxiously waiting for the next exciting call that he is on his way (his due date is February 26th)! Here are a few things we have been doing to prepare:

*Paperwork....LOTS and LOTS of paperwork!! We had to do a speed round of updating our home study, as it was going to expire before baby's due date, as well as lots of contracts and other formalities.

*Fundraising-When we said "yes" to this situation, we knew that we would need to trust that God would provide, as the cost was above our "top dollar" amount that we originally committed to! And, of course, He has been faithful and provided everything we need to make it happen! We have so many of our friends and family (and even complete strangers!) to thank for that! We were able to get all our puzzle pieces sponsored and complete it! We also received a matching grant, and some large donations! God is so good, and always funds what He favors! Here is Luke putting in the last piece!

*Getting out all the baby gear and baby boy clothes! Our home and the nursery is prepared and ready to welcome a baby! 

*Making plans and arrangements for our travel (as much as we can) and for our time away from our home and Luke. We will need to be in Florida for up to two weeks before we can bring baby home while we wait out ICPC approval.

*Learning about hair and skin care for African American babies and children! Thankfully I have a great resource in my friend, Karome!

*Refreshing our memories on baby care and bottle feeding, etc. (It's been 6 years since we've done this whole baby thing and it's easy to forget!)

*Sharing the exciting news with loved ones! It has been so fun to be able to share this goodness with others. It is something we have been waiting a LONG time to do!!

*Praying...lots and lots-for the preparation of our hearts, for the expectant mother, and for the health of our baby. 

*Soaking up our last days as a family of three! Things are going to change a lot when we add a new family member, and we are excited and nervous about all that comes with that. But, we know that the love the three of us share will grow to include one more and we couldn't be more thankful for that!