Well, it's been quite a while since I've updated this blog... and quite a lot has changed in the time in-between. In the last eight months, we've moved into a new house, found out we were expecting a baby, and welcomed a sweet baby boy into our home. Interestingly enough, this baby we've welcomed into our home was not the one we found out about in June. 

The Lord has been so, so good to us over these last eight months. We were approved to be foster parents in May of 2015, but we knew we were looking to move closer to our church in Lebanon and didn't want kids to be subject to the moving around that would be required for them if they were in our home at the time, so we closed our house. I also was unbelievably sick starting around week 5 of this pregnancy (which unfortunately still hasn't completely gone away) and I was concerned that I would not be able to care for kids while feeling so terrible. 

So - in early November we finally were relatively settled and I wasn't getting sick constantly, so we decided to reopen our home for foster care. We knew that we couldn't just take any situation. We received quite a few calls about needs - but most were for large sibling groups or older children. We had already decided that we wouldn't be able to take children older than 8, simply because we don't feel old enough and seasoned enough to parent them...and we only had space for two to sleep, so five was out of the question.

Then, the Saturday after Thanksgiving hit. We had been home about two hours. I was feeling poorly and needed to eat, so John went to pick up food quickly. My phone rang and I knew it was placement from DCS. I answered - and the rest is history. A baby had just been born and dropped off at the hospital down the street. They needed a family to care for him and thought we might be a good fit. We literally had a glider and a Boppy pillow and that was the extend of our baby supplies. Our church let us borrow everything we needed, and so many people gave generously to us. Three days later, we picked up the most beautiful newborn from the nursery at the hospital. The Lord was so gracious to protect this baby we would love so dearly. He was perfectly healthy, despite his mom having had no prenatal care and his being born outside the hospital. 

The next few days and weeks were a whirlwind. We had no idea how quickly we could fall in love with a new family member we did not know we would have just days before. It's been quite the journey. We can't share pictures yet due to DCS rules, but we look forward to sharing it with you soon. It's been a lot of meetings, court appearances, and confusing legal rules, but we are getting very close to being his forever parents. We have no reason to believe that he won't be ours. The goal is to begin the adoption process on June 1 and have it finalized by June 30. 

At that point, we'll also have a 2 month old (or so). Nora Kate Wiley is due April 18th, but I'd be totally okay with an early arrival of a few days. I've been counting down to when I can feel normal again. She been quite the diva. She's not really a fan of many foods, and sometimes she sends things back up that she liked the day before. She also kicks her brother when I hold him. There's a little sibling rivalry already going on. I can't imagine how fun (and insane) it's going to be to raise them both -- as they go to school together and no one believes they are brother and sister in their class, as they need to be at dance and baseball simultaneously, and as they argue about homework, friends, and who gets to drive to school each day.

There's so much more to say, but this will have to do for today. 
We are so thankful for the support and love we've received through this process!