Long Overdo Update

Hi friends,

Thanks so much for being patient with us and praying for our situation.  For those of you who are new to our circumstances, we received a call from our birthmom last Wednesday afternoon and she said to me, "How soon can you get here?  They want to do an emergency C-Section"  Of course, I panicked and quickly started packing whatever I could find to throw into a suitcase!  Jeff came home and we took off for KY!  Along the way, Janie delivered a baby girl and we immediately called her Sadie Grace Scholen.  We finally arrived at 10:45pm and met Janie and Sadie for the first time.  Sadie was on a CPAP machine to keep her lungs from collapsing, but the doctors said that she was doing really well.  

I won't lie and tell you that I slept well that night.  I actually don't think I slept a wink.  I had so much swirling around in my brain.  Will Sadie be ok?  Will the adoption plan still go through now that it is in KY instead of Utah?  How will her husband respond?  How will we afford all of the hotel and food expenses?  I kept hearing God tell me, "Tracey, rest in Me and I will carry you."  I felt like He was trying to teach me how to rely on Him and how to ask Him to meet my needs specifically without me "helping" Him.  I had a huge sense that He wanted to care for me to a point that I absolutely knew it was coming from Him.  So, when we got out of bed in the morning, Jeff and I got on our knees by the hotel bed and began to pray.  I prayed specifically for 4 things: 1)  That God would provide a place for us to stay that wouldn't deplete our bank account 2) That we would have confidence moving forward with the adoption since it was now in KY instead of Utah.  KY adoption laws are horrible and birthparents can't sign for 3 days and then they have 20 days to change their minds.  Utah law allows them to sign in 24 hours and the papers are irrevocable on the spot.  3) That Sadie would get off of the CPAP machine quickly and 4) that we would have the strength to get through the day on no sleep.

After praying the nurses called and told us that Janie was not doing well and that she had moved to the ICU.  When we arrived, they told us that she was diagnosed with DIC and that in most cases it didn't turn out well.  We couldn't believe it.  So, we solicited as many prayers as possible.  Mostly from you all!  But inside, I could barely take the thought in.  It was devasting.  In the meantime, God answered my first prayer when the caseworker tells us about a place for families of loved ones in ICU or NICU to stay for free.   I cannot even begin to tell you how much of a blessing it has been to stay at this house.  It is wonderful!!!  And free!!  We have 2 full-size kitchens, free laundry, free internet and lots of donated food.  The bathroom is perfect for my mom who would be visiting with me when Jeff left (she is in a wheelchair).  We think God was just starting to showing off.  : )

Before we actually saw the house, God answered prayer #2 when our agency director called me to let me know that they had retained an attorney and that they got permission from the ICPC for a tri-state adoption.  Under this type of adoption, the birthparents could still be under the Utah law.  And since our agency is in Utah and the adoption would still be finalized in Utah, we could push the adoption through Utah law still.  GREAT news!  So, with Janie's dire condition they also got permission for the social worker to serve her the papers instead of the attorney who was unavailable.  All of the papers were signed at 4pm and Janie had relinquished her rights!  We could hardly believe it.  Later the agency told us that it was literally divine intervention that they got all of the permissions that they did.  It was only due to Janie's condition.  The wild thing was that Janie began improving throughout the day and was then re-diagnosed with HELLP syndrome, not DIC (which in the medical field is nicknamed Death is Coming due to its prognosis).  We were so relieved!!  

After all of this good news, Jeff and I were finally able to get back to Sadie to see how she was doing.  Prayer #3 was answered when we scrubbed in and the nurse told us she had a surprise for us.  Sadie was off of the CPAP machine!  So, we could hold her now for the very first time!!  It was so wonderful.  That moment was captured with the round of photos first sent out.  

Prayer #4 was answered throughout the day as I never really felt exhausted until the end of the day when I got to my bed.  We both slept SO good that night!  I honestly don't know how I survived this day with no sleep!  

OK.  So, this was the beginning of our adventure up here.  I will blog some more tomorrow to catch everyone up on the rest of the events... going to the jail to meet Michael, going to Janie's house and meeting her boys and family, Janie's turn for the worse and transfer to Lexington, the adoption and where we stand right now.  Right now I have a little girl over in the NICU who needs her mama!  

love to you all!

Tracey

We are Parents!!

I will journal about the crazy adventure we are on probably tomorrow, but until then here are a few pictures of our baby girl, Sadie Grace Scholen!  She weighs 3lbs 6oz and is 16 1/2 inches long. She is doing great for a baby born at 32 weeks and we can tell already that she is a fighter!  She is the cutest little glow worm we have ever seen!!

Thanks for praying for us!

Jeff and Tracey

A Possible Trip to KY

Hey Everyone,

I really haven't had much time at all to post on the blog.  Things seem to be going a mile a minute around here.  Jeff and I have been in the final negotiations over repairs, etc... on our house and the one we are purchasing and we have been packing up our house one room at a time.  Plus, my wonderful, WONDERFUL friends threw a shower for me this past Saturday (picture included).  I was so appreciative and it was so much fun to celebrate this journey with friends and family.   

In the midst of it all, I spoke with Janie and it is looking more and more like I may be going up there at the end of this week to take her to see her doctor.  I tried for about an hour today to try to find someone to get her there, but I come up against a brick wall every time.  She lives in a very remote, poor section of the Appalachian Mountains.  There are no cab companies that service her area.  I tried to find an independent driver and a medical cab to take her, but neither ended up panning out.  I really feel at my wits end here.  All I can think about is that she is the mother of my future child and I need to do what I can to protect both of them.  After talking with her tonight, I just broke down in tears.  I feel so helpless at times with this situation and completely out of my league.  It made me realize, once again, how much I need God.  I am helpless, but He is definitely NOT.  

I haven't gone into detail about Janie's condition on this blog yet, so let me tell you what is happening.  Janie has 3 boys - 7, 3, and 18 months.  With 2 of her pregnancies she developed pre-eclampsia.  For those of you who don't know, pre-eclampsia can lead to eclampsia, which can be very dangerous for both mom and baby.  Preeclampsia is characterized by high blood pressure.  The last time she went to the doctor, her blood pressure was elevated and they wanted to check it the next time she came in to make sure she was doing ok.  Well, Janie missed her next appointment and hasn't been to the doctor now in about a month.  And her symptoms seem to be getting worse.  The problem is that she has no way of getting to her doctor to get checked out and she needs to get into see the doctor!  So, short of me going up there to take her to the doctor, I really don't know what else to do.  Please be praying for a solution!  If I go, I will have to leave Thursday after work, drive for about 5 hours, spend the night, and then pick her up in the morning to take her to the doctor.  Then I would be driving 7 hours back home.  Not fun.  The good news is that I would meet Janie, her family, and see where she lives and how I can help.  It would also be nice to take her to the doctor and experience all of that with her.  I see a great benefit in doing all of that with her.  Please pray for wisdom for me and if you have any words of wisdom, I'd love to hear.  

Lastly, Janie sent me the last sonogram of the baby (picture up top).  It was so thoughtful!   And yes, from what Janie tells me, what you are seeing in the picture is the baby's foot!!  

A Short Update...

I bet you are wondering what has happened to us!  It has been a whole week since I last posted.  It is only because we have been so crazy busy getting a contract on another house up in Alpharetta and taking care of the paperwork that follows with that!  We are scheduled to move on November 14th after closing on the 13th.  Woo hoo!

I haven't spoken at length with Janie since last Saturday.  She had her mother-in-law in town this past week and she doesn't know about Janie's pregnancy (she hides it in her extra pounds and large shirts).  Therefore, we couldn't talk with her very much. I did find out that she got the Bible I sent to her and we got her telephone service working completely so she can now call our toll-free number, the agency, and her doctor when needed.  I feel very relieved about this.  She has missed a few doctor's appointments due to the fact she doesn't have a car and has a friend who can be unreliable at times.  It is all I can do to not drive up to KY to take her myself!  

Jeff and I are so grateful to God in His timing of allowing us to move before the baby comes along.  It is a huge blessing in this economy that we are not taking for granted.  Thanks so much to all of you praying for us!

Our Birthmom

I talked with Janie for about 1 1/2 hours on Saturday night.  For so long that my battery died on my home telephone.  It was a great conversation.  She started off asking me questions about the Bible and about forgiveness of sins, etc...  It sounds like she became a Christian when she went to jail for a few days.  It was where "God got my attention."  Anyway, when she and her husband weret separated for awhile, she began really reading her Bible.  It sounds like she reads it quite a bit, but has a lot of questions.  She has also been reading the King James Version and so I told her that I would mail her a different translation that she could understand better.  So, today I mailed her the NIV Life Application Bible and can't wait until she gets it!  We are going to read through a book together and talk about it.  It is so absolutely wonderful getting to invest in her in this way.  What a HUGE privilege!  

Janie seems like a very thoughtful, goal-oriented person.  She has attended some college and was working as a GED tutor helping high school dropouts get their GED.  She was majoring in elementary education when she needed to stop school due to her financial aid running out and having 3 kids!  But it sounds like she would really like to go back to school to finish her degree. 

Janie lives in a very remote area in the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky.  She does own her home, but it is very modest and is heated with coal!  As she says, "It is a pain to have to add coal to the burner in the middle of the night when it is really cold!"  I bet!  Talking with her has made me appreciate so much more what I have.  It is so easy to look around and not be content, but talking with her makes me realize just how much I have been blessed with.  She doesn't have a car, the town doesn't have taxis or buses and so she has to rely on friends to take her to get food, etc...  She doesn't have a phone that she can call out on (she can only receive calls), so Jeff and I are trying to take care of that for her so that she can call us when she wants and call the doctor when needed.  She has high blood pressure and so that scares me for her.  I just want to make sure she is cared for!

Because of her high blood pressure, Janie has given birth to all 3 of her kids around week 37.  With this in mind, she will be traveling to Utah the first week in December (her very first plane ride!).  At that point, she will see the doctor in Salt Lake City and he will set a date to induce.  It would be great for her to hold off until week 38, but we will take 37 too!  At week 37 we will be home for Christmas probably!  She said that all 3 boys were healthy at 37 weeks, so that put my mind somewhat at ease.    

We have decided to have more of an "open" relationship with one another after the adoption.  I'm not sure exactly what that will look like, but am very happy that she is open to it.  She told me that she just wanted to make sure that I was comfortable with anything we decide on.  It is such an amazing experience getting to know the birthmother of my child.  I count it as one of my biggest blessings in life.  I really can't even communicate with words how all of this feels, but I am so grateful that God is allowing me to experience it.  Adoption is such an amazing thing - maybe because it mirrors our adoption by God.  Or maybe because I am getting to experience this beautiful life through someone else's sacrifice.  All I know is that every time I ponder it, I well-up with tearful gratitude.  And to think that I may not have experienced all of this if the China adoption had just come sooner or if we had been able to have our own children.  It is times like this when I just KNOW that God is in control and desires good things for His children.  

We are Under Contract!

Well, we decided to move forward with the buyer's best offer on our house and feel pretty good about it!  We are moving out November 14th.  Obviously, the task at hand is now to get a contract on another house!  We found one that we really like in a neighborhood off of Waters Rd in Alpharetta.  We are planning on putting an offer on it tomorrow.  We'd love your prayers that it would go smoothly!

I spoke with Janie again tonight for about 1 1/2 hours.  I just love her!!  I want to tell you more about it except that it is now 11pm and I am exhausted from being in Chicago all week and just getting home.  I will let you guys know more about it tomorrow.  One thing (to hold you in suspense. ha)...she let me see her My Space account and I got to see a picture of her youngest son, Payton (above).  A TOTAL cutie!!   

Eternal Perspective

Right now I am in Chicago for a church conference at Willow Creek Community Church.  I am having so much fun getting some "hang time" with my team here in the windy city.  However, it is probably the best and worst time to be here.  Worst in that we are still trying to negotiate the sale of our home and our buyers just declined our last offer.  Best in that singing praise songs to my God and being in His Word in the midst of this turmoil is the best place for me to be.  Jeff and I have so much to think about in this declining real estate market and it is next to impossible to predict how things will go.  We could take our house off of the market and wait until Spring/Summer to try again, but who knows if the market will be better then?  And not getting out now leaves us little financial margin for me to work part-time at my job.  We just hate giving our house that we have spent years renovating away for such a lower price.  All I know is that while I was in the middle of worship today,  these issues seemed so very small.  In the grand scheme of things, I know that God is totally in control and that none of this really matters in eternity.  What does matter is how I respond in this situation - with faith, trust, and love or with fear, control and doubt?  I am not an orphan and do not need to live life like I need to provide for myself somehow, someway.  I am a daughter of the King!  He is using all of these circumstances to continue to refine me into who He desires me to be.  And becoming an image-bearer who reflects His glory to the world is much more important than Him giving me an easy sale of my house.  Thank God for eternal perspective!!