Per our tradition we headed to Hell's Gate for pizza and a swim the night before Etta started school. Every single time we go I always think to myself ... why don't we do this more often?!
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| Getting ready to head back to shore. |
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Bob's First Day of School 2014
Bob's first day with students was Wednesday, August 27th. It was a feat, but we got everyone awake and somewhat presentable for a pic.
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| Pretty good for the first try I guess! |
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| Russell likes to poke his brother! |
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| What a good lookin' Wicks Crew! |
If you would like to check out other first-days-of-school:
Etta's First Day of School 2014
Etta started school on Monday, August 25th.
First Grade.
She is gone every day from about 7:45 a.m. until at least 4:00 p.m. usually. That's a long time away from me. But she loves it. She mentioned the second day of school, "I'm only here for breakfast, dinner and bed!" Yep, pretty much.
Click here for: the first day of Kindergarten
And I just had to include ALL of the pics/out takes from getting our annual first day of school pic.
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| Not too bad. Maybe I should have just quit when I was ahead. |
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| But then I would have missed these gems. |
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| Can't everybody just look at ME?! |
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| This is my baby and this is his nose. |
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| And if I would have stopped I wouldn't have gotten this picture. |
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| Russell and I took Etta to school while Bob took Mae and Ethan to his back to school breakfast. |
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| Checking out Etta's new digs. |
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| Both smiling and saying "cheese". Just distracted. |
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Triathlon #2
Last summer Etta did her first triathlon. She had so much fun she wanted to do it again.
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| 5- and 6-year olds lined up and ready to go. |
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| Go Etta! |
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| Way to keep your head down. |
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| No training wheels this year! |
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| Sweet ride. |
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| Mae wanted to join in on the last lap. |
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| Strong, happy finish. |
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| Mae made it! |
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| Enjoying the fruits of their labor. |
Monday, August 18, 2014
One Month Annibirthery!
Yesterday was Ethan's one month annibirthery.
On one hand I can't believe that he is one month old. The time has passed so quickly.
On the other hand I can't believe that it's only been one month. Our lives are so different than they were 32 days ago. It seems like a whole different decade or year.
I wish I had interesting stats to talk about or funny stories. But all he pretty much does is eat and sleep. Still. He's not a newborn, but he is still pretty little. All of that energy goes to growing!
Mae is enamored with him the most and likes to hold him a couple of days, lay and gaze at him, hold his hand. I think he has grown on Russell. He does gentle touches. And sometimes forcefully "shares" his toys. And Etta? Etta likes him but has her own life to live right now.
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| Etta "helping". |
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| Etta is growing a lot too! |
Monday, August 11, 2014
I Scream, You Scream
Russell didn't scream for ice cream. But he sure liked it!
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| Grandpa, is this how I hold a spoon? |
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| Try it like this. |
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| Having some drippage. |
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| Get out the fire hose. |
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| Grandpa sneaks a bite of his own. And Russell checks out what he may be missing. |
Thursday, August 7, 2014
The Journey to Six - Part VI
"Jesus said, 'Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.'" Mark 5:19 NKJV
The Wicks Six!
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| Emily with Ethan, Mae, Etta, and Bob with Russell |
Soon after I hit publish on The Journey to Six - Part V I decided to pray.
I thanked God for the incredible week that I had just had. I thanked Him for the blessings that He had rained down upon us. I then went forward boldly and asked Him to get the ICPC clearance done.
As soon as I finished praying I called our Washington state lawyer. I got connected with his secretary and she put me through to his office. In the brief moment that it takes to transfer a call, my call waiting beeped on my phone.
A Washington state number.
Wait. What?
It was Mark.
Calling me.
To tell me that the clearance had come through.
That we were free to go home!
Less than 24 hours and we had our clearance. We wouldn't have to wait out the weekend. We could fly into Bozeman to see my side of the family.
To say that I was excited would be an understatement. I immediately posted on FB and made some calls. Next item up was to book plane tickets.
I got a 7:15 a.m. departure time with one layover in Denver, CO to get into Bozeman at 1:15 p.m.
The rest of the day was spent packing, resting and getting ready to step back into reality.
Ben & Gail took us out for dinner to celebrate and get one more piece of Southern culture. Dinner at a "Meat and Three". I got that experience and enjoyed a couple of big glasses of sweet tea. It was an enjoyable evening.
We headed home, topped off the night with home made ice cream and I went back to our little apartment for the last time.
I don't know if Ethan knew something was going to be different or if he was just having a rough night. He had his regular feeding at 10:30 but then wouldn't settle down. I finally brought him into bed to snuggle with me and we slept from 12:20-1:30. Next feeding. He wouldn't settle down again. So I brought him back into bed with me and we snuggled some more. Then my cell phone rang at 3:45 a.m. A recording telling me that my flight plan was changed and I would have a six hour layover in Denver and wouldn't be getting into Bozeman until 7:15 p.m. Since I knew I was getting up at 4:15 to get ready I really didn't go back to sleep. Thankfully, by now, Ethan was asleep enough that he slept on his own until it was time to go.
I was still okay with a 7:15 p.m. arrival time. I mean, at least it wasn't the next day, right?
But Gail had a different idea.
"You need to talk to them at the counter. Explain that you can't have a layover for that long. That is unacceptable."
I don't fly that often. I am a rule follower. The idea of asking for something different really intimidated me so I just kind of smiled and nodded.
But Gail felt a nudge. A nudge to get up at 5:00 a.m., ride 30 minutes to the airport and come in with me. To the desk. To help me with my tiny baby in a sling, heavy brief case, diaper bag and giant suitcase.
And God sent down another miracle.
As I checked in the lady behind the counter said, "Looks like you have a delay."
Me: "Yes, from Denver to Bozeman."
Lady: "No, your flight here doesn't leave until 9:45 a.m. And then you next flight is delayed too."
Me: .......
Gail: "That is not okay. She has a five pound baby here. Isn't there something else you can do for her?"
Lady: "At least he isn't an almost-two-year-old."
Gail: "... Well ... that is true ... "
.............
Lady: "How does a 6:50 a.m. departure from here sound? With a layover in Chicago and an arrival time in Bozeman of noon?"
Me: " .... Yes, please!!"
With the print of new tickets it was done.
Gail and I bid a tearful farewell, I went through security and that was that.
I was going home.
The flights were very uneventful. Ethan ate just before each boarding and slept through both flights in the sling. He was oohed and aahed over. I rested on and off. Even the take offs and landings weren't that bad.
Then we were there.
Greeted by my folks and Etta and our friends Nancy, Bruce and Haley Nelson.
It was amazing. There were tears, hugging and questions coming from every direction.
My brother was at the cabin by the time we got there. Bob got in a bit later with Mae and Russell.
We were complete.
On our way home we stopped for a picnic lunch. I just happened to have all of the kids in line. In birth order. We have entered a whole new world.
Thank you for sharing in our journey.
If you feel moved to donate to help defray expenses that we have incurred, please go here:
to make a tax deductible donation.
Friday, August 1, 2014
The Journey to Six - Part V
"Jesus said, 'Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.'" Mark 5:19 NKJV
Time to wait.
In Tennessee birth moms have ten days to change their mind about their adoption plan. Friday, August 1st is that tenth day. After talking to our agency worker, our lawyer and N herself, we really have no fear that she is going to change her mind. She has had her plan in place from the very beginning and seems quite sure about our family and our future together.
That leaves ICPC. Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. In a nut shell it assures that states are working together to make sure that children are going into a safe, healthy environment. No child trafficking between states.
We were told that ICPC clearance can take from 7-10 calendar days. I have heard of situations where it has been as quick as two and as long as thirty.
Here's the deal.
With the lawyer changes and the paperwork snafu in the hospital, our paperwork got ... lost in the shuffle so to speak. Miscommunication between the lawyers in Tennessee and Idaho has not helped. I found out on July 31st, that maybe our paperwork was submitted to the proper offices.
Maybe.
Two weeks after Ethan was born.
When it, theoretically, could have been submitted on Monday the 21st. 10 days ago.
But alas, this did not happen.
God is working. It is His timing and His timing is perfect.
I will step back to the beginning of this week and fill in the details about how we have been waiting.
On Tuesday morning (the 22nd) I called two separate pediatricians to try to get a weight check for little Ethan. Weight gain is our main focus right now. One turned me away cold because Ethan would not be a continuing patient and one set up an appointment for 1:00. But then we got a call to be at the court house by 12:30 for the TPR - Termination of Parental Rights - hearing at the Williamson County courthouse in downtown Nashville.
We wrote down the directions (MayQuest has really been there for us this trip, no GPS for us...) and headed into town. After missing one turn and getting to take a drive by tour of the Tennessee Titans stadium we found where we needed to be and parked in a nearby parking garage.
When we crossed the street we were surprised to see N sitting on a bench in the shade. This is a brave and stoic woman who did not ever want to see us again. And here she was, in our presence, for a third time. She jumped up and gave me a quick hug before we all went into the building together. On the way in she said to me, "I finally got a good night's sleep last night knowing that that baby was with his family and not alone in the hospital!" When going through security she did manage to slip ahead and get to the elevator quickly. Which was a good thing because the women manning the security booth proceeded to swoon over our beautiful, teeny bundle. I can't imagine what that would have been like for her hurting heart.
Up to the 6th floor we went. Julia was going over the termination paper work with N. We tucked ourselves into a side hallway that overlooked part of downtown. That way we weren't in plan sight of N as she signed her rights away. My heart ached as I listened to Julia cover all of the questions and explain every last line of that contract. Watching our sleeping son with joy and love in our hearts and listening to the termination of her mama rights is a dichotomy of emotions that I cannot even begin to explain or express. I think that unless you go through the same thing, (which most adoptive parents do), you can never know that exact feeling.
Time crawled. My back started to hurt. There was no where to sit but on the floor. I didn't want to go into the main hall because I did not want to force N to look at us or our son. The lawyer came and we signed papers. Then she came back and said there were some mistakes and the paperwork had to be reprinted and re-signed.
The 1:00 court time came and went.
2:00.
2:30.
Finally N was able to go in with the judge with Julia by her side.
Then it was our turn.
We took Ethan in in our arms and sat before the judge.
He was very nice and friendly. As are most people in the South we have discovered. He was making small talk and asked us where we are from. When we responded with Lewiston, Idaho he exclaimed, "My former secretary was from Clarkston, Washington! She and her husband lived here for awhile and have since moved back to Clarkston!" The world grew a little bit smaller.
The time with the judge only took a few minutes. I asked if we would be able to get a picture with him. He agreed and led us into his courtroom so it would look a bit more official. His assistant took our picture and we were officially one step closer to legally being Ethan's true parents.
We then had to wait for certified copies of ... whatever document that was. We have signed so many papers the last couple of weeks I am starting to lose track. Everything goes into the big manilla envelope that I brought and stays safe.
Finally, four hours after we arrived we were ready to go. N slipped out without saying goodbye. I think after two exits with the words, "Well, I'm never going to see you again", she didn't want to take any chances. I am okay with that. She is making a great sacrifice and needs to process it in her own way.
The rest of the week was fairly low key. We paid visits to both Ben's and Gail's offices. Ben is the CFO of World Christian Broadcasting and we got to tour their world headquarters located in good old Franklin, Tennessee. Ethan got to have his first picture with Santa Claus!
Gail is CEO of High Hopes, a non-profit inclusive preschool and pediatric therapy clinic. We got to tour their new building that they moved into in January and meet some of their fabulous staff. That we were matched with these loving, generous Christians is a miracle straight from God.
Friday morning we were able to get into the pediatrician that originally turned us down. Gail knows him and was able to contact him directly to get us this one appointment. Connections matter!
A little background on our miracle baby. In initial paperwork that N filled out she put her estimated due date as August 1st. She had an ultra sound on July 9th where they changed her estimated due date to August 20th. Through my three pregnancies I have learned that an ultrasound at 8-10 weeks is the most accurate indication of due date. And that anything over 20 weeks cannot be trusted. With the agency paperwork Ethan was supposedly five weeks early. Born at 35 weeks. His birth weight, 4 lbs. 11 oz. would support that hypothesis. But if you were to see this baby, that can only be wrong.
For starters, after he was born he did not even have to go into the NICU at all. They had him in a transitional NICU area on the delivery room floor because he was having problems self regulating body temperature and because he was supposedly five. weeks. early. From all of the reading I have done, babies born pre-term, and especially boys, usually have lung issues. Severe, undeveloped lungs that require NICU stays and a variety of interventions.
Ethan had none of that.
He was just a little cold.
Which my 7 lb. 11 oz. son Russell had problems with also. At three pounds bigger!
Friday morning Ethan was weighed and tipped the scales at 4 lbs. 15 oz.! An ounce of weight gain a day. Exactly where he was supposed to be. The doctor came in and did a full baby check up. After poking, prodding, listening, measuring, pulling, pushing, and holding he looked at us and declared, "This is NOT pre-term baby! He is just a little guy!"
Looking at our time frame of the two weeks leading up to this day, I can only see God.
See God in our finding out about the situation on the 10th.
The day after her ultrasound.
See God in our match on the 16th.
The day before his birth.
See God in his birth on the 17th. Our 10-year wedding anniversary.
(In June, as we were wading into situation #2 I said to Bob, "How would you like to be celebrating our 10-year anniversary welcoming a son into our family?" Little did we know...)
See God in every. single. step. of this incredible journey.
Writing out our story has been priceless for me this week. Because now I am waiting for another miracle that can only happen by God's hand. Clearance of our ICPC by Friday the 1st so that I can head to Montana to see my parents, my brother and other friends and family that we only get to see once at year, at the very most. And see my three other babies from whom I've been away from for two solid weeks now. If I do not get clearance by the end of business Friday that means that I won't get clearance until at least Monday the 4th. Besides wanting to see everyone I would much rather fly into Bozeman as it would mean only one stop in Salt Lake City and cost about half as much as flying into Lewiston.
So I wait.
I look at all of the miracles that God has provided.
Spend uninterrupted time with my newest son.
Share God's amazing provisions with anyone who is willing to read about them.
Rest in the fact the God's timing is perfect.
My devotional verse today:
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave nor forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:6
My next post won't be until we are reunited with our entire family and we have a full picture of:
The Wicks Six!
In Tennessee birth moms have ten days to change their mind about their adoption plan. Friday, August 1st is that tenth day. After talking to our agency worker, our lawyer and N herself, we really have no fear that she is going to change her mind. She has had her plan in place from the very beginning and seems quite sure about our family and our future together.
That leaves ICPC. Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. In a nut shell it assures that states are working together to make sure that children are going into a safe, healthy environment. No child trafficking between states.
We were told that ICPC clearance can take from 7-10 calendar days. I have heard of situations where it has been as quick as two and as long as thirty.
Here's the deal.
With the lawyer changes and the paperwork snafu in the hospital, our paperwork got ... lost in the shuffle so to speak. Miscommunication between the lawyers in Tennessee and Idaho has not helped. I found out on July 31st, that maybe our paperwork was submitted to the proper offices.
Maybe.
Two weeks after Ethan was born.
When it, theoretically, could have been submitted on Monday the 21st. 10 days ago.
But alas, this did not happen.
God is working. It is His timing and His timing is perfect.
I will step back to the beginning of this week and fill in the details about how we have been waiting.
On Tuesday morning (the 22nd) I called two separate pediatricians to try to get a weight check for little Ethan. Weight gain is our main focus right now. One turned me away cold because Ethan would not be a continuing patient and one set up an appointment for 1:00. But then we got a call to be at the court house by 12:30 for the TPR - Termination of Parental Rights - hearing at the Williamson County courthouse in downtown Nashville.
We wrote down the directions (MayQuest has really been there for us this trip, no GPS for us...) and headed into town. After missing one turn and getting to take a drive by tour of the Tennessee Titans stadium we found where we needed to be and parked in a nearby parking garage.
When we crossed the street we were surprised to see N sitting on a bench in the shade. This is a brave and stoic woman who did not ever want to see us again. And here she was, in our presence, for a third time. She jumped up and gave me a quick hug before we all went into the building together. On the way in she said to me, "I finally got a good night's sleep last night knowing that that baby was with his family and not alone in the hospital!" When going through security she did manage to slip ahead and get to the elevator quickly. Which was a good thing because the women manning the security booth proceeded to swoon over our beautiful, teeny bundle. I can't imagine what that would have been like for her hurting heart.
Up to the 6th floor we went. Julia was going over the termination paper work with N. We tucked ourselves into a side hallway that overlooked part of downtown. That way we weren't in plan sight of N as she signed her rights away. My heart ached as I listened to Julia cover all of the questions and explain every last line of that contract. Watching our sleeping son with joy and love in our hearts and listening to the termination of her mama rights is a dichotomy of emotions that I cannot even begin to explain or express. I think that unless you go through the same thing, (which most adoptive parents do), you can never know that exact feeling.
Time crawled. My back started to hurt. There was no where to sit but on the floor. I didn't want to go into the main hall because I did not want to force N to look at us or our son. The lawyer came and we signed papers. Then she came back and said there were some mistakes and the paperwork had to be reprinted and re-signed.
The 1:00 court time came and went.
2:00.
2:30.
Finally N was able to go in with the judge with Julia by her side.
Then it was our turn.
We took Ethan in in our arms and sat before the judge.
He was very nice and friendly. As are most people in the South we have discovered. He was making small talk and asked us where we are from. When we responded with Lewiston, Idaho he exclaimed, "My former secretary was from Clarkston, Washington! She and her husband lived here for awhile and have since moved back to Clarkston!" The world grew a little bit smaller.
The time with the judge only took a few minutes. I asked if we would be able to get a picture with him. He agreed and led us into his courtroom so it would look a bit more official. His assistant took our picture and we were officially one step closer to legally being Ethan's true parents.
We then had to wait for certified copies of ... whatever document that was. We have signed so many papers the last couple of weeks I am starting to lose track. Everything goes into the big manilla envelope that I brought and stays safe.
Finally, four hours after we arrived we were ready to go. N slipped out without saying goodbye. I think after two exits with the words, "Well, I'm never going to see you again", she didn't want to take any chances. I am okay with that. She is making a great sacrifice and needs to process it in her own way.
The rest of the week was fairly low key. We paid visits to both Ben's and Gail's offices. Ben is the CFO of World Christian Broadcasting and we got to tour their world headquarters located in good old Franklin, Tennessee. Ethan got to have his first picture with Santa Claus!
Gail is CEO of High Hopes, a non-profit inclusive preschool and pediatric therapy clinic. We got to tour their new building that they moved into in January and meet some of their fabulous staff. That we were matched with these loving, generous Christians is a miracle straight from God.
Friday morning we were able to get into the pediatrician that originally turned us down. Gail knows him and was able to contact him directly to get us this one appointment. Connections matter!
A little background on our miracle baby. In initial paperwork that N filled out she put her estimated due date as August 1st. She had an ultra sound on July 9th where they changed her estimated due date to August 20th. Through my three pregnancies I have learned that an ultrasound at 8-10 weeks is the most accurate indication of due date. And that anything over 20 weeks cannot be trusted. With the agency paperwork Ethan was supposedly five weeks early. Born at 35 weeks. His birth weight, 4 lbs. 11 oz. would support that hypothesis. But if you were to see this baby, that can only be wrong.
For starters, after he was born he did not even have to go into the NICU at all. They had him in a transitional NICU area on the delivery room floor because he was having problems self regulating body temperature and because he was supposedly five. weeks. early. From all of the reading I have done, babies born pre-term, and especially boys, usually have lung issues. Severe, undeveloped lungs that require NICU stays and a variety of interventions.
Ethan had none of that.
He was just a little cold.
Which my 7 lb. 11 oz. son Russell had problems with also. At three pounds bigger!
Friday morning Ethan was weighed and tipped the scales at 4 lbs. 15 oz.! An ounce of weight gain a day. Exactly where he was supposed to be. The doctor came in and did a full baby check up. After poking, prodding, listening, measuring, pulling, pushing, and holding he looked at us and declared, "This is NOT pre-term baby! He is just a little guy!"
Looking at our time frame of the two weeks leading up to this day, I can only see God.
See God in our finding out about the situation on the 10th.
The day after her ultrasound.
See God in our match on the 16th.
The day before his birth.
See God in his birth on the 17th. Our 10-year wedding anniversary.
(In June, as we were wading into situation #2 I said to Bob, "How would you like to be celebrating our 10-year anniversary welcoming a son into our family?" Little did we know...)
See God in every. single. step. of this incredible journey.
Writing out our story has been priceless for me this week. Because now I am waiting for another miracle that can only happen by God's hand. Clearance of our ICPC by Friday the 1st so that I can head to Montana to see my parents, my brother and other friends and family that we only get to see once at year, at the very most. And see my three other babies from whom I've been away from for two solid weeks now. If I do not get clearance by the end of business Friday that means that I won't get clearance until at least Monday the 4th. Besides wanting to see everyone I would much rather fly into Bozeman as it would mean only one stop in Salt Lake City and cost about half as much as flying into Lewiston.
So I wait.
I look at all of the miracles that God has provided.
Spend uninterrupted time with my newest son.
Share God's amazing provisions with anyone who is willing to read about them.
Rest in the fact the God's timing is perfect.
My devotional verse today:
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave nor forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:6
My next post won't be until we are reunited with our entire family and we have a full picture of:
The Wicks Six!
Thursday, July 31, 2014
The Journey to Six - Part IV
"Jesus said, 'Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.'" Mark 5:19 NKJV
I had to trust God because I had nothing left.
We left the hospital and traveled to Franklin, Tennessee to meet our wonderful host family. Gail had prepared a delicious dinner and our room was ready for us. Gail and Ben are a strong Christian couple and prayed over us before dinner. Their open arms and support were a wonderful comfort during this difficult time. I told Bob that I needed to go to church with them in the morning. (Sunday, July 20th)
The morning's message at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ was about basking in the joyousness of the Psalms. Finding joy. This message, along with the amazing a cappella four-part harmony that the entire church was singing, was just what Bob and I needed during this time.
We went home for lunch in our apartment and then headed out to explore Franklin and try to get our minds off of the waiting. We wandered around downtown and then decided to do a tour of the Lotz House. I mean, we are in a totally different state, we love history and since we have had children, museums aren't always that most popular spot to visit. But about half way through the tour I started having severe anxiety. What was I doing on a Civil War history tour?! My son was in the hospital, alone, I had no real idea what was going on or what would happen, my other three children were across the country .... But that was just it. There was nothing I could do. We wrapped up our walk and headed back for a nice Southern Sunday evening family dinner.
One major miracle that I have not yet addressed is our legal situation. Due to the agency contract and the fact that we were matched within 45 days of the estimated due date, we had to use the agency's full legal. This was one of the hardest parts for Bob and I. We had bonded with Amanda and strongly felt like we were supposed to be using she and Tracey for our legal work. But it was not to be. (And really, with the week that Amanda has had while we are in Tennessee, God knows what He is doing!)
The agency had a lawyer lined up and ready to go here in Tennessee. But with the early arrival of the little man it was found out that this lawyer was going on vacation and therefore could not take our case. Our agency worker contacted NINE lawyers Saturday morning (the 19th) before finding one that was willing to work with us on such short notice. But by Saturday night she was out too. This finally brought us to the TWELFTH attorney in the situation. But God knew what He was doing there too. She provided so much support for N. Much more than the agency was able to supply. She met with N, took her shopping to help her outfit her new little apartment, went to the apartment with her, drove her to the hospital to sign papers and sat with her for 4+ hours at the court house on surrender day. God knew what N needed and Julia was it.
Sunday night we got a good, long night of sleep. We woke up much later than normal and were in no real hurry to head out. The plan was to go to downtown Nashville, do more sight seeing and wait for the call from the lawyer about going to the hospital. They were not sure if he was going to be discharged on Monday or not. The main "problem" that he had been having was self-regulating body temperature and had been spending the majority of his time in the Isolette. The one thing that we did know was that N would be there to sign the papers and we would have at least power of attorney and little man would be ours, either in the hospital or discharged.
[From Saturday evening to Monday the hospital made it very clear that if something happened to the baby, medically speaking, and they tried contacting N and she did not respond immediately then they would be "forced" to call in CPS due to abandonment. Thankfully God was with him and this scenario did not play out. But it was an added stressor for us.]
While we were puttering around at the apartment I got a call from the attorney that he would be discharged! Into our care!! N would have to be there for the discharge as she was technically still his legal guardian, but we would get him immediately.
This was not going to be happening for a few hours so we loaded up and did head downtown so we would be that much closer to the hospital when the official call came. We felt that having some experience in the town where our son was born would be good and we wanted to scope out some things to do for the next time we visit when the kids are a bit older.
We wandered around the beautiful Nashville Public Library, had a sack lunch in the courtyard of the Nashville War Memorial Auditorium, and popped into the Tennessee State Capital Building. I had a feeling that we should forego the guided tour and head back to the car to get closer to the hospital. As soon as we turned to head back, the lawyer called. "It's time. You can come to the hospital now!"
Needless to say we wasted no time in retrieving our car and driving to St. Thomas Midtown.
We headed into the maternity floor and stationed ourselves at the doors of the waiting room. After what seemed to be an eternity a woman entered and asked, "Are you Bob and Emily? Come and get your son."
We tentatively walked down the hall. I was suddenly shy and felt like I was intruding on someone else's private joyous moment.
But N was upbeat, seemed happy to see us and was still very secure in her decision to place him with us. She still had her hospital bracelet on. From the week before. When it became time to go she asked Bob to cut it off as he had not been able to be present to cut the baby's umbilical cord. It was a touching gesture and moment. She was then offering veteran mom advice to me and also some tips about how to care for African American hair and skin.
Then, in a whirl, he was ours.
Ethan Von Wicks
7/17/14
4 lbs. 11 oz.
(birth weight and discharge weight)
17.5 inches long
We loaded him into a borrowed infant car seat, in a steal-of-a-deal rented car and drove back to our miracle accommodations with the 6th Wicks.
As we left the parking garage we drove under a huge depiction of the St. Thomas Midtown slogan:
"For nothing will be impossible with God." Luke 1:37
This wraps up the story quite neatly and happily.
But.
Now we were on to the next steps in the process.
Clearance for ICPC to go home to Idaho. And for N's revocation period to expire.
Time to wait.
We left the hospital and traveled to Franklin, Tennessee to meet our wonderful host family. Gail had prepared a delicious dinner and our room was ready for us. Gail and Ben are a strong Christian couple and prayed over us before dinner. Their open arms and support were a wonderful comfort during this difficult time. I told Bob that I needed to go to church with them in the morning. (Sunday, July 20th)
The morning's message at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ was about basking in the joyousness of the Psalms. Finding joy. This message, along with the amazing a cappella four-part harmony that the entire church was singing, was just what Bob and I needed during this time.
We went home for lunch in our apartment and then headed out to explore Franklin and try to get our minds off of the waiting. We wandered around downtown and then decided to do a tour of the Lotz House. I mean, we are in a totally different state, we love history and since we have had children, museums aren't always that most popular spot to visit. But about half way through the tour I started having severe anxiety. What was I doing on a Civil War history tour?! My son was in the hospital, alone, I had no real idea what was going on or what would happen, my other three children were across the country .... But that was just it. There was nothing I could do. We wrapped up our walk and headed back for a nice Southern Sunday evening family dinner.
One major miracle that I have not yet addressed is our legal situation. Due to the agency contract and the fact that we were matched within 45 days of the estimated due date, we had to use the agency's full legal. This was one of the hardest parts for Bob and I. We had bonded with Amanda and strongly felt like we were supposed to be using she and Tracey for our legal work. But it was not to be. (And really, with the week that Amanda has had while we are in Tennessee, God knows what He is doing!)
The agency had a lawyer lined up and ready to go here in Tennessee. But with the early arrival of the little man it was found out that this lawyer was going on vacation and therefore could not take our case. Our agency worker contacted NINE lawyers Saturday morning (the 19th) before finding one that was willing to work with us on such short notice. But by Saturday night she was out too. This finally brought us to the TWELFTH attorney in the situation. But God knew what He was doing there too. She provided so much support for N. Much more than the agency was able to supply. She met with N, took her shopping to help her outfit her new little apartment, went to the apartment with her, drove her to the hospital to sign papers and sat with her for 4+ hours at the court house on surrender day. God knew what N needed and Julia was it.
Sunday night we got a good, long night of sleep. We woke up much later than normal and were in no real hurry to head out. The plan was to go to downtown Nashville, do more sight seeing and wait for the call from the lawyer about going to the hospital. They were not sure if he was going to be discharged on Monday or not. The main "problem" that he had been having was self-regulating body temperature and had been spending the majority of his time in the Isolette. The one thing that we did know was that N would be there to sign the papers and we would have at least power of attorney and little man would be ours, either in the hospital or discharged.
[From Saturday evening to Monday the hospital made it very clear that if something happened to the baby, medically speaking, and they tried contacting N and she did not respond immediately then they would be "forced" to call in CPS due to abandonment. Thankfully God was with him and this scenario did not play out. But it was an added stressor for us.]
While we were puttering around at the apartment I got a call from the attorney that he would be discharged! Into our care!! N would have to be there for the discharge as she was technically still his legal guardian, but we would get him immediately.
This was not going to be happening for a few hours so we loaded up and did head downtown so we would be that much closer to the hospital when the official call came. We felt that having some experience in the town where our son was born would be good and we wanted to scope out some things to do for the next time we visit when the kids are a bit older.
We wandered around the beautiful Nashville Public Library, had a sack lunch in the courtyard of the Nashville War Memorial Auditorium, and popped into the Tennessee State Capital Building. I had a feeling that we should forego the guided tour and head back to the car to get closer to the hospital. As soon as we turned to head back, the lawyer called. "It's time. You can come to the hospital now!"
Needless to say we wasted no time in retrieving our car and driving to St. Thomas Midtown.
We headed into the maternity floor and stationed ourselves at the doors of the waiting room. After what seemed to be an eternity a woman entered and asked, "Are you Bob and Emily? Come and get your son."
We tentatively walked down the hall. I was suddenly shy and felt like I was intruding on someone else's private joyous moment.
But N was upbeat, seemed happy to see us and was still very secure in her decision to place him with us. She still had her hospital bracelet on. From the week before. When it became time to go she asked Bob to cut it off as he had not been able to be present to cut the baby's umbilical cord. It was a touching gesture and moment. She was then offering veteran mom advice to me and also some tips about how to care for African American hair and skin.
Then, in a whirl, he was ours.
Ethan Von Wicks
7/17/14
4 lbs. 11 oz.
(birth weight and discharge weight)
17.5 inches long
We loaded him into a borrowed infant car seat, in a steal-of-a-deal rented car and drove back to our miracle accommodations with the 6th Wicks.
As we left the parking garage we drove under a huge depiction of the St. Thomas Midtown slogan:
"For nothing will be impossible with God." Luke 1:37
This wraps up the story quite neatly and happily.
But.
Now we were on to the next steps in the process.
Clearance for ICPC to go home to Idaho. And for N's revocation period to expire.
Time to wait.
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