...And now it's LEGAL!

Around 10 pm Tuesday, April 17, we were having coffee with some friends who were meeting Masie for the first time when Dan got a text from our lawyer that said that all the remaining paperwork was in and final motions were filed. Did we want the final adoption hearing to be Thursday or Friday? Thursday, please! So, 8:00 Thursday morning we were stuck in traffic to Fort Worth because an 18 wheeler had overturned. Traffic was terribly backed up. We were late...along with everyone else, so we had to wait for an opening in another courtroom. We didn't care how long we had to wait. When we went before the judge, our lawyer asked me some questions, then asked Dan the same questions. He turned it over to the judge, who said, "Up until now you have had the moral responsibility for caring for this child. After today, not only will you have the moral responsibility for this child, but the legal responsibility as well. Do you accept this responsibility?" "YES!" "Then this adoption is granted....Do you have a camera?" "YES!" "Then come on up!" One of the best days of my life. She is forever and ever ours. Thank you, Lord!!!

The Official Post

Masie Lauren Elliott was born March 31, 2012, at 9:50 PM.
She weighed in at 6 pounds 14.5 ounces and was 18 1/2 inches long.
She is absolutely beautiful and has forever changed our lives.
Here are a few pictures...

Our last picture of just the two of us


She's here!


"Are you ready to meet your daughter?"


First family photo


Proud Daddy

Update!

Well, the due date has come and gone...and we are still waiting!
We went to the doctor yesterday, and he scheduled her to be induced Wednesday. She was only dilated to a 1 1/2, but he could not believe how low the head was! He said he couldn't believe she was actually walking because the head was so low.
Poor T....she is so ready!
Pray this little girl comes before Wednesday! :)

And so....we wait.....

It's almost time!!!
It can't come fast enough, though!
We went to the doctor this last Thursday, and T was at a 1 and 80% effaced. Doctor said the head was really low, though, so it literally could be anytime! If she hasn't gone into labor by her next appointment on Thursday (the actual due date), he will schedule her to be induced.
We are trying our best to be patient, but.....
We'd all be happy if she came TODAY! :)

A Little....a BIG.....Motivation

Today was my only day of spring break that I had to myself. Every other day had already been spoken for, so I knew that I was going to be working on baby stuff!

The days are coming closer and closer to the due date...14 days, 9 hours, 51 minutes, and 2 seconds to be exact, if she's born at 8:00 in the morning on the 29th.

But who's counting?!

I have two other friends that are due on the same day. This morning I got a text saying that one of these friends went into labor!

AAAHHHHHHH!!!!

That was a big motivator to get some stuff done!

So...I got the travel system out of the box and put together...




I got out the diaper bag and began filling it with the many suggested items from experienced moms...



And I finally finished the wall art project! Well, sort of. I still have to paint the letters, but that won't take long. The big thing was getting it all laid out right and hung...



This project was stretching me a little. I'm a symmetric design type person, so putting the hoops on the wall in "random bubble" type fashion was stressing me out a little. LOL I couldn't get the "L" to hang straight, and I still think I need another circle on the bottom right, but other than that, I'm pretty happy with it! Because of the lighting, the picture turned out darker than what it actually is. The materials are different shades of pink, green, and white patterns. Right now the letters are in unfinished wood, but they will be painted pink, probably...I can't make up my mind.

I better make it up pretty quick! Time is a-tickin'!

Update!

"Thank you" doesn't seem to be enough to express how thankful Dan and I are to all of you who have contributed to the adoption fund and prayed for us! Because of your generosity, we were able to send a $1400 payment to the lawyer yesterday!

YYYAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!

I have updated the thermometer to show what is left of the lawyer fees and the cost of the home study ($500, which was not included in the previous amount).

We are getting there!!! Still have a bit to go...but we are getting there! :)

We went with the birth mom to her doctor's appointment yesterday, which also included a sonogram. They confirmed that she is, indeed, a girl, and we heard her precious heartbeat. When they put it in 3D mode, we could see her moving her mouth. She looked like the baby sucking on the pacifier from The Simpsons...hilarious! So far, she is 5 pounds, 4 ounces, and 18 3/4 inches long. If she goes to her due date, they estimate she'll weigh about 7 pounds.

Birth mom is doing pretty well...she is as ready for Masie to be here as we are! For different reasons, of course. She is tired and ready for her life to get back to normal. Please keep her in your prayers during these next few weeks of major transition.

Thank you all so much for your love, prayers, and support. We love you all!!!

How Can I Help?

Dan and I have gotten this question a lot here lately from dear ones that love us and have been praying for us for, quite literally, years in our effort to have children.
If you know my husband at all, you know that he has never met a stranger! There aren't many places we go that one of us doesn't know someone in the room. We have both been blessed with many friends from places we've lived both while we were growing up and since we've been married.
For this reason, we have opened an adoption fund and linked it on the right hand side of this page under the title "Help Bring Masie Lauren Home!" so that all of our friends, near and far, can have an opportunity to help. As you can imagine, the lawyer fees are a huge expense for us. The amount listed on the thermometer is what we have left to pay, and how close we are getting to that goal. We, first and foremost, desire your prayers for the remainder of this process. However, if you feel compelled to help in a tangible way, this is an opportunity to do so.
God has been so good to us in every step of this process. Every obstacle that has seemed insurmountable, He has walked through with us, and I know He will continue to do so. Each day is a gift of anticipation for our baby girl who will be here sometime around the due date of March 29th. Though each day has had it's questions, we have had a consistent peace that Masie Lauren is ours.
Thank you for believing with us. Thank you for standing with us, and sharing this amazing journey with us. Thank you for your prayers. We simply cannot wait to introduce you to the one that has been loved even before we knew who she was.