Yes and Amen: Our Adoption Journey, In a Nutshell

Tuesday was a very special day in our lives.  Monumental for our family, for we officially, legally finalized the adoption of our children!!!

It's all finished.

Done.

Nothing can turn reverse this adoption!  (Just to clarify, once an adoption is finalized, a birth family cannot take the baby/child away.  I've seen tv shows and movies that twist this truth, I guess for entertainment's sake.)

Sissy & Bubby (as we like to call them) now share our last name, and we're a forever family!!!  They have new birth certificates and social security numbers, too.  The fingerprint on our precious children's lives is just as changed as ours is.  We go forward in life together, from here to eternity!

Let me rewind and share with you some of the journey that lead us to our children. I know that every single adoption story is different, and each family has a different experience.  Ours was shorter than most, but had it's share of ups and downs. I don't have time to write nearly all the details in just one blog post, but this will give you a good idea of how fast things changed and the reason behind it all...

We really had no clue last Christmas (2012) would be our last without children, but once again we were hopeful for a miracle.  That's exactly what we received!   After 6 1/2 of years of wanting a baby either natural or adoptive, we started this process with gusto back on January 6th 2013.  

11 months ago, I remember we went online to apply for the real application to start our home study, and while we thought we had an idea of the route to take to get to our child, we really didn't. Lol!  We did know that we wanted to adopt because we had so much love we wanted to share, and we knew it was time to start.  We also knew we wanted a baby under about 13 months old.  

We began doing an international adoption homestudy with the intention of adopting from South Korea.  This was after prayer and extensive research on the different countries, requirements, age range of children and parents who apply, wait time, and the travel time.  There is a lot to consider when honing in on a country!  I journaled a detailed prayer for this child and began praying that.  Day after day.  

In February we got some startling news that we didn't expect.

We found out the very long running, reliable adoption program in Korea was changing, and not for our benefit.  This was really disheartening, but we prayed about it.  We decided it was too risky for us to continue to pursue Korea, sadly.  We weren't sure where to go from there.  Meanwhile, this entire time we were trucking through loads of paperwork, fingerprinting, background checks, home visits, etc.  Heath was busy with work, but as a homemaker, the adoption process sort of became my job.  I was organized from the start, because I knew it was the only way I could have the patience and ability to get through all the paperwork. I highly recommend using a huge binder here, complete with folders, and keep a planner kept just for your adoption timeline and appointments. 

Not many people know this, but last February we also went to a few meetings on fostering (to adopt) while still in the homestudy process.  We decided this was not for us for a few reasons that I won't expound on here, but I think that was probably a tiny seed God planted in our hearts to even consider the idea of adopting an American child.... A different route.  Up to this point over the years we had only had strong feelings towards international adoption.  This is why we must be open to His plan, my friends!

God was leading...

So as we continued our home study we went from pursuing South Korea to looking into the Marshall Islands.  If you can't tell already, we've been very drawn to sweet Asian children.  But not only that, there you can adopt babies, which is almost unheard of within the international adoption community. We met all of the requirements, too.   We were happy to get back on track, but in April we found out that the Marshall Islands had a crazy waiting list, so much that they aren't taking anymore applicants right now.  Kind of strange, right?!

But God was leading...

From there, we were told from our adoption agency that there is a large population of Marshallese living in Hawaii.  Many babies there are up for adoption, so we began to research it through a local attorney that has done a few of them.  

This change of plans was just another kink in our decision.  We felt a little uneasy about this route in HI.  We never truly had a peace about it...

You know, when you have a decision to make (in our case, a big one), and there is just "something" that just feels uneasy. I know now that it was the Holy Spirit.  In this case, there were just too many unanswered questions, but we knew this particular adoption was going to be a whole lot of money because it's not done through an agency, but an attorney only and because it's Hawaii.  Even more than Korea, it would be around $35,000 + the cost of 2 trips to HI and back, + this route could possibly expedite quickly so and we would need lots of funds and fast!!

I know money can be an uncomfortable subject, but let's face it, it is a factor.   Although, we knew if God was leading us to a baby from there, He would provide the way!  At least, that is what He kept reminding me in my anxious days that I had.  Speaking of, yes, I had many stressful days last winter and spring.  God helped me overcome them all, but at one point I was having pretty severe  pain in my neck, shoulder, & going up inside my ear!  I even went to a clinic, and they couldn't explain it.  I looked fine from a medical standpoint so they said it was probably due to stress.  It lasted about 3 weeks.  Now looking back, we both agree it was stress causing me to stay very tense, even in my sleep, that lead to awful pain.  Thank you Jesus for my healing.  

The adoption process is exciting because you know you're getting closer to your child, but it can be an intense process on many different levels!  You --and your husband--are carrying the baby in another way... Emotionally. Mentally. Financially. Just not physically.

It was mid-April, we still were on the fence with the country,  and our homestudy was about to be complete.  If we were going to go with HI, we would need to revise some of the hard work of the past 4 months and complete a domestic homestudy instead of international.  A big change!

But God was leading...

So as we and our parents were praying about the entire thing,  we felt lead to do "straight up" domestic.  Not a HI Marshallese baby, but a lower 48 states baby, from a pregnant mother who chose life and adoption (instead of abortion).  Domestic like this is getting a baby from the hospital, willingly from the birth parents.  The downside of this can be that usually in most states there is a waiting period of so many weeks that the birth mom can change her mind and keep the baby, before it's finalized.  This had always scared the patootie out of me!    It's one of the main reason I've always preferred international adoption, personally.   

But God....

We both agreed, after SO much prayer and intercession with God.  Seeking His plan for our lives that we would do a domestic adoption from the lower 48.  We had two very reputable agencies in mind.  We knew families that had successfully adopted babies through these agencies.  

(On a side note: There are so many questions you may have about adoption just from reading this post.  I'm sorry that I can't go into all the details here if I want to finish writing this in one day.  Soon I'll write a post sharing with all of you some adoption trivia, facts, and definitions of terms to help you understand the process more clearly. :) I know how you may be getting lost on this detailed description of our journey, but it all leads up to this week!)

It's now the end of April, we're sending out announcements, and our home study is complete!!

We're at the point that we need to send in the name of the agency--along with our homestudy--that we're wanting to go with.  So it begins.  

Lists of pros and cons.  Headaches. Trying to (start and) finish our profile book we were told to make when we decided to switch over to domestic.  I was beginning to raise money with a derby pie fundraiser that was amazing but exhausting only because I was making dozens of pies a week on top of completing the pivotal profile book, on top of preparing for my very first speaking engagement (speaking not singing) at my Aunt's church the following week, on top of getting prepared to host my brother's Law School graduation party.  All awesome things, all at once!

I just began to really feel pulled in a million directions.  And yet the decision needed to be made, which agency to go with.  Sigh.

But God....

It was May 2nd, and the speaking engagement came and went.   I was left more changed than probably anyone who listened to what I had to say!  Not many know this, but accepting that invitation to speak was WAY out my comfort box!!  It was one of those things that was right up there with the "going to school naked" nightmare!!  As much as I wanted to avoid admitting it, I knew He had been preparing me for something more.  He was stretching me.

God... said, Do it!   I said yes.

I knew the Holy Spirit prompted me to speak.  I was to speak out of obedience to God. The very night I spoke at this lovely ladies banquet, there was a tangible breakthrough in my life that I could feel.  I knew something was different, and God was behind it.   I had grown to a place in my relationship with God where I completely put all my trust in Him for the first time in my life.  Free-falling is scary, BUT you know what I learned?

Obedience brings breakthrough!!!

One week exact after speaking at the banquet about my testimony, I was beginning to recover from the worst flu I've had since childhood.  I'm a bad doctor's wife who has never gotten the shot, and for no good reason.  

Why I took a pic of myself so sick, who knows, I was probably delirious. Literally! 

Did I really just show you guys that!?!! Ughhh.

Honestly, I think that the previous 3-4 weeks really took a toll on my stress levels and reeked havoc on my body.   It was apparent when I very suddenly became incredibly sick with the flu in May.  I think my poor body needed a release and forced me to stop everything.  Little did I know it would be the very last "break" for a very long time!

As I was saying, exactly one week after speaking at the banquet and overcoming -- up to that point-- one of the scariest thing I've done besides giving birth to my deceased daughter, God stretched me again.  

It was 10:00 pm, I was on the couch and my husband came in the room with an expression I've never seen before.  He was moved... excited... hopeful.  He just listened to a voicemail from the agency who did our homestudy.  They called us, out of the blue, going out on a limb considering our preference of a baby, and anxiously told us in a hurried message about 2 local siblings, a precious little boy and a little girl who needed a home right away!  They wanted, despite all our criteria, to approach us about these children, just in case.

Wha!!????!!!

I could give you all the details, but the next few days are sort of a blur.  I remember we knew hardly anything at all about them that night from the message, but we said God could give us enough love for 2 children, although their ages of 2 & 3 did scare me a bit.  I was mentally prepared for a baby!  Lol, I remember telling Heath jokingly how if we became their parents that my mom would probably need to move in, ASAP!

So, forgoing every prior intention and priority we wanted, we answered God's leading and told them we wanted to be on the list of hopeful families!  The next day, out of the 5 couples, the birth grandparents chose US!!!!!  :D

That night, my family was in town for my brother's graduation and while my parents knew the big news, I was able to share it with my grandparents face to face at a restaurant we met at.  I didn't feel real good physically, but next to my wedding day it was certainly the most exciting day of my life, and I had to share the news!!  I was bursting with excitement, joy, and wonder of the unknown.

On May 11th, we met those innocent, big eyed toddlers 2 days later (yes, I was recovering from the flu, yikes!) and they stayed in our home overnight.

This weekend was all so surreal....

It was supposed to be the weekend I was hosting my brother's party, but it quickly turned into the weekend we met our children!!!

The next week is almost a complete blur of cray-cray preparation, but with hard works and lots of support from friends and family, our house was ready for our 2 little blessings in only a matter of about 4 days.  4 DAYS from having a house fit for 2 adults and NOTHING for toddlers, to a newly painted room that was decorated, with all new beds, bedding, clothes, baby gates, car seats, etc!  See, had we continued down a regular domestic adoption for a baby, we would've had months after the homestudy to prepare!  Btw, Thank you to all of our supporters, you know who you are!!!  You helped us tremendously!

So it was Mother's Day night when they returned to their bio family after one weekend together, the way it was planned, and the next Friday morning we picked them up to come back to our home. Permanently!!!

This is the morning we got them and took their precious little hearts to their new home with us.  We were basically strangers to them, but God was beginning to do a miracle in their own hearts, too!

I'll spare y'all the the rest for now, but for time purposes--as they say--the rest is history.  6 1/2 months later they are Cates!!!  We've doubled the size of our family this year in one swoop!  Our love is so deep for our children now, and their future is so bright!!!  In this time, we've taken enormous strides in how close-knit our family has become.  Our home is their home, and we're a family, and they know that now! :D

God is a redeemer, faithful, and if you pray and seek Him, you'll be lead to where He wants you to be.  That's most definitely the best place you could ever be, because that is just how much He loves us.   

I could talk to you about our adoption journey all day and night, but I've got to get to bed!!  Keep reading and you'll probably see more of that story unfold in future posts.

:)  

~Mommy

God Uses the Barren for His Glory

I stumbled on this today.  This is something I believe God was stirring up in my spirit last Spring.  During my prayer time one morning (I've never done this before), but I felt the urge to just begin writing down words.  I grabbed my phone and actually penned this in my "notes" on my phone. Ha

Looking back, it was written out of a place of deep faith that I firmly had after a long stretch of not having much at all.  Little did I know our life was about to drastically change with God's answer (HIS answer) to our prayers!  I just began typing what I felt come out of my heart that day.  God was doing a HUGE work in me personally that changed my whole outlook of my circumstances.

Although our children are not biological, they are certainly no less a miracle to us!!!

There is a portion in here that I wrote talking about preparing for motherhood and raising children up to serve Him.  I'm in the midst of that right now.  I want to be the very best mommy to our sweet peas, but I'm not "perfect" by any stretch!  I'm learning everyday, but I do know how important it is to raise our family in the love of Jesus so they'll come to know Him!

Anyways, here is what I jotted down several months ago.

~~~~~~~~~~

Issac 

Jacob

Joseph

Sampson

Samuel

John the Baptist 

What they have in common is all of their mothers were "barren". 

Mothers who cried out for God to open their wombs, they pled, they wept, they even laughed, but they stayed faithful.  

He answered all of their prayers and opened their wombs.  He delivered them from infertility!

These babies, men, were miracles from the time of conception. 

I believe they were born for such a time as this!  Their time on earth was kairos- time.  Sometimes we have to just trust the sovereign nature and all - knowing power of The Lord, when we don't see answers.  At all.  When we pray for His glory to be manifested in our life, we need to realize His timing is Kairos not chronos.  

He sees "time" from a perspective that would blow our minds.  

Perhaps our barrenness is only for the moment until He is ready for our child to be on earth ... 

His reason is greater than our wait.

... Our children will be on purpose.  We as future parents need to be ready!  Ready to raise up our children in the Lord's strength.  To prepare them for the mission God has called on their lives.  Because He does have a calling on their lives!

These babies born from a former barren womb all became great men of God who were used to pave the way for Jesus Christ to come to earth!!  

Coincidence--you think-- that all of their mothers had to wait?  Waiting with some days in agony and some days in firm faith but waiting in prayer for their time.  I don't think so!  

Their children grew up:

Impacting generations for all time.  

Following God's lead in their life.

Sacrificing to bring glory to Him.

Allowing themselves to be humble vessels of light in the boldness of truth.  

I appreciate these women for not growing so weary their hope fades, and they accept their barrenness as a curse.  Even Sarah laughed when she heard she was having a baby, for it was that impossible... So she thought!  The Lord is full of sweet surprises, and when we delight in Him he gives us the desires of our heart, and when we seek His face He will deliver and heal our land.   I also believe when we trust Him, He will not only do things for our good but greater yet... He will use us(!) and our children in a higher calling for His glory!!!

His ways are higher than our ways, 

His thoughts are deeper that our thoughts,

His Love is stronger than our love ...

              So what is there not to trust?

"To every thing there is a season; and a time to every purpose under Heaven."

Eccles.  3:1

We are Mommy & Daddy!!!

10 weeks ago, our lives suddenly and unexpectedly changed.  It changed in about the most dramatic way I can fathom!  A black and white kind of difference.

God surprised us like only He can.  

After trying, praying, crying, trying some more, and yet trusting Him for children for 7 years we found ourselves crying for joy and praising God for answering our prayer in a matter of mere hours!  Never underestimate God and His plan.

We're rejoicing as we share with you ....... our new family!!!!

These precious little dolls are our children, our Little Lady and Little Bear!!!

 

Folks, we have adopted sibling toddlers!!!

Our son, Little Bear, is 3 years old.  He is bright, inquisitive, and very compassionate.  His big smile will melt your heart!

 His ocean blue eyes will draw you in.

And he hugs long and strong!  Better than any child or adult I've ever known.  We LOVE our Little Bear's hugs!!

Our beautiful daughter Little Lady is 2.  She is fun, energetic, and chatty!  (A true Southern gal.)

She is blessed with the most beautiful brown eyes and eyelashes I've ever seen!

She's a sweetheart and the best little mommy to her baby dolls.  She loves to sing and make up her own songs.  Her latest (and my personal favorite) is "Jesus loves me, SO MUCH"!  I'll never tire of hearing this sweet one proudly sing that out!

 
They're 11 months and 1 week apart, and they love each other so much!  What a wonderful thing it is to have children who cherish each other.... well, most of the time!
We practically have twins, and that was actually something God has laid on our hearts years ago.  Heath and I have always been drawn to the idea of girl and boy twins to be the most precious!  (We always have desired to have at the least 1 child of each gender.)  That was no coincidence since God knew these children would be ours since the foundations of the earth were made.

 

Our family is nothing less than a testament of God's sovereignty and faithfulness, and the children are sunshine in our newly "awakened" life!  Our long 7 years in the desert has come to an end, and now we're learning each and every day how to parent because--let me tell you-- with two toddlers there are plenty of teachable moments...
                                                                                                           for Heath and I!

 

Our friend Lee-Anne Fenwick, who graciously took these gorgeous photos of our new family, adopted their 3 children and knows the ins and outs of it all.  I had to laugh when she asked if they have "rocked our world", because that is a good way of summing up our experience so far!  Imagine us being married almost 9 years with agendas all about the two of us, living in a quiet, tidy home, and all of a sudden enter two beautiful & busy toddlers.  Lol, yes our world has been officially "rocked"! 

 

God is who got me out of my perfect little organized box into the beautiful mess He calls my destiny.  I told Him this year in January that I am in complete submission to His plan and purpose in my life.  My expectation fell to the wayside, and His direction became my new compass.

We began this process with a specific idea in our minds, but we also told the Lord to close doors no man can open and open doors no man can close to direct us to the baby He wants for us.  This is how he did it.

1. Instead of international adoption it's a domestic...technically, independent.  HUGE change, and I can touch more on that in another post.

2.  Instead of having a 1 1/2 + year wait from our start to bringing home baby, we had only 5 months.  Only about 3 weeks after our home study was completed, and about 12 hours from the initial phone call whether to pursue these children or not!  We literally had 5 days to transform a room for the children.  We had to buy everything from scratch.  We had nothing!!!  That week was a blur, and yet I still found the time to get my hair cut and highlighted.  (I knew that my personal time was ticking fast!)

3. Instead of a baby (1 year or less) who basically just poops, pees, eats, cries or coos and sleeps..... we have a toddler(s) who have, of course, have mastered walking running, talking for the most part, who are learning to potty train, and wants to do everything Heath and I do.  Big change! lol 

4. But, perhaps the biggest change of them all is the fact we have adopted TWO precious children whom the Lord has called us to raise in His love and carry down our family legacy.  Two closely-knit biological siblings who already have bonded with others, which is both good and also rather complicated.  God double our family, Hallelujah!  What a redeemer He is.

(Just to let you in...  this photo sure captures Little Lady and Little Bear's little personalities well.  LOVE!)

Now what?  I know you want to hear more details of the adoption, and I wish I had all night to talk to you, but now I have early mornings every day so I really need to get to sleep.  I'll write again, and I'll try to make it sooner!  I feel like there's so much to share.  Thank you all so very much for waiting to hear the news!  It's been the most blessed, wonderful and yet hectic and frazzled 2 1/2 months of my life.  I really haven't had much time or energy to blog, and I wanted to wait until some of the legalities were sorted through before we went "public" with the good news. 

I hope you leave my blog after reading this realizing how God loves YOU and has a plan for your own life far greater and beyond what you can imagine.  A real plan.  One that if you don't stop crying out to Him and seeking Him, you will also experience!  No matter how cynical and depressing this world may seem, please.  PLEASE hear me on this....

God works miracles today.  He redeems His children!  His promises never ever come back void.  They can't, because He is Truth and cannot lie.  :D  That's good news!!!

~Mommy

All photography is courtesy of Lee-Anne Fenwick Photography in Louisville, Ky.

*In order to maintain extra privacy, I've replaced our children's real names with nicknames that accurately describe them. :) **
 

Take a Walk With Me

 

I've been super busy but won't you come and take a walk with me, and we can spend time together!  I probably know most of you, but there may be a few reading whom I've never met before.  Let me first say thank you so much for reading, and I plan on being very real in sharing my heart in this blog.  Welcome to life with the Cates!

 

It's been absolutely gorgeous weather the past couple of days, so even though I've been almost "pull my hair out" busy, I've made myself get out and exercise!  I'm so glad of this because especially on lovely days like these when the temps hover around 70 in the morning and the birds are singing, I find being outside an enormous stress reliever.

 

Before I continue on my walk with you, I guess I should share a few of the things that have been filling my days and nights....

 

First of all, full-time working couples and those with children already, I have no idea how you manage to go through the extensive adoption process and still do all the necessary things!!  Like showering for instance.  (lol)

 

I'm preparing for my very first speaking engagement tomorrow night at a ladies banquet.  I'm thrilled to have been asked to do this!  You know, when you tell the Lord you want to be used, He WILL use you!   I don't consider myself a speaker, but He told me I am.  When God speaks, things exist.  So, I'm a speaker!!

 

Everything filling my days are blessings to say the very least, but this time of year is full already.  But when you add making a (pivotal) profile book, researching and applying for grants and loans, which then require more emails, letters of rec, and fundraisers, there isn't much time to even make a cup of coffee in the morning!  Much less laundry, meals, or sweeping the mounding drifts of pollen we have from our shaded lot.  (Please tell me your driveway is covered, too!)  Well I actually love having an excuse to be outside, can you tell? :)

 

I'm currently doing a fundraiser of Derby pies for a $20 donation, and it's been an enormous blessing!!  My friend Shareen Dunn and her family have always loved my family recipe of Derby pie, and she was the one who came up with the clever idea.  Especially with living in Louisville and the Derby being this weekend and Mother's Day fast approaching there are many reason for dessert.  But really, when is a pecan and chocolate filled buttery pie not a good idea?

 

 

So, I'm learning how to make a pretty and tasty pie when you "mass produce" it.  Making one is easy.  Making 8 takes more strategy with the timing of my oven, etc. I'm learning fast what to do and not to do!  A good thing to remember is to go ahead and set your butter out and even eggs.  Also when the ingredients are all out, pecans already chopped, and your kitchen is as relatively tidy as possible, the process goes much more smoothly!

 

 

Heath and I are constantly smelling these heartwarming pies and just the wafting fragrance smells like God is answering our prayers!  We are so thankful to have so much support in all areas by not just family and friends, but even strangers who don't know us well.  I wish I could personally give every one a big hug who is helping along in this process! 

 

 

Lee-Anne Fenwick is a new friend and neighbor of ours. She so graciously surprised us by taking giving us our adoption announcement photo session as a gift!! She's very talented in her developing photography business, and has a heart that is goes very deep for orphans.  Lee-Anne and her husband have adopted 3 children, and she has been so supportive of us.  Thank you so much, Lee-Anne!

 

 

Well, as you can see this was a beautiful day to take a walk/run.  I walked most of this time so I could take some pictures to show you the beauty in our neighborhood.  I love this quiet boulevard that's just a block away.  The middle is serene park with a wide sidewalk and benches, and either side are lovely historic looking homes as you can see from above.

 

 

A little farther down, you'l find pristine lawns with a white picket fence which is something I thought only existed in the movies!  Look at the darling window box in the distance.

 

 

 

You know what Mom said last week is right!

 

The sky does seem to look bluer .....

 

 

And the sun does seem to shine brighter ....

 

 

When there is a baby on the way!!!

 

 

I had Pandora on Jesus Culture, loud enough I could sing to (yes, I do!) but also quiet enough I can hear Spring singing around me.

 

 

My heart also sings a tune that of praise....

 

God is so good, so faithful and He Redeems!

He is The Anchor that holds!!!

 

 

So if you come to my house right now, you'll may happen to find my bed unmade, clean laundry in piles (with full hampers), and white coats pockets to repair and iron. Probably a trashcan brimming butter wrappers, empty bags of chocolate chips and lots of banana peels because they're cheap and fast to eat. A green pollen covered porch that needs sweeping and a car that needs to go through a monsoon to get clean. A desk with lots paperwork to be filled, emails to get returned and songs to be learned for Sunday. A kitchen timer going off as the baker is blogging. ;)

 

 An apron clad girl may greet you with her wet hair in a very messy bun, day old make up with camel back full of coffee (ok, maybe not that).

 

 

But I can guarantee what you will find is the most content and happy couple who may be tired but is brimming with joy and peace in even the most hectic environment!  There is a girl here with a heart that's growing larger everyday with love for a baby that has been prayed over for many years.  

 

You will leave knowing that there are two people who will do whatever God tells them to do to find the family they've been promised!!!

 

 

~Leslie

 

 

  

 

 

 



Why Hello there, so nice to meet you!

Hello out there, all!

This is the first of many posts to come, but wanted to get started telling you all about our excitement over starting this amazing journey toward adopting our baby. Leslie & I have been praying and seeking God over this for quite some time now, and are thrilled to finally get some of the process under our belt!

As of now, our home study is complete!!! This is one of the biggest first steps, meaning all of our preliminary paperwork is in and sorted, and the social worker/counselor has completed the necessary work to approve our home for accepting a child.

Currently, we are pursuing a domestic adoption through an adoption certified lawyer here in town. We have looked into the state of Hawaii thus far, and it seems there is a high likelihood of getting a referral from a birth mother before she delivers the baby, meaning we could likely get a travel call to pick up our new baby from the hospital! Leslie & I both have dreamt of this -- hoping to get a newborn (although that is very difficult to do through most adoption pathways, that's why we're so excited about this possibility).

We have a lot of praying and seeking still to do, as we will need God's help to prepare our hearts and home for the coming baby, and we will need a financial miracle to finance this adoption. We both agree that the tens of thousands of dollars this will require, although a daunting figure, is nothing compared to a lifetime together with our baby.

"And my God will supply every need of yours, according to His riches in glory in Jesus Christ!" ~ Phil 3:19

Courtesy Lee-Anne Fenwick Photography 

We would greatly appreciate any support you can provide. A Paypal donate button is available on the right sidebar of this blog for those who are able to assist us at this time. We ask you prayerfully consider assisting us in bringing home Baby Cates.

Thank you all for your love and support through this time. We both are looking anxiously to the day when we can finally hold our baby in our arms! We will continue to post updates here as they come, and share the love and excitement we're holding throughout this "skinny pregnancy."

- Heath