Caringbridge - Update from Nashville

Yes, that's right.  Our family is in Nashville, Tennessee, this long weekend for the 10th-anniversary celebration of Show Hope.  We are so thankful that we were able to come, especially since when we first got the invitation in the mail, it seemed like such a long shot.  I figured I would be on bed rest or something by now, but here I am, traversing the country with my family in our 12-passenger van!

Tonight, Steven Curtis Chapman and his family welcomed donors, grant recipients, and others to the anniversary concert, and it was wonderful! Full of amazing stories and testimonies of God's grace, we were again humbled to get to be a part of the special world of adoption.  Neil has been particularly vocal this weekend about how grateful he is that we adopted him (If he only really knew how thankful we are that God chose him for us!), and we keep thinking of how this reflects our relationship with the Lord--how grateful we are that we've been adopted by the King!

There are many things I should share related to the babies.  So without further ado and in no particular order...

-At last Thursday's doctor appointment, I met one of the new doctors at the practice.  She was very nice...no surprise.  Everyone there is fantastic.  I was concerned about a couple of things, but we talked them through, and in the end, she was able to answer my questions in such a way that my concerns have faded.

-Also at last Thursday's appointment, I failed my glucose screening. I think this happened one other time.  No problem yet, except for the fact that I need to return on Wednesday for the more extensive 3-hour glucose screening.  She told me that 95% of people who fail the 1-hour test end up passing the 3-hour test.  That's what happened with me last time, and I'm hoping for the same result this time around.

-Baby Bart is still very, very low.  75% of his movements make me feel like he is clawing to get out.  This was part of my concern, but Dr. W assured me that some babies just find their favorite spot and hang out there.  I guess that's Bart and Aaron for you!

-Last week (again!), we received some amazing blessings from some folks.  On Wednesday, I hung out with a woman from church for a bit who had asked if she could meet with me because she had "a couple of things" to give me.  We talked for awhile, and I got to hear her story, which was so good.  I hadn't known before that their family had lost a daughter to Trisomy 18.  Heartbreaking, of course, but good to talk to someone else who knew before she was born that their child wouldn't live outside the womb.  It is a strange reality to know that you're carrying a baby who can't survive.  She gave me a book, "I Will Carry You" written by Angie Smith, wife of Selah artist, Todd Smith.  I am not a fast reader, but....I finished it yesterday.  It was sooo good! Angie and Todd also had a daughter who died upon birth.  Months before she was born, this sweet couple was told that their daughter had conditions that were "incompatible with life".  I cannot express how much that book has ministered to me over the last few days.

-Also on Wednesday, we received an amazing gift in the mail that came to us from some brothers and sisters in Christ who lives across the pond.  Jill (Jeff's sister) send us a prayer quilt made my members of her church, and it is beautiful.  It has been prayed over by many, and included was a card with the most dear sentiments--from people we don't even know.  How blessed we are to be walking this road, despite the uneven terrain.

My favorite moment of tonight was when Casting Crowns was on stage performing, "Praise You in this Storm".  As often happens when I hear that song, tears started falling as I chose again with my will to praise the God who gives--and takes away.  I used to hear that song and think of Hunt; now I think of these precious babies I'm carrying today.....

Tom noticed my tears immediately, and with his sweet little hand, he began to wipe the tears from my face.  Then Beth noticed and got in on the action.  "Why are you sad, Mommy?" she asked.

"Well, Beth," I explained, "I'm just thinking about how sad I am that we have to say goodbye to Baby Aaron.  I miss him already. But I'm also thankful because we can trust God with our sadness.  He hears our cries and understands."

And then...out of the mouth of my sweet babe...with her hands cupping my face, she looks at me and says, "Don't be sad, Mommy. We will see him again soon!"

Amen, little one.  You understand words that beguile the smartest of men and the most powerful of kings.

Because we will.  See him again soon, that is.  This life is but a breath.

So for the breath, I grieve.  But for eternity, I rejoice.

Show Hope 10-year anniversary weekend!

What a blessing is the ministry of Show Hope!  Our family has benefitted twice now from grants given by Show Hope as we traveled the road of adoption.

I remember sitting at the Steven Curtis Chapman concert in September 2002.  Rex was just two months old, and Andrea and I headed to the concert--it was one of my first evenings away from Baby Rex, and it ministered to my soul.  The whole concert was amazing from start to finish, and most of the night was spent searching every nook and cranny of my purse for an extra tissue.

Nicole Nordeman opened.  She was fantastic.  Steve Saint appeared onstage with Mincaye, one of the Auca Indians who had speared his father and 4 other missionaries.  It was astounding.  And then, a video...When Love Takes You In.  I remember weeping and telling Andrea that I couldn't wait until we were at a place where we could adopt.  Less than a year later, we would attend our first adoption seminar, and we were off and running...in our hearts anyway.

Steven Curtis Chapman explained that night about how his daughter, Emily, had wanted a little sister and had prayed that her parents would open their hearts to adoption.  The prayers uttered by a little girl a decade-and-a-half ago has led to thousands of children being helped home through the ministry of Show Hope, as well as all the other adoption initiatives with which they are involved.

A few months ago, we received an invitation in the mail to attend the 10th anniversary weekend of Show Hope.  At that time, we had recently received our pregnancy diagnosis, and any thought that we would be in a place to travel to Nashville over Memorial Day weekend was....not there.  I didn't even consider the possibility, so I tossed the invitation, knowing that having it sitting around the house would just make me sad that we couldn't go. 

A couple of months later, as my pregnancy was stabilizing, and I was beginning to feel better, Hoffbeast suggested that we consider traveling to the weekend.  Let's just say that it didn't take a lot of convincing.  I was so excited--and here we are!

This afternoon, we drove to The Factory in Franklin, Tennessee, an old, long-ago-shut-down factory that has been converted to an amazing retail, dining, and learning space.  There, the offices of Show Hope are housed, and as a lover of all things behind-the-scenes and headquartersey, I loved being there!  Plus, I was able to meet in person a couple of the special people who have helped our process along there over the years.  The Chapmans were there, too, but unfortunately they took off before we were able to get much more than a handshake in.  Hopefully we will get a chance to talk with them in person tomorrow and introduce them to Tom--we are so thankful for the the grant that we received from them for our Indian adoption, as well as the first one we received prior to traveling to Ethiopia to meet Neil.

And I really hope I can tell Mary Beth that she traveled with me to India--because I'm not sure that she knows.  (Any of you reading along on our India travel journey knows that I began reading her book on the plane on the way there, and it was a constant companion for me during our whole trip.)

So, without further ado...photos of our day...

Let's just say that there were....a few people there.  It was hot and crowded, but they kept us well fed and hydrated.  :)  The daddy took the kids exploring while I waited in the hour-and-a-half line.

 It was worth it, though!  Once inside, I got to meet my Show Hope friend, Jaimee, in person for the first time!  Hoping to catch a little more time with her tomorrow...

 Their office comes equipped with a swing!  Now THAT'S a fun office!!  (Hoffbeast and I were both dreaming about HLIC's new office while we were there.)

 Maria's "SEE" flower adorned every corner of the office.  What a beautiful girl whose life has been used to bring Jesus great pleasure--both while she was here on Earth and now that she is in Heaven with Him.

 Afterwards, we spent some time with "Rusty", the Factory's metal man...so interesting!  He was HUGE, and the building of him took six years!  As we understood it, all the parts used to build him came from the factory itself, and he stands now as a memory to what the building used to be, even as it has been refurbished and is now used for completely different purposes.



 I am getting bigger every day!!  :)  Feeling good and really trying to enjoy these days...

 Last up for the night, frozen yogurt...yummy!



We are so grateful for the family God has given us!  Each of our children is so special, and tonight as I put Beth and Neil to bed, I reminded them that if I could have chosen any kids in the whole world to be mine, I wouldn't have chosen any differently.  God is so good in His choosing.



Whatever you say, Neil!

Tom moved in with Neil this week.  It was a big switch that has been coming for a long time.  Beth is getting her own room to make way for the babies' birth, so Tom is now in a big-boy bed, bottom bunking it up with Neil.  Very exciting stuff.  They love each other (Neil always tells Tom that they are "best friend brothers!"  It's very sweet.) and will certainly prove to be terrific roommates.

Today, after just 3 days, Neil announced that he wants his own room back.  "Sorry," I said.  "He's your roommate now!"  And then...one of Neil's classic, random-and-hilarious statements:

"He kept me up 'til midnight last night!  Okay, well, at least 'til ten.  Rooming with him is like rooming with General Washington!  He thinks of war and not sleep...all night long!"

Sure...whatever you say, Neil!

Caringbridge - 28 weeks!

I just can't believe it.  28 weeks.

It's late, and I should be in bed, but I must record just a few words about this milestone before hitting the hay.

For some reason, 28 weeks seems really, really big to me.  Maybe because it is, medically speaking?  Babies who make it to 28 weeks have a much higher survival rate than even babies who are just a bit younger.  32 weeks feels like the next really big one, although for me, 30 weeks will be big because at that point, I will start twice-weekly monitoring.

Tomorrow, I go to the doctor, and I have a few questions that I am eager to talk through.  More importantly, I will be meeting a new doctor, so that's important.  The practice I go to has 6 OBs, but 2 of them are new since I gave birth to Beth; at that time, there were only 4.  Two of the doctors are the ones who know me the best, as they both were on hand to perform my surgeries with both Hunt and Beth.  The other two that were there five years ago, I also feel like I know well and I feel very comfortable with.  Then there are the new doctors.  I actually would have preferred to not even meet the new folks, but Dr. McA suggested that perhaps I should at least see them each once, just so that I meet them in case they end up on call if/when there is an emergency.  That was a good call because, yes, I would not want to meet a doctor for the first time during a crisis.

I met with Dr. C a month ago, and he was great.  Tomorrow, I meet Dr. W.  Once I'm done meeting her, I will be through the list and then, honestly, will probably just see the doctors I'm the most familiar/comfortable with--or, as Dr. McA suggested, whichever doctor who has an opening that works with my schedule.  I'm sure I'll see them all plenty by the time this is all over.  I am so incredibly thankful for them and would recommend them to anyone!

The other thing happening tomorrow is my glucose screening.  Thick, sweet, orange, syruppy drink, here I come!  Yum!  :/

I have had some pretty beautiful things happen in the last couple of days.  I will try to write after my appointment tomorrow and record a little of that as well as update about my appointment, of course.

Thank you for your many continued prayers.  I am confident that God is using the prayers of His people as we continue down this road...

From Tom's mouth to God's ears...

"God, please give me a thankful heart.  And will you come and live in my heart forever?"

Have more precious words ever been spoken?

Did Tom enter the Kingdom today?  I don't know....but I know that the Father does--and that He is working.  Unless the Spirit draws a person, he/she does not long for the things of God or understand the message.  But Tom is beginning to understand the Good News, and whenever evidence like this prayer shows itself, it is something beautiful.

Thank you, Lord, for drawing my son...

Videos added

I have added videos to this post and, more importantly, to this post.  The first is a video added to the post that I just put up yesterday, but the second is a really special video to me, and I have no idea how it got missed when I was working on my India posts.  Enjoy!

Our Cramazing May, Episode LI: Celebration at Hard Rock

Saturday was another lovely Delhi day!  It was hot but so gorgeous outside by the pool, and our fabulous, comfy, well-air-conditioned hotel/mall kept us happy.

The big agenda item for the day was returning to the doctor's office so that L's and Tom's TB skin tests could be read.  In order for visas to the USA to be granted, they had to pass that test, and while it was mostly a formality, there was still some trepidation until we got the doc's okay.

By this time, we had connected with Mr. Singh, the man who would be our driver for the next few days.  He was kind and had a car with AC.  Both facts were greatly appreciated.  ;) 

Mr. Singh showed up at the agreed-upon time, and with all 7 of us crammed in his car, before we knew it, we had made it back to the doctor's office.  This visit was much smoother than the first, since we knew where to go and what to expect.  After making our appearance before the receptionist, we were ushered upstairs to wait for the test reading, which took all of a few minutes.  Both kiddos passed with flying colors, and in no time flat, we were done with the process and back in Mr. Singh's car.  It was so nice to have something be so easy for once!  :)

We spent the rest of the glorious day relaxing, swimming, and enjoying each other, so grateful that we were just one step away from being able to get on a plane headed for home.  On Tuesday we would have our Embassy appointment, but until then, there were no specific agenda items other than to enjoy this beautiful land from where our beautiful children had come.

After much back and forth, Hoffbeast and I decided that we simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the Taj Mahal, despite the four-hour drive that it would take to get to Agra.  Since we had two days to kill, how could we not?  We made plans with Mr. Singh for an early-morning pickup, while Scott and Karen made arrangements with another driver to move to a different hotel the next day.  We would stay at the Hilton Garden Inn for one more night and join them at the Sheraton on Monday.

That evening, we decided to celebrate our victory at the doctor's visit by eating at Hard Rock Cafe.  I have to say that I was very much craving a hamburger by this point in the trip and was hopeful that Hard Rock would be able to deliver.

Note to self:  Don't ever get hopes up for a yummy tasting burger in a land where cows are considered sacred.  Just don't. 

Even so, we had a great time with our friends....another great end to another great day!

From L to R:  Scott, Karen, L, Hoffbeast, Tom, me, Rex, and....our two mannequin friends.  Random, right??!

 These two pictures are simply to prove that not every single moment traveling with an 8-year-old was perfect.  Overall, Rex did SO well, but he had his moments, as did we all.  I'm not sure what was upsetting him at this point, but thankfully, it didn't last long...

 Where's Waldo saves the day!!!

 I love this picture of Scott, Karen, and L!

Rex really enjoyed his food!

 My burger looked really good, but....um....well....the fries were yummy!

 I did discover that if I was feeding Tom, he seemed to kinda like me.  So we made the switch, and I started sitting by him at meals.  Since he and I were going to be traveling halfway around the world alone together, it was important that he started to trust me. 

 He still preferred Daddy by far, but at least he would tolerate me.  :)  Our server was so sweet!  She looked much more East Asian than most people that we were meeting, and she explained that she was from the very northeast part of India, just south of China.  India is such a diverse place!

 Nothing like a daddy-snuggle at the end of a long day.  :)

 The McF family embraced our Rex and seemed to enjoy him so much...what a blessing!

 Happy, happy girl!

 Happy, happy boy!  (The troubles from earlier were long gone.)

To close out the night...balloons!!!

Does it get any better than an elevator and a balloon!??

I'm not quite sure why this video is sideways, but it shows us heading toward the security area that we had to go through each time we walked from the mall back into the hotel. 

A couple other interesting things that we saw at the mall?  People paying to put their feet in water and have tiny fish eat the dead skin off their feet.  No joke!  I wish I had taken a picture of it, but I felt awkward, like I was invading their paid-for space.  It was crazy weird, though.  Also, up and down all of the escalators were printed comic strips, most notably Garfield.  I have no idea why, but it was a welcomed piece of home each time we saw one, and Rex loved it!

Our Cramazing May, Episode L: Hotel Hangout

Friday--one full week after meeting Tom--was a wonderful day, incredibly relaxing in almost every way!  To read what I wrote about the day on the actual day, click here.  It started with a sleep-in for me and Rex while Tom and the daddy went to get breakfast.  Food times have always been some of Tom's favorites, ever since the very beginning.  :)

After that, it was time to hit the POOL!!!  Now, I'm not sure if our video/pictures do the pool justice, but it. was. absolutely. gorgeous. My favorite pool I've ever swam in...ever.  Tom didn't exactly love the pool at first, but over the next few days, he would become much more comfortable with it, and as long as Daddy was close, he did fine.  

Rex, on the other hand, loved the fact that we got to swim so much during these few days.  We did swim....a lot.  And it was a great bonding time for Rex and L.  L was a bit nervous at first, but as soon as Rex would get into the pool, she would come out of her shell and start playing right along with him.  One of my favorite pool memories during our time there is one where L's sweet little voice is saying, "One, Two, Three!" over and over as she and Rex would prepare to jump in together again and again!

VID00059 from Hoffbeauty on Vimeo.

As you can see from the above video, Tom was very sleepy, so after swimming, he and Daddy took a nap, while Rex and I walked to the mall to grab lunch and do a little needed shopping.  It was so nice to have everything we could need right there just a short walk away.

In order to get back into the hotel, attached to the mall, we had to go through a metal detector again.  Each time we entered the hotel, we walked through security...it was obvious that the hotel staff was very serious about ensuring the safety of their guests.  (Sometimes a little too serious??!  Keep reading...)  Rex and I had gotten our lunch to go and headed to eat at--where else?--the pool!  We just couldn't get enough of that place.  There was a deck attendant who would come around and serve drinks...we were so spoiled--and so thankful!  That afternoon, we met some other Americans who were there, so that was interesting...it is amazing how bonded you feel to other Americans when you haven't seen another for over a week, despite how different your lives may be.  I remember feeling the same way years ago when we were traveling in Wales.  We met a guy from Missouri at a pub who was there for some tree-climbing competition, and we sat and talked to him and his girlfriend for an hour!  These folks were from South Carolina and were dear people who were so excited about our reason for being in India.

More swimming and bonding for Rex and L and then eventually, Hoffbeast and Tom made their way out to the pool, and we switched places so that Rex and I could rest.  But not before the Hub could tell me about the little adventure that happened inside the hotel while we were enjoying the beautiful outdoors.

Hoffbeast was just rousing from his nap and was still feeling quite groggy as a Indian-accented voice sounded in the distance saying something like, "Please stay in your room.  The hotel is being attacked by terrorists." being repeated over and over.  What do you do when a voice is telling you to stay put?  You go check out what's happening!  As there were no panicked sounds and nothing else happening besides a recorded voice being repeated (which eventually stopped), Hoffbeast decided to venture out and go change some money in the lobby.  He stepped out, looked up and down the hall, saw nothing except some other guests doing the same thing, and walked to the elevator.  While standing at the elevator, he and the other guests were looking at each other, and finally someone said, "Did you hear that a few minutes ago?"  They all then talked about it on the way down and exited to a completely normal-looking, business-as-usual lobby.  When he handed his money to the front desk clerk, Hoffbeast questioned, "So....I heard an announcement earlier about terrorists?"  "Oh, that was just a test of our emergency system.  No problem.  You are very safe!"

That would have been good information to have had before the announcement was made.  It's a good thing my calm husband was napping at that time and not me....I would have been freaking out!

At some point post-terror-drill, we found ourselves in one of the hotel common areas....if you know Tom, you know that the infectious laugh you hear here is still a commonly-heard sound around our house.  Love it!  I also love hearing his little voice speaking in Oriya on these videos.  No idea what he says, but it sure is cute, and no doubt now that his language ability there contributed to his quick-learning of English once he got home.


VID00061 from Hoffbeauty on Vimeo.

I'm not exactly sure when, but I did have one important order of business for this day, and that was to secure us an appointment at the US Embassy for our visa interviews.  It took me an hour on the phone, but I finally was able to secure appointments for us on Tuesday morning after realizing that--another glitch--Monday was Memorial Day in the United States, meaning that Embassies all over the world are closed on that day.  I can't remember now exactly which day our flights had originally been scheduled to leave India, but I believe that we were hoping to leave Monday night and be home and back in our own beds by Wednesday night.  Rex would then be able to attend his last two days of 3rd grade and report to his class all about our trip.  So the hardest part of this news was realizing that we really needed to split up to ensure that Rex would be able to get home that week....we really felt like it was important for him to have some closure on the school year and finish it up with his peers.

After making sure that Hoffbeast wasn't required to appear at the Embassy (since I had been the primary applicant on Tom's behalf), we decided that Rex and the Daddy would leave India on Tuesday, fly into Chicago, and our intern Noel would pick them up.  Tom and I would stay 'til Wednesday, fly to Indianapolis, and spend a few days with my family before driving our car home.  It was a good plan, and I'm so glad we decided to do it this way, despite being slightly nervous about the Embassy.  I had been assured on the phone that his presence wasn't needed, so I was trusting the Embassy worker (Don't worry--I got her name in case anything went wrong!).

That night, the seven of us went to TGIFridays for dinner!  Fridays, Indian-style, is different than going to eat at a Fridays here, of course.  Much spicier, mostly....but it was yummy!  I love the below picture of L trying a really hot dish--she was brave!

And then....one of the best parts of the day:  the carnival/play area outside in the beautiful Indian night air.  Rex and L loved every minute of it, and Tom got in on the action where he could!  First, the ball pit...

Then, the train ride...

Then, the strange kid-in-the-bubble ride...

(Yes, that's right.  A child was zipped up inside a huge plastic bubble that was floating in the water.  People acted like it was the most normal thing to see!  It was really odd....but was pretty funny to watch, as the kids would try to stand up, spin the bubble, fall down, and repeat all over again.)

I am including the next picture to show what would often happen when I picked Tom up...

...and then gave him back to Daddy.  Clearly, we know who his favorite was!

He also loved L....so much.  I am incredibly grateful--and always will be--that we shared this amazing travel experience with Scott, Karen, and L.  My heart smiles when I think of it...

Baby pics!

I have a lot of pictures of the twins, but these are the first I am posting.  Introducing Baby Bart...at 23 weeks.  

 Pretty astounding to me how much he looks like Beth, even at this early stage!

He was being quite stubborn and would rarely let us see his eyes.  Most of the time, he was covering his eyes with his beautiful little hands...what gifts he and his brother are!  Keep in mind that they are identical twins, so if Aaron were this big, he would look like this, too.  Precious precious!