Catching Up With Ourselves

Well, we finally made it to Spartanburg for the remainder of our SC trip. I wanted you to see how small Alethia is. Here is Alethia hanging out with Mom in her bouncy seat.

Close up!

Yesterday we spent the day driving from Florence to Columbia to meet with the judge for the approval of the Interstate Transfer of Alethia to New Orleans to live with us. In trans-state adoptions, a judge from the state where the baby is born has to approve of the adoption before it can go through. Alethia went to the court house in Columbia to attend the hearing. Our wonderful lawyer, Jim Thompson, said that "by chance" we had pulled the same lawyer we had for Karis adoption in Spartanburg. Isn't it wonderful of God to relieve my nervousness by allowing me to know the judge? We do not think it was "by chance" at all. Alethia wore this sweet little lady bug dress to the hearing today.

Here she is sleeping before our big trip yesterday.

We left Columbia for Spartanburg yesterday afternoon after 3pm. Alethia slept the entire way. I was so lovingly welcomed by our friends, John and BK Vernon. BK actually took Alethia's feedings last night and let me sleep the whole night. I feel wonderful today and was able to love on our new daughter with a little more clarity of thought today. We have been treated like princesses here at the Vernon and we are so thankful to the Lord for such wonderful friends.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Karis and I left Montgomery this morning at 7am heading for Atlanta.

I dropped Karis off with PopPop and Grandma after eating lunch at Truett's. She had no problem going home with PopPop. In fact she told me "hug" and "bye Mom" and rolled away with no tears. I was very proud of her. I have to admit I was a little hurt she was able to leave me so easily.

I drove another 5 hours to Florence, SC. Most of you know that I am very much an introvert and enjoy being by myself. However, on special occasions like birthdays, holidays, and adoptions, I want a big celebration. I want people around to help me celebrate. It was not to be that way today. Page and I celebrated our anniversary last week because he has a workshop this week, so today was focused on our new addition to our family. I knew that no one would be here to help me celebrate and I was feeling a little sorry for myself. I was reading in scripture last night about the story of Noah and God's promise to always keep his promises signified by a rainbow. I was thinking about the promise God gave us to never leave us or forsake us and realized that I was not alone at all. I would be celebrating this day with the one person who loves me and loves my new daughter more than anyone possibly could. About 15 miles outside of Florence I realized that there was about to be a huge thunderstorm. I was grumbling to myself about how I was going to have to carry all the luggage and "stuff" into the hotel by myself when I looked up and saw this:

Granted, it might not look like much here, but this rainbow was absolutely beautiful and huge. I realized God was reminding me of the fact He was keeping His promises and showing me a visible sign of His doing so. He is with me and will give me the strength to do all things...even carry the "stuff" in the rain.

Page and I have been praying for this baby we would be adopting at the time the Lord ordained. I am very excited about her life and the plans the Lord has for her. We are so grateful that He saw fit to put Alethia in our family.

At about 5:30pm I met my daughter for the first time. Our social worker, Amy, brought her to my hotel room. I got everything on video and (Katie) I am trying to take as many pictures as I possibly can.

Since we have met she has eaten and slept.

We will be spending tomorrow here at the hotel in Florence. We have a court date on Wednesday. I think we might go shopping at the mall across the street. Can't teach a girl too soon. :-)

TRAVELING TO ALABAMA

Imagine this with a suitcase and another bag of Karis' clothes and the picture will be complete. I felt very overwhelmed packing for 2 children and myself for 2 different weather conditions. It is rather cold in SC but very warm here in the "deep  south". We feel so blessed to have this van. I don't know how we would have been able to pack everything into a car. 

Karis is relaxing in a bubble bath 

(I promise...there were bubbles in the tub) 

after a long day on the road.

Today Karis and I left New Orleans with a loaded down van. We drove for about 5 hours and arrived in Montgomery, AL for the first part of our trip. We will be leaving Montgomery tomorrow morning really early to drive to Atlanta to drop Karis off with her Nanna and PopPop Nalls. She will be staying with them until Friday when Nanna, PopPop, and Karis will be driving up to Spartanburg, SC to meet their new baby sister/grandbaby.

Our trip today went really well. Karis travels so well. She slept for about an hour of the trip, sang to/talked to/entertained herself for several hours before I decided that "Boz" could be "watch" on the "DBD". We ended the car ride with, "Remember, Wherever you are, near or far, God loves you and I do too!" I could not have asked her to be any more well behaved.

We will leave really early tomorrow to go to Atlanta. I don't want to bore you with all the details twice, so I will tell you about tomorrow then. 

We have been talking to Karis about her new baby sister. She either laughs and says "baby sista" or runs around the house saying "no sista, no sista". We talked about how the new baby would be riding in the new car seat that is now next to her seat. She knows a baby goes in there because she kept asking where the baby was during our trip to Montgomery. I am looking forward to Karis and Alethia meeting next weekend. I am looking forward to meeting Alethia tomorrow.

Until then....

ALETHIA JOY

Welcome Alethia Joy!!

We have a new addition to our family. Alethia Joy Brooks was born on Dec. 28th, 2008. She weighed 5 lbs and 8.9 oz. She was 20 inches long.

For those of you who are surprised at the quickness of this new addition, join the club! We put in our paper work a few weeks ago and were expecting to wait several months. However, we received a phone call on New Years Eve telling us that a birth mom had chosen us to be the parents of her baby and that the baby girl had been born on the 28th of December. Our home has been a whirlwind since then.

I (Ashley) will be leaving on Sunday to begin my traveling towards  SC to see our baby girl for the first time. I will be able to get her and keep her with me on Monday night or Tuesday. Karis will be staying with her Nanna and PopPop for a few days. Page has to teach a seminar this week and on Monday of the next, but then he will be flying to SC to stay for a few days and then ride back with me and our 2 children to New Orleans some time the week of the 12th.

We will put up more pics as soon as I get them.