Okay, so it is quite literally 4 something in the morning as I start this post. I had started a post like this earlier but never got around to finishing it. I just woke up while it was still dark and couldn't sleep, but mostly couldn't stop thinking about some of my friends, Gina and Darrell, and Stephanee and Kelly.
Yesterday, my husband told me about a co-worker and his wife that were married just last year that should be adopting a little baby next month. Things just kind of fell into place for them. His wife had an operation when she was younger and they both knew going into the marriage that she would not be able to have children. Of course, I am excited for them! But I still couldn't help think of my good friends at the same time,
Gina and Darrell have been married for 5 + years, and
Stephanee and Kelly have been married 3 + years. These couples have still been waiting to welcome a baby into their home. If I can do anything to help, I feel like spreading the word is the least that I can do. You may have noticed that I have buttons on the sidebar that link to their profiles.
You can click on these buttons to read their profiles--as well as copy the code within the
box to grab the button and help spread the word.
I wanted to share a true story with you that was told to me last year, by the mother in the story. I just recently asked her to send it to me in her own words but I guess I am just kind of antsy to get this post up! So I am going from my own memory of how I heard it.
This mother grew up in a family that was blessed with children. She was one of
the older girls and loved having a house full of siblings. While she was still young,
probably in her late teens or early twenties, her mother died. She had to take a motherly-like
role in the family and always knew that in her own family, she wanted to have
plenty of kids. Well, her husband and she were able to bring 2 children into the world, but
then, because of some complications, they were not going to be able to have anymore.
Somewhat devastated by the news, they tried to cope with not being able to have the
large family that she had always dreamed of.
Well, when her son was still young,
just able to talk, one day he told her, "Mom, my little brother was born today."
She kind of laughed at his cute little toddler expression, feeling somewhat
disheartened thinking that this was, in all common sense, not true (they hadn't
known for long and had not looked into adoption quite yet), but she still thought
she would play along with his cue. "Oh really? Who told you that?"
His reply was so simple, "Jesus."
She was instantly surprised to hear his answer. It was one of those things
any mother should probably write down because it was one of those
"out of the mouths of babes" moments---whether true or not.
Anyway, during this same week, this little boy's daddy was scheduled
for surgery at one of the hospitals nearby their home. The location of the
surgery was, however, changed last minute to a hospital farther away. It was
inconvenient for them to have to travel the extra distance, but they knew that they had to
adjust their plans to the changes. When they got to the hospital, they had found
out that an acquaintance (somehow someone knew the woman) had been in the hospital and
had just had a baby. Se gave birth to this baby the very same day that the little toddler
told his mother that his brother had been born. And the young mother was lovingly looking
to give this baby boy an opportunity to have a mom and a dad. The little toddler
had been right all along--his little brother had been born on that day and they
were able to leave the hospital with a successful surgery on the father
and new addition to their family.
I know that to give a child up for adoption takes courage, love beyond measure, and hope. Hope for your new little innocent child to have a home filled with love. I can't even imagine how hard it might be--I have never had to go through that. But I am grateful that at least 2 mothers have done that. My husband's two younger sisters are adopted. When his dad remarried and found that they would not be able to have children, they looked into adoption. It took a lot of patience and waiting, but they were able to adopt Amber and Kaitlin. They look like they fit right into the family. People are always surprised when they find out that they were both adopted. I can't even imagine visiting my in-laws and them not being there or holidays without them. They are a blessing for sure! And they really were given the opportunity to be given something that their birth mothers could not give them alone.
"A birth mother puts the needs of her child above the wants of her heart."
--Skye Hardwick
I can personally tell you that both of these couples would care for an adopted baby
as their own. I look forward to the day when I hear that they are able to adopt!
Gina and Darrell
Gina and Darrell are amazing friends that would go out of their way to help anyone. Just recently our basement flooded and we were at a total loss of what to do, when Darrell came straight over to scope out the situation. They invited us to shower and do laundry at their house when we found out that our water would be turned off until some pipes in front of our house had been repaired. To our dismay--our home owner's insurance would not be covering the cost because it was an outsource of water coming into our home. Darrell came over first thing after work the next day and helped my husband find the leaks and fix them. They expected no pay at all--they were just willing to help. And Gina is so good with kids. When we attended the same church building as they did, Gina always seemed to have a little kid on her lap. And our little guy loves to go over to their house! They have seen so many of their friends have children of their own and have been patiently waiting for their turn to be parents. I seriously hope and pray that they are able to bless a little one's life by being able to adopt. They have been waiting so long.
Kelly and Stephanee
Kelly and Stephanee are such a fun couple. I met Stephanee when I was working at a Kitchen and Bath Design Firm. She was such a fun co-worker. Each day when I went into work, I knew that Stephanee would be there to make it enjoyable. She has a great sense of humor and can brighten anyone's day! She is actually the person that introduced me to blogging. Yes, all my blogging escapades started because of her! She totally helped me get a family blog going and from there, I was hooked. She met Kelly while we were both working together and it was fun to see their relationship "blossom". I can remember multiple times when he would just leave flowers on her desk at work just because. Since we have not worked together, we have still stayed in touch through blogging and texts. They too have found out that they cannot have children and are waiting to bring a little one into their home.
Please take the time to look at their profiles and help spread the word.
I know each of these couples would be a blessing to any child.
I started out with 1 1/2 yds of fabric. I used home decor. fabric because it's heavier and lays better.
Next, I cut a slit in the center. I made it big enough for my head to go through and allow for comfort but small enough that it would rest on the carseat right. The size of this slit will differ based on your preferences.
After cutting the slit, I trimmed the edge of the fabric so it wouldn't drag on the floor when put on the carseat. Again, this will differ based on your preferences. I ended up trimming about 4" all around.
Lastly, I used yellow bias taping to trim the edges. On the corners of the slit, I did do some reinforcing stitches before applying the bias taping. I just didn't want it to tear further.
And there you have it! A very easy, very useful project!
