The Miracle Of Noak

In 2005 we had  another transition in our lives. Before we got married we talked about children and family and future. We knew we wanted to adopt we just figured it would look differently, like maybe after we had our 5 children. =) But once again, God knew what we did not!!!
It was July of 2005, we went to our church on a Wednesday night to receive prayer for our infertility issues. While we were there on man shared with us that he kept hearing the name Joshua. Side note: We feel like the Lord told us early on that our first natural child would be a girl, and my oldest nephew is named Joshua. Now we weren't sure what to do with "Joshua" so we tabled that word. And the prayer was great. We talked often about adoption but Gabe was not ready to make that step. So I was a little surprised when September rolled around and he told me that God told him it was time to adopt.
I had just started teaching and so we decided to start the process in May when I was almost done with my school year.  I began teaching the 5th grade at the small Christian school that I attended from Kindergarten to 12th grade.  November came and with it a friend whom I had not talked to in a while.  She had just moved back from Costa Rica and I was catching her up on the excitement of our decision to adopt.  Two hours later I received a call back from her saying that she knew we wanted to wait until May but that she knew of someone who was looking for an adopting family. Right away she seemed like a good fit for us and we for her. We couldn't have asked for a better set up. We loved her and we loved her children.  She loved the Lord and she was an anointed worshipper. She let us feel the baby kick and I got to go to an ultrasound with her. It was an amazing time. As we wandered through figuring out a name for our soon to be little boy we encouraged her to name him. We wanted her to pick a name for his birth certificated  and we would change it legally when the adoption finalized, we also would use the first name in the name that we chose. 

We chose the name Noak (variation of Noah). As we prayed about this baby boy we were struck by who Noah was in the Bible.  We loved that at a time that God regretted creating man, Noah found favor with God. He was obedient and full of faith. And because of these things he was saved and his family was saved but not only that...the WHOLE human race was saved. These things really stuck in our hearts for this baby boy that was soon to be in our arms.  Our prayer: that he would find favor with God and that because of his relationship with Father God, others would be saved.

The name that the birth mom chose: Joshua.  (I didn't realize this until 2 weeks after Noak was born).

So we went back to the recording of the prayer we received at church and  listened a little closer to the word about "Joshua."  It was right in line with our prayer for our son Noak.  Favor, relationship, intimacy, etc. HOW AMAZING!!!!  God told us his name before we knew we were adopting him, before we knew we were ready to adopt.  He has only been conceived a couple weeks prior to God telling us about him.  Isn't God AMAZING!!!!

We were in the hospital when he was born via C-Section. We had him in our arms 20 min. after he was born. We held him  and stared at this amazing miracle hour after hour. We had waited for 3 1/2 years to be parents and here was our son. We stayed in the hospital with him, Gabe and I sharing a small hospital bed and Noe snug in his little hospital bassinet. The hospital staff were amazing and took care of us like we were guests at a  hotel. 

We finally went home and began the process of the actually adoption. We were going through a Christian adoption agency and while I would probably not do that again (because of the cost), in this case it was God's grace that we chose to do it this way.  I quit work to stay home with our son and things that were already tight got tighter.  Then we found out that we needed to pay for court fees to have the birth father's rights terminated. (Another beautiful aspect of my son's adoption story: his birth father wanted him, but was unfit to care for him. I'm so thankful that, of the little we know about his birth father, I get to tell him that his birth father wanted him, but was not able to care for him. I know that is not the case for many adopted children.) We knew from the moment we heard about him that we was supposed to be with us. So together one night we were praying and we told the Lord that we would do anything to pay for this because we knew that God had moved heaven and earth for Noak to be ours. Even if we had to take out another loan (beyond the adoption loan) put off buying a house forever if need be, we were going for it.  Two days later, right before our baby shower, our adoption case worker called an told us that someone, who had just finalized their adoption, wanted to donated money to help someone else be able to adopted. The agency had talked about it and decided to give that money to us for our legal fees. It was $15,000 and it covered EVERYTHING!!! Plus they had a lawyer they worked with that only did adoption case like this and she was amazing.  GOD KNEW and directed our steps as we walked with Him and listened to Him. And even when we couldn't see the whys and the hows, He knew!!! I am so amazed!!!!

All The Little Things

I spent four more years trying anything that was in my power to try (and that was safe and legal). I was feeling a little nervous at this point. Nobody could pinpoint the problem and so finding a solution was impossible.  I began to try anything that "guaranteed" pregnancy in 3 months, or the "everyone that I know that was TTC got pregnant doing this or taking that."  I can truly say I have tried almost everything.   I even cut out sugar and caffeine for 6 months or so (hardest thing EVER, for me).  Nothing changed. I was still not pregnant.