Adoption Update - "Price Check In Aisle 3"

So we wanted to see how much she weighed. I think the blanket was really heavy.

Good news. Looks like we'll come home Wednesday, arriving Thursday morning. I'll post a confirmation on that.

New Pictures

Wanda & AJ kissy kissy

Wanda and AJ (under the blankets) at Diamond Head

Hanauma Bay - Great snorkeling place. We stopped there on our tour

Our little bundle of Joy









I took AJ for a walk so mom could have a nap


Thanks so much for all your encouraging words. Can wait to have you meet AJ in person!!!

ANNOUNCING............

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you, Annalise Jordan Moores, born April 3rd, 2007, weighing 7lbs and 3ozs.

She was introduced to her mother on April12th, 2007 and her father on April 16, 2007.

Annalise means "graced by God's Provision". Amen, brother!!!

Acceptable short forms are Lisey (LEE-SEE), Alise, Ally, or AJ (not to be confused with the Backstreet Boy).

Here's your chance to say something to Annalise. I promise whatever you post, I'll read to her. So if you think she needs a warning about her father's taste in hockey teams or something of that nature, Fire away. I'll let you know what she says.

Our family officially begins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Adoption Update Hawaii 2.5 - I'm Going Tonight

Well y'all, thanks for all the comments over the last 5 days. I'm headed out tonight at 6:40pm to Honolulu. Wanda and baby will be there waiting for me.

Promise to keep updating lots whilst I'm gone. I think we'll be home on the 25th but there are no guarantees in this stuff.

Here's what to pray for:

1. Immigration paperwork - I will send it off today after I get the adoption agency to give it the final once over. It would be really great if it was processed in 7 days, so by next Tuesday.

2. BC Ministry paperwork. We are still waiting for one more form from the hospital in Honolulu before we can process this. A friend is going to take care of receiving that form for me and then taking it to the adoption agency. Same time frame would be great.

3. Pray that we would build the foundation stones of being a family over the next week while we're there.

4. Deals!!! While spending all this time in Hawaii is nice, the bills are piling up. Pray that the hotel will give us a great deal when we tell them our full story.


Thank you all for sharing this with us and especially with me. I've really needed all of you over these last five days. Talk to you soon!!!

Adoption Update Hawaii 2.4 - The Name

So we're honestly struggling with naming her. Nothing really grabs us. so I'm appealing to my readers. Give us your best names. No silly stuff but girl names that you love that aren't YOUR children's names.

And for your trouble, I'll post another picture of baby.

Adoption Update Hawaii 2.3- JPGs

New pictures.

Adoption Update Hawaii 2.2 - JPG

I'll upload more, but not till Wanda takes some new ones and sends them to me. I'm going on Monday. We don't have a name yet.

This is all so.....surreal.

Here's our daughter!!!!!!

Adoption Update Hawaii 2.1

I just talked to Wanda (11pm Thursday) and she put the baby up to the phone and she made some funny sounds. I'm a dad. Oh man...

Adoption Update Hawaii 2.0

Wanda is in Hawaii

I'm going to be a dad in 15 minutes.

THEEEEE Adoption Update

Ok here it is....

Many of you know we were (are still) planning to adopt from China.

On Thursday, we received a call from Wanda's cousin who recently adopted an African-American child from Hawaii. Wanda's cousin had received a call from her adoption lawyer in Hawaii wondering if she or anyone she knew would be interested in parenting a newborn African American baby girl. She immediately thought of us and she phoned.

We, of course, began to get excited.

Oh the possibilities. Being in our child's life from the first 2 weeks rather than at 12 to 14 months (as would be the case in China).

Over the Easter weekend, we wrestled, BOY did we wrestle. IT was tough. We went from absolutely no to maybe back to no to yes back to no. Monday more wrestling.

We decided to walk through the door and if God closes it, we would know it was His will.

NO CLOSED DOORS.

2 hours ago we received word from the adoption lawyer in Hawaii that the birth mom has approved us and wants to place her baby in our home. All that is left is a lot of paperwork.

As it stands, Wanda will be leaving for Hawaii tomorrow (Wednesday) with her mom and will be meeting our daughter and the birth mom on Thursday. I'll stay behind and work on the immigration and citizenship paperwork and go to Hawaii early next week.

I'm so thankful for all of you and all of your prayers. I can't help think back to Easter Sunday. As it was a celebration time, Wanda and I were wrestling about this and not feeling peace yet. God directed me towards a song to sing in the service and I know these words are true:

"It soothes my doubts and calms my fears,
And it dries all my tears
Oh the Blood that gives me strength
From day to day
It will NEVER lose it's power"

We've been wanting children for 10 of our 11 married years. Today it happened. I'm overwhelmed. The Blood WILL NEVER lose it's power!!!!!!!!


BTW - She's beautiful and we'll post pictures ASAP!!!