There are no stupid questions . . .

There is a reason that God made me a teacher.  I love the faces of little (and not so little) people as a difficult concept is explained.  I love the satisfaction of unpacking something seemingly complicated so that it can be simply understood.  What I didn't anticipate was the use of those same skills to explain our little family. 

When Grae came along in an unconventional way, I was excited to share the joys of adoption.  People asked questions out of ignorance, not because they intended to offend and I happily shared the answers.  Questions like:  "Aren't you glad you didn't have to go through labor?  You did it the easy way!" , "Did you adopt because you couldn't have your own?"  , "How could a mother give away her baby?", "Don't you think open adoption with confuse Grae?".  With a smile (sometimes genuine and sometimes plastered)  I answered graciously. We chose to adopt because we think it is a beautiful picture of what the Lord has done in our own lives.  He has made enemies and strangers His own children and He showers us with the inheritance of sons.

It shouldn't have surprised me that people would say some interesting things and have lots of questions about little Knox.  "You chose to parent a baby with down's syndrome and heart defects?", "What was your motivation?",  "He doesn't look 'down's', are you sure?", "I would think you would be crying.  You're handling this surprisingly well", "Can you tell how severe his 'case of down's' is?".  This morning, my doctor made the crying comment.  She asked me why we would adopt a baby with down's syndrome and I simply replied, "Who else was going to love him?"  This seemed to soften her questions.  I am convinced that people are just misinformed.  I used to think people were a little over the top with the "people first language", that I have a baby with down's syndrome and not a down's baby.  Now I understand.  He's a baby.  He's my baby, and just like any other child I would raise as my own, he comes with his own challenges and gifts that God has given him.  I will continue use the loud mouth that God has given me to share what a blessing adoption is and also about my sweet baby who just happens to have a little extra genetic material.  Shane and I aren't some sort of bleeding hearts with a savior complex, we are sinners saved by grace who are depending on our Adopted Father for the strength to deal with any challenges He sends our way.  Our goal is to give him glory with our little patchwork family.

Grae and Grace

My little boy and his little friend Grace on a hayride at Uncle Bobby's farm.  They are thick as thieves and the best of pals!

The Great Physician

We were praying for a little heart miracle and we got one!

We went to Hopkins today with a little fear and a lot of hope that our new little man would not need treatment for the three congenital heart defects found at birth.  Knox was born with a murmur, and two holes in his heart.  Our prayer and the prayer of many others was that the holes would be closed and that Knox would not need more medical intervention.  After an echocardiogram, where Knox proceeded to sleep with both hands behind his head, we were visited by the cardiologist.  Her talk went something like this:

"This little guy is very lucky.  The murmur is not evident, the atrial septal defect is so minor that nothing needs to be done, and here is the interesting thing.  The sizable hole in the septal wall between his ventricles has been closed by an extra piece of tissue from the tricuspid valve.  Work it out however you want, mother nature or God has worked this one out. If anyone deserves an extra hand in life it's this little guy."

As I sat in the chair holding my little bundle of designer genes, I had to wrestle the tears back in their ducts.  I serve a great God who is able to close a big hole in my babies heart with an extra piece of tissue.  Just like that.   Our cardiologist is cautious, which I appreciate, and wants to check in in 3 months.  She doesn't anticipate finding anything has changed.  Shame on me for not believing that my God is able!

Pray for little Knox and his cardiologist appointment at noon. Praying for a little heart miracle!