Levi Douglas Bradley: ON THE COUNTDOWN NOW!!!

Our Adoption Story

Levi was born on April 21, 2007 in Chinautla, Guatemala, a small town known for pottery. He weighed 6.7 pounds and was 19.7 inches long. He was in private foster care in Guatemala City where he lived for 10 1/2 months with his foster mom, her son and daughter and Isaac, his foster brother. Throughout our difficult adoption journey, Isaac's mom, Nancy and I became very good friends. God placed our boys together and had the perfect plan in place long before we ever realized it. When I was undecided on an adoption agency, I joined an online forum where Nancy provided me with information about her agency and recommended them to us. We decided to sign with the same agency and I emailed Nancy back to let her know. Over a few months we emailed back and forth to learn we were both from TN and lived only 30 minutes apart... we thought wow, it's a small world. Little did we know a few months later we'd both get referrals, earlier than we expected, of 2 beautiful Guatemalan angels. When they turned 2 months old our agency called and decided it was time to tell us that they were in the same foster home together and had been since they were 1 day old. We were amazed they were together. Even more so, God amazed us once again when we learned shortly after that they were born on the same day and were from the same town... no longer a coincidence that was for sure. We were being told by the foster mom how attached they were and acted like brothers. But, Nancy and I got the chance in January '08 to go to visit them and see it for ourselves. It was an amazing time of bonding with our boys that we will never forget. After that trip it seemed when one of us would reach a roadblock in the crazy process of international adoption the other would be delayed with something else. We stayed right together until the very day we picked them both up. We had our US Embassy appts the same day and we flew home through Atlanta on the same flight on March 11, 2008 when they both entered the US as citizens! It was an awesome time for us in the Atlanta Airport when we rec'd the congrats they were official! We've made friends for life with Nancy, Eric, and with Isaac's extended families. We look forward to many years of watching them both grow up so close together. Over the past year, as we went through battle after battle to bring our boys home, Nancy and I both would never think of one without the other in our endless prayers to keep them safe, happy and healthy until they could be home with their forever families. We're finally parents and it's what we've both waited for, for so many years.. our families are finally complete!!!

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

ON THE COUNTDOWN NOW!!!

Well, we're on the final stretch counting down now until we leave for Guatemala to get our boy!! Nancy is hopefully sleeping her last few hours before she heads to the airport (she is arriving a day ahead of us). She told me bye earlier on the phone but, she doesn't know I'll be at the airport when she and Eric get there this morning to see her off. I wouldn't miss it for the world! I am afriad to go to sleep, afraid I will cut the alarm off and miss it. In just 12 short hours she will have Isaac in her arms forever. This is the moment she has waited for, for over 20 years now.
I ahve so many different emotions right now I can hardly stand it. I am so happy to finally ahve this over with and this long, tough process ending. However, in my moments of joy and happiness I cannot get past having a heavy heart for the foster mom. I cannot even begin to imagine how she is feeling right now. Knowing it is her last night with Isaac and only one more with Levi has to be so hard for her. I know how my heart broke after just 5 days with Levi and there is no comparison in how she must feel. The thoughts of the boys being there together their last night too just kills me knowing how close they are bonded with each other. They don't even know their lives are about to be turned upside down again and changed forever. I have worry too that they will have the same trouble their first night as when Nancy and I went to visit in January. It was miserable for them looking around the room scared to death. It was so hard to see them go through that being so terrified of their surroundings and us. I am just praying that when we get there he remembers me and Isaac remembers Nancy enough to not be so scared this time.
Until I return from seeing Nancy off.... will update later on her flight and how things are going with Isaac as soon as I hear from her. Keep her in your prayers as she travels. With the wind her tonight I am sure that will make for some extra turbulence along the way. I wish I was going as she does but, for some reason it just didn't work out for us that way. - Tracy (aka Levi's mommy)