Levi Douglas Bradley: Catching up

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!!!

Monday, June 2, 2008

Catching up

Hey all- I have been so busy with Steve being in the hospital coming up on 2 months this week and Levi crawling now and into everything that I am constantly chasing him to keep him out of things. I have just been running back and forth between Levi and Steve to manage everything. I go back to work, unfortunately, a week from today and will have even more to do then. I am transferring back to the hospital and will actually be working on the floor where Steve is right now in the hospital. I am ready to get back to work but not ready by any means to leave Levi for that long everyday. I do have to leave him everyday with my mom and dad or other family to watch him while I visit Steve but, it'll be even worse for the 12 hr shift three days a week. It'll be different knowing I am going to be away from him for that many hours of the day. I am sure I am not going through anything any other working parent hasn't been through, just stinks. I will miss him so much while I am working I know. I will also miss my patient I had in home health but, my circumstances right now do not allow for any extra travel time to get to work (I was driving quite a ways in home health from my house to my patients' house) plus Steve just wanted me to be closer to home and close to him while he's so sick and in the hospital. Long story short, it will all work out. The Lord is doing awesome work in Steve's life and with his healing arm and leg. He has come so far but, is so ready to come home to Levi and I. He misses us as bad as we miss him being there. Until I have more to post... we're all blessed and making it one day at a time. Blessings- Levi's mommy

1 comment:

Unknown said...: I am so glad to hear that Steve is healing. It is always hard to leave our babies at home. I hope you and Levi adjust quickly.; June 3, 2008 at 4:04:00 AM EDT