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Day One: Welcome Home

Submitted by kim on Tue, 02/18/2014 - 12:34 in Adoption, Nathaniel's Story

We welcomed Nathaniel home on July 31, 2013. In the chaos of putting away medical supplies and settling in with his private duty nurse, I forgot to take photos. I have a few of the brothers loving him on the couch. One of the new proud father.

Looking at the photos now, I remember being scared. He was here. I was mom. Everything I had learned during our three week transition from his foster family to our family had built up to this moment. Were we ready for our first night?

Loved Well

Submitted by kim on Thu, 02/13/2014 - 07:15 in Adoption, Nathaniel's Story

 
A mom steps timidly forward.
A protective older brother watches cautiously.
A baby looks for reassurance.
A mom stands courageously to the side.
And the photographer positions the moment I met my son in a larger story:
his foster family loved him well.
 

Meeting Nathaniel

Submitted by kim on Sat, 02/08/2014 - 07:02 in Adoption, Nathaniel's Story

We met Nathaniel on July 3, 2013.

On Being Chosen

Submitted by kim on Wed, 02/05/2014 - 20:39 in Adoption, Nathaniel's Story

The following was written the morning of July 3, 2013 - the day we met Nathaniel for the first time.

We are meeting Nathaniel today.

I am scared I won’t feel love towards him.  And yet at the same time my heart beats so hard in anticipation of loving him that I think it might explode. I wake every morning wondering how he did through the night. I am scared that his medical stuff will scare me away. And yet at the same time every doctor’s note and diagnosis I read in his file gave peace rather than alarm.

Introducing...

Submitted by kim on Tue, 02/04/2014 - 09:48 in Adoption, Nathaniel's Story

Nathaniel Steven Rankin

Day One: Our Baby's First Night Home

Submitted by kim on Thu, 11/07/2013 - 10:58 in Adoption, Nathaniel's Story

Our new baby came home on July 31, 2013. In the middle of his first night he went into respiratory distress due to a mucus plug blocking his tracheotomy tube. God used our hands to provide emergency care and preserved his life. Today we celebrate 100 days with him in our family and I celebrate by sharing a bit of our story.