March Update

We recieved new pictures and our March update yesterday. I can't believe how big he is getting! Here is what we know:

Weight: 23 pounds (2 more pounds since last month)
Height: 27 inches

* He takes 5-7 ounces of formula 7 times a day, along with veggies, fruit, cereal, pasta, rice and meat
* He stands and claps without support for a few seconds
* He can climb from his bed to the floor (SERIOUSLY?)
* He is active and playful
* When he is angry he throws a tantrum (he will throw himself on the floor and roll)
* He is outgoing and active
* He is happiest in the morning, he plays with the nannies and other children
* He is taking a few steps by himself
* He has 6 teeth
* H likes to play with kids of his age

Now for the pictures:





Praying for travel dates soon! I can't wait to hold him and see that precious face in person!

More Pictures

Here are some more pictures from the Ferrel's.





He is so cute and getting so big! I can't wait to go!

Where to start!!!

It has been a little over a week since we passed court and it is still unbelieveable everytime I say "my son" or "Our son". We have been so busy celebrating with family and friends. I know I have said it before and probably will say it 100 times again, We have great friends and family. Now it is time to start thinking about travelling. We could potentially travel by mid May. That reality is sinking in. So much to do that I don't even know where to start. Tonight I thought I would start with the donation items. So far we have one bag packed full of donation items (shoes, clothes, wipes, diapers, formula, crayons, etc) and I believe we have made the 50 lb weight limit, though I am nervous to check it. Donation items aren't the cause of the overwhelming feeling though.

I realized we have to pack for a 1 year old child. We have never had a child before, there are a lot of questions running through my brain. What if we forget something we need? What do we need? How much formula do we take? How many diapers? What size clothes? They just keep coming and coming and coming. I know that it is not that complicated. Up until this point this seemed like a dream, I always knew we were going to Ethiopia but until now it was never a reality. We are going to bring home a 1 year old child! Do we have the right things for him, is the house ready? More questions! When we found out we were delayed we kind of put everything on hold. Now need to kick it in high gear. So much to do and hopefully so little time!

Please pray for quick travel dates, we need to receive an Embassy appointment before we can travel. We could find out our appointment on a Monday and travel by Friday. We are getting so excited! I can't wait to hold my baby boy!

February Update

I just realized in all the craziness of court we forgot to put up his February update, now we can add pictures too!

Update:
Weight: 21 pounds
Height: 26.8 inches

Here is what we know:
* He is eating well
* He understands and obeys simple commands like come here, take this, sleep...
* He can stand with little support
* He likes to play with toy cars and trucks
* He likes to be held (not a problem!)
* He is babbling
* He is mostly in 12 month clothes
* One question we asked was does he share well with other kids and the answer was:
He hits them if they take his toys! (I love it, he is strong willed)

Here are the pictures we got with this update:

Still Praising God!

I still can't believe he is finally our son! We are finally beginning the journey to bring Daniel home. It still may be up to 8 weeks before we get to travel but at least we know he is ours forever! God is so good and I am so thankful we have never lost faith, in fact we have grown in our faith and love for God through this journey. I can't believe we can finally see the day ahead when we will be holding Daniel in our arms and kissing those chubby cheeks. I can't wait! We have not stopped thanking and praising God yet and I don't think in my heart we ever will. God has given us the best gift he could have given us. A beautiful bright eyed baby boy and he is all ours. I can't wait to bring him home and go for walks, go play in the park, just hold him and rock him to sleep, watch him play with his cousins, open his Christmas presents (yes we have not opened his Christmas presents and the tree is still up with all of them underneath it, they are his and they will wait for him to come home), kiss his cheeks and just tell him how much he is loved. I want to thank everyone for the love and support you have given us through this journey. The angels were having one big party yesterday when he was declared officially a Heddleson. Now we have to pray for quick travel plans. Also please keep other families waiting to pass court from AWAA in your prayers. There were quite a few of us that went to court yesterday but did not pass because MOW@ didn't right all the letters. Please pray for their hearts and strength as we know first hand how hearing that you didn't pass because there wasn't a letter is so incredibly hard. It is all worth it though when you get that call that you passed and the child is officially yours! Here are a few pictures that weren't in the video. These were taking March 2nd by the McDaniel family:

DANIEL ABDI KELILE HEDDLESON

He is officially ours!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Making it through the rain

Many people have made the comment in the last few days, "I don't know how you do this. I couldn't make it through something like this". It didn't hit me until today when I was listening to a great song that one of my great friends brought to my attention, Bring the Rain by MercyMe (video is posted below). I remember telling Mark those very words when we were worried about getting stuck in the court closures in August. I have made it through that and so much more. I think sometimes we second guess just how strong we can be and most of the time we are not even looking at where that strength comes from. You see, when I can't stand anymore, when I feel like I can go on I know in my heart there is someone that loves me and will give me what I need when I need it, including the strength to make it through the rain! When the rain pours down on us we tend to drown in it, in the negative in the why me's. I have found over the last year when the rain pours down I just let it pour over me, I know that the rain is coming for a reason and that someone bigger than me is holding me so that I don't have to drown in the why me! What good does that do anyway. There are so many things that I thought would absolutely crush me in this adoption journey, not seeing the first time my son sits up, tries more than formula, smiles, crawls, stands, etc. In reality (and the reality didn't come until I was ready to face it) these things are strengthing me. Why they are happening I don't know, I don't need to know. The future is already decided for our family and we plan to embrace it. We turn our praises in the rain to the one that is always there. And I mean always there, when we can't walk He is carrying us. When we breakdown and cry, His arms are around us. So when people say "I don't think I would be able to make it through", I smile and say "you are stronger than you think, you would be able to make it through and you never know what you can handle until it is given to you". What a testimate of faith our son is going to have because we never said "We can't make it through"! Someone just posted on our yahoo group the following line from a devotion "Most people glance at God and gaze at circumstances. We need to gaze at God and glance at circumstances!" I am so thankful that I have been gazing at God and when we do that the circumstances don't seem to be quite so bad! Enjoy the song below, it may just be one of my new favorite songs!

Bring the Rain
by: MercyMe

Perspective

I do have to admit, today has been an extremely long trying day! The day didn't start off so good so I had a feeling court wasn't passing. When I got the call from Anna I just broke. I was so looking forward to passing court today and calling him my own officially. It feels sometimes like we are caught in a loop that is absolutely never ending! The words God will not give us more than we can handle keep going through my mind. A little more of what happened today, we did not pass court due to MOW@ not working, they were suppose to. The judge also is not happy and is extremely frustrated with them. He actually sent a subpoena to MOW@ for that letter. They said that this has never happened before. Everyone is frustrated. I actually pulled into my garage and screamed at Satan to let my son go! I have made the decision that no matter what happens from this day forward I am not going to let it have an affect on my like it did today (completely unable to breath!). God is in control and I am going to continue to praise him and not stress of that which I can not control. In the right timing I will have my baby in my arms and all of this will fade away! This verse was posted earlier and I thought it so fitting:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”
James 1:2."

Please continue to pray with us, March 19th is going to be a day of celebration! First stop is going to be Starbuck's (I have given up coffee until we pass court, harder than I thought it would be)!

#8 Tonight

Tonight is our 8th court date! While we sleep an Ethiopian judge will decide what we already know, Daniel is a Heddleson. Please pray for all electricity to stay on, all letters to be completed and in the judges hands and for the words we hear when we get the phone call to be "you passed". Can't wait to put pictures on here tomorrow!

God you can move the mountains! You have the power to make the electricty stay on and letters get to where they need to be. Please be with the judge as he reviews our information and the rep from MOW@ as they are writing the letters. Please make sure all things are in order and Daniel can finally begin his journey home. There are so many people praying for him as you know. Please hear our prayers and officially make him a Heddleson. We love you Lord and know if anyone can take care of this it is You. Amen!

He Loves Us

Now that the shock of not passing court a 2nd time due to power outages has worn off I have had time to think. When Mark called me I have to admit I was extremely instantly angry! Seriously power outages, we don't even think about electricity here. Do you think to yourself everytime you walk into a room is the light going to turn on, or do we have power? I know I don't. I just take for granted the fact that the light will turn on when I tell it too. As angry as this has made me feel earlier today I have had time to process. At one point the thought passed in my mind "God do you really love me? Because if you did this would be over by now!" Now don't get me wrong I know that God loves me with all my heart but in the heat of the moment for a split second the thought crossed my mind. Mark sent me this song today and it was perfect for what I was feeling. I had heard the song before but never really listened to the words. Once I listened to it I started to think of all the ways God has shown me in the last two days that He loves me! The biggest way is the gift of my husband! He is my rock and he has brought me closer to God. He is the love of my life and God knew that he would be perfect for me. We would be able to handle the 8 court dates together, if one of us is ready to break the other is there to pick us up. In the last 10 hours God has shown me His love through the numerous emails of encouragement and support from my friends, family and my Yahoo Group Friends. When I feel like I can't do this anymore for that split second and email would come through with a scripture verse or another form of encouragement. Or someone totally annonymous would post on the blog saying how they are praying for us and we are an inspiration to them. A junior high student from CRASH would email me or facebook me with excitement waiting to hear the words that we passed and when I email back that didn't happen I get an email with the words "I am praying and I love you". God loves me and there is no other love like that! I know I have said this 1000 times over, I am so glad that He is my friend and He is in my corner and when I can't stand He will carry me through. So I know in my heart my baby boy will be home soon God just wanted some more time with him to build our hearts up! I love him for that! The video below is the song Mark sent me

How He Love Us by: David Crowder

Didn't Pass Again!

Well Mark got the call we didn't pass again. Apparently we have power outages again today and MOW@ couldn't write the letter. They process the letters on the day of court and since they had no power they couldn't process the letter! All I can say is "Seriously" is this a joke! This is twice we have had to reschedule court dates due to power issues. Our next date is on Monday March 8th. Please continue to pray and continue to pray specifically for power in Ethiopia!

Court #7 Tonight

Tonight is our court date. Lucky #7. While we sleep our case will go before the Ethiopian judge again. Please pray with us that all paperwork is complete and in the judges hands. I can't wait to finally say Daniel is officially a Heddleson! God is good and he can make this happen.

Lord, I put my hope in You. I submit my life to You. Help me pray and trust you completely as we finish this journey. You are good and You deserve all the praise. Good things come to those who wait! Amen

My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.
-Psalm 62:5