What a week ...

It's Friday, Nov. 10. One week ago today my son, Jackson, was born in a hospital in south central Texas. I'm still in Houston, staying with people I just met today, waiting on the paperwork to clear so I can fly with the new member we've adopted in our family back to Georgia.

The past two month have been a whirlwind that I'm just not sure I have the energy to write about now. Long story short, Amy and I sought out an adoption plan and almost instantly were matched up with a baby. The birth parents saw our profile and wanted us to adopt their child. In addition to getting our paperwork done and making appointments for checkups and getting fingerprints recorded and having interviews made and getting references sent out and making plans for Rylee to stay with someone while not missing too much school and getting travel plans set, we also had to stay busy with our full-time jobs and prepare plans for our absence.

Pause. Inhale. Exhale.

Amy had to get back home in order to get Rylee to school and go to work herself. I'm still in Texas waiting clearance to transport our baby across state lines and go home. Rylee's excited about seeing her baby brother. Our families can't wait to see him as well. Everyone's jealous because for the time being he's all mine. Scary. Only one major fountain eruption during a change. That happened tonight and my new friend, John, was there to be my wingman in the cleanup.

The wife of the couple I'm staying with is the sister of a friend of ours at church. Like I said before, today was the first day I met them. Hours later they've opened up their home to me and my newborn. Like others we've met in this adventure, they're good people who could easily have come up with a reason we couldn't stay here, but didn't. We're thankful for them.

The previous few nights I've stayed with some relatives of Amy's near San Antonio. Same story. They were great enough to give me a place to stay. Not just that, but the mom and dad moved out of their own bedroom and let me have it. A king-sized bed to myself while the mom slept in a recliner in the living room and the dad crashed on an inflatable mattress in a guest room.

There are a lot of people for us to thank in all of this. Our church has been magnificient. So many people have provided gifts and time for us while we were gone. A group of ladies Amy works with at the church bought toys for Rylee each day we were gone. I've gotten wind of guys in our age group actually contemplating flying our here to help me out after Amy had flown back. My brother volunteered to drive out here if it helped get me back sooner.

I can't wait to thank these people personally. For the time being, it's a waiting game, though. I'm looking forward to that wait coming to an end.