Bittersweet Return

Any other trip I have taken out of town has been one where I look forward to the return home. This time, every mile we traveled brought us one mile closer to our house, and one mile further from our hearts.

If you are catching up, Meagan and I got the chance to meet Eli, our future adopted son. There are still many things that need to fall into place for this to happen, but we are closer than we have ever been. And as I sat today with him laying on my chest, looking at his tiny hands and listening to him breathe, I realized that all will be well and it will all work out O.K.

On our trip home, though filled with conflicting emotions, there was one time we both laughed out loud. We called the hospital for an update and found out that Eli had his first poo! I cannot think of another time in my life when I would ever be excited about that, but it was the last thing we were waiting on to make sure everything was working correctly.

We have planned our next trip in a few weeks. It will be hard realizing we are separated from our son  by several hours, but such will be our life for however long he needs to stay in the NICU. Home during the week working, sleeping, getting the house and nursery ready, and then when we can driving up to visit, hold, talk to, touch, and encourage him. Hopefully sooner than later, that day will come when our hearts and home are together again, and Eli is safe and sound in a nursery a few feet, instead of a few hours away.

Please continue to pray. Pray that Eli will gain the weight and make the milestones he needs to make to come home quickly. Pray for the nurses and doctors who watch over our little one every day. Pray for us as we travel back and forth. Pray for our continued efforts to raise the last of the money we need, and for the upcoming legal proceedings that we must go through to finalize this adoption.

We are so thankful to all of you who have expressed your concerns, prayers, and encouragement over the phone, text, emails, twitter and facebook. Each message means so much. Thank you for joining us on this journey.

We will probably do most of our updates, and try to answer the questions we can here on this blog. We will post the link to each entry on facebook so check there daily to see what's going on. You can also get  updates to your email inbox by using the form in the right hand column of this blog site.

Russell and Meagan

Oh.. photos will come when I can put them up I promise.
Go buy a CD  www.indieheaven.com/artists/russellmartin

Prayers for Brooklyn

For the past many months you have been praying for Meagan and I in our adoption process. First of all I thank you so much, and hope you will continue.

I write now though to ask for prayers for another hopeful family. It is for my cousin's daughter Brooklyn. Here is her story...

A Word From Mom:

At week 20 in my pregnancy, our child was diagnosed with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia. We were told that there was a hole in her diaphragm and that her intestines were invading her chest cavity. She would undergo surgery at birth and face many trials in order to survive. My husband and I were scared, but we clung to our faith and believed that God had placed this little girl in our lives for a reason.

Brooklyn Elizabeth Hales was born on November 28th, 2010. She was the most beautiful thing we had ever witnessed. Without a chance to hold her in my arms, she was whisked away to the NICU at Texas Children's Hospital. Hooked to tubes and wires, our little girl was struggling to hold on. Over the next few days she fell in and out of stability. Her vitals jumped up and down as the doctors worked hard to control her treatment.

We are taking it one day at a time. Brooklyn has proven herself a fighter and has already had her corrective surgery. She was put on a heart and lung bypass machine which kept her stable throughout the process. She continues to make progress and grows stronger every day. She has a long way to go, but has proven herself worthy of this battle. She has already touched the hearts of hundreds and continues to amaze us with her endurance. We are grateful for the honor to be her parents. She has taught us all to "have a little faith", and I encourage us all to learn from her journey.

Friends and family are holding a Benefit BBQ and Auction on March 5th in Lake Jackson, Texas, with all proceeds going for Brooklyn's medical expenses. If you are in the area and can stop by, that would be awesome. I am including the flyer so you have all the information.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers.