Well, down to business...Kiara is an amazing miracle...she brings us daily joy! As of tomorrow, she will be five weeks old. Can you believe it? We certainly cannot...sometimes it still feels like a dream. But, then there are other moments when we just sit and stare at her beautiful little face, and it becomes increasingly real. Since its been so long since we've updated, we thought we'd just give you a brief week by week update. So here goes...
Week 1 - Kiara came home the Monday morning after she was born without any glitches. Ryan took that day off of work so the three of us just relaxed at home together - it was so special. Her birthmom signed the termination of parental rights papers on that Tuesday. We had a small celebration with Heather's parents and our attorney. Kiara did alot of sleeping this week and we just enjoyed being near her.
Week 2 - Kiara had her two week doctor's appointment this week! She weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces - she had gained a whole pound! And she measured 20.75 inches - she grew 3/4 inch! We were so excited that she was so healthy. We really started to feel like parents, as later in this week, she became really inconsolably fussy - we were worried about the possibility of colic.
Week 3 - Heather finally called the doctor's nurse to inquire about Kiara's discomfort. He didn't think she was colicky (Praise God!) but that she was lactose intolerant! So, we switched to a soy-based formula and we saw an immediate change. She was a completely different baby - in fact, Ryan teased Heather that she had switched babies on him while he was at work! She went from constant crying to being content. We are so thankful that we discovered this early on! In this week, we started noticing cute little things about Kiara - like the way she squeals, how she smiles in her sleep, and that she calms when Daddy and Mommy hold her. And, she started sleeping longer hours through the night - what a relief!! :)
Week 4 - This week, we've noticed that she's started watching us more intently. She is more alert when she's awake - she loves to look at colorful things, like the toys on her play gym and bouncy chair. She likes to be outdoors and listen to the birds. She's holding her head more steadily and even once in a while, she'll give a small smile in return to Daddy and Mommy's. And, we've been dealing with the baby acne thing - this too shall pass... :) But, she's beautiful despite that!
On the legal end of things, Kiara was served her summons to court several weeks ago. Seriously...Mr. Sullivan came to our home and actually had to touch the papers to her head so he could say that he served her!! It was really hilarious. Our first appearance in court was May 12 - this was simply to open our adoption case. Our attorney said that it couldn't have gone better - the judge has already referred to our finalization. For the past several weeks, there has been an announcement published in the Decatur Tribune stating that Kiara Joy Jackson was born, that she was being adopted and that if anyone thought he was her birthfather, he should step forward. Since the birthmother put Kiara Joy Jackson on the birth certificate, it was published this way, and the birthmother's last name was not even in the announcement so we didn't have any concerns. The publication is now over and we will be going to court June 3 to default the birthfather. DCFS needs to come into our home to make certain it is safe. After this, it will simply be a waiting game until finalization. So far, things could not have gone more smoothly - it is so obvious God's hand has been at work.
We are constantly so amazed at the faithfulness of God - but we've also been challenged and reminded that though God answered our prayers, this is not the time to cease praying. Oh no, we have a treasure that has been entrusted upon us to raise and we so desperately want her to grow up knowing of our Lord Jesus Christ and claim Him as her own. So, we've been challenged to stay in the Word and continue praying diligently so that she may learn by our example as she grows.
Here are some pictures for you to enjoy - we hope to continue to keep friends and family who live far from us updated through this website. We'll try to get some video footage of Kiara up soon. We love you all! Thank you again for all your prayers and support.
Going Home from the Hospital
Home at Last!
Pretty in Pink
Bright Eyes
Uncle Kyle's Visit
Milita Fixed Kiara's Hair
Kiara loves you all - but she's had enough of pictures!!
