Be the Change You Want to See in the World!: 370 days ago

370 days ago Nick and I's lives were drastically changed. Sadly we didn't really know then that anything out of the ordinary had happened.

370 days ago Eventz and Wedly were admitted at COTP. I don't remember much about that day except for the parts that include them.

Wedly and Eventz story of how they came to COTP actually started 373 days ago.

Early one morning a man showed up at our gate. Nick and I were the only ones up, so he decided to go talk to him. Nick came back and told me that the guy was coming back the following day with two babies which we were going to admit. I was shocked and kind of nervous that Nick was going to get in trouble. We hadn't been at COTP very long at this point and we had never done anything at the gate before, and here Nick goes and tells some guy that we'll just take two babies who will go up for adoption right away, even when we very rarely put kids up for adoption at admit.

This Man was the Pastor of Wedly and Eventz parents church. Nick told him to come back the following day before 2 so that our adoption workers would be here to admit them. Of course they showed up at 2:30 and there was no one to help them, so we sent them away, again asking them to come the following day before 2.

Before we sent them away though, Amy spent a long time talking to them trying to decide if we were in fact going to admit them. It didn't take her long to decide that Eventz would benefit from coming here, but she hesitated on Wedly for a long time. These boys were the first kids that she admitted and she was a bit nervous. Since Wedly was at the top of the age range that we normally admit and he was healthy, she wasn't sure that it would be a good idea. However we also admit kids if we feel like they could get sick without our help. Long story short she ended up deciding that we would take both children.

By the time they showed up on the third day, our adoption workers were all gone. Since they lived so far away and we felt guilty asking the pastor to drive them once again, we called our adoption worker back in to help fill out the paperwork. I remember the first time I saw Eventz. It was as his Mom was stepping out of the car and he was in her arms.

By time they finished everything it was well after dark. I watched Eventz Mom walk out of the pharmacy and get into the truck. I didn't think much of it.

Amy asked me if Nick and I could take one of the two boys for the night. I was secretively a little disappointed because that was supposed to be our first night off in a long time and I really wanted to sleep. She asked if Carla would take the other child.

I debated in my head for a long time which child would allow me to get more sleep. There is a strategy to figuring out how children will do on their first night here. Unfortunately I wasn't super good at the strategy at this point. I've got it down now though! Eventz was so tiny that he was going to need to eat a lot during the night, but he was also young enough that he would probably sleep a lot. Most people would think that taking the a toddler would mean more sleep, but that's not always true, and definitely was not in Wedly's case. Then on the other hand, it might be worth it to have one or two bad nights knowing that that child will go out to the baby house soon where as the tiny malnourished one will likely be in the volunteer house longer meaning continuous nights with out sleep. (Can you tell I was pretty tired at this point?)

It took me about an hour to decide, but since Wedly was screaming and Eventz was chill I took him. I still wonder to this day what would have happened had I have taken Wedly instead. I've apologized to Carla a few times since then for making her have the harder child and not letting her get any sleep that night!

The next day Wedly was ready to move out to the baby house. Carla was busy and asked if I would take him over. She specifically told me "he's sensitive so don't give him to Rosemanny give him to Bouta. Rosemanny will probably throw him up in the air or freak him out where as Bouta will just hold him tight and cuddle him." I agreed and promised to do my best. It was love at first sight for Carla and Wedly and they still have that bond now a year later.

I took him to the baby house, and although I tried to give him to Bouta, Rosemanny was much to excited about the new child, and a chubby one at that, so she ripped him from my arms, started bouncing him on her knee, throwing him in the air, and singing obnoxiously loud like only Rosemanny can. Wedly was totally freaked and crying, which only made Rosemanny do it more. She has way more energy than anyone else I know! Carla was very disappointed in me, but she got over it and Wedly eventually ended up in Bouta's arms where he was given lots of hugs! Rosemanny thought it was funny to put him on a toy car and push him around the baby house even though he was still shy, so she did this when ever she got the chance!

Eventz stayed in our room for the next two weeks. Since he was so tiny he had to eat every 2 hours around the clock. He was also very stubborn and refused to drink, so I had to syringe feed him for about a week. He was furious every time! Even so we bonded quickly. Eventz refused to go to anyone else. When a short term volunteer would try to hold him while I did depot, he would scream his awful high pitch scream that I could hear from the baby house. Multiple times that week he was brought out to me and I had to hold him while handing out supplies.

I fell in love with Eventz during these two weeks and was incredibly disappointed when he had to go out to the baby house. I really didn't want him to, but there was no other option. Most kids, especially kids as young as he was, do really well with this transition. Eventz however did awful. He screamed bloody murder for 2 days straight. His nannies held him, rocked him, feed him, pushed him in the swing, but nothing worked. He would not quit screaming. And if you've ever heard Eventz scream you know it's ear piercing and awful. If I would just walk in the room and not even hold him, he would stop crying, however, as soon as I left, he would start again.

These two days were incredibly difficult. The second day I was locked in the far side of the depot organizing and I could hear him screaming. I sat down and started crying because I felt so bad and just wanted to bring him back to our room and never let him go.

Thankfully after two days he started doing much better. I didn't even allow myself to go into his room or any where around him because it was to hard for me. After two weeks in the baby house, I saw a nanny handing him to Amy. I secretively was hoping he was sick (which means he would stay in the volunteer house). I hope I didn't look to excited when Amy informed me that he was ill, but I quickly offered to have him again. I don't ALWAYS try to get out of having babies at night!

After a day and a half it was decided he should go to the hospital because he wasn't doing well. He spent 5 weeks there total. Amy went and checked on him one Friday and when I asked how he was doing she said he wasn't doing good. I asked if he would make it and she hesitated. I ran straight to the office and told Nick we were going to go see him first thing the next morning.

When we got there I was devastated by what I saw. He laid there, completely lethargic, eyes rolled back into his head, and limp. He had an incredibly high fever and bad diarrhea. He looked awful. I held him for a long time bawling. Everyone around me was staring, but I couldn't help it. As I was holding him I was picturing what I was going to bury him in because I was certain he was going to die in my arms right then. We had just had another little boy I loved pass away the week before from something similar and had he have had IV's started early enough he might have been saved.

Nick went and asked the nurses to start an IV on Eventz. They looked at him like he was an idiot and said they'd get around to it in a minute. He asked them a few times and finally said in a raised voice, "if you don't start an IV now he's going to die." They stared at him blankly and Nick turned and walked out of the room. This only made me cry more. I think they wanted to get me out of there or felt guilty for me or something, because they came over shortly there after and started attempting to put in an IV.

Eventz was so lethargic that he didn't even cry or flinch when they were poking him which isn't a good sign. It took several attempts but they eventually got one in and he perked up quickly. We stayed with him for a while and then came back the next morning to check on him again. I prayed a ton those two days! Thankfully he was doing much better and appeared to be slowly on the mend!

It was that night that Nick and I started talking about adopting him. We knew it was crazy, but I couldn't let him go again.

He came home about a week later. When I heard the truck pull up I sprinted out of the depot, leaving Nick to finish handing out supplies by himself. I was so excited to see that when he came back he was smiling and in a great mood. Eventz came home in a onzie that said "I love my Mommy and Mommy loves me!" As the 4 of us (we had another baby staying with us at that time), laid in bed, Eventz kept saying "Dada" and smiling. I convinced Nick that he was saying it to him, which of course he wasn't, but it was then that we officially decided to adopt him. We continued to pray and think about it for the next few days before we finally asked if it would even be an option.

A week later we were on a plane to tell our parents the good news and the rest is history.

A year later, I couldn't be happier that we met both of these boys and that they are both now living with us. They are both such a joy to us and it's a blessing to see how far they have come. Wedly is only ours for a short time, but we hope that the time we spend with him will not only change his life, but ours and Eventz as well.

I can't imagine how much more I will love Eventz in another 370 days. It doesn't feel like I could love him any more, however I know I will continue to love him more and more each day!

Thank you Lord for these boys!

Admit August 20, 2010: