The Call..........

January 3, 2012
We had barely finished our paperwork and approval when that first call came to our home.  The caseworker informed me there was a little boy born at the hospital , he was in need of care, and more then likely a forever family.  Would we be willing to take on the responsibility of his care and possible adoption?  That was the question posed to us in a brief ten minute conversation.  And the tail end of that question was ended with "Oh, and by the way the baby was born with cleft lip and cleft palate.  Do you know what that is?"

No, I had no idea what cleft lip and palate was nor the steps needed to care for a baby with these special needs.  I did not know what caring for this child would bring while raising a two-year-old daughter.  Michael and I were clueless about any of the "facts".  We felt God had opened this door for us and we prepared to go and start bonding with this baby.  One obstacle was we were in need of a clean water test and our well water did not meet regulation. (We weren't drinking it!)  We spent our Thanksgiving of 2006 arguing over the installation of a water softener system and UV light.  We had to achieve the clean water test for our final approval with the agency, then we would be able to bond with this little life that lay in the hospital. 

The water test finally passed after Mike's sweat and frustration in installing the water softener that Thanksgiving (come to think of it he might not of had the chance for  pumpkin pie in the mix of things?)  The next challenge was a couple of signatures before we could be an official "foster/adoption" home, no problem there, our caseworker had faith in us to the point of driving with me to Michael's job site in the mountains (no joke!) just to get those papers signed and get us approved to go meet this baby....................

OUR FIRST TIME MEETING THE BABY....................................

 We registered at the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) front desk and proceed to the little incubator box that held our son, on the side of the box the name of the baby was written in marker.  While gazing at him, in his beautiful infant state, we saw the name written on his box........."Michael".  Our baby's name was Michael.  His birth mother had given him the name.  The very name of my husband. Michael.

Baby Michael

Julia taking care of her brother.

Home from our cleft lip repair.

Home after palate surgery, the arm bands were on for six weeks to keep Michael from touching his mouth.  We kept him busy playing so he wouldn't mind the restrictions!

We spent two weeks bonding and learning how to care for Michael in the NICU.  The experience was just the beginning of the journey for us in the NICU.  For the next two years we spent time in and out of the hospital to correct Michael's lip and palate.  We have wonderful cleft clinic doctors and a team of people who will see us through in the years to come as we address all the obstacles that come with being born with cleft lip and palate.  God has been faithful!  I have grown in strength and character as a person in so many ways.  When God asks us to step out, when he asks us to serve, give, love, it is NOT by our own strength that we move forward.  We must rely on Christ through the Holy Spirit to equipped us for the journey.  Trusting God, not your circumstances...is where it all begins............and oh what a blessed mommy I am!

Michael (5 yrs old) on Daddy's Tractor (One of his greatest loves!)
December 2011

          

I Love You

Michael Steven Snyder.........

God has put you into our family with a purpose and plan!