Harbor Life Ministries

This has been a very busy and exhausting week! Thank you for your prayers.

Charlotte delivered Saturday night, Sept. 27, with her mother making it all the way from from California (yeah!!!). Charlotte spent time in the hospital with the baby and her mother.

When Charlotte was dismissed she came back to the house. We’ve kept her on bed rest–on the couch or in bed, with her feet up and only trips to the bathroom allowed. Her mother Rebekka stayed here too, helping Charlotte out and keeping her company.

The baby’s birthfather, Jordan, who is 18, also flew in from Calif. on Monday, checking in to a nearby motel. He got to visit with the baby and spend time with Charlotte too.

One of the secondary reasons Jordan came to Ohio was so he could have an adoption assessment done for the court. Normally a signature from the birthfather is all that’s required to place a baby. This is the first adoption we have done with the Huron County Court and they seemed overly suspicious of our motives. The court has required much more than any other court ever has.

John Huffman, our long-time friend and ally, a humble but brilliant Christian attorney from Lima with integrity and character as great as anyone I know (really!!!)–I could go on but I won’t–John told me that we needed to do everything the court asked, no matter what. We want to be able to work with Huron County on future adoptions so John wanted to prove to them that we won’t whine, we won’t squeal, we won’t try to sidestep or suggest alternatives, anything the court asked from us, we were willing to do. So that also included making sure Jordan was here so the court could see that the adoption was completely of the birthfather and birthmother’s own unfettered volition.

We had to not only get Jordan assessed, but also get psychological profiles on the adoptive parents. Social worker Peggy Dodds, a godly woman, a believer who we’ve worked with for almost 17 years, did the assessments and profiles. Poor Peggy does not really work full time doing adoptions, but she had to take the day off work so she could come to court, only to be asked three questions!!!

The adoption hearing went well, all the “I”s were dotted and “T”s crossed, and I think the court was impressed with us.

Baby Jayden is now at home tonight sleeping with his new family. Charlotte is on a plane back to California with her mother and boyfriend. It’s time to sleep for a day.

After 48 hours of labor, Charlotte has had a healthy baby boy. Jayden Reid entered the world at 5:34 pm today, weighing 7 lbs, 13 oz, and 21.5 inches long. Both mom and baby are doing well.

Charlotte’s mother Rebekka made it from California in plenty of time and the adoptive parents, Brian and Christine, have been to the hospital to meet their new son.

Charlotte will probably be in the hospital until Monday; court is likely to be on Wednesday. Charlotte and Rebekka will stay at the house until court is over when they’ll return to California, probably next weekend.

If you want to see more pictures of Charlotte, the baby and the four girls in house, head over to www.flickr.com/harborlife.

Thanks for all your prayers… please continue to pray for Charlotte and her mother Rebekka as these next few days are very emotional for everyone.

Charlotte had her regular doctor’s visit Thursday. Although her due date isn’t until October 3rd, her doctor had reasons to get her admitted to the hospital and possibly start inducing labor.

Charlotte has been in good spirits throughout the past few weeks, even though her feet have been swelling, causing discomfort when she walks or stands.

Charlotte’s mother Rebekka, after getting the news via phone call, arrived yesterday on a flight from California. She is staying at the hospital with Charlotte, allowing me to come home, get some sleep, and see everyone here.

I am now heading back to the hospital. Please pray. The word is Charlotte is now 3 cm dilated, they have broken her water, and hope is that things are on their way now… We have called the adoptive parents…

Both Charlotte and India will be going to the Ob/Gyn today, although India will not get to see the doctor yet. Charlotte has already made one visit and met with the new patient coordinator, filled out the necessary paperwork and gotten the “Now that your pregnant….” brochures and booklets, so she will get to actually have a doctor’s visit.

Sara will be going to Sandusky today for Job Corps orientation.

The “classroom” at the house is finally taking on the appearance of a classroom instead of the cluttered “office” look it has had all summer.

The first order of business to get ready for school is to have a functional location in the house for the girls to work. Originally it was my plan to take a 12 foot countertop that I had been given and prop it along the windowed south wall in the room just off the living room that has been functioning mostly as an office.

My good friend (and my “boss”) Bill Rieth was here last week and after considering my plans, he suggested some alternative ideas. He didn’t say so but I’m sure he was taking into consideration my lack of any discernible skills in woodworking and craftsmanship.

I ended up scrapping his ideas and decided instead to pull three desks from out of storage that we had used at the house in Celina. They originally been donated just for the purpose of school desks, but were abandoned as such after only a short time in use due to some difficulties in putting them somewhere where the schoolwork could be monitored. Most of the time we’ve had them they’ve served as pedestals for storage boxes. That’s what they were doing when they were reclaimed from the basement at Laylin Road and brought to the house.

I could only get one desk at a time in the back of the Chevy van, even with the last seat removed. Not to say I didn’t try to squeeze two of the 48″ by 30″ by 27″ desks into a space that appeared to be adequate but wasn’t, based on a variety of tried juxtapositions.

Sara, Charlotte and Natasha helped out on the first two trips, although they bailed out of the van while it was parked at Laylin Road when a large bug (a locust, maybe?) flew into the van and disappeared. India and my daughter K.C. helped bring the last desk home.

Next: set up computers and printers, move a bookshelf and filing cabinets in, and find two more chairs somewhere. Then we can say, “School is in session.”

After a somewhat dramatic departure from her home in Northern California and a tearful arrival in Ohio, Charlotte has finally settled in, although only for a bit.

“Now that I’m here and I see what you guys do, I wish I’d come a lot earlier in my pregnancy,” she commented. Charlotte is due sometime in late September or early October (she has her first appointment with the doctor very soon and should get a more specific due date). “There’s so much that would have helped if I’d been here from the beginning,” Charlotte added.

Since school has yet to start, Charlotte has spent most days–once morning chores are done–writing letters to her family and the baby’s father, Jordan. She and Jordan have made tentative plans to place the baby for adoption and are looking at prospective families.