jude

There isn't enough room on this single page to explain what this child means to us. He gave us purpose, and direction, and made us parents! When he's gassy, he's Tootie Judy. When he's not being nice, he's Rudy Judy. When he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, he's Moody Judy. When he's naked, he's Nudey Judy. The list goes on.. but he is the single most reason why we fell in love with adoption and its story of beauty from ashes! His story began as a situation of infidelity, but was the sweetest surprise. We are forever grateful for heartbeat sonograms, as thats what saved his life! His tummy mama chose life for him, and we are eternally grateful! His little story is one for the record books, as another family was supposed to adopt him. They learned that Jude only had one working kidney, and chose to back out due to those health concerns being too much for them to handle. When David and I got the call, we didn't care what medical challenges he was expected to have; he was ours, through and through! God had aligned the stars in our favor, and we were finally expecting our son! We rushed to get things done (nursery, clothes washed, etc) and I am glad we did! He was born premature around 32 weeks gestation via emergency c-section. We were traveling to his birth, and got word on the interstate that he was here- happy and healthy, but in the NICU for prematurity! He's been a fighter ever since (just ask his sister) yet has the biggest heart of gold you'll see in a 3.5 year old. He spoke prophetically about his baby sister, and on his second birthday, thats pretty much what we gifted him, because you know, expensive! He is a delight to have as a son, and loves his mama! He is constantly telling me that I'm his best friend and, "Mommy, you're my favorite boy." Guessing he's heard that one a time or two! He began soccer recently, and by soccer, I mean taking the ball and running towards the parking lot, just so his daddy has to chase him. Laughing all the way, he ditched his team and had a 100-meter head start, headed to Lord knows where. He has a mind of his own, and after seeing how fast of a runner he is, we're thinking track is more his forte. He can't wait to try t-ball, but if its anything like soccer practice has been, I think we'll just go for the post-game snacks and vases full of wild flowers from the outfield. Either way, I'll boast those babies from my kitchen window sill and bask in how generous his heart is. He has a need for speed, and is obsessed with all things Monster Jam. He's watched every episode Netflix has to offer, several times, and can name you all the trucks and almost all of their drivers. It's impressive the memory under that head full of curls! Knows all of his numbers and almost all of his letters, he's an absolute delight and was meant to be a big brother! We are honored to sit front row to the story of his life, because he's sure teaching us how to live it!