We'll call him "J" for now

To be continued. Let's just get it out there right now. This is will another "to be continued" moment. So for all of you "read-the-last-page-first" kind of readers, suck it up and enjoy the ride! :)

I thought you'd like a closer look at our new little guy. I wish I could post some pictures for you, but at this point, that would be frowned upon...so I'll just have to try to explain.

He was born in September 2009 and abandoned at a local hospital. It's heartbreaking to imagine him laying there...alone. But I've come to truly view this as an act of tender kindness...because without it, we would not be able to welcome this little one into our home. There is purpose for everything under the sun...it's just hard to see everyday life through the eyes of the Creator...all the heartache, the ugliness, the tragic consequences of wrong choices...every bit of it...God has a purpose for it. So even as I think about this little man being rejected by his earthly parents, I'm reminded that the God who always loves and never fails, never left his side.

J was born with a side cleft and an ear deformity, both on the right side of his face. Picture in your mind your ear being at the curve of your jawbone, seemingly connected or pulling at, the side of the mouth. He seems to be in perfect physical health with the exception of not looking "normal." Kenney and Laura said he's so sweet to all the other kids at the orphanage. He passes out all the toys to everyone before he takes one for himself. If he sees someone crying, he'll go over and try to comfort them. (Remember, he's just 2 1/2 now...wow) They also said that our two kiddos are inseparable at the orphanage.

As I mentioned in previous posts, we were able to show his medical files to some local specialists the day we received it. After examining it, they said there didn't seem to be any genetic cause for his 2 issues and seemed to simply be a repairable birth defect. Initially, it's simply cosmetic surgery...although the bigger issue will be multiple surgeries on the jaw as he grows. They believe this will be necessary as the jaw will likely not develop as it should on the right side. They're also not sure how his hearing has been affected on the right side.

I'm so struck again by an obvious enormous blessing with our recent move to Iowa. I would never have guessed one of the top perks of this move would be the incredible medical care and attention we would receive in SE Iowa. No offense to my new home...but seriously?!? It just wasn't on my radar. I even had many people question my own health needs in the move...wondering if I'd be able to get the doctors I'd need to manage some old issues. I can honestly say, the healthcare situation for the Carr's has increased exponentially since we moved to SE Iowa! It would have taken several weeks just to get into any doctor back in Indiana...and there wouldn't have been any feedback for several more. Again, that's a freebie...but still a huge part of this adoption journey.

You can probably guess what tomorrow's post will be so I'll go ahead and give you the title...

"...and let's just call her 'C'..."