17 months- All about Isaiah

Big things have been happening in your life this month! For one you were officially adopted on November 18, 2011. We are so blessed and happy that you are legally ours!

I keep telling your Dad that it's as if you became a boy this month. You no longer seem like a baby to me. It is so exciting to watch you develop and learn every day! It also makes me a little sad and long for you to be a baby again. It floors me to think about last Christmas and what you were like then. So tiny and serious, you are a totally different kid!



Food- You still prefer fruit and veggies to meat. You like bread but not like sandwich bread, you like rolls, cheddar biscuits, french bread, muffins. Your new thing that you love is feeding yourself with a spoon. One day you just started doing it ,you are really good at it. You also love chips, if you see one and have food in your mouth you take the food out to make room for the chip.

Activities- I cannot stress this enough...you are BUSY! You mostly run around all day getting into one kind of mischief or another. Your most recent favorite is to take candy canes off the Christmas tree. I find you crouched in the corner with a chewed up candy cane still in the wrapper in your mouth. You still love wrestling and being thrown around. You love playgrounds and have started going down the slide by yourself. You still love books and are starting to get into blocks all though they make you very frustrated. You also love bath time. You have started pretending to talk on the phone also.

Things that make you laugh- Yourself! You crack yourself up! When you do you laugh this deep laugh. I love it. Covering your head with a blanket and walking around running into things

New stuff- TALKING! You say block, ball, book, bath, nana, nono, mama, dada,hi, and bye. You also imitate your foster brother and say "I want milk" (kinda)

I have to pause and say you are a good looking kid!



Stuff that makes me swoon- kisses love 'em, your new found ability to flirt (mostly with your foster brothers speech therapist) you pretend to fall down and roll around and make yourself cute, sometimes when I can get you to lay still and let me hold you, but really your whole self from the fits, to the silliness, to the sweetness. You are the whole package kid. Love you more everyday!

P.S.- All pictures by Mary Beth Sudan. LOVE HER!

Adoption Day!

November 18th, 2011. God knew the day ages before any of us even existed. He knew that was the day we were going to adopt Isaiah Michael Clarke.

We left Matt's parents house at 6:00am to make the drive into Houston and my heart was beating fast and the tears came and went the whole drive. In just a few hours, Isaiah would have his name changed. He would no longer be a foster child. We got to the courthouse at 7:00am and had an hour to kill. We went and got breakfast tacos from a shack, 'cause what else are you going to do?

We met our family developer, Jessica, in the parking lot and made our way into the courthouse. There were all these families coming in. All these orphans being un-orphaned.

We signed papers. We waited. Isaiah ran up and down the hall crowded with caseworkers and proud families and kids in their Sunday best.

We worked hard to try to keep Isaiah entertained.
Shout out to my husband. He is the best. He is an amazing father. And a world class entertainer.
That boy loves his daddy...and the feeling is mutual.

We waited and waited. Our lawyer kept apologizing. For the wait. For the chaos. I told her I didn't care. I was adopting my son. I would've waited til whenever I had to. I had already waited 20 years. What was a few more hours?

When we finally were moved into the court room, Isaiah busied himself by...
brushing his hair,
climbing in the stroller,

and laying on the floor grunting.

Then it was our turn.

All the praying, the crying, the waiting, the trusting. We were here.


This moment right here. This moment is the one I have been dreaming about for at least twenty years. I never dreamed of the white dress, or the church, or the big wedding. I dreamt of me with my son on my hip in front of a judge. Making promises and claiming the ones that had been made to me.


Then it was over. The adoption petition had been granted by the judge, along with all the other petitions that our hearts had made to the Father for our son. Hallelujuah!




Then we went downstairs and ate cupcakes, took more pictures, and partied Harris-County-National-Adoption-Day style.

Through all this, I was suprisingly composed. Then on the way out of the courthouse I stopped off in the bathroom and when I sat down to use the bathroom, I started sobbing. It hit me like a ton of bricks. He was staying. I did not have to pack him up and stand in my front yard and wave goodbye. God promised and delivered. I thought if I had never known what it was like to say goodbye to a child, then maybe I wouldn't know just how sweet it is to not have to do that. In that moment, crying in a bathroom stall, I was thankful for every stinking piece of the whole puzzle and I wouldn't have taken an ounce of it back.

So there is the story. At least, my version of it. But I do want to take the time to honor the people who God used to bring our son home. Lisa Patterson, who loves orphans and works with God to place the lonely in families. Dale Smith, who runs our agency with humilty and obedience to the Father, and a deep love for the orphan. Kay Whyburn, who is crazy and just knew he belonged with us and broke countless rules to get him home. All his caseworkers: Sharon Love, Deedra Red, and even the one who almost dropped the ball who shall remained unamed. Amy Slaughter and Michelle Teal who helped seal the deal. Finally, Jessica Hall - our family developer, who is really more like a super-hard working, completely-invested auntie and friend. She puts up with my crazy antics and my shrill incessant phone calls with patience and love. You, my friend, are a light in the darkness of this system. A woman of God who loves Jesus and serves His people. We love you so much and cannot thank you enough for all you do!

Isaiah Michael Clarke

Early this morning here I sit my iced coffee, my son in his high chair next to me concentrating hard on his cheerios listening to Waterdeep. I just filled out the paperwork for the adoption. The paperwork that in October or November will change his name from Infant/ Baby boy to Isaiah Michael Clarke. Which is just who God intended him to be.I know that as we sit here in the most ordinary of settings, that apart from the hand of God Isaiah wouldn't be here eating dry cheerios at 6:30 in the morning. It is a miracle. Beauty from ashes. Raised up from premature birth in some projects in Houston, from abandonment, to strong, confident, happy, belonging, loved, named. My heart could just burst at the thought of this. Thank you Isaiah my daily reminder that God's love is real and that it intervenes in the most desperate of circumstances. That he still moves in the most broken of systems. That he works these things together for our good. All glory to my Creator who against all odds fulfilled a promise that he made five years ago that you would come. Not just a baby but YOU (read Isaiah's story) A God who at His most perfect timing brought you to me because He knew who you are, and what your name was to be.

Isaiah 62:2-3
You'll get a brand-new name
straight from the mouth of God.
You'll be a stunning crown in the palm of God's hand,
a jeweled gold cup held high in the hand of your God.
No more will anyone call you Rejected,
and your country will no more be called Ruined.

Not Done Yet

Ever since Isaiah arrived, people have been asking: "Are you done now?" "Done with foster care?" "You will just adopt now, right?" "No more in-and-out?" "No more revolving door?" "Just take care of your kids." "You don't need to do that, you have done that already." We have fielded these questions in the last week as we have been informing people that we are not done. The news that there are two kids on the way to our house (albeit SLOWLY) has gotten mixed reviews.
I just want to say this: I have spent a lot of time wrestling with how this may affect my son. I have worried about how he may feel if we have some kids and they leave. I have ached at the thought of his little heart hurting. But God considered that. God loves Isaiah so much more that my broken human self can. He has a plan for Isaiah. A plan for us. His plan is good, and bigger than we can fathom. More than anything, I want Isaiah to grow up to be a man who loves Jesus, a man who loves his people, a man who has a heart for the kingdom of God, a man who will defend the weak, love the poor, and who will spend himself on behalf of the needy in the name of Jesus. I want those things more than Isaiah having his own room, or being the center of attention, or all the toys he wants. I want him to see that a life lived in obedience to his Creator is sacrificial but oh-so-full!
2 Corinthians 9: 8-11 says:
"God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,

He throws caution to the winds,
giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
His right-living, right-giving ways
never run out, never wear out.

This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God."

So how many kids will we take in? How many will we adopt? When will we stop?
When God says stop, but not until then.

All about Isaiah 1 year old!

You are a year old now and I cannot believe it. You are changing so much every day and I wish I could slow it down. But here are some facts about you.

Food: well you are basically vegan now. Fruits and veggies are your favorites. You are over the crackers now. Every once in a while I can get you to eat fish and cheese and maybe if I am lucky chicken.

Activities- You are SUPER busy! You move all day long. You love water and search it out as often as possible whether that be the toilet or the dog bowl you love it. We go to the spray park at least once a week and you have a blast! You are not afraid of any of it. You also have started pushing stuff that rolls you push my old red barbie car around on your knees, you push the grocery cart around while you stand up. You love dancing and playing your new guitar toy that you got for your birthday!

Things that make you laugh- still wrestling, when your Daddy holds you and jumps

New stuff- sticking our your tongue. so funny because I will stick mine out at you then you stick yours out and feel it with your hands to make sure it is the same. you have also said dog and ball.

Things that make me swoon- your feet are always crossed at the ankles when you are sitting, when you are sleeping in your crib, even when you are standing and holding onto something. You have gotten to be a little more affectionate , while you will never be a cuddly baby (you are too busy for that!) You have started giving little hugs and kisses.

All about Isaiah 11 months-ish

This boy is growing so fast and melting my heart! He is so fun and smart, and sweet, and cute. I feel so incredibly blessed that God chose me to be his mother.I am over the moon. I want to remember every single moment and it is going by all too fast!So I am trying to do these post periodically to document some stuff.

Foods: CRACKERS! and mostly fruits and vegetables.Your favorites are tomatoes and watermelon. You eat almost anything and a lot of it! You do not like bread, or bananas.

Music: You LOVE it . Whenever a song comes on with a beat that you like you stop what you are doing pull up and dance. You also love patty cake and know all the motions to do with it!


Activities: Practicing standing you do this all day. Pull up, gain your balance, let go of whatever you are holding onto, stand a few seconds, fall, repeat. But when you do this you are so proud you raise your hands over your head and have a huge smile on your face.You are SO BIG! You also love getting in the dog bowl, pulling books of the shelf and playing with kitchenware, and taking a bath.

You can: CRAWL you are all over the place, you are cruising, you sign more, you blow kisses, you wave, and "roll it up" (Patty Cake), feed yourself


Things that make you laugh: Wrestling you love to roughhouse, your Daddy (when you hear the back door open in the afternoon your whole body gets excited and you start shrieking), feeding me of your plate

New Stuff- you chirp usually when you are kinda frustrated.