Introducing Micaela and C.J.

 

 

Let me introduce you to our son and daughter.  It still sounds so weird coming off my tongue to say son.  The daughter we got down.  But did I mention we have a son?!

Ladies first: 

Micaela will be 5 years old in May, 5 days before my 47^th birthday.  Our hope and prayer is to have her by then but it will take a miracle.  (Hey, a mom can ask!)  She looks like she is going to be so much fun!!  Her reports say that she is very smart, can reason well, likes to be in charge, gets along with everyone and she can also give you the silent treatment when she doesn’t want to do what is asked of her.  (Oh boy!)

We have found so many pictures of her on the internet.  The orphanage they are in has a huge presence on social media and Micaela happens to be so photogenic (insert: cute) that we feel like we know her already.  She reminds me of a miniature Abbi. 

Then there’s our son C.J. as they call him.  He turned two in March.  This little guy is a fighter and for that reason we want to give him the name Cayden.  He has been sick every month of his life.  He entered the orphanage at 6 weeks with double pneumonia.  Since then he has had at least one round of antibiotics every month.  He also has some digestive issues and asthma.  (He’s a GAPS kid!)  He also has been delayed developmentally due to Metabolic Myopathy.  However we had his medical files reviewed by the doctors and they are not certain he has this disease.  Their opinion is that we get him home and see how he’s doing, because while we have a lot of information on his health, it’s not very detailed so the doctors couldn’t confirm his diagnosis.  While we are totally prepared to handle this issue if he ends up having it, we have believed that once he’s home things will work themselves out.  As I like to say, “He needs a family, love and good food.”

We don’t have many pictures of C.J. and about the only thing we know of his personality is that because he’s been in isolation with his Aunties often, he likes to be held and he doesn’t like waking up to an empty room.  Faith thinks she has a cuddle bug coming home just for her!

It’s still hard to believe that we have two more children who will be Shipmans!  The other day at church I looked at a couple of our friends, one has a 2 year old boy and the other a daughter the same age as Micaela and it dawned on me: Chubs and CC are coming home with us…and they are never leaving!!!  It was sort of the same feeling I had when we brought Faith home from the hospital.  If I looked too far into the future I’d end up panicked.  I remember seeing 8 year olds and thinking, “Oh my goodness, what will I do with that age?!”  And I realized that it’s much, much better to live one day at a time.

Micaela and C.J. we can’t wait to hug you and love you and see you grow!