Meet Leo.
In most cases, we don’t reveal a foster child’s name on social media. But this is different. You see, his name isn’t actually Leo; that is just what we call him.
This little guy’s official name is Baby Boy. He is 7 weeks old, and his birth certificate along with all his paperwork still says Baby Boy. There was a form at one of his doctor appointments that said his name was Male Infant, and I asked them to change it to Baby Boy. It isn’t much of a name, but it feels more tender than Male Infant, and at the very least, his paperwork should be consistent.
When the caseworker brought him to our home, she said we could pick a name to call him. I felt unqualified for such a task. Even though it would be his unofficial name, it felt like an intense responsibility. Stephen and I didn’t put too much thought into the meaning of our children’s names; we picked names we liked and later looked up what they meant.
This was different. I wanted Baby Boy’s temporary name to mean something big. This little guy had just spent 10 days in the NICU without a single family member to hold him. He has paperwork that labels him “Abandoned,” and he hasn’t had a visitation with a family member since he arrived with us. I wanted his name to halt the trajectory of that life and redirect him to the beautiful story God is weaving together.
Leo. Our little lion. Bravery. Confidence. Boldness.
These are the words I pray over his life each day. He entered this world with odds stacked against him, but my God has a sweet spot for those He will use to defy the odds.
Leo will have every reason to one day question his worth, his identity, asking those haunting questions, “Am I wanted? Am I loved?” As much as our family has a responsibility to care for his needs and snuggle him like crazy, we will also speak words of truth over Leo, rejecting the lie that he is unwanted or abandoned. Instead, I pray he will grow to know the confidence that comes when you are a child of God, the fearlessness that comes when you have the power of the Holy Spirit alive within you, and the courage to believe God’s Word.
Oh, little Leo. You are so loved, and so wanted. As the details of your future take shape, we will happily love you and thank God that He chose us to care for you.
This month’s favorite things will be especially brief. I didn’t read much, cook much, or buy much for myself, and I have a feeling you’re already inundated with a million other favorite thing suggestions for holiday gift giving. So I will be brief, and share two favorite things I’m using and loving right now.
One is this Advent Devotional by Sarah Bessey. Sarah’s writing is always my favorite, so in case you’re still looking for some advent guidance, this is my recommendation. I’m mean, this quote really just sells itself:
“This isn’t a typical devotional designed to make you feel more calm in five minutes or less. Some of these essays grapple with big themes and ask you to lean into difficult conversations. I’m sorry and you’re welcome. Listen, if you can’t talk about patriarchy and white supremacy and liberation at Christmas, when can you ? I ask you.” (Did I mention Sarah is my favorite?)
The second thing is this free Christmas Reading Calendar. I printed it out as a 24x36 engineer print at Staples. It’s giant and takes up the entire hallway wall— so fun! The download is free and it cost less that $7 to print it out in that size.
Making Me Smile
Charlotte had her first dance competition, and although I will readily admit that a convention hall full of dancers and their moms produces a certain aura that requires a good sense of humor (and a few long blinks so no one can see you’re rolling your eyes), the two of us had a blast! It was such a deja vu of all the weekends my mom and I spent together at my dance competitions.
A fellow foster mama who just started her own photography company took some family pictures of us and Leo. Check out her website or find her on Instagram.
We celebrated Christmas early this year with my family in Chicago. My parents gave Charlotte a Harry Potter Lego set and gave Andrew the Millennium Falcon. These are by far the most intense Lego sets they have attempted, and the dedication is inspiring. Andrew will squeeze in a few steps anytime he has a spare minute.
And sibling snuggles always make me smile.
I’m sure no one noticed, but I missed October (#newbornlife), so here are a few smiles from October…
Andrew’s soccer team making it to the semi-finals ON HIS BIRTHDAY, the good looking coach,
Andrew’s excitement about his Pokemon cake,
And Halloween—especially Charlotte’s homemade peacock costume!
Because One Day You Won’t: A Shortened Version of This Series
Because one day you won't sleep surrounded by your new presents.
And finally, This Might Be A Really Big Mistake, an essay I wrote a few years ago about our foster care training was published on Coffee + Crumbs this week. It is always an honor to have my writing shared on this beautiful site.