Friends, it is with a heavy heart, that I bring sad news. Sweet
Ruby made her arrival on Thursday night at 6:39pm. And though we had the joy of
caring for her over the following 48 hours, she went home with birth mother
yesterday evening. We are crushed. Not destroyed, but crushed. I wanted to
share the facts so that you know how to pray.
Ruby’s birth father entered the picture on Thursday evening, and
he and his mother have now both expressed interest in keeping Ruby. Though neither
of them currently have any official rights, birth father could still register
paternity within the next 29 days and eventually obtain those rights. If birth mother had
signed relinquishment paperwork yesterday, and birth father obtained rights,
Ruby would go to him. Birth mom does not want this to happen.
She felt as though her only option was to take Ruby home and parent - hoping that birth father does nothing and forfeits his rights. There is a small chance that, after that time period has passed, birth mother will still choose to
place Ruby with us. While this may seem hopeful, she has not explicitly stated that this is her plan. We also can’t help but imagine that her attachment to Ruby will grow with time, and she
will choose to parent permanently.
Regardless, we have been through intense stress and experienced a loss. We trust the Lord, and we have experienced His nearness in this. We know that He is good, that He sustains, and that He is making us more like Him. Praise Him for that. This doesn't make it any less disappointing. Please pray for us. We feel the grief in a very real way, but we cannot fully mourn. Please pray for birth mom. She is scared about trying to raise another child and discouraged that things did not go as planned. And please pray for Ruby. For His nearness, protection, and salvation.
