On September 13, 2006, I walked into the DHS office, not knowing what to expect, but excited all the same. It was after hours, so he wasn't hard to spot. The worker was standing there, holding what would be a gift from God that we never even asked for. (Sometimes, those are the best kind.) As I took the 8 week old baby from her arms, I remember thinking how tiny he was for an 8 week old. And ugly. And his color was wrong. And ugly.
I signed all the necessary paperwork that allowed us to take him home. It was a Wednesday evening, so my kids (4 of them at the time) were at church. I promised them I would come to their classes to show them our new baby. But first, I took him home, bathed him, put pink baby lotion all over him, and dressed him. (He came to us with the onesie he was wearing, a pair of socks, a few diapers, and some formuly.) His name was Calvin. It was an awfully big name for all of his 8 pounds. So we called him "Jacob". No reason really, we just thought it fit him. We were told that this baby would be adoptable. At the time, we had no intentions of adopting. He was only our second foster placement. So I told the worker to find him a home...she had three months, otherwise, we would keep him!
After his bath, I took him to church. I found all of my kids and showed them their new foster sibling. They were so excited! I remember taking him upstairs to the Bible Drill class I helped with. Jacob quickly became what the kids called their "Bible Drill Mascot". He loved every minute of those children (and other teachers) making over him for the next two years!
When Jacob came to us, he barely weighed 8 pounds at 8 weeks. He was still in preemie clothes. He could not blink his eyes. He could not cry. His lips were white and swollen and his skin was a gray color. Jacob was born addicted to cocaine, and these were some of the after affects of the drugs his birth mother had shared with him.
Jacob progressed quickly with therapies and all the attention he was getting here at the Phillip's home. I'm not sure he was ever not being touched by someone!
While Jacob had been "ours" for quite some time, we finally were able to make that official on August 8, 2008. Jacob had just had his 2nd birthday and we felt SO amazingly blessed by God. How blessed we were to be chosen to be Jacob Levi's forever family.
On Saturday, August 23, 2008, just two weeks after the adoption finalization, we woke up to prepare for the family party we were planning. We were in full celebration mode! I walked by Jacob's room and could hear he and Josiah playing together. I decided to start a load of laundry before getting them up for the day.
I had called for my oldest son, Justin, to go and get the little boys and give them breakfast. I will never forget the way Justin screamed Jacob's name when he opened the door. I was standing at my washer on the other side of the house. By the time I got to Jacob's room, Jacob was laying lifeless on the floor. I picked him up and ran him to the living room...not sure why.
Jacob had climbed up on the dresser. At some point, it fell and pinned him between the dresser and the end of the bed. We were told by both the police investigators and health professionals, that had we been standing right there when it happened, we could not have prevented his death. I don't know if I believe them.
This blog was started in order to keep those close to us informed of how we were coping, how the investigation was going, etc. But, God has turned it into so much more. It became a place of hope and healing. It became a place to watch God's might hand move in so many different ways. He made His presence known all over this blog. My prayer is that you will be encouraged in whatever path you are traveling. I know that my God reigns!
"Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told."
Habakkuk 1:5
Posts
