Missing Daddy....and Modeling shots!!

Sorry that I haven't posted in a few days!! We have had a few transitions. The hardest was Chris leaving. We both just cried and hugged....and prayed for safety and health until we are together again. It is hard....my best friend is gone. Thank you Lord for skype....Eliana loves to hear daddy sing to her. Her eyes light up!! Mom and I are having an amazing time with her. She is feeling so much better (thanks for the advice)! We had an INCREDIBLE dinner last night with the famous JuJu Crew and two couples that God brought in our path. I will blog about it tomorrow. It was such a divine meeting....and I feel so encouraged still. Keep praying for Eliana....and for her to get out of PGN THIS WEEK!!!!

Love you all,
Lindsey

Baby Girl has been sick today.....

Well, Eliana is slowly warming up to Kay-Kay! We thought that she was scared all day....she has been very shy and has slept non-stop (which is not like her at all). Then, our amazing facilitators came over to see us and hang out for awhile. SHE WAS SO SCARED!! She thought they were going to take her back. She just held so tight to Chris and cried and frowned. It made me so sad. She started getting hot....and we checked her temperature....102.6. Pray for baby girl tonight! We're not sure why she would have a fever while she is on an antibiotic (anyone know why). It just makes me a little nervous because of all she has been through. Our facilitator just kept saying wow.....it is so good to see her looking so happy with us. Thank you Lord for our precious baby.

Love y'all,
Lindsey

Kay-Kay is coming today!!

Eliana is so excited to see her Kay-Kay!!! She finally slept through the night....praise the Lord!! If you think about it, pray for us....it is hard to think about Chris leaving tomorrow. We are dreading it!! I will post pictures later today.

Love y'all,
Lindsey

Thoughts From Daddy

It seems I always miss the biggest smiles or silliest moments with the camera...being a Dad means being quick with the shutter! At any rate, here's a quick little video splash of some of my favorite moment with my girl!

I've been reading an amazing book, a MUST READ for all Dads (rookies and veterans alike) called "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters" by Meg Meeker, M.D. In it she outlines just how powerful a role God has given Dads in the lives of their daughters. She writes that a Father is the most important man in a girl's life. I am humbled at this amount of influence God has given me in Eliana! Yet at the same time it is so marvelous! I love how she looks for me when I walk away and how her face lights up when I re-enter the room! I love how she studies me trying to figure me out and then how she attempts to imitate me. For example, I love to give her "zerberts" on her little neck. Yesterday morning she woke me up on her own by sitting up, falling forward onto my neck and blowing bubbles...trying to imitate what I do to her! I just melted.

This afternoon she took a two hour nap on my chest...it was sweaty but so amazing! I love carrying her around the Hotel in her papoose (I think it's really called an Ergo but whatever). That thing is baby magic by the way if you want her to take a nap, just strap her into the papoose!

I also love how she sleeps...or rather flales around with her eyes closed! Eliana loves to change positions about every 90 seconds! She also likes to pop her head up, scan the room then plop her head back down...over an over as she's in and out of sleep...it seems everything she does is a comedic routine!

I have so many more thoughts, but for now let's just say I am so grateful for this unexpected time for Daddy-Daughter bonding!
-Chris

"Am I cute or what?"

Today I had a conversation with a family that has really rocked me to the core....and I am begging y'all to be praying. I am beginning to think the Lord wanted me to be here in Guatemala early for many different reasons. I love those conversations that when you walk away....you just know it was the Lord's hand bringing you together.

I just walked back into the room to see sweet Eliana asleep on Chris. It melts my heart!!

Love y'all,
Lindsey

Another great day.....and dinner with my new friend!

Today has been great....I guess every moment is great with our little girl! She is really doing good. She is trying to walk.....and is busy busy!!! She is ALL OVER THE PLACE!!! I think we have a wild one on our hands. She takes after her dad.

We had an awesome night tonight....we got to meet Emily and precious Samuel. She is going to be my next door neighbor in Antigua. She is amazing and is fluent in Spanish!! Chris is so jealous (he desperately wants to be fluent). It was such a gift to meet another mom who will be in the same situation. Thanks Emily for taking the time to meet up with us!

Okay, I can't remember if I told y'all this....it kind of got pushed to the side. But, Eliana got kicked out of PGN the day she got sick. :-( It was some crazy ridiculous thing (I think it always is). Our facilitator fixed it and we are back in PGN. Pray that it won't be too much longer. Honestly, I am just so thankful she is okay....it put PGN in perspective for me.....not so worried about it anymore. I just don't want her to be there for months though.

Love you all,
Lindsey

P.S. Sorry I haven't been able to visit all of your blogs....hopefully soon I will....your comments mean SO MUCH TO US!!!

"Hey mom and dad, it's 4 a.m......wake up!!"

She is WIDE awake!! I'm not sure what is going on.....maybe she slept too much yesterday. I think her medicine is making her sleeping schedule crazy. She is talking up a storm. Even though we are both exhausted.....it is still so cute. For those who suggested the Baby Ergo carrier......you were right. IT IS MAGIC!!! Every time we put her in it, she is so happy and then falls asleep. It was so worth getting it. And, thank you Lord, it was delivered the day we found out she was sick. Perfect timing!

I have a lot of thoughts I will share later, but I'm afraid it would sound crazy if I tried to write at 4:30 in the morning. We love y'all so much. We feel so loved!!

Lindsey

P.S. We are pretty sure our daughter will become the next great female carpenter!!! She is obsessed with anything made out of wood. Unless there is a job that involves eating large quantities of Gerber Puffs....if so, sign her up for that!

Daddy's Girl.....

We haven't seen sweet girl smile a lot yet....she has been pretty serious! I think it is hard being one....she has to be feeling so confused. We think she's worried we are going to leave her. Literally, when I say she won't let us put her down....that is no joke. She loves to snuggle non-stop.

But, do you know what she loves more than anything right now?? HER DADDY!! These pics of her smiling is when he started singing and dancing, "Turn on the lights, it is daytime" (in a broadway style). She LOVES it when he sings and dances!! So, all of Chris's craziness is coming in very handy. He loves her so much. She is definitely a daddy's girl already.

Love you all,
Lindsey

P.S. Her lungs sound really raspy again today...if it sounds like this tomorrow, we will hopefully get her to a doctor. It really kind of sounds like asthma (not sure though). Keep praying! Thanks for your continued comments....I read every single one and can't wait to respond to each of them soon. I love you all.

Oh, and she slept great last night....I didn't, but that's okay. I checked on her about a thousand times. :-)

Our Miracle Baby!!

We are here....the last 24 hours have felt like a whirlwind. But, we have our precious Eliana with us. How do we even tell y'all what your words of encouragement and gifts of getting us down here mean to us???!!!! We are SO OVERWHELMED by this community of people.....thank you for your love and generosity.

Sweet girl was released from the hospital today, and then she was brought to us at our hotel. I didn't know what to expect.....we were both pretty nervous. Then, the second I saw her....peace just flooded over both of us. God saved our sweet baby's life. It was such a freak thing.....but the Lord was guiding her every single step of the way. The sweet foster mom took charge, called our facilitator.....and then he called the ambulance as soon as he saw her. She was pretty much lifeless in the ambulance....and they started her on oxygen. All I can say is that the Lord heard the cries of His people!! I weep just thinking about it. She is so special. He has an amazing plan for her little life.

She is still recovering.....pretty weak and tired. She will NOT let us put her down (which is okay with us). So, sleeping might get interesting tonight. Pray that somehow she is able to rest. Pray for her little lungs....that she does not get any infections. Her breathing is a little raspy tonight, but other than that....she is AMAZING!!! Is she not just so beautiful?!

I will keep the updates coming!! Please continue to pray for complete healing. Thank you friends....we love you all more than you know. We would not be here in Guatemala today if it wasn't for you. Thank you Lord for saving our baby....she truly is a little miracle!

Love you all,
Lindsey

Pretty tired but right where she needs to be...

What in the world would I do without skype?!?!?! I think it is pretty amazing!!! I just talked with Lindsey, and they are in their AMAZING hotel room (THANKS LOU!!!) with their baby girl!!!!! She was released from the hospital this morning, so the facilitator just brought her to the hotel. She will never have to leave them again, which makes me SO thrilled!!! She is sleeping on Lindsey right now while Chris goes to get her medication. From what I saw, she really looked great...not sick at all (which is a relief!). Lindsey said she felt heavier than last time, so she doesn't think she's lost too much weight. Once they can figure out the internet, I'm sure they will post something... but for now, I just wanted y'all to know that Eliana is safe in her mommy and daddy's arms! Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement!!!

Lauren


Also...to answer a question I saw on the comments, Lindsey will be staying in Guatemala until Eliana comes home. It just didn't make sense for her to come home for a week and then go back. Chris will be there until Saturday, and we are trying to figure out a way to get "Kay Kay" (our mom) down there for the second week. Hopefully it will all work out!!!

Travel Update

Lindsey just called, and they made it to Houston (barely!!!). Thanks to renovations at the Nashville airport, they almost missed their flight....but they made it with a few minutes to spare. They are currently on their flight to Guat and will land around 11. She's going to try to quickly call me when they get to the hospital, but that might not work out. If that doesn't happen, it might be later in the afternoon before I hear from them.

Lindsey wanted me to say thank you again to everyone who has written encouraging comments....keep those coming!!! They really make them smile. Continue to pray for Eliana as we do not know her current condition. Also pray for energy for Lindsey and Chris today...they only got 2 hours of sleep last night! Thanks again. I'll update when I hear something!

Lauren

She'll be in their arms tomorrow!

I truly am in awe at how the Lord worked today...just to remind us that He has it all under control! Thanks to SO many generous people, Lindsey and Chris are flying out in the morning to be with Eliana. They will land and head straight to the hospital. Hopefully they will be able to email me with updates, and I, in turn, will update the blog. We don't really know anything, except that she is at the best hospital in town...which is really good news. Continue to pray for peace... they have been frantically packing and hitting up target for all of the things they need for the trip. Thanks again for your prayers!!!

Lauren

More information about Eliana...from Lindsey's sister

First of all, thank you to everyone who is praying for Eliana. They definitely appreciate and feel your prayers! I wanted to just give a quick update with what is going on with sweet girl. Eliana threw up several times in the night and got choked, and thankfully her foster mom heard her choking and coughing. She immediately called the doctor, and he rushed her to the hospital. The doctor said that if her foster mom hadn't heard her, she would've passed away. (Thank you Jesus for waking her up!!!) They haven't heard anything new, but they do know that she is still in the hospital. Her body is SO tiny, so please pray that she can remain strong.

Obviously, Lindsey and Chris are not doing well right now. Please pray for peace and comfort as they deal with this from hundreds of miles away. They are currently doing some laundry and are probably going to fly there tomorrow (nothing is official yet!). Also pray that the doctor will contact them soon with an update. As soon as I hear anything else, I will definitely write an update. Thank you again for your prayers and encouraging words!

Lauren

P.S. Anyone that would like to help.....please contact Lou at lou0728@yahoo.com. She is trying to get money for their flights!!!

PRAY FOR A MIRACLE......ELIANA IS VERY, VERY SICK IN THE HOSPITAL IN GUATEMALA CITY!!!!!!!!!

Just got a call.......Eliana almost died last night. We are beyond devastated and are just crying out to God!! PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW. Her little body is VERY sick!

Love y'all,
Lindsey

P.S. We are trying to find a way to get to Guatemala today or tomorrow to be with her in the hospital!!!!!

Rewind: Pictures from Bulldog's 40th B-day

I love, love, love this picture!!! He was so excited to pose in the "Deep Victory" t-shirt that Leah made for his birthday. He loves my sisters!


This was our picture of Bulldog for over 3 hours. Chris would swipe the card to start the game....and then he went to town on the skee ball game. He was hilarious!! We all tried it at least once, and he was the best by far!


We stopped skee ball for literally a few minutes to try and play a round of mini-golf....but it just didn't satisfy him. So, BACK TO SKEE BALL!!


Bulldog's biggest request was to eat an entire lobster at "Red Lobster"....here it is! He loved it.


This is the only way I beat him at Connect Four....he fell asleep while we were playing! I still told him that I won.

WE LOVE YOU BULLDOG!!!! Eliana is going to love you!

Lindsey

P.S. I haven't had time to work on the blog...but I am going to try and use some of your suggestions!!

Less than 3 weeks.....until I get to hold her!!!

I am coming sweet baby....and I can't sleep because I am so excited!

Happy Father's Day to the best dad in the world!!!

Chris, I am so amazed at the man you are!! Thank you for leading our family, for serving and working so hard for us, and for seeking the Lord in every decision. You have helped me walk through some very dark days. It has been so incredible to watch you with Eliana. You are already that most amazing dad!! Eliana loves you so much. Thank you for trusting the Lord in allowing me to go to Guatemala to be with our baby girl. I am going to miss you so much!!

I love you,
Lindsey

P.S. I love this picture...Eliana is saying "Can you believe he is my dad???!!!!"

Buy a Frosty for Adoption!!!

I will never turn down a great opportunity to raise money for adoptions.....especially when it involves a Wendy's frosty!!! They are giving 50 cents from every frosty purchase to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption!!

Eat up....I sure have!!! I have made friends with the Wendy's drive-thru staff....they are all Guatemalan. They love to see pics of Eliana.....and told me I can always get free frosties from them. It is always a highlight to see them!! On that note....I am also friends with the staff of Which Which (by my job).....most of them are Hispanic. They also love Eliana. I'm not sure why I'm telling you this except it REALLY EXCITES me to think about bringing Eliana in to see all of them some day very soon. I love you friends.

Lindsey

Thanks Gfamily!!!

I just wanted to make a quick shout out to my blogger friends...the Gfamily!! Because of their generous gift...I was able to book my plane ticket last night! Thank you friends. We are so, so, so GRATEFUL!!!

Love,
Lindsey

Packing!!

Okay, I need help.....what do I NEED to take??? I have to fit everything in 2, 50 pound suitcases....this is going to be a HUGE challenge. Also, does anyone have a good suggestion for a jogging stroller. I have been looking at the Jeep strollers.

Love y'all,
Lindsey

A few more details......

The countdown is on.....3 weeks until I am holding our baby girl!! I can't believe it. This has all happened so quickly; I feel like I am in a dream. I am SO THANKFUL for this opportunity. I have had some people e-mail me to see what our needs are....so I thought I would post our info. again.

We are trying to come up with the money to finish the adoption and pay for my rent/living in Antigua (I am sharing a house with 3 other girls and their kiddos). If you would like to help us....we would REALLY appreciate it. Thank you so much to the people who have already been SO GENEROUS to us!!

You can send a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donation. Here is the info.:

An account has been set-up at our church called the
"I Choose You-Wheeler" fund.
It is 100% tax-deductible!!
You can send a check (write it to Fellowship Bible Church and write in the memo line...."I Choose You- Wheeler") to:

Fellowship Bible Church
"I Choose You"-Wheeler fund
1210 Franklin Road
Brentwood, TN 37027

I love you all so much....THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for the support!!! We couldn't do this without y'all. I can't wait to start blogging from Antigua!!

Love,
Lindsey

P.S. I AM GOING TO MISS CHRIS LIKE CRAZY!!!!!! What will I do without my best friend??!!

I'm packing my bags.....

Yep, most of y'all were right!!! I AM MOVING TO GUATEMALA TO FOSTER SWEET GIRL UNTIL SHE COMES HOME!!!!! I'll share more soon.

Love y'all,
Lindsey

Happy 11 Months Sweet Girl!!!!

We love you sweet Eliana!! I can't believe that in one month, you will be one. Unbelievable!! We miss you so, so much.

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

P.S. I took down the "big announcement" post because I think it exploded in my face. Maybe my news isn't as exciting as I thought it would be. I still will post....but hope y'all aren't disappointed. :-)

Happy 40th Birthday Bulldog!!!

There is so much to share, but I have two minutes on the computer!! In a few days I will share about Kali's funeral....all I can say is how proud I am of sweet Leah. She stood up bravely and shared the most amazing letter to her best friend. With her permission, I might post it later. Just keep praying for my sis.

So, this morning we woke up and drove to Tulsa to celebrate John Jr. (aka Bulldog) and his 40th Birthday. We have partied hard at the "Incredible Pizza Co"....we watched John Jr. play 3 hours of ski ball....seriously....3 hours without stopping for a breath. He had a blast! Then, he got his wish of getting to order a full lobster at Red Lobster. I just beat him in Connect Four (forgot to mention that he was playing me half-asleep). We will post pictures tomorrow.

Thank you Lord for our brother Bulldog!! Thank you for his life....for the way he lives wholeheartedly for you. Thanks for saving his life at Christmas....we love him so much. He is going to be the BEST uncle to Eliana!! He keeps begging us to record his voice talking to Eliana, so that she will recognize who he is. That is tomorrow's project.

Keep praying for us....we are pretty much exhausted emotionally and physically right now. WE LOVE YOU ALL.....thanks for being so excited with us about the birth lady interview.

Love,
Lindsey

Birth Lady Interview......CHECK!!

The interview was great!!!! It happened today.......I get to go home with my parents soon (hopefully)!!! Thanks for praying for me and loving me so much.

Love,
Eliana