Our Adoption Journey

I know it's been a long time since I've posted and updated. As you know Shalum and I were chosen to adopt back in October. The baby boy was due Dec 20th, but decided that wasn't soon enough and graced the world on Nov 24th, Thanksgiving night. I happened to be down near Las Vegas (where he was born). Shalum was still up in Elko, but I was down in Mesquite at my mother's condo. I had gone down to spend some time with the birth mother. She was actually scheduled to have a c-section on the 30th, so I went to spend some time with her before he was born. I had gone down on the 23rd and was going to head over to Vegas the 25th. The 24th at around 7:30 I got a call from the birth mother's mother telling me she was going into labor and they were at the hospital and getting ready to do a c-section. He was born at 9:49pm. He was 5lbs 10oz and 18.5 inches long. Shalum came down the 25th. We signed the adoption papers on Dec. 3rd. That was a pretty bittersweet moment for me. I was so excited for Shalum and I, but it was so hard watching the birth parents sign the papers. They said they were fine and still had no doubts. But it was difficult for me to watch.
I am so excited to have a child to call my own, to be a mother. His name is Jared Axel Decklan. Jared is Shalum's middle name, I just really love the name Axel (Shalum hates it, but after a few years of telling Shalum I wanted to name a child that, he finally gave in when we actually had the chance. He so sweet to me.) And Decklan is a name the birth parents had chosen.
Jared was born with pulmonary valve atresia, which means a valve in his heart was completely closed. The day after he was born they ran a catheter through his thigh up to his heart and popped it open with a balloon. The doctors anticipated having to do open heart surgery as well, but it was never necessary! He has been doing so well! Everytime the cardiologists came by while he was in the NICU they were constantly saying how amazed they were at how well he's doing and that he's their little champion. When he was born they put him on medication to keep his PDA's open so the blood could flow to his lungs. Three days after the catheter procedure they took him off the medication. They told us that's amazing because they normally keep them on those meds for about another two weeks. That's how well his heart was doing!
He was discharged from the NICU on Dec. 17th. We were so excited that he was able to come home before Christmas. I had stayed in Vegas the whole time, while Shalum traveled back and forth due to work. And it's a long trip. Fortunately I was able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House. That place is amazing and am so grateful I could stay there.
This little man has turned our worlds upside down, in the greatest way possible. He is our world and can't even begin to say how grateful we are for him and how grateful we are to his birth parents. We have such a respect and love for them. We wouldn't be parents if it weren't for them and the love they have for Jared.

Here is our beautiful little man
Jared Axel Decklan Stone
(Also called Jax)

~Candice