complete

Today’s ultrasound at 8 weeks was identical to last week’s: Bitty measured six weeks, one day; no heartbeat. Bitty was gone. The doc said there was nothing we did wrong or could have done better, and that there was no reason to expect that this type of problem would happen again. She didn’t think Bitty was in the scar, but she couldn’t be sure.

I want to thank everyone of faith who prayed earnestly for us over the past couple weeks. “Complete” was the word the Lord gave to one of you to encourage us. Now that God’s decision is known, we are sad but relieved that the anxiety is over.

Of course, we don’t know if Bitty (or maybe Itty) was a boy or a girl. We’ll assume it was Bitty, and since we’re accustomed to losing girls, we’ll say she was a girl. Her life here was sadly and inexplicably short, yet now happy and eternal; Bitty never heard our voices, slept in our arms, or carefully crayoned her first and last name; yet her adoption into our family is complete.

Genetically speaking, she was the product of a 40-year old credit manager from South Carolina who likes classic rock and baseball cards and a petite 23-year old egg donor whose mother was Thai. But for a few weeks, and forever, she is a Gjertsen.

A lot of folks may not have known that embryo adoption was even possible, so maybe it’s more realistic that our story doesn’t convey the idea that adoption—of any kind—is any kind of easy. It’s costly and perilous like the gospel that inspires it.

Bitty’s journey as a Gjertsen is complete, but our adventure to rescue the fatherless isn’t. We’re going to spend a few months recuperating and posting pictures of our boys, and expect to pick up this thread of adoption again in 2014.