Well, the last three months have been a whirlwind. Despite our best intentions to post frequently, the days have just flown by since our last post. We hope to do better in the future!

Six days before his due date, we welcomed our sweet Oliver Jude on February 22nd. Jenny went into labor sometime after midnight (unbeknownst to us both; Daniel slept peacefully while Jenny suffered through her “cramps”) and at 5:30 in the morning her water broke, which is when she realized she was actually in labor. She called her doula and midwife, as we had planned a home birth, and thankfully they both arrived sometime after 7:00am, just in time for him to be born! We are so thankful that he arrived safely, that the delivery was smooth and without complications.

Adjusting to life with a newborn has been wonderful and challenging, but we are so grateful for Oliver and the lessons the Lord is teaching us through our relationship with him. He is such a source of joy and delight to us, and we have been savoring each new moment with him. He is a very happy baby and we love his smiles.

Each of our families were able to visit us in the weeks after his birth. Jenny’s parents had planned a two-week long visit at the end of February (her mom had hoped to make it for the birth) and Daniel’s family was able to come right after that. We loved getting to spend as much time as we did with them and introducing them to Oliver. They were so helpful in those first few weeks and made the transition to our new roles as parents that much smoother. It was such a blessing to have our families visit us during this new season and love on their new grandbaby. We look forward to the next visit!

Jenny had planned for her best friend, Rachel, to be there for the birth, but due to Oliver’s speedy and early arrival that didn’t end up happening. However, she came as quickly as she could (making the six hour drive) and arrived later in the afternoon. We loved getting to spend such a fun and new time with her and so appreciated all of her support and generosity. We will always remember those first three days of his life extra fondly, though we were sleep deprived, we loved basking in his newness together (coffee in hand).

The subsequent time has been crazy for us, as it has been for everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic. The stay-at-home order for where we live in Oklahoma began in late March and restrictions are only now beginning to lift. We realize that this time caused by the pandemic has been difficult on everyone and extremely difficult on some in particular. While things have not been easy for us during the last month, we are so thankful for the ways God has provided. Daniel has been able to stay home for the majority of this time which has helped both of us adjust and get enough sleep. We are all healthy and doing well. Our friends and community from the church here were so supportive and generous to us, helping us with meals and grocery trips as we tried to stay home as much as possible, especially right after Oliver was born. We thank the Lord for the blessings with which He has blessed us.

Another blessing has come in the form of this time allowing Daniel more time to work on his classes. He was taking two classes during the last eight weeks, one of which had a very heavy work load, so the extra time to dedicate to school was much needed. Again, the Lord worked the timing out perfectly. With these two classes, Daniel has finished up his time at Lumerit Education (a sort of online community college whose main goal is to help students graduate debt-free) and has transferred into Liberty University Online where he will, Lord willing, graduate with his Bachelor of Science in English and Writing degree next August.

We are starting to meet with our friends from church and get outdoors more as things begin to open up. Thankfully, the roach situation was resolved just before Oliver’s birth. However, we are still looking for a different housing situation, as we are finding more space to be both welcome and necessary. We would appreciate prayers for stability in the job situation for Daniel and the housing situation for our family. That being said, we are praying for the situation in the world right now; that God would work His will through these events, bring the pandemic to an end quickly, and that we would all remember the lessons He has taught us through this. We would love it if you joined us in that.

Until next time.

-The Adams