More pics, and Clara visits a Poor Clare

We're still on the road, but we're excited because we're now in North Carolina. Clara will get to meet her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousin in just a couple hours!

Once I'm home and not blogging from a phone or a dying laptop with an air card (greatest invention ever, by the way), I'm going to tell the whole story of the day we picked her up, what it's like to be an instant mother, and just try to sum up what this whole experience has been like. Plus, I would be remiss if I didn't devote a great deal of time to praising God, since I sure was quick to write about my frustrations with Him the last few years!

For now, though, I thought you might like more pictures of our teeny, tiny miracle:

Minutes after we first met her




With R from Pray, Hope, Don't Worry, and LIM


R, saying goodbye to Clara

We were so excited to take Clara to her very first Mass today! We went to daily Mass this morning at the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, AL (the shrine that Mother Angelica built). And after Mass we received an incredible blessing. R's (from Pray, Hope, Don't Worry) sister-in-law, Sister Agnes, is a Poor Clare there and after R told her about us the other day, she got permission to meet us after Mass. We were thrilled beyond words, especially since Clara is named for St. Clare, and Ryan thought of the name several months ago while reading the book about Mother Angelica. Ryan was very familiar with who Sr. Agnes was after reading the book, so she was kind of like a celebrity to us!

We were taken behind locked doors to a parlor where the sisters can meet with guests, and Sr. Agnes met with us there for about 15 to 20 minutes. She was so kind, and beautiful, and she kept commenting on how tiny Clara was (it's hard not to!). Before we left, she even gave Clara an Agnes Dei medal that she said was blessed by Pope Benedict! Thanks, R, for setting up an amazing meeting that we'll tell Clara about for years to come!

Ryan and Clara, waiting for her to come in the room.


That's the side of the room that Sr. Agnes was on when she spoke with us.


Me and Clara, after our wonderful meeting with Sr. Agnes.

The hallway outside of the room where we met. I just wanted to get pictures of everything so it would be easier to tell the story later! Although I'm completely kicking myself because I chickened out and didn't ask Sr. Agnes to take a picture with us. I didn't know if it was allowed, but apparently it was! Oh well.


And now, without further ado, some bare-skinned baby shots (taken after we gave Clara a bath for the first time [not her first bath, of course, but ours!]: