I have spent so much time over the years daydreaming about how I would write this post.?? Imagining what that day would feel like and what I would say.???? Now it has come and I am nearly speechless.
Birth Announcement
Jim and I are the PROUD parents of??Tori Savannah Brinkman, who entered into the world on Tuesday, February 5th, 2008.?? God chose another??premature baby for our family??- she arrived at 33 weeks and 5 days gestation.?? She was born at 1:24 AM and weighed 5 pounds 8 ounces and was 18.5 inches long (which I think is phenomenal for her level of prematurity).?? She was released from the hospital after only 48 hours.??
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The Rest of the Story…
(Pictures above and below??taken Monday)
Because Jim has been working a lot of hours lately, he took Friday and Monday off.?? Little did we know that God was planning something grand behind the scenes.?? We kept trying to decide how we would spend Monday and ultimately we just slept in with no decision made.?? At 10:00 AM??on Monday our adoption agency called.????You have no idea how excited??I was to hear I had a daughter and would get her within 24 hours!!!!!?? At 2:00 we were invited to the home of her foster family, where she had spent 6 days with the most precious Christian couple.?? What a surreal experience to meet our daughter for the very first time!?? I kept getting choked up looking at her and the whole experience felt other-worldly.?? It was so hard to leave her Monday??but we had A LOT to do to be prepared for her!?? Imagine a 24 hour pregnancy!????Monday was pure craziness.?? We left the foster home and headed straight for Target then to Babies R Us.?? Daniel and Brooke were at our house by 8:30 PM and they helped us clean, mop floors, pack stuff away, unpack baby stuff, set up playpens and bouncers, organize blankets, grocery shop…the whole 9 yards.?? They didn’t leave until 1:00AM.?? THANK YOU DAN AND BROOKE!!!!!!!?? What a precious time spent preparing for our baby with you two!?? (They also came and brought dinner last night for which we were very thankful!)
At 2:00 AM I attempted to go to bed but sleep would not come (hmmmm…wonder why?).???? I laid there daydreaming about pink headbands, how I would do her hair and dress her up, what her temperament would be like, what a mother/daughter lifetime relationship would be like….on and on.?? At 4:00 I decided to get up and read hoping it would make me sleepy.?? It didn’t.?? At 5:00 AM I tried to go back to bed but ended up just laying there getting more and more anxious by the minute.?? By 6:30 I said “forget it” and just started my day.?? Who could sleep knowing they were going to be picking up their DAUGHTER in a matter of hours??? I didn’t want to make too much noise so I chatted on the Grace forum a little while and then I just stood in front of her closet staring at her stuff.?? :)?? Side note:?? Jim is mocking me for turning our house pink!?? She looks WONDERFUL in pink.?? I think she will wear primarily pink but I will allow an occasional purple and red and pink mixed with brown, blue and green.?? I LOVE pink and lime green.?? LOL.?? Side note 2:?? This week Ty told me I smelled yummy and I asked him what I smelled like.?? He said “PINK”.?? LOL!!!!!?? This was BEFORE his sister came.?? Maybe he had an inkling?
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We picked her up yesterday at 10:00 AM.?? The foster family that God chose for her was such an answer to prayer.?? Jim and I just loved them and we hope to keep in touch with them.?? She was their 15th little baby they had taken care of and it was so obvious that they just loved and nurtured her while in their care.?? We took some pictures with them and we all prayed together for her.???? It was so precious.?? Then I put her going home outfit on her and put a pink headband in her hair and home we went.????Her grandmothers??had??bought a 0 to 3 month homecoming outfit for her but I had to make??another trip Monday night for preemie clothes because she would be completely swallowed up by 0 to 3 month clothes right now.?? In fact, we all laughed when we looked at her next to the outfit I originally prepared.?? Strange to think she came home even younger and smaller than TY!?? Ty came home at 37 weeks weighing 6 pounds 6 ounces.?? She came home at 34 weeks 5 days and I am quite certain she is under 6 pounds.?? I keep laughing about how the Lord thinks I need “BONUS” weeks of inutero time since I didn’t get to carry them.?? Isn’t God so sweet to me??? 🙂 🙂 :)??
This was Tori yesterday as we were getting her ready to GO HOME!?? She needed a towel under her or something because she was just so tiny in that car seat.
We have her first check up today so I”ll find out what she weighs now.?? I heard Brooke on the phone telling a friend of ours that Tori was just “a little bit premature” and I had to laugh at how our frame of reference has changed.?? Under different circumstances, a 33 weeker is more than a “little” premature but in light of our former 25 weeker….hey….that’s darn near full term LOL ;).?? We can handle this!?? (But yes, she will be under some amount of lockdown folks!?? Sorry!?? It’s a TERRIBLE RSV season).
(Amanda bought me that “maternity” shirt but since I only had a few hour “pregnancy”, I had to wear it on homecoming day!)
We got her home and put her in her glider/bouncer just long enough to eat.?? We bought the same one her foster family had because they said she loved it so much.?? After we hurried through our lunch, Tanner was begging for her.?? Once she was picked up, she was not laid back down until almost midnight!!!?? She learned VERY quickly, that in this house she has only to whimper and someone is right there.?? I tried the co-sleeper last night AND the bouncer that she has been sleeping in the last week and it was to NO avail.?? Our girl is no dummy.?? She would have NONE OF THAT now that she has two perfectly good parents and two brothers.?? So yes, she spent the majority of the night in my arms and daddy’s.?? We both slept out on the couch and were awake far more than we were asleep.?? In fact, I pulled a 40 hour stretch with NO sleep.?? Jim didn’t sleep much either.?? At one point near 2:00 AM, I was laying on the couch and Jim had his x box controller in his hands, his daughter on his chest, and his headphones on so the noise wouldn’t bother??us, and everyone was perfectly content.?? I would have taken a picture of it but I was trying to sleep since daddy was on duty.?? Funny.?? Monday night I couldn’t sleep because she wasn’t with me and all I could do was think about her.?? Last night I couldn’t sleep because she WAS with me LOL.?? Partly, like most newborns, she wasn’t so sure she wanted us to sleep.?? Partly, we didn’t want to miss a minute with her and I couldn’t let myself sleep because I wasn’t done staring at her and kissing her yet. :)?? I mean just look at this little darling??? Wouldn’t you just HAVE to kiss her??? (And, as is obvious from this picture, she wanted to kiss mama back 🙂 ).
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WE ARE IN LOVE WITH HER!!!!!!?? She has this household soooo wrapped around her pinky.?? Daddy is absolutely smitten.?? He probably had her more during the night than I did because she slept on his chest between feedings. He thinks she is so adorable and I think HE is so adorable loving on her.???? Tanner was fighting me for her all yesterday.?? He held her so many times and we kept arguing with each other over whose turn it was.?? He is holding her right now actually while I finish this.?? Good babysitter already.?? ??:).?? Ty held her??a little bit but he was pretty occupied with family yesterday.?? It was hilarious though because he kept forgetting her name so he renamed her “Sophie”.?? LOL.?? Speaking of names….a couple of days ago, I asked Ty what he wanted (a question I repeat periodically), a brother or??a sister.?? He answers, “Or……….a monkey.”?? :)?? When I told him we got a baby sister for him and named her Tori he gave me an unhappy expression and he said “I thought Dexter!”??
Poor Papa and Sweetie couldn’t come hold her yesterday due??to illness so they had to look at her from outside the window.?? It was very sad!?? Darin and Jodi and Uncle Dave and Aunt Beck are out of town so they haven’t seen her yet either.????
Tori’s First Visitors Yesterday
Aunt Aimee, Zandi,??Zane, Papa, Sweetie, Grandpa and Grandma, Uncle Daniel, Aunt Brooke, Noah, Graham, Braxtyn, Uncle Dusty, Michelle, Matt, Amanda, and Malakai, ??We are trying to be very cautious about germ control and exposure but yesterday a party (of well people 🙂 ) was in order.
About Tori
(Poor Sweetie looking through the back window).
She is such a little doll baby!?? Her hair is so thick and so black and she has these long eyelashes!?? Another one!!!?? Yeah!!!?? Especially impressive for her gestational age too. :)?? She is the absolute sweetest and has such a good contented little nature already.?? She was just an angel yesterday.?? Of course, she does demand to be fed on time, changed appropriately and held at all times and treated with all proper respect due a princess.?? :)?????? She has??this confidence about her as if she knows she is where she is supposed to be and not a bit surprised by that.?? Like she knew God had it all figured out and she is perfectly content with how His planning is moving along thus far.?? She makes the most adorable expressions in her sleep and she cries pretty loud actually (which is great for her lung development).?? She likes music and movement and is already AWESOME at tracking sound and people.?? She was even batting at the toys in her bouncer on Monday – again…awesome developmentally for her gestational age.
She is very skinny right now.?? You don’t see it in her face so much but her little arms and legs and bottom have just NO fat.?? Her tiny legs have the skin just sagging on them like a little wrinkles puppy because she just has no chub to her at all.?? We are working on fattening her up!?? I have her on 22 calorie formula and she ate a full 2 ounces this morning which is a first for her.?? I have got to post a picture of those legs so you can see them – so cute.
I have exhausted my blog time and I must be about mommy duties now so I will sign off for now.?? Thank you for your continued prayer.?? GOD IS GOOD!?? ALL THE TIME!!?? We are just singing His praises over and over for her.?? It is the most incredible thing in the world to know that God hand picked your child for you.?? That He prepared and planned for this moment and arranged everything perfectly to bring THIS child….THIS beautiful baby girl to THIS family.?? I am in awe of God today.?? Completely in awe.?? Can you believe we have a baby girl??? I still can’t.?? I am still in shock.?? Ty??is in shock too.?? He woke this morning and said “Mommy is she staying her??? Is she going to spend the night?”?? LOL.??
Feel free to leave sappy comments about how amazing, adorable, beautiful and perfect she is!?? I am expecting plenty of them LOL!?? 🙂 🙂
Signing out,
The P R O U D Mommy!!!!
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P.S.
Tanner is about to lose that top tooth and he looks so adorable right now.
P.S.2
Yes Tanner got two staples in his head this weekend.?? Ty threw a rock.?? It wasn’t his fault.?? I’ll get back to that one later.?? 🙂
46 responses to “HERESHEIS”
SO HAPPY FOR ALL OF YOU! Can I say….I’m a wee bit jealous you got a girl……coming from a mother of three boys…but I can get my fix by holding Tori and buying her an outfit! LOL
God is FANTASTIC and knew exactly what he was doing with a 24 hour pregnancy with you. Had you known and had to wait longer you wouldn’t have slept for MONTHS! LOL
Can’t wait to meet the newest Brinkman and you are absolutely correct….She is Precious!
That picture of Sweetie looking through the window had tears streaming down my cheeks.
So happy to finally see pictures of our new Grace Niece! Love you:)
I’ve been waiting to see this exciting post!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! SHE is so amazing!!
Everything about her!! I love all the pictures!
You have a beautiful family!
Love, CaraJo
Doni, I kid you not — I haven’t had blog time in a very long time and I just had a feeling I should check on you guys today!! Tori is GORGEOUS — isn’t it amazing to have a little girl? I am still smitten by all the girlie stuff with Miss Morgan.
CONGRATULATIONS — SHE’S BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, and I totally get the “not that premature” reference seeing as I’ve done the 25 weeker then 34 weeker 😉 Much love to you all!!!
She’s BEAUTIFUL! I think you need a yard full of pink flamingos and pink balloons announcing her arrival! This may sound totally crazy but I do believe she looks like you…seriously. Go rub her down in pink lotion and give her a kiss from me.
I totally agree that she looks like you – that was my first thought at the first photo! Congratulations, and best wishes for sleep and tons of kisses with your little princess.
Congratulations Doni! She is so perfect and it is such a blessing to see just how excited you guys are for your little girl. It’s a reminder to me to go in a tell my boys just how thankful I am that the Lord chose them for me. 🙂
No doubt she has landed in the right arms. I am so happy for all of you. I cannot believe how much she looks like you. Oh I am so ready to get out there and go shopping, of course pink shopping!! She is heavens pure light.
Oh my God. That???s all I could say through out this whole posting. I am soooo happy for you all. I have been praying for all of you. She is such a beautiful little sweet heart, the most perfect little addition to the most amazing family. God bless you all and Tori, welcome to the world. You will be so loved.
OH MY GOODNESS IS SHE BEAUTIFULLLLLLLL!!!
WOW UHHHHH Doni she looks exactly like you!!!!!! Especially the picture of you kissing her cheek. Look at you girls’s nose and lips and of course hair!! God could not have hand picked a more perfect daughter for you!! crying and goosebumps over here. Pink is the best color 🙂 Have you started on her room yet? I’m already wanting more pictures,haha.
PS I love your shirt!!! I agree,if you had more time to wait for this baby girl you wouldn’t have slept in months!!!! 🙂
LOVE YOU!!!
OMG. I’m so happy for you guys! She is absolutely gorgeous!
And I LOVE the shirt, lol!
Oh my goodness. What a precious story and beautiful little girl! My heart is full for you! We’re joining you in rejoicing!
Again, I must tell you how THRILLED I am for you!!!!! Seeing those pictures just made my heart melt! She is beautiful!!!! And I pray that Sweetie and Papa are better soon so they can see her MINUS the glass partition!!! Love ya, Doni! Enjoy these days!!!
oh she’s beautiful alright! BEAUTIFUL!!!!! (and i could sure tell she wanted to kiss you back.) 🙂
dexter… the monkey from night at the museum… sorry ty – she looks NOTHING like that naughty monkey! you’ll have to save that name for a brother… or a puppy. 🙂 ha!
Doni and Jim, How exciting! Your little darling baby girl is SO PRECIOUS. Talk about a flurry of activity. Your heads must be spinning. George and I are so happy for you. We thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon you and we rejoice with you. I’m glad that you are “in the pink”. I am looking forward to meeting your new little daughter.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!! This is SOOOOO exciting!!! She is beautiful! Just praising God with you! 🙂
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!! I am SO happy for you all!! I cheered out loud when I read the news. She is absolutely beautiful!
I could not be more happy for you sis. It is so awesome to see you so happy when you have been waiting so long for this moment to arrive. And the pictures are beautiful, but she is even more beautiful in person! She has the cutest little features, I love that little dimple on her face and her dark, thick hair!! When you get a chance, listen to the Martina McBride song, In My Daughter’s Eyes. Congratulations, you have a DAUGHTER!!!
Oh my gosh! She really does look just like you! God is so amazing! I can’t even find the right words to express how happy I am for your whole family! I agree with Aimee– you have to listen to that song. Congratulations again!
Oh I miss her already!!!!!! I wanted to come by again but I knew you guys would be exhausted! I LOVE LOVE LOVE her!!!! She is such a perfect princess! I am SSSSOOOOOOO happy for you guys! I have been praying every day that you would have her and here she is!!! I was thrilled to see you in your cute shirt yesterday when I came in. You are just glowing and I LOVE seeing you so happy! I also love the pics of you two! Like mother, like daughter! Love you and miss you!
Oh Doni!
Long time since we have chatted, but I am so very in awe of God and rejoicing with you today!!!
{{{hugs}}}
Jenni Saake
http://www.HannahsHopeBook.com
With praise to God for His amazing goodness, His perfect timing and His predetermined plan to knit Tori with the Brinkman pattern and with the loving support of family and friends. We are in awe of this gift. When we walk through tough times we share doubly in others joys and this one takes our breath away! How good of God and how in love we are with this beautiful baby girl. Looking through the window at this little beauty doesn’t do her justice, but to see the light in your eyes and the joy on Jim’s face and the smile on Tanner’s and the bounce of Ty…it brings such a lift to our lives!!! Remember that her Great Aunt Beck can’t lift over 10 pounds so I think that entitles me to a little extra holding time as soon as I am able, don’t you????!!!!!!!
Blessings to your little family and with much thanks to our awesome Father, Aunt Beck.
YAY! She’s here! …rather…there… Stinks to live this far away! I’m planning my trip already!! I love you guys so much and I’m just so incredibly happy for you and for Tori. She is the luckiest little girl in the whole world to have you both as parents and such great big brothers. LOVE YOU!!xoxo
AUNT BECK SHOULD ALWAYS GET DIBS IN THE PRE 10 LB DAYS!!!! 😉
i’ve always wanted a daughter so i could use that amazing song in a video for her. doni will get that opportunity first. 🙂
I’m getting ready for the night rush of baths, homework, prayers and tuck in’s, but I wanted to get back on here one more time tonight and see this little angel.
“good nite baby Tori, sleep tight, loving you, angels bless.”
“good nite boys, sleep tight, loving you, don’t let the bed bugs bite”
Soooo incredibly happy for you! She is GORGEOUS!! The picture with Sweetie about broke my heart! But look at the proud papa’s face in that pic. Priceless! I love you all and am so thrilled that God picked you all for each other! I love seeing her in your arms, Doni!
POPPA AND SWEETIE MUST BE ABOUT TO GO CRRR UUUHH AAAA ZZZZZYYYY!!!! MULTIPLE SYLLABLES OF CRAZY!!!! I FEEL FOR YOU BOTH!
Doni, Jim, Tanner and Ty…
You precious little girl has arrived; I was so delighted to read of Tori’s arrival. Could she be any cuter??? Rejoicing with you in God’s blessings…! That darling’s future suitors are going to have 3 men to get ‘through’ to date her…lol!
Couldn’t be happier for all of you; WELCOME Sweet Tori! You are a precious gift from heaven above.
I LOVE SEEING LOIS ON HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😉
Even sleepless you are glowing and Jim looking at his little girl is precious. She is beautiful! Praising Him with you,….. thank you Lord for bringing sweet Tori into her mommy and daddy’s arms 🙂
OH, My WORD!! Girl, GIRL, you have a GIRL! Oh, how fun and PINK for you. After having boys I find the more pink the better. Doni, people are buzzing for you over at HP. There was a huge God-incidence and we all are just PRAISING the Lord at this glorious news!!!!
Your boys are also growing. I can’t believe Ty. It seems just yesterday that we didn’t know if he’d share today with us and now here is a BIG BROTHER! And Tanner…such a fine lookin’ young man – God’s precious lil’ snowflake.
Miss Tori, you’ve got one amazing family. They are all praisin’ GOD that you are a part of it. One day, I have no doubt, you will too.
Enjoy this season Doni. Bask in God’s faithfulness, He delights in you and love you so much!!
Blessings~
Becky
Doni, you have to zoom in on her little face so everyone can see her beautiful long eyelashes!!!!!!! I still can’t believe how long they are for her gestational age! She definitely has petite and “girly” little features!! I love her!
She really does look like you!!!
I keep coming back to my computer to see if there are any new pictures! I am soooo happy for you guys!
Congratulations Doni, Jim, Tanner, and Ty…little girls are so much fun.
Sweet Tori, you have been delivered into such loving hands.
like everyone else, i find myself coming here and over over – looking for something new and staring at these same pictures repeatedly… gosh your daughter DOES look like you doni! SHE DOES SHE DOES! God has such a sweet sense of humor sometimes. 🙂 I imagine him smiling and sending a wink when you look up realizing how much your DAUGHTER looks like you. 🙂 He loves his kids, doesn’t he? 🙂
This is so very exciting!!! So, what will I be making for her first??? – hairbows, headbands, tutus, pink rag quilt, pants with pom pom trim, pacifiers with Swarovski crystals, bracelets???? You name it and I’m on it!! Steph
OH MY GOSH! I WANT A GIRL SO STEPHANIE CAN MAKE ME STUFF! WHERE IS YOUR WEBSITE GIRL?
She is so beautiful! Have fun with all the pink stuff!! =) Courtney
SO Adorable!! I’m so excited for you!
http://www.oneofeachdesigns.com
OMG! You were so good on keeping this a secret on your blog. I am not sure if you knew this was in the works or not or if it was pretty much you get the phone call and 24 hours later you have your baby! If so that is soooo GREAT. I don’t understand adoption too well. At any rate I am sooooo happy for you all. Those boys are going to spoil her and I am sure you will too. She is too cute.
Jere’
She is just gorgous! I am so excited for your sweet family!
Doni and family~
So happy to hear the wonderful news! I too think Tori looks just like you Doni, the darker coloring and hair, definitely hand picked by God! Enjoy the sweet days of cuddling while you have them, it won’t be long and she’ll become Miss Independent!
Congratulations once again and blessings to all of you!
Aimee
MN
I CAN NOT STAY AWAY FROM HERE! I LOVE THAT DARLING NIECE! 🙂 I am so anxious for a new post and more pictures – and at the same time I don’t want this one to change because this one is so monumental!
I have an idea… maybe even when you post a NEW one with NEW pictures (hint hint) 😉 you can keep the “HERESHEIS” image at the top for the next week or 2 or 3 or 4 just because it’s too special. 🙂
What a beautiful girl and beautiful family. The love in your house is so evident in every photo– I especially like the one with her puckering up. Too sweet. Blessings on you!
Heidi, you are too cute! I love how you just can’t help yourself!!! Wish you were here:).
Oh my….Oh my Doni!!!!! Congratulations….she is amazing and looks exactly like you. I love her name and that you have three little T’s now….so so sweet! You look beautiful yourself, even without much sleep, love can carry you……take care of yourself though, you have many more sleepless nights ahead cause she is only gonna get cuter (if thats possible) and your gonna have to keep staring at her all the time!!! I am sitting here with little giggles of pure happiness for your family!!! Congrats again!
Welcome little miss Tori into an amazing family…..you will have more love than you will ever need!!