The Big Day Arrives

After waiting on an adoption list for 18 months, we finally received the call we'd been praying for.

Everyone told us that the waiting is the hardest part of adoption. Boy is that ever true! It was brutal. Every phone call from the adoption agency wondering if this is the one. Every call made to the agency for updates only to be told someone looked at our book, but passed on us. I wish I had wonderful words of wisdom to impart for someone waiting, but it's just hard. Really hard! Keep praying and have faith that God's timing is perfect. Not only perfect timing, but He has the perfect addition for your family and he or she is worth waiting for. And, you don't have to be patient, you can be annoyed and frustrated. Maybe there's some wisdom to be found in all parts of your journey. But then it finally happens.

One day I'm in my car and I get a call. I see it's the agency so I'm quick to try and grab it. Before I can even answer it I'm thinking, "is this it, is this finally the day that changes our lives..." A case worker on the other end starts telling me that we've been chosen by a family and starts giving me the details. I think it went something like this...

Me: When is she due? 

Case Worker: Hold on, let me tell you about it first. 

Me: Do you know if it's a boy or girl? 

Case Worker: Hold on, let me tell you about it first. I find I lose people if I tell them that first. 

Details, details, details. (Not really sure what all was said here, she already lost me.)

Me: When is she due? 

Case Worker: Well it's a girl and she was born yesterday. 

Okay. Here's where life got really crazy, really fast. We were told we'd get about 2-3 months notice because they like to pair birth parents and adoptive parents in advance.

All of a sudden a baby we waited 18 months for we weren't ready for!

What was worse is I was on my way to pick up my daughter at school and only had a few minutes before she was in the car with me. I wanted to protect her in case things didn't pan out. So I call my husband and tell him, "agency called, they have a match for us, birth parents picked us, it's a girl, she was already born yesterday, talk to you later." Maybe I should have him write his point of view of this one day!

The next day we go to the agency to meet the birth parents. We liked each other and they were confident in their choice to choose adoption. We were sent to the hospital to meet our new daughter. Not even 24 hours had passed. We went home to pick up our 9 year old daughter who knew nothing of everything that was going on. We shared with her that she was going to be a big sister and that we were taking her to the hospital, right now, to meet her new baby sister! It was all so overwhelming. Praise God for such answered prayers!

Before you know it I'm spending the night at the hospital, shopping online for baby supplies. I'm practically skipping down the hall. My husband spent the next night at the hospital with our new baby. And I literally drove to a friends house on the way to the hospital to pick up a car seat and a bassinet because we had nothing. It was all surreal. 

We got the call on a Monday and by Thursday we were driving home from the hospital as a family of four. She's three today and in preschool. I don't know where the time has gone, except that it has still been a whirlwind. Every day is crazy, loud, messy and chaotic. And we thank God every day for the blessing of her in our lives.