Just one week ago we got a call from the fabulous and highly recommended home study lady who has been helping us. She called us to tell us a baby girl was about to be born and asked if we wanted to adopt her. I asked if I could take a moment to call my husband, as he was at the school’s volleyball game. He was in a state of shock on his way home. During that time I called my sister to tell her and she told us that we’ve been wanting this for two years, we were ready! Go get that baby! I knew I wanted to say yes but wanted to make sure my husband had peace about the decision too. Once he got home and had a moment to process, he was more than on board as well.
Isn’t it funny how life goes? Just a month ago I wrote blog entry #11 and asked for prayer for peace about a decision going to be made in October. What I didn’t share was that we were going to try IVF. We had attended several appointments and just needed to call when my next cycle started. We got this call before we would start IVF and are amazed at God’s timing. The decision many of you prayed for was designed by God for us to adopt this baby girl.
Once we found out, we were advised to fly out the next day, which we did. Baby girl was born during the night and we flew out that day!
The birth mother was passionate about making sure her baby was adopted by a loving couple. She made a decision to give her baby life and we are eternally grateful to her. We got to meet baby girl when she was 24 hours old. On our plane ride, we decided on her name.
We picked a first and middle name with several special meanings to and in our family. Her cousins helped pick her middle name, without even knowing it!
Our baby was born in a stressful state and was in the NICU. The amazing nurses helped so much with her care, a speech pathologist and physical therapist visited as well. Each person gave such helpful advice to help. My husband and I held our baby girl all day long, for the next 6 days. We swaddled her, held her hand, swayed with her, read to her, talked to her and prayed for her. Soon, the nurses were commenting on her improvement and her stressful state was decreasing.
She was discharged on day 7, when she was one week old. It was much quicker than anticipated and the doctor was impressed with her improvement.
All this to say, God chose us to be her parents and we were able to provide what she needed. Other situations didn’t work out. It wasn’t a "no" to being parents, it was just a "not yet". Our daughter came at just the right time, as always is with God’s perfect timing.
We have gone through a roller coaster of emotions, most of them filled with joy and excitement and tears of happiness. Our hearts are content.
Our hope stayed strong in knowing that we would be parents. It was difficult at times. It was trying. It wore us down. But the prayers, support, and encouragement of our family and friends rallied us on.
And now that we are parents, the excitement you all have for us makes our hearts burst with happiness.
We still have more paperwork to go and a few more legalities. But for now, we will let our hope turn to joy. Our hearts are at peace. And the decision we asked for prayer came to fruition in the best way we could imagine.
Today, our baby girl is one week old, made strong through love.
