The Call

So there we were. In our PJs. Watching Duck Dynasty. Lounging on the couch at 10:30 at night. Oblivious. Little did we know, our daughter had been born that morning.

I had it in my head the way it would go. The ring tone I had assigned to our agency director would sound and my heart would race. She would tell us about an expectant mom who had chosen us from a stack of profiles because of a small detail. Maybe she liked that we were going to homeschool, or that we had three dogs, or that I was going to stay home with the baby. Some little detail that had confirmed her choice. She would be in her second trimester maybe. Plenty of time to plan, finish the nursery, get to know the woman who would change our lives with a new little life. Maybe she'd let me be in the room when our child came into this world. I would be prepared with a "going home outfit" for baby and a memorable and meaningful gift for birth mom. Baby would be born and come home the next day. A nice neat package. 

But where's the fun and excitement in that? God's plans continually blow me away.

10:30 at night last Wednesday. Michelle, our agency director, calls from a number I don't recognize and my phone is on vibrate so I just barely notice the screen light up out of the corner of my eye. I answer and immediately my heart races (I don't think that part would change in any scenario) as Michelle tells me she's at the hospital and a beautiful little girl had been born. I put her on speaker for Josh. She gives us all the info she can and asks if we would like our profile shown to the birth parents. No matter how long you wait, how much you want it, the idea of IMMEDIATELY having a child that you didn't even know existed that morning, it's a bit of a shock. We asked for ten minuets to pray, talk, think, and call back. Fear is a powerful thing. I sat and watched my strong wonderful husband guide me and display immeasurable faith. We called Michelle back and confidently announced "she's ours!!"

Michelle called back in less than twenty minutes. They had picked us and the ride of our lives began. She gave us the hospital info and told us to be there at 9:00 the next morning. 

Longest. Night. Of. Our. Lives.

Josh brushing up on his parenting skills after we got the call.

We were up hours before the alarm. Have you ever been up so early that the only other people in Target are the employees? We rushed around the store buying baby "essentials" for the day and small gifts for the birth parents. I say small, because nothing could ever be sufficient. Not much point in even trying to compare. There aren't many things as humbling as buying lotion and body scrub for the woman giving you her child. On to the hospital.

Waiting outside Target for the store to open.

Longest. Drive. Of. Our. Lives.

45 minutes later we were there. We walked into the waiting room and met Michelle. This hard working, compassionate woman had been there all day Wednesday, driven two hours home, and then come all the way back early the next morning to meet us and bring breakfast to birth mom. We waited outside for birth mom to finish eating and then Michelle lead us back to her room. 

This is where I stop for now. I still haven't completely decided what details of this week to share and what to keep for ourselves. Plus I have my newborn daughter in my arms and I'm blissfully exhausted.

I'll leave you with the first picture we ever saw of our daughter, texted to us by Michelle the day our girl was born. 6lbs 13oz and 19 inches of perfection.