Wide-Eyed and Waiting...

Oh my-where do I begin! I guess I will start at the beginning. Two weeks ago we got an email from our adoption agency saying that they had a birthmother walk in, pregnant with a multiracial girl, due March 10th, and that there were some risk factors in the prenatal care (which we choose not to discuss for the baby's and birthmom's confidentiality). So our agency wanted us to know if she could show this particular girl our profile. We thought about it, deliberated over the race (the baby will be only 1/4 African American), and said yes. We really felt a pull to say yes.
Well-we had to wait a week before the birthmother would come back in to view the profiles. Then that turned in to her taking them home with her. I told Billy at that point that I did not think she would choose us because I found out she was viewing 4 other profiles as well and I thought she would choose a family that did not currently have children.
Fast forward to Friday, we get a call that the birthmother had selected us! Then we found out they might induce her that day and that she wants us in the delivery room! We scrambled around and found out within an hour that she was not being admitted but that she wanted to meet us the next day (Saturday night) after our 8-hour adoption training class. Needless to say, we were exhausted and anxious by the time 5:30 rolled around!

At the adoption agency, the birthmother, walks in with her mother and best friend. Her mother is a little old adorable Hispanic woman and her best friend was fully African American-which completely represents the racial mix of our birthmother! Anyway-we sit down and immediately begin chatting and looking through the photo album we had to put together. She pulls out sonogram pictures (it is definetly a girl!) and pictures of her two children that she is parenting. She wanted us to see her daughter because she is the same ethnicity that our little girl will be. So sweet!

There were tears and sweet words exchanged by all! She made it very clear that she wants us in the room when she gives birth, that this is our daughter, and that she would like Billy to cut the umbilical cord! She wants to put the names we give her on the birth certificate. Her mother and a couple friends will also be there, which is so wonderful that she has such a strong support system! Her friend was very emotional during the whole meeting but near the end kept saying "these are tears of joy!" and when she hugged me at the end she said "I just love you!" And our birthmothers, mom said that they brought her because she has a way of knowing about people and that after meeting us she feels were sent by the Lord for this little baby! And this is a woman who just found out a couple days ago about the baby. Her daughter said she didn't want anyone to try to change her mind! This is a family who deeply loves one another and loves this child. We feel honored and blessed to be a part of this experience. It feels like a dream we are walking through.

So what's next? We will get a call anytime in the next week to come back to Waco for the birth. We will be able to take pictures of the baby right after birth and be with her the whole time. 48 hours after she is born, her birthmother will have a chance to sign the relinquishment papers. IF that happens and the hospital releases the baby, we will come home with her. Sometime around then, we will announce her name! We are very excited about that!

So now we are scrambling to get the nursery ready, baby laundry, catching up on sleep! And we registered for some things at Target. Please pray for her health, her birth mother's health, and for us as we go through this next week. We will try to stay in touch.