all because of one beautiful, strong, BRAVE woman

May 24, 2012: Phone call at work from Bethany, we were matched.  TOTAL and complete shock, as we hadn't even began our home study process with them yet!  Baby in another state, baby is Native American so we need to not only learn the adoption laws in that state, but the laws regarding adoption of NA babies, which adds a bunch of things to the laws of the state - including the tribe being able to come in and stop the adoption.

June 2, 2012: Baby boy born.  Birth mother wants us to name him and has her social worker send us pictures via text.  We're excited, but reserved!  Plan is to have the baby go into an interim home, which is similar to foster care but it's a family that works for Bethany, not the state.  The baby would go there until the court process was over (at least 15 days after birth since this is a NA baby).

June 3, 2012: Baby's birth mom is released from the hospital.  Instead of placing the baby in interim care, she decides to take him home so he's not with "strangers".  My heart sinks.

June 7, 2012: Paper signing day, to get the court process going.  What a totally crazy day this was.  I was honestly in my bathrobe with shampoo in my hair for two straight hours while I was on the phone.  Here's why:

While in the shower, my phone rings.  B-man comes running back to the bathroom with it but I missed the call.  I waited to listen to the voice mail.  It's Carol, the director of WCS, asking me to call her back.  I called Josh at school to see if Carol had called him in the meantime.  She had.  We were matched with a birth mom.

Two babies.  OMG.

We decided to go ahead and pursue both babies and if we end up with two, so be it.  Worry about cost later.

I called Carol to let her know I heard the news and let her know what we decided about both babies.  I also told her that the papers hadn't been signed on baby #1 yet and we didn't know what was going to happen.

While on the phone with her, the social worker from Bethany left a message.  Birth mom, when called to see if she was ready to sign papers, couldn't do it.  She needed more time.  She was going to have a NA ceremony of clarity over the weekend.  I tell her about baby #2 and she's so excited for us.

I called WCS back to let them know that the birth mom for baby #1 isn't ready to sign yet.

Then I get back in the shower, two hours later, to re-wash my hair. :)

June 9, 2012: We meet birth mom and birth dad for baby #2, along with Carol, for lunch.  I was so nervous I thought I would puke.  We brought birth mom a cute little bag full of pampering lotions and soaks and stuff.  Birth mom is soooo quiet.  Very hard to get conversation out of.  She only had one question for us: What church did we go to?  She was very pretty, very likable, just very quiet!  Birth dad was more outgoing.  Both of them have very awesome personal goals in life (which I won't post here - it's a little too personal to be posting about people that don't even know I blog) and chose us because we are teachers and would have a big brother for this little boy.  Another boy!!  Baby boy is due in just one month - July 9.  I was so worried about B having a restaurant-noise meltdown, so I came prepared!  Lots of new little surprises to keep him busy at the table.  Come to find out later - that really impressed the birth mom. :)

June 18, 2012: After birth mom #1 wouldn't return phone calls to her social worker, she finally called her to say she officially decided to parent.  We knew that in our guts, and really, while we were incredibly disappointed, the blow wasn't as bad because we have baby #2 to look forward to.

June 30, 2012: Meet Carol, birth mom, birth dad, and birth mom's dad for breakfast!  Birth mom's dad is super nice.  Immediately likable.  Breakfast conversation was much more at ease than our first lunch, which was a relief!  And the cherry on top: they gave us not one, but EIGHTEEN of this little guy's ultrasound pictures! Yes, I cried.

July 1, 2012: We are on vacation at my mom and dad's house.  My sister and her family are there, as are my aunt and uncle.  Perfect timing for a baby to arrive to meet everyone, right?  Baby didn't get that memo.

July 6, 2012: Head to my grandma's house.  We are staying there overnight before we head into Yellowstone for a few days.  Freaking out, because Yellowstone doesn't have cell service.  We subscribed to On Star so we had a phone of some sort in case baby came, but it wasn't working properly.  So we were wondering what to do.  We went to visit my BFF from college that night; she happened to be in town.  We haven't seen her in 8 years, since our wedding!  We were on our way out to her house when I get this text from Carol:  "Yikes! She is in the hospital.  Doctor is checking her.  I will be in touch soon!!!"  Of course, friend's house is in the country and doesn't have great service.  On the way back into town, frantic phone calls between us, my mom and sister, and Carol.  This is it!   Baby is on his way!

July 7, 2012: SOOO tired this morning - no sleep was had.  Got a text from our director at 5:12 am: "7 lbs 10 oz and healthy.  Born at 3:56! Talk to you soon!" So worried now that it's "real" - what if they change their minds, too?  Could I handle losing two babies?  Director calls about 8:00 and says to come on down!  We tell B that the baby has been born but we still have to wait a bit to see if we get to bring him home.  But that we need to go to the hospital, and that means we can't go to Yellowstone.  The poor kid cried.  And that made me cry (because crying every day for the past month hadn't been enough...).  He's been looking forward to this trip for a year!  I promised we'd go another time.  We get on the road - it's the longest 5 hour drive of my life, especially since we have to stop at every rest area because both Josh's and my nerves are making our bodies to into overdrive...  We drop B off with Josh's parents, who met us, and we head to the hospital.  Birth mom's dad met us at the door and brought us to the room.  I got to hold him first.  OMGoodness, what a beauty.  I'm not joking when I say he was born absolutely PERFECT.  Everything was perfect.  And his hair - oh, the hair!  It's long and lots of it.  He's not going to make it 13 months before his first hair cut like B did!  We spend a few hours at the hospital, but it's awkward because we are in birth mom's room the whole time.  When we saw B that evening, his first words to me were, "Hey mom!  Know anything yet? Do we get the baby?"  Melted my heart.  I told him we still have to wait a bit.

July 8, 2012: We spent only about an hour and a half at the hospital today.  Can't get over how beautiful this little boy is!  We wanted to give the birth mom and birth dad some space, (birth dad was at the hospital the whole entire time! He took great care of this baby.) but at the same time, I wanted to hold this baby to my chest and never let go - still terrified they will change their minds.  Director said birth mom and baby will be released in the morning, and papers to terminate parental rights would happen then, so we should not come to the hospital until she calls us to let us know everything is done and we can come pick up this baby!

July 9, 2012:  Another sleepless night.  And my stomach has so many knots, I can't stand up straight.  B is doing so great - totally on his best behavior, and wanting us to play so we could pass the time.  Director thought it might be around 10:00 when she called us.  I remember at one point, I looked at the clock and it said 8:24.  I looked again later, thinking it must be about 9:00, and it said 8:28.  Oy.  10:00 came and went.  More knots, but I was so hoping that the fact that we hadn't been called early was a good sign, because that would most likely mean it was a "they won't sign" call.  FINALLY, at 10:23, got this text: "Papers signed and she has left.  Please come."  I instantly burst into tears. Again.  I hooped and hollered.  I told B to go get on his new shirt that says BIG BROTHER, because we got the baby.  His eyes got huge and he cheered. He went running, shouting "DADDY! WE GOT THE BABY!"  I shouted for Josh to get the car seat - let's GO!  And we headed in to get our new son.  I texted my sister and told her to call my parents.  I texted our other siblings.  Josh called his mom.  (side note: best story I've heard so far is from my sister-in-law, who was in the waiting room at the chiropractor when she got the text that papers were signed - Josh's brother was in the room getting worked on and Beth shouted from the lobby that papers were signed!!!! Everyone looked at her weird. LOL!)  We pull into the hospital lot, had to literally drag B out of the truck because he was soooo overwhelmed and carry him in, walk into the hospital, walk to the room, and find our SON waiting for us with Carol.  I was finally able to become incredibly excited.  I held that perfect being and smelled his baby smell.  I put on his new "little brother" onesie to match his big brother's shirt (that phrase still gets me, every time!!), we sign custody agreement papers, we get a family picture taken (with B standing behind me because he's still very overwhelmed), and walk out of the hospital.  We walked in as a family of 3 and left as a family of 4.  So surreal.

It's  been one amazing thing to watch my B-man transform from an only child to a big brother.  He is AMAZING, just like we thought.  *So far* there hasn't been that hard of a transition.  He is more than willing to hold little b, feed little b, pick out his clothing, put in his pacifier, all of those things.  To see him get right up next to little b and say, "Hey there, little buddy, whatcha doin'?" melts my heart.  It's been a long time coming. :)

We asked Carol how we got so lucky to get such a perfect baby and healthy birth parents... she said it was completely because we waited so long.  Prayers are answered, and good things come with time.  We knew that with the birth of B - it took forever to get pregnant but we waited so long and got the perfect child.  How crazy it is that we were chosen to be the parents to TWO perfect children.  The roller coaster this adoption process is, is not fun.  At all.  So many ups and downs and heartbreak and wondering... adoption is not for the faint of heart, for sure.

All of this happened to US because of one beautiful, strong, BRAVE woman.  One who chose adoption over any other option.  One who chose us because we are teachers and had a sibling for this little man.  One, who even through her friends making fun of her for her decision, stayed strong so that our dream could be achieved.  And it wasn't just her - it was one beautiful, strong, BRAVE man, too.  They made this decision together.  And for that, we will be eternally grateful.

As our family of 4.