Well hello, 2019! Boy, did the last half of 2018 get away from me. I mean, I've had small kids before, why is this round kicking my butt? Anyway, lets get back to our adoption and how we got these small kids!
If you remember, I was in the middle of our adoption journey. We had just had our 3rd failed match and we were questioning if we should move on. March of 2017 we decided we would move forward with very strict stipulations for our agency that we weren't too fond of! We were giving ourselves 6 months and then we were done. We also wanted a very, very short match with a baby born situation being ideal.
April 7, 2017 - we were a little over 6 weeks from our last failed match. Greg was visiting a buddy in Colorado for the weekend and I was staying home with Kyson getting things done. Kyson was down for a nap and I was finally sitting down and relaxing when the phone rang. It was 3:30 pm. Our agency was on the other end of the line and told me they had a situation - a 7 1/2 month old little girl was being surrendered by her biological family. Would we be interested? I was asking all sorts of questions - health, location, why? After many minutes on the phone, I finally asked when? She said we would need to be out in New Jersey within the next 48 hours! WHAAAAT?
She had told me she was going to send me a photo and the information she had. Once we got off the phone, I checked my email and this is the photo I saw. I just couldn't stop staring into her eyes. Were they trying to tell me something?
I immediately called Greg. Explained to him all I knew and that we would need to be on the East coast ASAP. So while he was having a great time in Colorado with his buddy, I was making phone calls and making plans for Kyson for us to leave ASAP. After speaking to the agency again, we realized since it was Friday late afternoon now, nothing could be done until Monday anyway. Phew...I had a little time to prepare.
Greg and I agreed there was no reason to be out in NJ early, so we booked the 8 pm flight. Landing in NJ at midnight on Sunday. We had set up a meeting with the birth mother on Monday, April 10th at 1 pm, so we had just a few hours in NJ, which was fine with us. We also both agreed that THIS. WAS. IT. This was the final chance we were giving ourselves at adoption. Nothing is final until the papers are signed, and all we had was a picture...no signed papers. We only packed enough clothes for us and for 2 days. We figured we would know by Monday night if this was going to work out. If not, we were going to book the most expensive hotel in NYC....take a minute to grieve, celebrate our family and move on!
Monday morning came and I received a message from Bio-mom that she did not have a car seat and only had one bottle and enough formula for one bottle. We quickly ran to a Target, grabbed a car seat, a bottle and some formula. Keeping the receipt, thinking we would be returning the car seat.
The next 4 hours seem like they took forever but yet seem like a blur. We met with the bio-mom and loved her. She handed Greg the baby and OH MY! She was the sweetest little baby I have ever seen. And I do mean little! She was 1 week shy of 8 months and not quite 14 lbs. She was wearing 6-9 month clothes and they were swimming on her. Bio Mom stated that she cried around strangers but when handed to Greg, this little morsel laid on his shoulder and fell asleep. It's like she knew she was safe.
There were many things that transpired between 1 pm and 5 pm that day, that I will keep private for now, but by 5 pm, papers were signed and Emani Elizabeth was forever ours!
We went back to the hotel and I cried. I cried because our adoption journey was over. I cried because I had a daughter. I cried because I was so overwhelmed with what had just happened the last 4 hours. I cried because I was so happy we had her. I cried because I was so so sad for her bio family.
We ran again to Target to pick up baby item. We needed everything. The clothing size she needed was 3-6m, she needed size 1 diapers and she needed formula. We called and text friends and family who had no idea what we were doing!
Greg ended up staying one more night with us and then needed to leave to get back to his patients. Emi and I stayed in NJ until Friday morning. Getting the call from our agency that we had been released by ICPC was the best call of my life. We had a rough few days in NJ. I had slept a total of 3 hours all week and when I heard the words "You can go home! You can take your daughter home!" I turned into a blubbering mess! I'm almost sure the social worker on the phone was genuinely concerned for Emi's well being at that time! lol
Adoption is HARD! So so hard. It is probably one of the hardest things I have ever done. It is so expensive and so much money is at risk. My whole life I had always wanted to adopt. Nobody tells you how hard it is. I don't think adoption laws are fair. I am convinced I was put on this earth to make a difference in the adoption world. My heart has always been drawn towards adoption and now I think I know why! Stay tuned....hopefully we will change adoption for the better!
If you remember, I was in the middle of our adoption journey. We had just had our 3rd failed match and we were questioning if we should move on. March of 2017 we decided we would move forward with very strict stipulations for our agency that we weren't too fond of! We were giving ourselves 6 months and then we were done. We also wanted a very, very short match with a baby born situation being ideal.
April 7, 2017 - we were a little over 6 weeks from our last failed match. Greg was visiting a buddy in Colorado for the weekend and I was staying home with Kyson getting things done. Kyson was down for a nap and I was finally sitting down and relaxing when the phone rang. It was 3:30 pm. Our agency was on the other end of the line and told me they had a situation - a 7 1/2 month old little girl was being surrendered by her biological family. Would we be interested? I was asking all sorts of questions - health, location, why? After many minutes on the phone, I finally asked when? She said we would need to be out in New Jersey within the next 48 hours! WHAAAAT?
She had told me she was going to send me a photo and the information she had. Once we got off the phone, I checked my email and this is the photo I saw. I just couldn't stop staring into her eyes. Were they trying to tell me something?
I immediately called Greg. Explained to him all I knew and that we would need to be on the East coast ASAP. So while he was having a great time in Colorado with his buddy, I was making phone calls and making plans for Kyson for us to leave ASAP. After speaking to the agency again, we realized since it was Friday late afternoon now, nothing could be done until Monday anyway. Phew...I had a little time to prepare.
Greg and I agreed there was no reason to be out in NJ early, so we booked the 8 pm flight. Landing in NJ at midnight on Sunday. We had set up a meeting with the birth mother on Monday, April 10th at 1 pm, so we had just a few hours in NJ, which was fine with us. We also both agreed that THIS. WAS. IT. This was the final chance we were giving ourselves at adoption. Nothing is final until the papers are signed, and all we had was a picture...no signed papers. We only packed enough clothes for us and for 2 days. We figured we would know by Monday night if this was going to work out. If not, we were going to book the most expensive hotel in NYC....take a minute to grieve, celebrate our family and move on!
Monday morning came and I received a message from Bio-mom that she did not have a car seat and only had one bottle and enough formula for one bottle. We quickly ran to a Target, grabbed a car seat, a bottle and some formula. Keeping the receipt, thinking we would be returning the car seat.
The next 4 hours seem like they took forever but yet seem like a blur. We met with the bio-mom and loved her. She handed Greg the baby and OH MY! She was the sweetest little baby I have ever seen. And I do mean little! She was 1 week shy of 8 months and not quite 14 lbs. She was wearing 6-9 month clothes and they were swimming on her. Bio Mom stated that she cried around strangers but when handed to Greg, this little morsel laid on his shoulder and fell asleep. It's like she knew she was safe.
There were many things that transpired between 1 pm and 5 pm that day, that I will keep private for now, but by 5 pm, papers were signed and Emani Elizabeth was forever ours!
We went back to the hotel and I cried. I cried because our adoption journey was over. I cried because I had a daughter. I cried because I was so overwhelmed with what had just happened the last 4 hours. I cried because I was so happy we had her. I cried because I was so so sad for her bio family.
We ran again to Target to pick up baby item. We needed everything. The clothing size she needed was 3-6m, she needed size 1 diapers and she needed formula. We called and text friends and family who had no idea what we were doing!
Greg ended up staying one more night with us and then needed to leave to get back to his patients. Emi and I stayed in NJ until Friday morning. Getting the call from our agency that we had been released by ICPC was the best call of my life. We had a rough few days in NJ. I had slept a total of 3 hours all week and when I heard the words "You can go home! You can take your daughter home!" I turned into a blubbering mess! I'm almost sure the social worker on the phone was genuinely concerned for Emi's well being at that time! lol
Adoption is HARD! So so hard. It is probably one of the hardest things I have ever done. It is so expensive and so much money is at risk. My whole life I had always wanted to adopt. Nobody tells you how hard it is. I don't think adoption laws are fair. I am convinced I was put on this earth to make a difference in the adoption world. My heart has always been drawn towards adoption and now I think I know why! Stay tuned....hopefully we will change adoption for the better!
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