One Year Ago

Although it's been a really busy week, I haven't forgotten that one year and 3 days ago I received one of the best gifts of my life. On March 11, 2008, I was on my way to Jazzercise when my cell phone rang. I didn't know who it was, but decided to answer anyway. I knew there was a small chance that I might be getting this very important (and long awaited!) phone call.

Luckily I wasn't far from my destination. I was sitting in a parking space by the time the special needs coordinator at A Helping Hand could give me the information. "We have a baby who's file you can review. It's a boy." I so wish I could remember everything Dana said word for word, but the main thing that stuck out was, "It's a boy." I scrambled for something, anything to write on, and finally found an old envelope. I scratched down his basic info--name, age, location, and special need.

I tried to wrap my mind around the fact that I was probably going to have a little boy instead of a girl. I'd been working on that idea already since we had agreed we'd take either sex when we applied for the special needs list. But still, after thinking you were most definitely going to have a little girl for three years, it's not easy to make a quick switch. But we knew that we wanted to have a little boy some day. I said John needed to have a boy so he could teach him how to be a gentlemen like John (one of few men who still open the car doors for their wives after 7 years of marriage).

The next two hours I was spinning, dying to get back home to my computer so I could see his face. I went into Jazzercise late, but there was an extra spring in my step. Then I went to visit my father-in-law (who had broken his hip) at the rehabilitation center. It was killing me not to tell him, but I hadn't even told John yet. He was in Atlanta for a work conference. What timing!

Finally I reunited with my computer. This is what I saw.

My first thought was how cute he was! My second was that he could actually be my baby! To be honest, I also had a chuckle about this adorable little boy getting his picture made on a bright pink flower. I tried not to get my hopes up because I hadn't talked to John yet and I knew we had to be on the same page. But I knew I wanted this little sweet guy to be MY little boy. But John was so worried about the money that I was afraid he would say no. Adoption does come with a pretty hefty price tag.

I couldn't wait to see the second and only other picture, so I opened it almost immediately.


Look at those little feet! I zeroed in on them. He might like to play ball. He could stand holding on to something. And a million other thoughts. It's amazing all the information you can glean just from a photo or two when that's all you have. (My mom is especially good at this!)

Then I read his medical info, much of which made absolutely no sense to me, and called my folks. Sorry John, but I just had to tell someone! I talked to my dad. Mom wouldn't be home for a several more minutes, which seemed like eternity. Then I finally talked to John. He had to wait for the computer in the lobby at his hotel to be free before he could even see his picture. I could tell he was excited, but tired... and scared.

I stayed up very late that night assorting the baby stuff we had collected over the past three years into stuff a little boy could use and stuff we had to stow away for a girl.

I wish I could say we went to get him right away, or even signed the papers the next day. But there was another month of calls to Will's future doctor, waiting for more medical info from China, more doctor reviews, etc. All the time with John telling me to be patient and not get too attached yet. Me getting impatient and too attached, deciding that this was going to be my little boy no matter what the doctor said. I had the best news in the world and was trying not to tell anyone but my family about it, carrying around his picture and sneaking peaks while no one was looking.

But thanks to the adoption speed ups before the 2008 Olympics in China, everything from that point on happened at the speed of light. And the rest is history.

I've learned so many things from our adoption experience. Looking in Will's sweet face everyday helps me remember. The best things in life are the things that you don't plan for. I never planned to fall in love with my best friend and marry him. I never planned to adopt a little boy from China. But God has blessed me more than I ever dreamed! We were definitely meant to have a little boy--this little boy, our Will.

Happy 2nd Birthday Will! (And 33rd for Mom!)

I will never have another birthday without remembering turning 30. While most people dreaded it, I was very excited. You have to be 30 before you send your paperwork to China to adopt. Unfortunately, after working on our paperwork for almost a year at that point, we were still waiting on our government to send something back before we could turn everything in. Needless to say, I spent the morning of my 30th birthday crying over paperwork instead of celebrating it. It was only a couple weeks later that our paperwork was on its way to China.

At the time, the wait was only about 10 months, so we had expected to have a baby by my 31st birthday. But 31 came and went. So did 32. A couple weeks after my 32nd birthday, I finally saw Will's picture for the first time. When I saw his birthday, it was further confirmation that he was my little boy.

I've always thought it was special that each July the family gets to gather for a birthday party for my nephew, my dad, and my brother-in-law. They all have birthdays within 5 days of each other. So when we found out Will's birthday was just 4 days before mine, I knew that another family birthday party was in order.

This year it was finally here. We celebrated Will's actual birthday on the 17th, but his party fell on my birthday. There is no one I would rather share a birthday with. It was definitely my best birthday ever because he was here to share it with me. Happy 2nd birthday to my wonderful little boy! Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate. We wish we had room to invite more of our wonderful friends to share the day with us.

On the flip side, we will never celebrate Will's birthday when I don't say a prayer of thanks for his birth parents who helped create our wonderful little man. I imagine they must be good looking, funny, and smart (like he is!). Also brave and selfless, to give up their little boy who I truly believe they loved, so that he could get the help he needed to be healthy and have a family who could provide for him. In a country that does not have adoption plans in the form that we do in America, they left him in a very nice place where he could be found quickly and taken care of. We pray that someday we can meet in heaven and show our true appreciation.

And to everyone else with February birthdays (It seems to be a popular month!)...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

6 Months Changes Everything

This time a year ago I could have written a blog entry entitled, "3 years changes nothing." 1 year of paperwork and 2 years of official waiting and we still had no tangible reason to believe that we would have a baby soon. 6 months later we were holding Will in our arms. Now, today, it's already been 6 months since we officially adopted him and perhaps the fastest 6 months of my life.


Once upon a time, Will was just a dream to us, a picture that we carried around and talked about.


When he first met us, we were just the scary people with big eyes and big noses who talked weird and smelled funny. There was no love at first sight for him. He cried from about 5:30-10p.m, and only stopped then because he was so tired he fell asleep.

Now, 6 months later, our lives and our hearts will never be the same, forever changed for the better. I remember thinking it was going to be my life's mission to put a smile on that face, and now I have a collection of pictures of me with grins that are way too big and cheesy to post for the world to see. (But I'll probably cave some day. That would make a good entry!)

We are so proud of Will for all he has accomplished--especially his ability to keep laughing in spite of all the changes and challenges he has been through. He's progressed from bottles to sippy cups and straws. He climbs up and down the stairs with little or no help. He tries to dress himself, sometimes even trying to put on his own diaper! He still loves music and his dance skills are becoming more diverse. (He was copying Bing Crosby while we watched White Christmas!) He's now ready for a big boy bed and to be potty trained. Our baby is not a baby anymore.


Will, we love you! I'll never forget the first time I held you. Or the first time you called me, "Mommy!" Or the first time you ran to me when you had a boo boo. We have no doubt that God put us together. We are so happy that you are part of our Forever Family!