Our Adoption Story: Could this be our baby?

Sometimes, an ordinary night can bring an extraordinary moment that you never forget.

Courtesy of Etsy shop, Letterpress Art Prints

In late January, we were having an ordinary night when one phone call from a friend changed our lives. (Dan now calls her his favorite person and literally will do anything for her!)  She told me that she had met a woman who was looking to place her baby with an adoptive family.  The baby was due any day.  My friend mentioned that she knew a nice family looking to adopt, and she and the father had expressed interest in hearing from us.

My heart was beating wildly, and Dan, who could only hear my side of the conversation, was on the edge of the couch saying, "Wait, what?  What are you talking about?  What's going on?"

I heard myself saying, "Of course we are interested.  I can write a letter up right away and send you some pictures to pass on to them.  I'll get it to you tomorrow."

If I could find words to express the flood of emotions I felt as I hung up the phone, I would be a much better writer than I am.  I felt the butterflies of anticipation and hope fill my stomach and fly into my heart.

Tripping over myself in my excitement, I relayed the conversation to Dan.  We exchanged elated comments and questions in between words of necessary caution.

"It's a good thing we already have a ton of baby stuff.  We'll be mostly set."

"Can you imagine if we had a baby this time next week?"

"Of course, it might not happen."

"Definitely.  We don't know."

I sat up late into the night writing our letter.  This was something I had long dreaded doing.  Writing is my passion, but how to write to someone in this situation was beyond my abilities.  How was I to find the right balance between sympathy for their decision and talking about our family and how we would include their child in our lives?   I hesitated.  I typed and deleted and typed and deleted some more.

Finally, I took a breath and told myself to write the way I always have: straight from my heart.

Hello,

It’s impossible for us to understand what you are facing and the decisions you must make.  We hope that you have support as you travel this road, and please know you are in our thoughts and prayers.  We deeply appreciate you taking time to get to know us a little better through this letter.  

And then I just wrote about us.  Our little family and how we have all been hoping for a fourth to join us.  

I sent on several pictures, as well.  This one was taken at Disneyland when we went for Paityn's first birthday.  I stared at it, picturing a second child there, too, on his or her first birthday.  I saw Mama and Papa and big sister Paityn all crowded around a small little one celebrating the milestone. 

I told myself not to do it, that the odds of this working out were too small, but I couldn't help it.  My heart had already sailed away and was falling in love with this unknown baby, the one I hoped was the child I had always known we would find someday.

We didn't know much about the couple, but we knew a little bit.  My heart hurt for them.  As I wrote the letter, I prayed for them, and that they would come to the decision that was right and best for all three of them.  Not for us.  But for them.

Still, a lot of hope was sent with that letter and pictures. 

Continue reading Our Adoption Story: Chosen to be Parents

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Did you miss the beginning of Our Adoption Story?  

Our Adoption Story: I Always Knew...

Our Adoption Story: Lost in a Sea of Paperwork