We got the surprise phone call every adoptive family dreams about. "When can you get to FL? Birth mom changed her mind. She is signing papers today for you to adopt her baby." Back in August, on the very day we finalized R's adoption, our attorney told us about a Hispanic mother who was pregnant and interested in our family adopting her baby. This was sooner than we planned, but in the world of adoption we learned to say yes more often than we say no. We moved back to STL early so we could settle in and be ready for this new little one. We were tentatively excited because all adoptions carry risk and the timing of this one was not great for our family. But we had dreamed of a Hispanic baby for years so we were also very excited. In the last few months of pregnancy the birth mother's family made many promises to help raise her baby and she decided to parent. We were disappointed, but also preparing for the bar exam and house hunting. We understood. Baby was born 5 weeks early and we continued to pray for him and his mother. We asked God to provide for them and to protect them. I looked at his picture constantly. She bravely tried to take care of him. For two months she fed him and loved him. She helped him double his very low birth weight, but her family never helped. She was alone. She felt like she couldn't give him what he needed long term. She called the agency and asked them to contact us. Would we still take him? Our immediate answer was, "Absolutely!" She signed papers Friday afternoon while we scrambled to buy expensive plane tickets, find a dog sitter, and get another background check. We slept 4 short hours in an Orlando hotel and then drove to pick him up on Saturday. It all happened in about 22 hrs. We are in love with our Mexican/ Puerto Rican boy. He is two months old and sleeping in my arms as I type. Adoption is full of tension. One of birth mom's hardest days is my best day. And it's all done for the love a precious child. We met with her on Monday and it could not have gone better. She is a dear, dear woman. Her heart overflowed with gratitude for the life and love we could give him. But while she knows this adoption is good and right she is still grieving. Please pray that God will comfort her and that she will attend the provided counseling. And pray for us as we tradition to a family of five with only 11 months between the youngest members. Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow (especially unexpected ones).
