Meeting the birthparents

Today we traveled to Edmonton to meet the birth parents.  What a long three hour drive. I kept talking up a storm. Brad kept zoning off into the distance, each of us still processing the news.

I couldn't decide what to wear today. It's amazing to me that in moments like this, we become so concerned what people think of us.  Will they like us?  Will we be what they were expecting? It's like our whole worth is on the line.

I said to Brad, "We'll know very quickly whether it's a match or not."

"Do you want to know the sex of the baby?" he asked.

"Absolutely.  I've had enough shock for one day.  Knowing one thing for certain would be nice."

We arrived at the adoption agency at 2 pm sharp. The birth parents were already there behind closed doors.  Both Brad and I were nervous.  He sat down. I paced.

And then, the doors opened and Marlene came out to greet us.

"Are you ready?"

"As ready as we're going to be!"

The first few seconds walking into the room are almost indescribable. There sat a young, beautiful couple.  We didn't know whether to greet each other with a wave, hand shake or hug. The girls hugged, the boys shook hands.

And instantly I knew just how perfect this all was.

We spent the next two hours getting to know them. I marveled at the birth mom's beauty. And the birth father... well, he reminded me so much of Brad.  They had similar physical features, similar interests--both easy-going, fun-loving guys.  And their mannerisms mirrored one another throughout the meeting. Amazing!

When asked how they picked us from the many profiles they looked at, the birth father said, "We just led with the heart." (as my heart melted...)

They both seemed so mature.

"So do you want to know the sex of the baby?" they asked.

"No!" I said.

"Yes," Brad said, with a confused expression on his face. "Paula, I thought you said you wanted to know!"

"I did. But that was then.  In this moment, I don't want to."

So I left the room and had them share the news with Brad only.

I walked in. He was grinning. I was sure it was a boy.

We ended the visit by going out for dinner together.

On the way home, Brad asked me if I wanted to know. I did, but I was more interested to see how long it would take him to tell me. He can't keep anything from me.

He managed to make it all the way home. As we lay in bed, he finally confessed, "It's baby Hanna."

I giggled with glee.

Comments

[george,melissa,arianna,christian,peanut]

Hey guys,

Just looking at baby Hanna.... again. It's 10:00pm Australian time (July 28, 2005). She is absolutely beautiful. What an absolute (no pun intended) awesome gift from God. I sit here in tears of joy for your new family. See ya soon.

GMAC