So our lives have been quite the roller coaster the last several months since my last blog post. Once we got on the agency’s waiting list, the hard part started. We were presented with situations (lots!) that because they weren’t God’s “Plan A” for our lives, didn’t work out. Long days, emotional days…..led us to February 13th when we got “THE CALL”!!!!
We had just gotten back home from a quick weekend trip to Pigeon Forge with my family. On the drive up Friday (February 10th) , we learned that we were one of 7 families who was interested in a little African American boy whose due date was February 23, 2012. Everything about the situation sounded good but we were trying to manage our expectations since we had just had about 7 or 8 not work out in the three weeks prior alone. On Monday, I was headed to a closing when our social worker Tricia called and said the birthmother had chosen us and wanted to meet the next morning at 9am. I was on cloud 9 and was so glad I had the privilege to call my husband and tell him he was going to be a dad!
The next day was Valentine’s Day, Tuesday February 14th, and we set out to the Columbia Bethany Christian Services office to meet with the birthmother. It was clear during our meeting that this was the situation that God had designed for us. She is such a mature, lovely young lady who is so brave and courageous to make such a loving plan of adoption for her son. We decided to meet again on Friday so that we could meet with her mother.Friday came and that meeting went great as well. Her mother was just as pleasant as she was and it only solidified that this was right. The date of this meeting was the 17th and our due date was the 23rd so time was drawing near!
Our birthmother had invited me to her OB appointment that was scheduled for Thursday, February 23rd if she didn’t go into labor on her own. I attended this appointment with her and was able to hear the baby’s strong heart beat and saw him moving in her belly….what a miracle to see! I couldn’t wait to tell Scott that she was dilated 3 cm so we decided to have everything ready in the car because the doctor seemed to think she could deliver sometime over the weekend. I also hit the stores to stock up on some sweet little boy clothes since we had none. We were so busy those days leading up to everything getting the house prepared, sterilizing bottles, washing clothes and linens and getting ready to welcome a precious little baby.
It rained all the day the following day (Friday the 24th) so I just knew she’d deliver that day. If you know us well, you know it rained on our wedding day so I just figured of course our baby would be born on a rainy day too! Well….no baby came that day but we did get more accomplished, some attorney stuff done, etc. I even slept in my makeup that night just knowing we would get a call in the middle of the night. Well, no baby. In fact, no baby came Saturday or Sunday either. Apparently, our son was going to be patient little guy. We went to bed Sunday like normal, Scott was planning on going to work Monday morning but then….THE CALL came at 2:28am from our birthmother’s social worker Lisa. She said to head to the hospital so we did! Only an hour passed from the time the call came until the time we got inside the hospital and we were ready!
Then more waiting came! Our birthmother’s contractions were still about 5 minutes apart and her water hadn’t broken yet. The doctors weren’t sure they were going to keep her or not. Finally, around 6am they said they were going to deliver a baby that day….but the waiting had really just begun! This is where I discovered she had no intention of receiving an epidural (oh my!). Did I mention she invited me to be in the delivery room through the whole thing? Yes she did! But then I was scared when I heard this news but I just prayed God would help us through it. At 9:45am, the doctor broke her water and her contractions began to come every 2-3 minutes and we were at 5cm. Then in the early afternoon, we got to 8 cm but unfortunately stalled there for a few hours. After much discussion, her doctor advised her into an epidural around 4:50pm and at 5pm, she was 10cm and ready to push. I did help her the entire labor by counting contractions, holding her hand, placing the wet wash cloth on her forehead, etc. and when the time came to cut the cord, I did do it (no matter that I normally have the weakest stomach ever)! By the way…did I mention it was raining all day while we were at the hospital in labor and delivery?
At 5:21pm on Monday, February 27, 2012, Parker Porter Wilbert entered the world at 7 pounds, 14 ounces and 19 inches long and our hearts rejoiced!
Ohhh this just gives me tears! Soooo sweet!
ReplyDelete