March 6th started like every other Tuesday for us, Jeff went to work and I was babysitting two little girls from my ward. Then lunch came and our lives were changed in an instant! Our adoption caseworker Chad called and told us about this beautiful little boy who we were chosen to be parents for. He was born that morning at 12:48 am and he was waiting for us to come up and meet him. As much as we wait and prepare and talk about adoption, those phone calls seem surreal! I gave Jeff a good scare when I called him because he was driving and I told him I needed him to pull over so I could talk to him (he was certain someone had died!). When I told him we had a baby waiting for us, he just started laughing. It was awesome. I brought Hailey in to get her shoes and socks on and told her there was something really important I needed to tell her. She looked at me all serious (because I was crying) and I said there is a little baby boy at the hospital who is waiting for us to come and be his family. Her eyes got wide and her mouth gasped "We're gonna have a baby?!!?" To which I replied "Yes, you're going to be a big sister" and she jumped down from her seat and ran to the living room to tell her friends the news. It was seriously awesome. We quickly dropped the girls I was babysitting off, and got to the hospital by 3:00! Derek was all bruised and swollen and an absolutely beautiful little miracle. The nurses were all crying when we got there and it was so exciting to see him and hold him for the first time. It truly was love at first sight! We had no doubt in our minds that we were meant to be his family. We were able to stay at the hospital with him until he came home Thursday afternoon. It has been wonderful, we completely adore him. Hailey loves to sing to him to help calm him down, and put his binky in for him, and kiss his head, and talk to him, sit by him, hold him, anything with him. She is a fantastic big sister! It has been an amazing first month with this little guy, he is wonderful. My heart is still overflowing with gratitude to his birthmother, who we didn't meet or know, for making such an incredibly hard decision for Derek. I feel like the luckiest woman in all the world.
