We promised an in depth description of our special amazing day that changed our lives forever...the day we laid eyes on the most beautiful baby girl for the very first time. Click here: A Glimpse of all the Joy for some of the picures.
We officially logged into China's system in late August and after speaking with our social worker in early September, we were told the wait for a referral could be longer than expected. The shared list (China's monthly list of all special needs children) was becoming smaller and smaller and more families were looking for special needs similar to our desired need: Cleft Lip/Palate. It was a "waiting game" and nobody could predict the outcome. We were so disappointed and heart broken and most definitely needed some time to digest the information (Not sure if you remember this post Cheer on a Saturday), but we were so distraught over the wait, a sweet friend sent flowers to help us get through a sad weekend.
Four days later, we decided it was time to move on... enough self pity we have waiting this long, we would be able to wait longer. My cousin was visiting from Maryland and it was the perfect opportunity to relax and spend sometime hanging out with the girls. So I took the afternoon off, got a manicure/pedicure, all dressed up and ready for a night on the town with Janine and her girlfriends. Scott was returning from a business trip so we wouldn't even see each other; I called to tell him I loved him and I'd be home later and headed toward downtown Austin.
Stuck in normal rush hour, I sang to my radio and followed my GPS to the hotel. About 3 exits shy from my destination I noticed a missed call on my phone. It was 4:13pm, I recognized that number... I knew who it was and since it was so late in the afternoon wondered why our social worker would be calling me. Then a voicemail appeared....Weaving in and out of traffic (I should have pulled off the highway) I listened to the voicemail, at the time, I didn't think anything more than how strange it is to get a call and voicemail at this time, but within the first 4 seconds of the message, my world changed..."Hi Winn, this is Mary from Children's Hope International, I might have some very good news for you"...WHAT immediately I began crying and shaking. I called her back immediately, she answered her greeting " Today is your lucky day I have a baby for you" I was shocked, hysterical, and now sobbing. She read through our baby's file and half listening, half stunned and still driving. She told me she would e-mail the file with 3 photos. We would need to lock the file by tomorrow afternoon and give her our Letter of Intent. At this point I have pulled off of the highway and I am hysterically crying at a gas station. This moment will forever be a part of me, I had never felt such pure joy and happiness as I did in that moment. I hung up with our social worker and immediately called Scott, he answered and as I was hysterical, he thought something terrible had happened. I couldn't even formulate words, and finally I squealed out that we have our baby. Scott whose demeanor is calm, was shocked, and after moments of trying to convince him that the news is real, he said he'd meet me at the hotel with Janine. I hung up still in disbelief, I then called my Mom, her reaction was priceless! She sobbed, and screamed, and demanded, "I have to tell someone!", then she hung up and ran to tell her neighbors the news. I quickly ran into the gas station and bought the finest champagne they sold--4 bottles! Then I called my cousin, mind you I told her I would be there by 4:00, and it was now 4:40pm...still crying I told her I had a good excuse for being so late..she knew..and started to cry.
We pulled into the hotel moments from each other, it felt like forever before we got the computer hooked up and the internet going. My cousin and her friends joined us as we opened the email, there it was, just like Mary said, an e-mail with our baby's file and photos. We took a deep breath and we clicked on it, no other way to describe it other than it was magical and priceless, and we were immediately in love. We had spent the past 18 months imagining how she would look and how we would react; nothing could have prepared us for this moment, it was pure bliss. She looked so healthy and did we mention how beautiful she is?...In awe of her beauty, her eyes, her cheeks, her lips. She was perfection and we were the luckiest people on the planet! Simply stated, September 20th was the best day of our lives.
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