This was the year . . .

That David heard the story.

Oh, we've told it to him before. Many many times we've told it to him. Sometimes in its entirety, other times in bits and pieces.

But this year he heard it. He attentively listened. He hung on to the details, and repeated them back to us with wide eyes. And his whole body smiled as we reminded him of all the people who love him.

Throughout the week of his birthday, his bedtime story as he lay upon his pillow centered around "four years ago today . . ." He heard about when we missed the first call from his birthmom, and how we were on edge waiting for the next calls while we knew she was having contractions.

His very favorite part was when I demonstrated to him how we were crazy and we ran around, trying to get ready to get on the airplane so we could go be with him when he was born. Emotions were tender as we told the story night after night at his bedside. And this silliness caused him to laugh so hard he cried.

He heard about how we marched through the airport with an empty carseat, and unsuspecting strangers peered in expecting to see a wee one--but all they found was Mommy's purse. And he heard about how the rental car process was taking forever, and mommy was so worried that it was causing us to miss important time at the hospital that I had to go sit down and take a few deep breaths while Daddy handled the 90-minute car rental process that should have been 10.

He heard about how we missed the turn to the hospital, and we drove across a long bridge before we could find a place to turn around.

He heard about who was in the room with us when he was born. And who we immediately called after he was born. He heard about how he came out ear first because he wanted to hear all of the sounds of this big world that was welcoming him.

He heard about his first bath at 3:00 am, and how mommy and daddy got to sleep in the room next door to David and his birth mom in the maternity unit. He heard about how at 7:00 in the morning we went in to see how AP and David were doing, and AP suggested that we take him for a few minutes back to our room while she took a little nap. And that was the first time it was Mommy-Daddy-David.

He heard about how we tried to send flowers to AP while she was in the hospital, but the flower delivery guy was turned away at the door downstairs. So Mommy and Daddy had to go to the florist to pick up the arrangement instead of having them just "appear."

We told David about how he cried loud when he had to go into his car seat, and it was the first time he had really cried in his little life. Then mommy figured out that the seat belt was too tight, and once we loosened it just a bit, David stopped crying and kept looking all around.

 

He heard about how the car ride to leave the hospital was squishy because now we were a family with a baby, and fitting everything in to the car was a little more challenging.

David heard again about the day when we went to the temple. We told him who was in the room with us, and how there were lights everywhere that David couldn't stop looking at. And he was happy. We showed him the mirrors where it looks like eternity, and David gave the family in the mirror a big gummy smile and a funny little laugh.

The story always comes back to who sent David to our family--and how Heavenly Father trusted AP well enough and He knew David would come be part of our family, even though he didn't grow in Mommy's belly. David heard about how AP said a prayer to ask which family should be David's forever family, and that night Heavenly Father gave AP a dream so she would know the answer. We want to make sure that David knows that once AP made her decision, she never looked back. She had tremendous support from her family. And even though the decision was difficult, they still went through with it--because it was right.

In a four-year old world that centers around courage, and super heroes, and believing the impossible can happen--David heard the story.

And he loved it.

Remembering

It has been three years since we were in this room together:

With each passing year, my awe of the miracle of it all deepens.

 And our love for her grows:

 I love to pause and think about this day:

 And I love to celebrate the happiness that this little boy has brought to us.

Words will never be enough to express the gratitude and love we feel for our angel birth mother.

Celebrate!--November is Adoption Awareness Month

This is a shout-out to everyone who has ever been part of the miracle of adoption.

So many players on the field to help the miracle happen, and an infinite number of feelings in the mix, too.

We never could have dreamed that this is how we would build our family, but we feel grateful to have had the experience of adopting David. We are in awe at the selflessness of our birth mother. We feel lucky and delighted to be David's parents. We recognize Heavenly Father's love in the miracle of it all.

To promote adoption awareness, here is a link to help all of us better understand positive and appropriate language to use when we discuss adoption.

Celebrate!--Three Years Ago Today

Has it really been three whole years since we found out that we were expecting parents!?! I remember it like it was yesterday--the first phone call from Sam, the initial feeling of disbelief, the news sinking in throughout the day, keeping it our little secret until we had more details, the weak knees, pulling over to the side of the road so I could hear every word the caseworker was saying, the sweaty palms, shaking fingers while we dialed back and forth to each other and to the agency. But most of all, I remember that our feet didn't touch the ground, and nothing else in the world mattered. Never mind that it was the day of a historical presidential election in our nation. 

We were becoming parents, and nothing else in the world mattered. 

For more details, click here.

Celebrate!--Forever Day

On August 15, 2009 our family went to the LDS temple in Washington, DC and David was sealed to us.

For more on what this event means, click here.

It was a very special day for our family, one that is permanently etched in our hearts and our memories.

We celebrate this day each year. 

This year we'll be celebrating with a ring cake--to represent the eternal nature of our family--and pictures of the temple where each of us was sealed to each other.