Story of the Day
"Unexpected
Blessings"
When
the adoption agency said we were matched for a baby boy, we were overjoyed.
We hugged and kissed in celebration that our dream was about to come true.
So when the counselor said we should be ready to fly to the opposite coast for
his due date on April 27, just over a week away, we didn't hesitate for a second
in saying we would be there.
Most expectant
mothers have nine months to prepare – we had just nine days. We had been
expecting a full two-year wait for a child. We were shocked when the call
came just three months after we completed the paperwork. "Is the
nursery ready?" asked a business associate. Well, not exactly.
In fact, we had nothing for a baby. The would-be nursery in our 1840s
fixer-upper farmhouse was water damaged and very badly in need of rewiring as
well as new walls, a new ceiling and floor. Once the room was finished, we
could begin purchasing items for our future addition to the family.
Nine days? We
could do it! After all, it's not every day that a couple can fulfill their
dream of bringing a baby into their lives.
We worked during
the day and worked like mad by night. The thought of finally having a
child of our own kept us going. As the baby's due date neared, we were
almost finished restoring the room. We made a whirlwind trip through two
stores to buy the basic necessities – a diaper bag, diapers, baby wipes and
blankets. Friends, family and sometimes even complete strangers who had
heard our story showed up with used baby furniture, clothes and a host of other
necessities to help us be ready in time.
As we boarded the
flight with a stocked diaper bag and borrowed car seat in hand, we had
accomplished nearly all of our goals – except for painting and putting up the
last of the wood trim work in the nursery. The baby's room would not be
exactly as we had pictured it, but somehow we thought our son would not notice
if a few final touches came later.
Three weeks and a
long airplane ride later, my husband and I walked through the door of our home
with our new son. The moment was one of indescribable joy for us. As
we put our son to sleep in his cousin's crib, we noticed an unexpected surprise:
the painting was completed and the trim work placed! The nursery was
finished! Next, we noticed that the refrigerator had been stocked with
several meals for us.
Friends and family
came throughout the next few days to see our new son and continued to bring
items we needed, such as a playpen and a highchair. When our son went
through a bout of colic, my mother-in-law gave us one of the best gifts of all
– the opportunity to get some precious sleep.
Reflecting on our
first few hours home as family, we now realize that our blessings extended far
beyond our new son. Little did we realize, we had already been part of a
caring extended family, larger than we could have ever imagined.