An Adoptee Giving Birth, Take Three

Once my son was potty trained and I no longer sported the diaper bag as my purse, my husband and I decided we were happy with our two kids and thus, we were done having kids. I was now looking forward to family vacations and making memories.

June 1996 came along and we found out we would be moving back to Omaha, thank goodness because our daughter was to start kindergarten and we did not like the school she would be going to in San Antonio. We found a house before we sold our current house but it all worked out in the end.

Just when we think we have life figured out, God gives us nudges to shake things up a little. When I heard the news story of a baby being left in the restroom in Disney World, for some reason, I felt the need to have that baby. I tried everything to find that baby. Then I talked to a social worker and she mentioned Holt...what?? Holt?? That was the adoption agency I was adopted thru! My mind started racing and there it was, my reminder of my dream as a little girl wanting to adopt a little girl from Korea.

Our adoption journey began January 1998. So much paperwork goes into an adoption so my husband and I decided to answer the questions separately then compare to see if we really did think alike, we did! That was a fun way to learn about each other. At the time of our process, since we already had a boy and a girl, we could not preference the sex of the baby, but when I talked to our social worker, I told her my wish was always to adopt a little girl. She said she would 'note' that. Now adoptees can preference the gender.

We passed the home study and now the wait began, seemed like an eternity. When the phone rang, I was expecting it to be my husband but it was our social worker. Thinking she was just checking up on us, I wasn't expecting her to tell me that she had a referral for us, meaning, a baby!! So the big question, was the baby a boy or a girl? It's a GIRL! I was shocked. I was told that we needed to pick up the paperwork at the office as we had five days to accept or decline the referral.

My husband was working a half day since we were planning a weekend trip to Minnesota. I called his office, no answer. Times like this is when cell phones would have been handy! I tried his office again, no answer!! I was bursting to tell someone so I called my mom. She was very excited for us. Finally my husband answered his phone. I asked him if he was sitting down, yes, why? Because you are going to be a father to another baby girl!!

On our way to Minnesota, we picked up the paperwork. As we started our trip, I looked thru the packet, found the little picture of the baby and what a doll! I then started reading the background information, I began to cry. I'm not sure why I started crying, was I crying for joy? Was I crying for her birthmother? Was I crying for my birthmother? Yes, all of the above. This was really the first time I had thought about my birthmother and what she did for me. Now here I was, on the receiving end of such a precious gift. Our daughter's bio was quite the bio. Looking back at my own information and lack there of, it was amazing to read so much about her birthmother. I felt like that was such a gift.

Once in Minnesota, we sent in our acceptance, even with us being in Minnesota and some paperwork needed was back home, thank goodness for my in laws getting it for us! Now the waiting began for our precious one to come home. I thought this wait would have been easier, but it wasn't because we kept looking at her picture and just wanted her home!

Getting the travel call, it was like Christmas morning in October! Our daughter was finally coming home! The day of her flight, we took our other two kids out of school early, had a nice family lunch out with another family that was getting their son that day too. We drove to Des Moines, met our greeter and another family waiting for their son. The escorts missed their connection flight in Denver, so they would be three hours late...NO!

The wait seemed so long, it really was long. But once we saw the plane land, it all hit me. My oldest daughter came running to me and put her arms around me and said, "She's finally here!" I lost it right there. This full circle moment came in a rush. I couldn't believe this was really happening. My daughter was finally home! I started crying, because I felt such pain for my new daughter's birthmother, her foster mother and my own birthmother. Such loss they all were feeling and such joy I was feeling.

Knowing she was the only girl in the bunch, we saw her immediately and what a cutie! And her hair, yes, she had the straight up Korean hair. She looked like a little doll and was just precious. I held her and at that moment, I knew our family was definitely complete. God is Good!