August 1, 2006

Tuesday, August 1st 2006 we met the birth parents of our baby girl. We drove about 4 hours and met them in a hotel where they were staying. Once we arrived, Jay and I were stunned when we realized it was the very same hotel we had spent the night on our first anniversary.

We had met our agency representatives earlier that morning and had followed them to this small town in Oklahoma. We got to the hotel where we had a conference room reserved. J and I and the 2 agency ladies arranged chairs in a circle and tried to make the sterile environment as friendly as possible. My stomach was in knots.

10 minutes later there was finally a knock on the door. It was the family that will forever change our lives. The birth mother was small (although very pregnant) with beautiful skin and long brown hair - she reminded me a lot of my sister-in-law. The birth father was much taller and thin with very short brown hair. He looked like every other hard working man. They brought their 2 children - who were of course, beautiful. It was all very, very surreal. Time seemed to move in slow motion as I concentrated on taking in every single nuance.

The agency broke the silence by asking the birth father if he wanted to ask us some questions. He had just 2. He asked if we were home owners and if we both had good, steady jobs. I have to tell you I was so impressed with him. It was so clear that he wanted only the best for his family. He made it clear that they will always love their children and want the best for them and even though this is the most difficult thing they will ever do, they realize how blessed we & this child will be because of it. He spoke with such sincerity and love, I was truly moved. He had a great smile and whenever you could see his emotions get the best of him he would just start to smile and laugh a little out of nervousness. I never saw him cry; yet, I could feel his pain.

The birth mom was much more quiet. We asked her some questions. J and I wanted to know why she picked us. What set us apart? She went on to explain that they were looking for their perfect family. She said that a couple of things really stood out for her. One being that Jay's least favorite chore is folding clothes and that he loves Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. They both said that when they saw on book, they had no doubts. They just kept saying we looked so happy. That's what they want for this little girl - a happy family. I don't think they will ever know just how happy we are.

The birth mom asked me if we had considered any names. We told her we like the name Katherine but will call her Kate. Katherine is the name of their agency reprentative and this is her first match. I asked if they had any suggestions and they both said they liked the name Faith. They said they hav put so much faith into the agency, into this process and into us. I told her we felt exactly they same way. I can't tell you how many times I have said that this is such a faithful journey. If we stopped for too long to think about what we are doing or if we can do it, we wouldn't. We are truly riding on faith. So in that hotel conference room, on August 1, 2006 our baby was named, Katherine Faith. We closed in prayer, our agency worked prayed for me and for jay and for the birth parents and their children and then she prayed for Miss Katherine Faith. As hard as I tried, I could no longer hold back the tears. Quietly, I cried.

We had discussed during the meeting whether or not the birth family wanted us at the hospital because originally they did not. The birth mom came up to me after the meeting and said she changed her mind. She said, this is your daughter. I want you to be the first to hold her - she needs to know that you are her parents.

So here is the plan, we learned that although her due date is September 1st - she feels like it could be any day now. Her labors are very very quick. With her last one, she didn't make it to the hospital and her daughter was born at home, on the couch. They are 4 hours away from us. Once she goes into labor, she will page the agency and they will call us. We have orders to pack our bags, keep our cell phones on and with us and be ready to leave with a couple days clothes + diaper bag at a moments notice. So that is our plan for the weekend. Get ready!

Tonight we are going to tell Brooke that she is getting a little sister and soon! Brooke's birthday is August 31st - what a great present Little Miss Kate is going to be! To all of us!


One more thing, the agency is going to take the birth mom to the doctor on Monday and we are expecting a full report and hopefully ultrasound pics! I will keep you posted.