Part 3

After breakfast Jay and I headed back to the hospital - feeling much better and hoping to find a room waiting for us. We did not. We went upstairs to check on the birth mom and of course see our Kate. The birth mom and birth father were both still sleeping but woke up when we came in. We quickly learned their was no room for us still and probably wouldn't be. Basically, we had 2 choices either we could stay in the room with the birth family and take care of Kate or go back to the hotel and not see Kate. What choice did we have? We spent the entire day with the birth family - feeding, changing and loving on our daughter while they watched TV and visited with us. It was all very strange. Although at first it was very very awkward, it became almost comfortable. Once, while the birth mom was holding Kate, she told me she thought it would be hard and that they would have bonded but she said she truly felt as though she were just holding my baby. That is the way we felt too. These people who had come into our lives so quickly brought us not only the most selfless gift, they also brought a friendship.
During that day, I remember thinking that I would be sad to see them go. They have had more than their fair share of troubles. They were currently, jobless and homeless with 2 kids to support. My heart broke for them and for their 2 small children. The one thing I will remember is the love that this small family shared between them. Their marriage reminded me so much of my own - the way they teased and joked all in love. Jay and I have been through some tough times but never on that level. As strong as our marriage is, theirs was definitely as strong if not stronger. It was inspirational.
They confided in us that they had planned on leaving as soon as possible for the west coast. The promise of a good paying job and a relatives home was too much of an opportunity to pass up. They also told us how they were planning to leave earlier but the agency kept asking them to stay and wait until the baby was born. They told the agency they just needed to get away for a bit and take a trip to Texas or maybe New Mexico. Somehow, the family thought if the BM went into labor, everything would still be fine so they didn't take the advice of the agency. They never thought about changing their mind about the placement or choosing us as parents. I think sometimes, when you are that buried in turmoil, you lose sight of the reality of the situation. Or maybe they aren't worriers like me - I would have been afraid to travel at all for fear of the unkown.
I believe firmly, that God's hand was at work in all of this. The day before they were going to leave, their newly purchased car had a major transmission malfunction. Because they didn't have the money for repairs, they were forced to remain in small town Oklahoma. The very next day, Katherine Faith was born.

I will continue later with part 4 - leaving the hospital and saying goodbye.