February 13th & 14th!

So life with a newborn is BUSY! Life with a newborn while moving and trying to get settled is CRAZY!
So now that Caleb is almost a month old, I'm finally sitting down to write about the wonderful experience we had in North Carolina. (Side note, I literally just now took my laptop out of my suitcase from the trip. Yeah, that's how my life has been! ha!)

Wednesday, February 13, 2019
I woke up around 5:15 am. This doesn't happen! I have a series of alarms that start at 6:15 each day for work, and I do not wake up a minute sooner. However, that morning, I woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep. I was frustrated because I wanted to get an hour more sleep, but it wasn't happening, so I started thinking about Caleb. I began to cry quietly in bed, and I prayed. I begged God to PLEASE let him come today! For a solid hour! I cried and prayed.
Then...sometime between 6:20 and 6:25, my phone started ringing. Austin was asleep. He was off work, but he had been working the night shift, so he had stayed up til past 4 am. I looked at my phone and saw Lindsay's name. She's from the agency, and my heart stopped! I knew instantly why she was calling. I answered, and Lindsay told me Caleb was on his way. I don't remember her exact words, but I do remember her saying, "Make your travel plans."
I sat up in bed and hit Austin awake! "The baby's coming!" He was completely delirious, and it took several minutes for it to sink in. We began making calls!

10:00 am
Austin's dad was able to book a flight for us, and my parents arrived at our apartment at 10 to pick us up! To this point, I hadn't shed a single tear! I was too busy and excited! My dad drove us to the airport, and thankfully my mom went with us!

11:15(ish)
We were standing at the counter at DFW checking bags. Lindsay was texting me keeping me updated, and then I got a call from a Charlotte number. (I shared about this moment in another post.) It was Caleb's first mama on the phone telling me she had the baby, and he would be waiting for us in the nursery. I heard my boy crying in the background, and my heart melted! Caleb was here and doing well!

1:00-2:00 pm
Our flight was supposed to take off at 1:06 pm, but it was delayed. There was a fire at air traffic control, and all flights were delayed. I don't remember the exact time we finally took off.

5:00-6:00 pm (NC time)
I don't remember the exact time we landed, but I was THRILLED when that plane finally touched down. I turned my phone on, and I got a text from Lindsay saying we wouldn't be able to go to the hospital that night. Tears filled my eyes, and I didn't know what to think. I was so upset and disappointed. Lindsay called me a little later while we were still in the Charlotte airport. (Actually I was in a bathroom stall at the airport when she called, but I had to answer! lol) She explained that everything was okay, but it was all a matter of hospital policies and legal paperwork. She told us to meet at the hospital at 9:30 the next morning.

7:45 pm
After stopping to eat dinner at McDonald's, we met Christy, the pastor wife I wrote about in an earlier post, met us at the home where we would be staying. I met her and felt like I'd known her forever! She introduced us to Wyatt and Lauren, the precious couple who was opening their home to us! We went down to the basement where we would stay, and we were in complete shock! It was unbelievable! A huge living room, two massive bedrooms with king size beds, 1 full bathroom, 1 half bathroom, a full kitchen stocked with snacks and drinks, a game room with a pool table, and a private entry overlooking a gorgeous pond! We had privacy and plenty of space, and Wyatt and Lauren made us feel at home! As I sit here writing and thinking back to that basement, I'm still in awe! God is so good!
We settled in and tried to get some sleep!

Thursday, February 14, 2019
VALENTINE'S DAY!
We woke up and ran to Walmart to make a gift basket for Caleb's first mama. Then we headed to the hospital. Around 9:15(ish) we pulled into the hospital's parking garage. All morning, I was just excited! No nerves, but when we pulled into the garage, I got a pit in my stomach. Nervous was an understatement!

9:30 am
We made our way to the maternity waiting room, and I texted the adoption worker, Tanya, to let her know where we were. Tanya arrived, and we met in person for the first time. She gave us big hugs and told us she was going to meet with Caleb's first mama and the adoption attorney to go over some paperwork and then she'd be back for us. I sat back down in the waiting room between Austin and my mom. I seriously can't put my feelings into words. I was forcing back tears. I was filled with butterflies, and I honestly thought I was going to throw up. I just kept thinking about what a HUGE moment this was. I was suddenly nervous that she would change her mind. I kept thinking about what she must have been going through. I wondered what Caleb looked like. My mind was spinning. Austin held my hand and could see how nervous I was!
Finally Tanya and the attorney returned. The attorney introduced herself and hugged us, and they all made us feel so much better. They led us to a table down the hall where we sat and went over the adoption paperwork. There was tons to sign and initial. We learned more about Caleb's race and background during this quick visit. This is also when the attorney told us that Caleb's first mama seemed extremely confident in her decision, and my nerves calmed a bit.

11:15(ish) am
We finished up signing papers, and a social worker from the hospital led us to a little nursing closet. My mom stayed in the waiting room as we went back. Inside the closet, there was a bench and two chairs and a couple of little end tables. We sat on the bench, and the attorney, her paralegal, and Tanya gathered in with us. I asked them all to capture photos and videos, so they were prepared. I was shaking.

Then....

The door opened, and a nurse slowly wheeled in a hospital bassinet. Inside was a tiny, beautiful baby boy with a head full of dark hair. I sat there watching him get closer to me and watching the rest of the world melt away as time seemed to stand still! I stood up and couldn't believe my eyes! The nurse asked, "Do you want to hold him?" YES!

I held my sweet baby boy and fell apart in a wonderful way! I sobbed and silently praised God! It was happening! I was holding my son!
Austin and I both held Caleb and rejoiced! Our hearts just exploded! In that moment, our lives changed! It was the best day of our lives, and it was the best Valentine's Day in this history of Valentine's Day!

God is so faithful, and He is so good! I stay amazed by Him!

There is so much story to tell, but I don't want this post to get too terribly long. As soon as I post this, I'll begin writing the next part of the story! We were in the hospital for 24 more hours, and then we were in Charlotte for another week and a half! So much to tell! More coming ASAP!

Thank you so much to our village! Yes, there's more to tell about Charlotte, but our adoption journey won't be over for awhile! We pray others will continue to follow this sweet boy's story because the adoption won't be finalized for several more months! The hardest part is over, but there's still more to come! Thank you for prayers! Keep them coming!!