So on Tuesday night I fell asleep - late as usual - thinking to myself . . . I've got to get those new paint swatches for our son's room. You see, 4 days prior we had decided to switch all of our adoption paperwork to "either" gender. Because Ethiopia has more boys needing homes than girls, either has always meant a boy. So we broke the news to Hope, and she was pleasantly surprised and excited. Then I starting thinking through how to redesign the nursery since we had already finished it for a girl - paint and all. I walked into Gymboree and actually - shocking, I know - turned my head left. The boys section. Apparently it has been there all this time.
Then on Wednesday at 12:30, as I entered my dentist's office for an appointment, I got a phone call. THE phone call. I knew right away because it was our agency's number. I answered and said, "Wait!" (groundbreaking, yes). I quickly asked the receptionist to wait just a minute for me because I was getting my referral for our son!!! She took one look at my now sobbing, blubbery face and politely acquiesced. Then I told Anna on the phone, "OK, I'm ready!" She said,"I have great news. You have a little girl!" Now I'm screaming in the waiting area, the whole dental staff is at the window watching me, so I tell them, "O - it's a girl!" I stumbled through a few more words with Anna and eventually asked,"Din't you get our paperwork? We switched." And she said,"Well, you actually said 'either.' Is that still accurate?" I tried to get out a good solid yes, but I was crying too much. Later Anna explained that even though this has never happened before in the program, they were convinced that this little girl was the child the Lord had chosen for us.
Soooo, Anna then told me that she is 5 months old and so beautiful. She is slightly underweight but otherwise very healthy (we have no problem fattening people up here at the Heinrichs home). She shared more information (which will remain private) and then told me the docs and pics have been emailed to our house.
Great, now I have to go get my teeth cleaned instead of rushing home to see her and call everyone and their brother! That was the hardest cleaning of my life!!
David and I met at home and opened up the email together. I think my greatest memory is watching David's face as he saw her for the first time: he was choked up and kept saying, "She's so beautiful. She's so beautiful." We cannot post pictures until our court date. We are hoping for a late April date since that is the earliest possible at this point. If all goes well in court, we can travel 2 weeks afterwards.
And that is how a family grows.
It has been a long journey to mei mei, but we are now at the end. Or the beginning. :)
3 comments:
Dear Shelley, David, and Hope -
"Congratulations" is the right thing to say to someone who has been named a US Senator or a Nobel Prize winner. Your Mei-Mei announcement is infinitely bigger than those examples. I struggled (and failed) to find the right word when Emily+Perry+Laney learned that Kiah was going to join their family, and once again my vocabulary falls short. But your redecorating plans and dental exam story speaks volumes. We are both very happy for the FOUR of you, and look forward to the coming chapters in your family journal. The Pikes, Jerry and Marilyn
We are so happy and excited and anxious and, ... too many feelings and not enough words!! Although Kiah will not have a Heinrichs boy to get down and dirty with (besides David, of course), he will have a beautiful little girl to flirt with and say "helooo, heyyyy" to, and to push down a few times (I apologize in advance). We are so blessed to be able to witness the growing of your family again, and can't wait to have Haley hear those famous words, "WELCOME TO MOE'S!!!"
The Allen Clan
What a sweet story! Thanks for sharing it! We're SO excited for you all!!
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