(You have no idea how much I agonized over what color ribbon to tie it with)
About a week later we received a phone call stating that the birth parents wanted to meet us. Oh the excitement we were feeling, but knew to keep our hearts guarded just in case. After all, they were probably meeting a few other couples right?!?
We met the birth parents on February 5th. I remember that day so clearly. I knew I was going to be nervous and thinking about it all day, so I scheduled a hair appointment to keep me occupied. Plus, I wanted to make sure I looked my best for meeting the people that could potentially change our lives forever. On the drive there I thought, what if they don't like us in person? What if they don't pick us? Teague and I sat at a stop sign, held hands and just prayed. Our fears were washed away and we felt peace. Peace knowing that whatever happens, God is in complete control.
Our first meeting with LeeAnna & Chris couldn't have gone better if we had hand picked the situation! They were so lovely, respectful, gracious, and excited. But, as it turns out, also nervous to meet us. They had the same fears as we did; what if they don't like us? What if they say no to us? What will they think of us?
We walked in, saw them, and greeted them both with big hugs, because that's just what I do!
"I'm a hugger" I said. "Hope that doesn't bother you." LeeAnna hugged me and said "No, not at all." Those were the first words we ever spoke to each other.
It was then that they told us that ours was the first and only profile they looked at. One of the things that LeeAnna loved was the purple ribbon I tied it with because that's her favorite color. (Praise God I picked the purple ribbon! LOL)
We spend the next (several) hours discussing our hopes and theirs for this situation. "What do you want out of this?", they wanted to know. We wanted to know the same thing. We told them we'd love to be able to foster a great relationship with them leading up to the birth and after, if they were okay with that. They shared that they'd love for us to be as involved as we'd like. One specific request they had was that I be there for the delivery and get to hold the baby right away and be with her because they know I didn't get to be with Jonathan after he was born. How incredibly selfless and gracious of them to include us like that! And throughout the last few months, we've been able to go to doctor appointments, birthing class and be involved in every little detail.
Baby Lucy was due April 29th. That felt so close but so far away. At the routine check up in Newton on April 3rd, the midwife said she'd like an ultrasound done because baby was measuring small. They diagnosed it as IUGR, a condition in which the placenta stops nourishing the baby. It was determined that baby was healthier out than in, so we were sent downtown to Methodist Hospital in case baby had to be in the NICU. On Saturday April 4th LeeAnna was induced and her water broke. After about 12 hours with little progression, the decision was made to have a c-section. LeeAnna was gracious enough to select me to be in the OR with her, so I was there the second that baby Lucy was born. What an amazing moment that was! I stayed in the room with LeeAnna and held Lucy next to her and for those next few minutes, we got to just be. The three of us, LeeAnna, Lucy and I just got to bond on a whole other level. One I never, ever dreamed I'd embrace but now can't imagine not having!
****Lucy Irene Boyd born April 4th 2015 9:54 pm weighing 4lb 9oz (NO NICU)****
We spent the next few days in the hospital with LeeAnna and Chris. Methodist was kind enough to give us our own room right next door so we didn't have to leave the hospital and I was able to keep Lucy in our room. We (LeeAnna and I) would shuffler her back and forth between rooms when visitors would come. But for the most part they were gracious enough to let us keep her in our room, again for the bonding that I wasn't able to have and missed out on with Jonathan. They were so incredibly respectful of that and wanting that for me with this baby.
Lucy is 3 weeks old now. The adoption won't be finalized for 6 months (per Iowa law we have to have 3 post placement visits and a final court hearing with the Judge) but she's ours in every way that counts!
Thank you to everyone who has helped and continues to help support us on this journey! Thank you to all our friends and family for rallying together on such short notice to help us make sure we had what we needed to bring Lucy home!
