The Best Worst Day

This is the day that tried to break me down. It all started at the brink of a new day...12am. I was sitting on the couch catching up with a friend whose ailing father is in ICU when I hear little squeaks of cry come across the baby monitor. I run into the bedroom and scoop my little bundle up out of the pack and play and crawl into bed with him as I do every night. However, Ian had a different plan for the night. He was awake...wide a-freakin-wake! So until nearly 2 am I rocked and cajoled my little pumpkin trying to use my special mommy powers to persuade him into sleep. Nothing doing. After two hours of playful slaps, not so soft kisses, and swift kicks to the head (all inflicted upon the poor, unsuspecting parents!)...he slept. My alarm started shrieking at 6:20am and I jumped out of bed and hopped in the shower. I am always late meeting my sister to drop Ian off but I was determined to be on time despite my 4 hours of sleep. Then the phone rings and it goes something like this...


Brother-in-law: Linds


ME: Jamie has a stomach virus (I knew this because she has three kids, 2 of whom had a stomach virus last week)


Brother-in-law: Yep


ME: Gulp..


Why did I gulp you may be asking? Because I knew that no one else was going to be available to watch Ian today and I was pretty sure that I couldn't call in sick because without a pharmacist the pharmacy would be closed for the day. So I call my boss and explain that I need to use one of my 16 personal days because of this situation. He politely tells me that we don't have anyone to come in and help me, so...I am just out of luck. Then I do what any daycare fearing mother does...take Ian to work! For 9 hours, until Cortney got off work, Ian worked with mommy at the drug store counseling patients and eating popsicles! I was sooo nervous about how he would do since he is the squirreliest of one year olds! He greeted customers, made their wait times a little more interesting, engaged in several games of catch with the balls he got off the shelves, and amused the heck out of our staff! At the end of the day I was thankful to know that he isn't quite as rotten as I thought and wow is he fun to be around!





You would think that it is over, right?





When Cortney got home I called and asked him to check my email even though I really wasn't expecting anything only to find...a letter from M*!! Natalie said that before she could even send our letter and picture that Ryan (Gladney in-country representative) had sent her a letter that M* had written. M* didn't know the specifics about us but she did know that she has been matched with a family. The letter was incredible. I needed to hear each word that she wrote. She put many of my fears of her not wanting or accepting the situation, to rest. I was very worried that she would be angry about getting a new family or that she would not want a new family. I understand that at some point she will probably have me eating my words, but she seemed really excited about everything! I have read the letter many times already and looked at every detail. I am thankful for this gift that we have been so blessed to receive. Somewhere this little girl is thinking about her family in America and all of the greatness that she associates with this ideal. Knowing that she knows makes this all seem very real. It also makes the wait just a little more miserable.

Get the bowl off my head!

Our family photos...the last piece of the dossier! See ya dossier!