Viddy and Jessica: 2013

Back in January we were contacted by birthmom in Las Vegas (I'll call her A) who was due in August. We emailed back and forth for a couple days and then set up a time to talk.

Over the next few months we got to know A and her family a lot better through email, phone, text, and Skype. We were on the phone with her when she found out that she was pregnant with a boy, which just made everything a little more real and scary at the same time. When I went out to Utah in March she suggested that we come down and meet her and part of her family. We jumped at the opportunity, so my family and Viddy's mom drove down to Vegas and went to dinner.

Before we left to meet A my mom asked me if I was nervous. I told her no, and then realized that I probably should be nervous and other people in my situation probably would be. But I really hadn't been nervous or worried about anything up until that point so I figured this shouldn't be any different. At dinner we talked and visited like we were old friends and were just catching up after not seeing each other in a while, it just felt right.

Viddy was just a little jealous that I got to meet her first, but we already had plans to go there together in May, so he just had to be patient. We continued to Skype almost weekly and would email or text nearly daily. A would always call after her doctors appointments to let me know how things were going.

We went down in May and had a great time just hanging out.

A had an ultrasound scheduled for the Monday after we were out there, so I decided to stay an extra couple days and go with her to it. It was one of the most nerve racking things I have ever done. The technician just makes you sit there while she's doing her thing and she doesn't really say anything. When she was done she told us the doctor would be in to talk about the ultrasound, so the whole time the worst case scenarios are running through my mind about what could possibly be wrong. The doctor came in what seemed like hours later and it took her forever to finally say that everything looked good. We found out that A would have to deliver him via C-section, which was a little more scary for each of us and she would also have to be monitored a couple times a week. The doctor told us that A would have to deliver him early, so we planned on sometime in mid July.

Over the next few months we talked lots and although there were a few scares with early labor, everything was going great. The C-section was scheduled for July 11th and all of a sudden things started to get that much more real. I tried to prepare as much as I could for having a new baby in the house. We got a crib and lots of other things that we thought we might need.

We headed out to Utah for Viddy's sister's wedding (another post on that to follow) and after helping Viddy's parents move to St. George we made our way to Vegas. We went to dinner the night of the 10th with the whole family and had a great time. I don't think that it really had hit me what was about to happen in just a few hours.

The next day we met at the hospital and after what seemed like a lifetime the nurse told me that I could get suited up and wait outside of the operating room. I know that I wasn't the one who had the surgery, but my heart was racing the whole time and I felt like I could pass out whenever I thought about it.

They finally let me into the room where A was waiting. I walked in, held her hand and before I knew it Eli Brian was here. And he was perfect. I can't even describe the immediate love that I felt the first time I looked at him. There was no containing my emotions and I'm sure that I looked like a blubbering moron but that didn't matter. I walked back with him to the nursery while the nurses did their thing. Viddy finally came back into the nursery (I don't know why I didn't think to go get him, so he had to look into the nursery window to know that we were in there)

He looks big in this picture, but he was just a little thing. 5 pounds 11 ounces and 18 inches long. He was having a little trouble breathing so they moved him to the NICU where he stayed for a week. We stayed in the hospital as much as possible but were frustrated that they didn't really let us hold him a lot.

On Sunday evening A and her husband and Viddy and I headed down to the NICU to meet the Las Vegas caseworker and sign all of the papers. I can't really describe the feelings that were in the room as we signed. Lots of love, heartache and joy I think by everyone there. This is one of my favorite pictures from the whole hospital time. I think it just depicts the relationship that we all have. I know that we only met A and her family in January, but I know that we've known them forever.

I will never be able to adequately describe the relationship that we've built and how our two families have now become forever intertwined. I love A and her family with all my heart and I can't imagine life without them. They gave us what we have wanted and couldn't have for years and everyday I love Eli more and more. Adoption really is a miracle and although there were several times that I thought about calling it quits (and maybe did a little more that think about it) I know that Eli was meant to be ours forever, and he was meant to be born to A, and he is meant to be loved by all of us.

It seems like forever since I wrote on here and that's probably because it has been forever. What have we been doing since I last posted? Lots of fun things for sure! In March I went up to Utah for a family reunion on the Marriott side.