The call

It finally came…our call!

I have to say I was not expecting it to come.  I have anticipated it for weeks. I had the funky band ring tone set for our case manager, and yes, the other case managers as well. I could not wait to hear that ring.

So, 5:14 p.m. Tuesday, February 16, 2010. The phone rings, but not funky band, just my usual ring. I didn’t recognize the number, but these days I will answer any call, because you never know. I said hello and before that person could say anything, the other line beeped. I looked down and saw our case workers number. I abruptly cut the other person off telling them I had no time to talk – I had to get the other line. I didn’t want her to go to my voicemail. Now, keep in mind, I told myself that when I saw her number I would not immediately start hyperventilating. You see, she had been gone for two weeks, so I figured there was a good chance that she was just calling to check in.

Our conversation went like this: J: “Hi Kristi. How are you today?” Me: “Well, I’m hanging on by a thread, but I’m good.” J: “Well, let’s fix that, because I have some good news for you.” Me: SILENT … then trough the sobs, “Are you serious?” J: “Yes, I am so excited to tell you about her.” Me: “I’ll call you right back. I need to call Jesse so he can come home.” We had decided that I would call Jesse and see if he could come home and get the information about our sweet baby with me.

So, I called Jesse. Jesse: “Hello?” Me: “You need to come home right now!” Notice I don’t even bother to say hello. J: “I was just packing up, but what’s happening?” Me: “WE GOT THE CALL!” So, Jesse packs up and comes home.

Now, I call Julie back and tell her that Jesse will be home in twenty minutes and we will call her then. She told me our daughter’s name and birth date, then sent an email with all of the documents we would go over. Yes, it included her photo and no, I did not look before Jesse came home.

Jesse entered the house and it was a whirlwind. We got the kids settled at the table with their dinner and told them we had to take a call about a baby that could be their sister. We told them to eat and then watch a movie and under no circumstances were they to interrupt us. Now, doesn’t that just make us parents of the year. Oh well.

We went upstairs with phones, notebook and laptop.  We called Julie and she walked us through the medical report, her background, etc.   We told her that we wanted to move forward and she told us that she would send the  referral packet out the next day.  She was amazing through the call and we were able to ask questions.  We kept looking at each other just shaking our heads in awe and excitement.  God had answered our prayers.

After we hung up, we looked at the picture. Sweetest. Baby. Ever. I was a tear-streaked mess and so in love. We prayed together to thank God for calling us on this journey and being so present during this process. We prayed for her family and for what is to come in the future. Then we called the kids up. They were so excited to see their sister. “Oh, she’s so cute!” “Oh, so sweet.” Then Elliot chimed in, “She doesn’t look like I thought she would.” Jesse and I looked at each other, wondering what he would say next. He said, “I thought she would be more Z’s size.” Z is a little 15-month-old girl I take care of, and we often joke that we are getting our practice with her. So I can totally see why he thought that.

We talked about her size. She is a peanut. We got out a measuring tape and found her length. The kids held out their arms and we measured how well she would fit there. Then we got out the scale and stacked books on it until it equaled her weight. We had the kids “hold her” to see what it would feel like. They kept saying she felt heavy. I laughed because she is far from heavy. After that, we decided to open our sparkling juice and get out the champagne glasses to celebrate.

What a night! What an amazing God! What a journey!

I cannot even begin to explain what it feels like to see God work when you have followed so faithfully, when you have shed tears of hurt, when you have cried out to him and when he responds. It’s amazing, and it humbles you.

So, now we fill out more papers, wait and pray that we pass court in Ethiopia on the first attempt and wait to bring her home and into our family.

In the meantime, I will be staring at her sweet face.

We love you with all our hearts, baby girl!

Kristi