Favorite Quotes

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  • "I'm so busy.... I don't know if I found a rope... or lost my donkey! - Unknown"
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Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Six Years Ago Today, They brought Madi to Me



The day they brought her to me will be etched in my mind forever. As a little background, Bob and I had been married almost a year, and we'd recently discovered that we had significant fertility issues. We'd been told that we had a less than 5% chance of getting pregnant without InVitro Fertilization. We'd had Frank and Libby with us as Foster children for almost a year. The Social Worker had told us that it was looking like they would return to their Biological Father pretty soon.

Bob and I knew that when they left our house was going to be really empty plus it wasn't likely that we'd be able to have bio kids. So we decided to take another child in as Foster-to-Adopt. So we asked for placement of an young child who had a high likelihood of becoming available for adoption.

I had been laid off from my job in March of that year, and I was looking for another job. The state had called us about several kids, but etiher they hadn't worked out or we'd turned them down for various reason.

On April 22nd, the kids had a visit scheduled with their Birth Dad and Birth Grandma. I was supposed to drop them off at the visit and then return to pick them up. But the social worker did not show up for the visit, and I ended up supervising it. The kids were restless and aggressive during the visit . Frank threw a huge temper tantrum. I put him in time out, and Mr. Robey had gotten angry and had let Frank get out of time out. So when we left the visit that afternoon, I was mad at the social worker, mad at Mr. Robey and mad at Frank.

We got hom about 4pm. I walked in the house, and the message light on the answering machine was blinking. The message was from DHS. They said they had a newborn girl available, but that they had to place her immediately...and if I wanted her I needed to call them back by 4:30pm that day. I looked at the clock and it was just after 4pm. I called back breathlessly hoping that they still had her. We'd been thinking of a child around age 18 months to 3 years old. I really had planned for a newborn...which is unusual to find in DHS.

They said she was still there...that she was white, born drug free and her Birth Mom had given birth at the hospital and had left her there and requested that she be placed for adoption.

I told them I needed to call my husband. We always make big decisions together. I started trying to call him, but he was on a practice field doing Spring Football practice, and I couldn't get ahold of him!! So finally I gave up trying and called them back and said we would take her. So they told me they'd bring her over within the hour.

I called my Mom and told her that they had a baby for us. My Mom immediately burst into tears and starting crying uncontrollably. My Dad actually had to take the phone from her because she couldn't talk.

I waited and waited at the window for them to bring me the baby. Finally an old ratty state own car pulled up in the driveway, and an older lady brought an infant carried out of the back seat. I looked in the carrier and there was this teeny tiny, BEAUTIFUL baby girl in there.

The Social Worker breezed into the front room, plopped the infant carrier on the floor and said "Here's your baby, Sunshine." All that she came with were the clothes she had on, a couple of bottles of formula and a couple of diapers. The social worker was then just going to waltz out the door. I looked up and said "Wait!!! You haven't even told me here name!!" and she said that her name was Madolyn.

Bob didn't come in until dark that night. When he walked in and saw me with a newborn, he asked "What is THAT and where did it come from???" LOL. I explained what was going on.

Since we'd never had a baby, I had no supplies. We did happen to have a baby bed in storage upstairs. I told Bob that he was going to have to stay home with Frank and Libby and the baby while I went to the store and bought clothes, and blankets and sheets and formula and diapers. Bob had never, ever taken care of a newborn alone. He said, "She's so TINY!!! Please don't leave me alone with this little tiny baby. I don't know what to DO!!!" I told him that I had to, because I couldn't manage a baby and buy all the stuff that I needed.

So at 10 pm that night we are trying to take care of a newborn and put together a baby bed!!!!

And we are so lucky to have her. She's a joy. And she LOVES to hear the store of the day she came to us.



This last picture is one of my all-time fav pictures. It just makes me smile every time I see it.






Story to follow

1 comment:

Unknown said...

thats a sweet story bipp : )...i love love reading them. ( email on the way! )

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