many mighty miracles

Two and half years ago, Isaac and I moved to Philadelphia. We felt very strongly that we should buy a house in a particular ward and on a particular street. There are a lot of dental students in our ward, and we happened to move three doors down from a dental student, his wife, and their new baby. They helped us move in, and we went over to their house for root beer floats that evening. Last year, our friend graduated and they moved to St. George to practice dentistry.

Fast forward to August 2008. 2373 miles away from us, a beautiful young woman was pondering what direction her life was about to take now that she was pregnant. She was led to know that adoption was the only way to give her baby a mom and a dad and the best life possible. She was referred to a lawyer by a good friend who had also placed a baby for adoption. The lawyer sent her profiles to look at, and she had pretty much decided on a couple.

One day not long after, this young woman was eating spaghetti, soft spaghetti, and she broke her tooth. She was at the dentist and about to get an x-ray when she mentioned she was pregnant. The dentist congratulated her. "Thank you" she said, "but I am thinking about adoption".

This dentist, our wonderful friend, said, "No pressure... but I have some friends that are hoping to adopt".

She went home, looked at the website the dentist had referred her to, and knew immediately that this was the family for her child. She showed the profile to her sisters who cried with the knowledge that they too felt this was the right family.

On October 9, I was sitting at work and received an email. The subject line read, "Birth mother is interested in you". My heart began to beat out of my chest. The email was from a lawyer in SLC who wanted to talk to me. I ran out into the hallway (a cubical is no place to take such a call), found a quiet spot, and pulled out a paper and pen to take notes. Within minutes I got a call from said lawyer. He explained that a woman had called him about a month ago and was thinking about adoption. She found our blog through a friend and wanted to talk to us. Could she call? Of course!

That night, as we were wondering through Ikea, I got the phone call that changed our lives. After talking with her for 45 minutes, she asked us if we could come to Utah to go to the ultrasound. I told her we'd be there for Christmas, so she promised to call the doctor the next day and set up a date that worked for all of us.

After hanging up the phone, I said to Isaac, "I'm not quite sure, but I think she picked us."

A month later, Kate's birthparents decided to place her in our home. My heart was in turmoil because I knew that we needed to have Kate in our family, but I also knew that 'A's baby belonged with us. After many tears and prayers, Isaac called 'A' and told her of our situation. I then followed up a week later with an email, still hoping that she would place her baby with us, but not convinced she would.

'A' wrote back that she was so excited for us, and that she would love to have her child in our home too. She even sent matching bracelets for Kate and the new baby (just in case it was a girl).

We kept in touch with 'A' through the whole ordeal, and her heart broke for us when we lost Kate. A few days after losing Kate, Isaac said, "What would we do without her"? She was our ray of hope in a very dark time. Maybe something beautiful could still come of this experience.

Two weeks after losing Kate, we met 'A' and her mother. They showered us with gifts during breakfast, we spent hours talking, and then we were able to see the ultrasound of our little baby girl. It was a totally surreal and wonderful time, but in my heart I was terrified. I couldn't survive any more heartbreak.

Over the next few months, I got constant emails and texts from 'A'. I loved her more and more every day, she is an amazing woman with an incredible spirit and determination. As her due date grew closer, we painted the nursery and bought some clothes, but I still couldn't let my heart believe it was going to happen.

'A' was going to be induced on Monday, April 6. We bought plane tickets for the Friday before, April 4. On Wednesday, April 1 I was in the grocery store when I got a phone call. Seeing that it was a Utah number, I was too terrified to even pick up. I stood staring at the chocolate chips while waiting with a racing heart to hear the voice mail.

It was 'A's mother calling to say that she was in labor and we were about to have a baby!! We frantically packed (I threw the entire contents of our dirty clothes hamper in a suitcase) and had my mom find us plane tickets. Two hours later, we were heading to Utah.

We arrived at the hospital around 3am. 'A' was in labor but not progressing, and around 5am they decided to do a C section. Our sweet baby was born at 5:47.

The experience at the hospital with 'A' and her family and friends was more wonderful, emotional, happy, sad, and trying than I could have ever imagined. My heart broke for this wonderful woman who was making the ultimate sacrifice for her child. Her friends and family brought us gifts, gave us hugs and congratulations. Everyone called us the baby's parents. Everyone called us mom and dad.

Our sweet, incredible birthmom had a rough go of things. After the c section she was really sick, then needed a blood transfusion, and had a really hard time walking. She was in so much pain. The desire to take away her pain was almost too much to handle- I wanted to be the one suffering, the one hurting. If ever anyone deserved an easy delivery, it was her. My heart was broken.

The things that were said and the emotions that were felt are too sacred to us to share, and too emotionally close to the surface to even process yet. Suffice it to say, I have never felt such love for a tiny baby, for this precious daughter of our Heavenly Father, than what was felt by our birthmom, her family, us, and our family for sweet baby Hazel.

Hazel's journey into our lives was truly wrought by many mighty miracles, and we feel blessed beyond measure.


**My sister-in-law took tons of amazing photos for us. Check them out here!