Exactly one month ago, I was having a busy day. I was leaving for a trip to Florida with my
friends, the next day. My mom had come
swooping to the rescue, and was staying a few days with the kids and Gene while
I went gallivanting away from the stove, preschoolers, and husband.
So of course, with the Florida trip on my mind, I went to get highlights put in
my hair. If you know your hair isn’t going to get bleachy streaks naturally
from the sun, you want streaks to be put in with chemicals right?
It took way long, I rushed home, it was bedtime, and I had yet to pack one item
for the trip ahead.
I ran into our house, and bounced into the kitchen where my mom and family all
stood with really goofy- looking, smiley expressions on their faces.
My first thought was “My hair doesn’t look as good as I thought it did. Drat.”
My second thought was ”WHAT in the world did they do while I was gone?”
I demanded, “What is going on here?!”
Gene said “Elena do you want to tell her?”
Elena shook her head.
Then Gene told me, that our agency called, and we had been matched. And my heart leaped into my throat, and I
started crying.
So there were hugs and tears and smiles in our kitchen that night.
What does matched mean? It means that we had submitted our profile to a certain
mom, and she chose us.
There are so many mixed emotions that go with this adoption. While we are thrilled, it is so hard to think
that one special mommy is going to have to go through so much pain, both
physical and mental in order that we parent this baby. When I know that on the other end of the
spectrum somebody is going through a really hard time, it is hard to get
excited. I wish I could wave a wand and
make everything all better. (Will we parent the way you want us to? Of
course! Will we make mistakes? Never! No void in our child’s life, of course
not!) But it’s not that simple, and I feel huge honor to be able to
raise a child in our home, doing our best, and trusting God for the rest.
The baby is due on September 8, and I love that the due date is still off in
the distance as it gives me time to can gallons of applesauce, deep clean, and
purge my house of unwanted junk.
And now, our bedtime prayers have grown to include the baby and birth mom, who
we have already met, and fell in love with.
We pray for safety and health for the baby, and we pray a blessing for
her mommy. We are over-whelmed and
excited about the privilege to care, protect, and raise this baby.
Pray for us!
Andrea Esh 
Andrea! I am so excited for you! Wishing you the very best as you prepare to meet this little one. Also… I was hoping you’d have a picture of your highlighted hair
yay that’s so exciting! congrats!
That is so exciting! Praying all will go smoothly and the adoption will be a blessing for you and your family!
What an exciting time for your family! And I too, would like to see a picture of your newly-highlighted hair
Oh that is so exciting! Praying it will all go smoothly for you. Blessings on your adoption journey.
that is so awesome!! so happy for yous!!!
This makes me happy and scared with you. How wonderful that you’ve fallen in love with your baby’s mother already. I keep thinking of you since I read this post earlier today….. I just wish you the hugest blessings through all that’s ahead. And I’ll pray when I think of you all. Time away with your girlfriends in Florida sounds too good to be true. No wonder you needed the highlights. And you’ll remember them forever, along with the rest of the story.
i am happy for you! you will be perfect for this new baby. love!!
oh. oh. OH!
What an exciting adventure God has taken you on! I am thrilled for you!
what a huge milestone on a “hair” day! i cannot even imagine what that news felt like and is still feeling like. i am so excited and and happy for you and with you! i am still hoping to hear your story in person sometime and soon. adoption is close to my heart…and one of many things for which i am so grateful. may HIS presence bring peace as you participate in His amazing plan for your family.
My heart is aflutter FOR YOU. I can feel the bittersweet emotion as you think of a mother giving up her child… and the joy of becoming a mother to another little one.
Reading this…I can see how you are the PERFECT couple to adopt a child. Your heart for the baby and the Mom and the whole adoption process just shines through in what you wrote!! How exciting for you!
our prayers will now include them too. what a beautiful story… can’t wait to hear the rest of it in the years to come. 🙂
Wow, what an exciting day!! And after waiting for so long, how surreal it must feel to have it actually be happening! I’m so thrilled for you!
Andrea, that seriously gave me goosebumps. just picturing a mom reading through profiles and choosing YOU. and now i will pray that the summer goes well. that you soak up all the sun AND the thunderstorms….so excited for you!!!
How awesome and exciting!! What a roller coaster of emotions as well. I still struggle with the not knowing at all about the first years of Zalen’s life. I pray for much grace the day the questions are asked and when I have no answers. I do find awesome comfort that God’s plan for him was written and weaved into our family way before we ever knew it and b/c of that great gift it gives me a bit more confidence to be his mom. Congrats again!!