Ten peas in the pod?!

Our trip to Utah was awesome. Too short, but full of good things. People were totally friendly, talking wayyyyyy more about banal things than most people from motown would to complete strangers.

A lady whose house we stayed at for a bit noticed Will's accent, but said I didn't have one. We kinda thought that was cute, because I used to tease him about his accent when we first met. But I did notice that the more I spoke to the Americans, the more I spoke like them. "Y'all" and "awraiht " and "dija wanna"... Too funny. The worst is Motown Americans... With their "flippity fetching" and "oh mah heck". Thankfully we didn't get THAT infiltrated.

I told people we were going down to buy a motorhome. Which we did. See? In Canada, we would have paid almost twice the price we paid in Utah, so we are looking forward to putting a few miles on it this summer on our way through the states to New York and then up to Toronto and adding some memories to our family memory capsule.

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But, the best part about the trip, that we didn't tell people about was our adopting a new baby girl. I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED!

She is absolutely adorable. When I first saw her, I knew instantly. Like, I would have practically picked her out of a thousand...she is going to fit into our family perfectly. She is perfectly behaved, quiet but filled with some personality, and you can tell just by looking at her she is as gorgeous and cute on the outside as she is on the inside!

We met the new mom, Elizabeth, Saturday afternoon. She had only had her for a day, but watching Elizabeth with the baby was absolutely heart-breaking. She loved her Soooo much, and although she KNEW she couldn't keep her and this was the best thing for everyone involved, her heart was still breaking.

We spent about an hour with the two of them, and then the time came for us to sign the official papers. Sitting at that desk, I couldn't help but feel guilty about how excited I was, while at the same time watching this brand-new mom gather tears in her eyes.

Papers were being signed, and Will noticed the pain that was evident on her face, and offered to have more of an open-policy with Facebook access and we would send pictures occasionally. She declined. Originally, when Elizabeth found out that we were Canadian and that we wouldn't be able to take the baby home right away, Elizabeth thought that she would get to keep her at her house in the meantime, and have more time to say goodbye. Unfortunately it doesn't work out that way, and Elizabeth cried out a bit when she found out that she had had her last moments alone with her baby. I could tell that giving up her baby to us was the last thing she thought she would do that soon after, but it was meant to be. Elizabeth and I are the exact same... Although I am obviously married and she is single, she is a thrity-year old, a nurse, in school, LDS, and I'm sure that knowing we had those things in common may have consoled her a bit more.

When it was time for her to have her last goodbye, she started to tear up a bit more. Her friend had come to pick her up, as she had told us that she hadn't even told her family yet that she was giving up the baby.

She barely even looked back. Before I could look up from peering down on the precious gift before me, Elizabeth was out of sight. I knew that the heartache and emptiness would be something Elizabeth would never fill. She may, someday when things are better for her, have another baby in her life, but it will never be the same.

Once Elizabeth had left, I sat there with my brand new, beautiful baby, just in awe. She is literally perfect. Will let me have some time alone with her while he got some stuff out of the car, and then for the next, like hour, we sat practically side by side, Will taking pictures of me with that beautiful girl in my hands.

We weren't allowed to bring her home today, as there are government papers and everything we need to sign/wait for in order for her to legally enter Canada with us, but in a few short weeks, we will have to come back to get her and finally bring her home and introduce her to the kids. Leaving her with the guardian was sad, and I even turned my car around and went back to see her one more time. I can't imagine what Elizabeth feels today, but in a small way, leaving my baby there sure was hard for me too, and I knew from Elizabeth's pain and how it mirrored my own, what kind of love a mother feels so quickly.

But for now, I will tear up with joy just looking at the pictures, and look forward to the day that she comes home to stay. Having her in my life was a dream I thought would probably never happen, and I have wanted her for so long, I can't even explain how much my dreams came true this weekend. I thought it would be impossible for me to ever include another baby into our family. Will has made all my dreams come true, and he hasn't stopped yet. I thought adopting such a beautiful babe would cost us an arm and a leg and then some. I thought that it would take YEARS for us to have the opportunity and be ready and have the stars align so perfectly. I know we are settled in our marriage and our life enough right now that we are totally ready for this addition.

Instead, it didn't have to be ANY of that. We will have to build a room/find some space/move things around for her, as she won't fit anywhere in the house right now. And, Although Will didn't bond to her quite like I have, he agreed to adopt another baby soon. He says he always wanted a black baby, and we will probably get a boy for him to bond with.

I know, I know... You have read this whole post and all you Wanna do is see a picture of me with my new, precious, perfect baby?

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Gorgeous, isn't she?

Will tells me that the baby he brings home some day will also likely have chrome. ;-)