Rylan's Journey Home: April 2009

Just wanting to wish everyone a blessed Easter! Last night we colored egss with the boys and it went rather well. Rylan started off with a tantrum of some sort that I'm not sure even yet what it was about. Eventually he scraped himself up off the floor and came out to the kitchen. Once he saw what we were doing, he loved it! Both kids did a nice job on the eggs, and NO spills! We have a couple cracked eggs... but hey, I expected that. Today we started off our morning with Cameron first jumping into our bed hollering "Happy Easter"! Rylan, whose normally an early bird and up by 6-6:30am decided to sleep until 7:15. Cameron had a LONG 1/2 wait for his brother to get up, but once he did, they were SO excited about the Easter Bunny having been here! Once again, there was no shortage of candy, but the good ole Easter Bunny gets more and more crafty each year! This year some of the eggs were filled with quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies! There were also small gifts like art supplies that Cameron loves and some hot wheels cars that Rylan loves, not mention a few cans of silly string! Way to go Easter Bunny! These were some very happy, non-sugar high, kids!
We're off to my mom's around 2pm for dinner. Turkey and all the trimmings, yum! Then to John's parents for dessert. I have one more day off work tomorrow... YIPPIE! Althoug the boys and I will be going to the dentist for their first appts. I can't guarantee that will be a good time. More pics to follow on that!

Wow, I can't believe my guy is 6 years old today! I couldn't sleep last night as I kept dreaming about his birth. I think I'm having a hard time on this birthday because it's a transition from a preschooler to elementary aged boy! I can see him growing up so fast, yet am thankful he needs me yet in so many ways. You won't find me rushing him through these years. I enjoy every moment, even the "pull your hair out" days!
Let me take you back to the days leading up to Cameron's birth. We met his birth mom when she was over months 8 month pregnant. She had picked us from a book of waiting families wanting to adopt. When I received that call from the adoption agency telling us a birth mom wanted to meet us, it was like a rush I've never felt. So many years of unsuccessful pregnancy and loss came down to that moment! Just a short couple weeks later, we were at her school meeting her, her mother, and her social worker. She was just 14 years old. John and I were so nervous that we could barely contain ourselves! Once we met the family, we hit it off almost immediately and conversation flowed well. At the end of our meeting birth grandma invited us to a doctor appt birth mom had scheduled. We were able to meet her doctor and were introduced as the baby's parents! The doctor was very receptive and we were so excited. Cameron's birth mom was very shy. I thought we'd be sitting in the waiting room while she had her appt, but she allowed us in the room.... but we did leave during the "exam". She didn't know what she was having, which was even more exciting! During the exam the doctor let us hear the baby's heartbeat, which was the first time I'd ever experienced anything like that. I couldn't help it, I cried and was barely consolable! It was then that Alicia told us that she intended to have an abortion, until she heard the heartbeat early in her pregnancy. It just wasn't the right option for her. I give this young woman all the credit in the world. She carried this child for 9 very long months, gave birth, and made a responsible adoption plan that would allow her to go on with her life, and for this baby to have his. I can't imagine the ridicule she faced at school for this. The responses she might have got from strangers as she told them of her plans. People not understanding how she could so this. She had a sense of peace with it but that didn't mean it wasn't hard....
Around 11pm on April 3rd we'd received a call that Alicia went into labor. The weather was horrible, there was a sleet storm. They told us we didn't have to come....but this was something that I wasn't about to miss! John and I packed up and got out of the house before midnight. The trip normally would take about 3hrs. That night, it was well over 5hrs of driving in the worst conditions ever before we arrived. We checked in at the hospital desk and took a seat. It wasn't but 5 min before we were ushered back. We stood outside Alicia's hospital room door and watched as our son entered the world! All 8lbs 13ozs of him!!! The nurse whisked him away to clean him up and brought him out to us. I was frozen. She extended her arms to mine and said "congratulations mom and dad, you have a new son"! More crying.... I'm crying now! It was incredible! I got a hospital bracelet to enter the nursery and we were put in a room next to Alicia with the baby. She completely trusted us. John fed him his first bottle, I did his first diaper. We would go back and forth from room to room to visit with Alicia, yet not spend too much time in there with the baby. She was feeling uncomfortable and we could tell. We gave her space and we gave her alone time with the baby. When it came time to do the birth certificate, she told the nurse that we would be naming him. And so we did, Cameron James. Although we felt certain that this adoption would go through, there is alway that possiblity that something could happen. We had issues, that's to the say the least... but Alicia never wavered from her decision. She knew this child was meant to be ours. And so the story goes... you all know the ending!
So today not only do we celebrate the incredible birth of our child, but we honor his birth mother, Alicia. Without her, we wouldn't have this amazing little person in our lives. She gave us the opportunity to be parents! She will always have a piece of our hearts.