One year ago today...

We saw this sweet face, for the very first time.  This was the first of many incredible days to come in my life with my daughter.

I don't think I ever explained to everyone how this miracle came about.  As many of you know, around this time last year, I felt that our baby was never going to be home with us.  I couldn't bear the thought of two more years of waiting and wondering.  Everyday, every week, every month wasn't me living these days, they were just days that were counted till my angle would be with us.

Our agency called us and said they were starting a pilot program with waiting (special needs) children.  We said we would have to talk it over and do some investigating and to just go ahead and send us the paperwork to look over.  Our hearts just melted when we saw so many children that were on this list.  We let the paper work sit on the table, and said "if this is meant for us we will feel it" and we did.  About a month later (Sept. 13th 2008) we filled out all the paperwork and were told it would be 6mo to a year before we would see a referral.  

On September 16th, my Birthday.  I woke up and told Tim that I can't live on hold anymore.  Being sad and depressed about something I can't control is controlling my life, and told him that I prayed and asked God  to take this burden from me.  I prayed a lot, I prayed that our daughter would come to us when the time is right, and that god would help me get on with my life.  I woke up that day feeling better than I had in a long time.  We had my Birthday dinner with family and friends, it was a great day.

The next morning changed my life.  I was getting ready for work, letting the dog out and trying to make breakfast all at the same time.  The phone rang and my first thought was, what does Tim want me to do before I leave.  I looked at the caller Id and saw that it was our adoption agency.  I thought they must have questions about our paperwork, because they never call.  I hear "Hi Sheila, this is Carrie from CHSFS, I'm calling with exciting news, we have a referral for a little girl who just turned a year a couple of days ago".  She must have said "Sheila are you there" at least a couple if times.  I was in such shock I couldn't even talk.  Then I did the stupidest thing I have ever done.  Well that's a long list to top, so maybe not the stupidest but damn close.  I told Carrie that I would have to call her right back.  What, who does that!!!

I tried to calm myself down enough to call Tim and tell him what was going on.  I couldn't even think while I was trying to talk to  Tim.  Finally, Tim said that he would call Carrie back and see what was going on, before I got to excited.  Remember, we were told 6mo to a year, NOT 4 days!!  Tim thought that maybe it was a mistake, that maybe they had called the wrong couple.  Nope, it was us they were looking for.  

People always make the comment that Maya is such a lucky little girl.  We don't feel that, we feel  we are the luckiest ones.  We have been blessed with this tiny little gift from God.