It was Monday, June 26th, 2006. We had been waiting for 18 months. We were frustrated. We were angry. We hadn't gone in her bedroom for months. We weren't even certain it was ever going to happen.
Grandma and Grandpa Murphy (Jimmy's parents) had treated us to a lovely overnight stay at the Hard Rock Casino with them. We were all checked out and waiting for our car at the valet stand. For some reason, I decided to check my cell phone--1 missed call. When I saw what I had missed, I felt the blood rush from my body. It was our adoption agency. My heart told me it was 'the call'.
We immediately called them back when we got in the car. I could barely dial the phone. And then we received the news. We had been matched with a baby. "What?" "Yes, Lisa--you and Jim have a baby". "Her name is Xiao Yuan Wu, and she's from Wuwei City, Gansu Province. Her birthdate is 9/19/05. She's bald, and she's beautiful!"
Surprised I could speak, I relayed the news to Jimmy, Grandma, & Grandpa. I still don't know how Grandpa managed to stay on the road. We were all screaming. Our heads were spinning. Finally, we were having a baby.
The FedEx package arrived on Thursday. What a strange feeling knowing that your fate--the next piece of your life's puzzle--is in that package. Jimmy was out of town until Friday. How could I possibly open it without him? It was something that was meant for us to do together. I settled for sleeping with the package right beside me.
Friday finally came. At the end of the work day, we sat down with a glass of champagne, and we opened it. We saw her for the first time. I knew I loved her immediately. I knew she belonged to us. We read through all of the details we had received about her, falling deeper in love as we discovered what she was all about. God had delivered us Madi O. Murphy.
Friends and family gathered that evening to see the first glimpse of our future as a family. Our adventure was about to begin.
3 comments:
I think that I deserve a mention as the guy that accepted the package from FedEx. I had to beat back my wife and the neighbors from "steaming open" the package (like that works with FedEx packages). I had to stare at the thing too until you came home to appropriate it.
That's hilarious! I'm glad you reminded me of that!!!
When I first saw the photo of this little stranger who would be called Madolyn Olivia Murphy, my strongest reaction was "My god she has awesome eyebrows!" I wanted her.
Post a Comment