Introducing...

Heidi Carole Leanne
06.25.09 8 lbs. 2 oz.
and oh so beautiful...

Where to start? First we have to confess that we knew our baby was going to be born on Thursday since the birthmom was scheduled for a c-section. Shawna was supposed to go in for a c-section at 10:30am on Thursday. At 1pm we received a phone call from Ann (social worker at Hope) saying that Shawna was just being admitted now, but she would call as soon as she had news to share. 3pm comes and goes, then 4pm, and still no phone call. 5pm comes and we're starting to get worried with every possible scenario running through our minds, most of them being negative. Best not to think about it so we distract ourselves by doing other things. 5:30 comes and the phone rings. Our hearts are beating so fast we feel they're going to pop right out of our chests. It was Ann. A healthy baby girl was born at 1:30, weighing 8 lbs. 2 oz. Mother and baby are doing well. We are to meet at the hospital at 6:45 and then go up to meet our baby. We are so excited and yet so incredibly nervous. What do we say to Shawna? Should we bring anything to her? What if she's changed her mind? Is that why it took so long for us to get a phone call saying the baby was born? We struggled with all these questions and more...
Walking into that hospital room was one of the most exciting moments in our lives, and also one of the most scary. We were there to meet our daughter! Our daughter! But how was Shawna doing? How awkward was this going to be?
Handing Shawna a boquet of flowers and receiving the biggest hug from her, with her congratulating us with our new daughter - all the awkwardness fell away. We met Shawna's boyfriend, her mom, and her step-dad, and they were excited to meet us as well.
Shawna picked up Heidi who was laying at the foot of her bed, and placed her in my arms. With tears streaming down my face all I could whisper was 'Thankyou, thankyou'. I don't think there was a dry eye in the room. Looking down at our daughter, all I could think was 'beautiful' and 'Praise God'.
Shawna's mom asked if she could pray with us and it was the most beautiful prayer I've heard, and set a lot of our fears at peace. She prayed for a blessing for baby Heidi, for a blessing on Shawna, and for a blessing on us as we raise Heidi to praise God. Again, I could not help the tears streaming down my face. I am so thankful she prayed with us, because in her prayer she also gave us her blessing, so it didn't feel like we were there to take their baby and run, but that this was God's will for all our lives.
We had a chance to chat for quite a while with Shawna and admire Heidi together with her. We also took pictures of all of us, which I'm sure Heidi will treasure once she is older.
We were given the option to stay in the hospital overnight, though they had no room and we would have to sleep on a cot in the parents lounge, or go home. We opted for home. A nurse, whose name was Heidi, :) showed us how to bathe Heidi and we peppered her with a bazillion questions about baby care. She was an excellent nurse and patiently answered all our questions.
Aunt Lindsay (Will's sister) came to visit us at the hospital before we left for home at 10:30pm that night. Walking down the hallways of that hospital, headed home, we kept looking over our shoulders to check to see if anyone was coming behind us who wouldn't let us out! We walked in 3 1/2 hours earlier with so many questions, and now, here we were, walking out with a beautiful baby in our arms! God is good!