It was a Thursday night, and the three of us just sat down for dinner when the phone rang. Solicitor? Not this time. Caller ID came up as our adoption attorney. We looked at each other, and our hearts skipped a beat. We adopted our daughter 3 years previous and were trying to grow our family again and make her a big sister. Several recent attempts had fallen through, and we weren’t currently working with any birth parents. What could this be? We answered. Our attorney asked if we were interested in adopting a healthy baby girl. She was born Tuesday in Florida. We would need to be there in 2 days to take custody and stay there until the paperwork between the states was complete. She told us this could take a few days or a few weeks. Talk it over and let me know she said, but I need an answer in 15 minutes as there are several other families in waiting and interested.
It felt right.
After one call confirming grandma could babysit “indefinitely” we said YES! The next 48 hours were a whirlwind of reservations, travel, and anxiety. We took custody of our second daughter Rachel on Saturday and immediately fell in love with her. Our first days as a family were quite unconventional. We ate, slept, worked and played together in a single extended stay room. Rachel’s first crib was being surrounded by pillows on a twin bed, and her first airplane ride was at 9 days old. Once home things became more regular.
We all still laugh at the classic picture of big sister holding Rachel for the first time. Every adoption is filled with both heartwarming and heartbreaking stories. Rachel’s is no exception. But when the phone rings during dinner, we all get a little smile remembering the inspirational part of Rachel’s that brought us together to be a family.
–The Grudus Family