On Sunday, Steven turned two, and I spent a good portion of the day thinking of Auntie E and what it was like for her two years ago. We had no idea that our son was being born as we celebrated Thanksgiving that day, but I know the day was drastically different for her.
I've talked to her about that day before, and it was interesting to hear some of the details she remembers. She was in labor for a long time, and she kept insisting that something was wrong. The doctors ignored her for several hours before deciding that something was wrong. She remembers being terrified as they sped her away for an emergency c-section. She also remembers how upset she was that she was missing Thanksgiving dinner and how she later regretted throwing away the food her family brought her in a little fit :)
She also remembers that everytime she visited Steven in the NICU/nursery, he had his eyes closed. She said all she wanted was to see his eyes before she left, and on her last day there, he opened his eyes for her. It was so important to her to be able to look him in the eyes, and even now, she loves pictures that are close ups of his eyes.
I later learned that the little blue bear he brought home from the NICU was not standard issue. Auntie E went to the gift shop and picked out the bear and bought it for him. I've always loved how it has his little information tag on it (which included both his last name and hers and no one thought to black it out). It's one of the few things we have from his time in the hospital, and the only thing we had from her to him.
Yes, I thought about her all day, and I thank God for her continually. I thank Him for the amazing gift she gave us when she chose us to parent the child that she knew she couldn't. I thank Him for giving us the adoption we prayed for--a semi open/open adoption with the birthfamily within easy driving distance but not in the same town, a relationship like an aunt or uncle that we see once or twice a year.
I also thank God for the continued contact we have with her, and I sincerely thank Him for her calling Steven on his birthday to twll him that she loves him. And I thank Him that my little two year old ended the call by telling his birthmother that he loves her too.
What more could I ask for?
I've talked to her about that day before, and it was interesting to hear some of the details she remembers. She was in labor for a long time, and she kept insisting that something was wrong. The doctors ignored her for several hours before deciding that something was wrong. She remembers being terrified as they sped her away for an emergency c-section. She also remembers how upset she was that she was missing Thanksgiving dinner and how she later regretted throwing away the food her family brought her in a little fit :)
She also remembers that everytime she visited Steven in the NICU/nursery, he had his eyes closed. She said all she wanted was to see his eyes before she left, and on her last day there, he opened his eyes for her. It was so important to her to be able to look him in the eyes, and even now, she loves pictures that are close ups of his eyes.
I later learned that the little blue bear he brought home from the NICU was not standard issue. Auntie E went to the gift shop and picked out the bear and bought it for him. I've always loved how it has his little information tag on it (which included both his last name and hers and no one thought to black it out). It's one of the few things we have from his time in the hospital, and the only thing we had from her to him.
Yes, I thought about her all day, and I thank God for her continually. I thank Him for the amazing gift she gave us when she chose us to parent the child that she knew she couldn't. I thank Him for giving us the adoption we prayed for--a semi open/open adoption with the birthfamily within easy driving distance but not in the same town, a relationship like an aunt or uncle that we see once or twice a year.
I also thank God for the continued contact we have with her, and I sincerely thank Him for her calling Steven on his birthday to twll him that she loves him. And I thank Him that my little two year old ended the call by telling his birthmother that he loves her too.
What more could I ask for?
1 comment:
What a sweet phone conversation!
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