We weren't there for your birth, we were actually on our way to St. Louis for a Cardinals/White Sox game. We had put our name in for your scenario, but you weren't due until the beginning of July. Your arrival and your journey home was completely unexpected. But just what Daddy and I needed.
I don't know the exact time of your birth. (Okay, I do now. I had so much guilt with writing those words, that I had to pull out your birth certificate and look. I knew it was around 4pm. For the record, you were born at 4:16pm.) But I do know where I was and what I was doing when we got the text and email from the adoption agency that the scenario we had put our names in for had just been sped up tremendously because you had arrived. And when Rachel called to tell us we were the chosen family. And when Aimee called to tell us your birth mother had signed the necessary paperwork. And when Rachel called back to tell us, "nope, it isn't going to be a few more days, you are getting him TODAY!"
Okay, so my point is...you may not have my eyes or crazy hair, but you have always and will always have my heart. We may not share the same talents or interests, but I will always be your biggest fan and cheerleader. You may someday question why you were given the path before you, but I know you were created for this path.
I've thought about this a lot over the past year or so. And in my humble opinion, you have to have had experienced heartache before you can truly experience joy. I think you can experience happiness at any point in time, but true joy comes after the heartache. I looked up the meaning of Joy and here is what I found:
Definition of JOY 1 a : the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight b : the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety 2 : a state of happiness or felicity : bliss 3 : a source or cause of delight
Mitchell, this definition is describing you! Please don't ever forget that. I will do my best everyday to help you remember. We love you sooooo much!
After we brought you home for the first time, I don't think your father or I slept more than an hour that first night. Not because you were keeping us up, you slept really well that first night, but because, at least for me, I was afraid to go to sleep and have all of this be a dream the next morning. Plus, I couldn't stop taking you in. Every little move you made was amazing to me. My eyes were glued to you. And we had a ton of phone calls to make surprising our family and friends with your arrival. My favorite phone calls were to your grandparents. My parents were on a trip, so we left a message for them to call us ASAP. Now you have to realize that we have made many heartbreaking calls to your grandparents over the past few years. My Dad (Grandpa to you) told me when he got our message, he walked away from the group with his cell phone wondering what the news could possibly hold this time and what he should prepare himself for. And his phone call found me...holding you! Happy 1st Birthday, Mitchell Jonathan!!!!
This is such a sweet post! Made me cry!! Love you all!
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