Judah's Adoption Story

 On October 11, 2021 I wrote an email to our adoption agency saying that we were going to wait for only one more month before closing our profile. We had originally planned to return to Uganda after Christmas. Only 11 days later, on October 22, 2021, we got a phone call from our agency saying there was a couple interested in placing their child in our family. We talked with them on the phone and seemed to connect. A few minutes after our phone conversation we received confirmation that they chose us. We were in total shock! The baby girl was due November 27, 2021 so we had a little more than a month and that was all!

On November 12, one year ago today, we got a phone call around 1 pm that Mama L was in labor and on her way to the hospital. We weren't expecting it to happen this soon but it didn't take us long to call Eli's parents to come stay with the boys and pack our bags. We drove through the night to get to the state of his birth and on our way got the phone call that he was born and we heard the news: "It's a BOY!" We laughed out loud because we knew we were just destined to be a house full of boys. :)

We checked into a hotel when we arrived and got a bit of sleep. Around 2 pm we went to visit the parents in the hospital with a basket of treats and snacks for their hospital stay. It was our first time to meet face to face and very surreal but we hit it off and had a nice visit. We found out that Judah was in the NICU because he'd had some breathing problems shortly after being born. We didn't get to meet him that day but Judah's first parents invited us to come back the next morning.

That evening we also got a call from their lawyer that we needed to be back at the hospital by 9 am the next morning because they were ready to sign the adoption papers. We couldn't believe it! The next morning was a Sunday and shortly after we arrived at the hospital, we met with the lawyer and signed papers. The birth parents had already signed their papers. I kept thinking, "Is this really happening?!" After signing the papers we went up to visit with the parents again. Mama L offered to take us up to the NICU to see him since we still hadn't met him in person and he was already 2 days old. We had all signed the paperwork but the hospital was working on how to get Eli and I our own ID bracelets so we could be with the baby in the NICU now that we were officially his legal guardians. Mama L was so gracious to take us up to meet him. He was so tiny in his little isolet. We couldn't see much of him. He was swaddled tightly and the pacifier took up most of his little face. The first thing I noticed was all the blond fuzz on his little head and I was instantly head over heels in love! We didn't get to hold him but we sat and watched him sleep for a bit.

Since it was the weekend the normal hospital social worker wasn't working so the hospital told us to come back Monday morning so they could figure out how to get us ID bands to go up to the NICU to stay with Judah. It was hard to leave him but we went back to the hotel to get a good night's sleep so we could be back bright and early the next morning. They gave us our bracelets and we finally got to hold our boy. We had to wear gowns, gloves and masks, but it still felt soooo good to cuddle our new little 5 pound son.

My first time holding Judah

When we found out he was a boy we knew we wanted to name him Judah and had a middle name picked out as well. Judah's birth parents had originally told us they wanted us to choose the name but in the hospital we found out they had named him Caleb. So to honor them we kept Caleb as his middle name. What a beautiful name: Judah Caleb

We learned that we could stay in the NICU with Judah from 8 am to 6:45 pm but then we had to leave for the night. It was hard to leave him every night but we made sure to enjoy our last nights of solid sleep. Eli and I realized that as much as we loved holding and caring for Judah every day in the NICU we also needed time to go home and shower and eat, so we started a routine where I would take half the day and then Eli would take the other half. We're so thankful we did this because we ended up being in the NICU with Judah for 8 days.

On November 23rd. we went into the hospital as usual and found out that Judah would be discharged that day! We called his birth parents to see if they'd like to come see him before we left the state because we also heard that we'd be clear to leave the state the following day. They came and we gave them time alone with Judah for about an hour and then we all signed discharge papers together and left the hospital together. So bittersweet. Sweet because Judah was finally healthy and ready to leave. Bitter because I couldn't imagine the feelings his first parents were feeling.

The next day we were cleared to leave the state. It was a long drive with a newborn stopping every few hours for feedings and diaper changes but in the wee hours of Thanksgiving Day we pulled into our home in SC! What a way to start our Day of Thanksgiving!