Ever since Little Bug was born one week ago today at 7:11am I have woken up around 7am.

Today I woke up and grabbed my cell phone to see what time it was.

It was 7:00am on the dot.

Yesterday I was able to make myself go back to sleep. Today, the day we are (hopefully) bringing this little miracle home, I could not go back to sleep.

My mind raced to where we were a week ago and what lie ahead …

Tuesday night, May 26th, we had gone to my parents’ house for dinner. It was 10:45pm and Dave and I were just pulling into our driveway when I received the call from the birth mom that she thought her water had broken and she would call back once she got to the hospital and got checked out.

My heart immediately started pounding in my chest. I knew if her water had indeed broken, tonight was the night!

That very day, May 26th, I had woken up just very anxious for THE DAY of Little Bug’s birth to arrive. That morning I had written this prayer to the Lord:

And we still wait! It’s been 15 days since that night we spent a few hours at the hospital and then rushed around the next day to get essentials bought!

God, I acknowledge that You have the day and hour of Little Bug’s birth planned. It is a marvelous plan that at this time I cannot fully see. As a result, in my heart, I have to make my desires known to You as far as when I desire Little Bug to be born. But my request is clothed in an ultimate desire to see Your Plan unfold in the coming days.

God, my heart is at peace. I know you are in control of everything. There are those times that anxiety creeps into the corners of my heart and I have to fight against it. I have to remind myself this is your miracle and you will take care of me with every step.

My time has almost arrived to be a mother. I long for those nights of soothing my baby girl in the wee hours of the morning. I cannot wait to look her in her tiny eyes and know she is my daughter. I cannot wait to begin teaching her from Day 1 to love you.

God, again, not my will but Yours. I’ve learned full well – Your Will is best!! I wait for that.

Looking back on that morning, the morning before Little Bug was born, I can see now that God was preparing me for her birth and the extremely emotional days that would follow that glorious day.

Dave and I received the phone call from the birth mom saying her water had broken and we headed to the hospital.

At some point during the night, Dave and I went to the hospital waiting room to try to sleep. (Dave snoozed but I, on the other hand, slept not a wink.) The birth mom was sleeping and it she didn’t seem to be progressing very quickly.

At 7:09am I received a phone call from the birth mom’s mom saying, “She is giving birth.” I had taken my contacts out and had to pop them in and then we took off for the birthing room. As we were walking, I got the urgency to run and started running towards the room. A nurse in the hallway said, “Walk, please.” I slowed to a brisk walk and entered the room.

Little Bug had just literally flown out of the birth canal as I was flying through the hospital hallways. This is why her little face (and now especially her eyes) are so bruised. It will just take some time for that to heal.

As I approached the bed, the doctor was asking who was cutting the cord. The birth mom motioned to me. The doctor handed me the scissors and I cut the cord and then followed Little Bug to the table where they work on them after birth.

Precious moments that I will never forget as long as I live followed:

She cried and cried and cried!

I will never forget her taking hold of my finger.

I didn’t know really what to expect from Dave as far as fatherhood. But, I tell you, the instant Little Bug was placed in his arms, something happened within him. He fell in love with that baby girl in that very moment.

I loved her too. However, I knew in these moments, even though she had been promised to us, she was not yet officially ours and would not be until 48 hours later, when the birth mom signed her consent.

I knew I was standing on the next to last step of our journey.

My heart was guarded and I knew the next 48 hours would be the slowest days of my life.

Little did I know what really lied ahead.

What lied ahead were the most agonizing 81 hours of my life.

I am glad standing there in the birthing room holding my baby girl I did not know what was to come.

I am glad that as with everything else in this journey, all I could do was take one hour at a time, and sometimes one minute at a time.

I’m not one to believe in “signs from God” but during those agonizing 81 hours, God repeatedly “gave me signs” to remind me He was in control and I had to wait on the Lord.

I firmly believe God was preparing my heart for what lied ahead through the prayer he laid on my heart the morning before Little Bug’s birth.

Those highlighted parts were the lifelines I hung on to when it seemed our adoption plan was crumbling to pieces.

*****

I will continue telling the story of the days surrounding Little Bug’s birth and the agonizing wait to hear the birth mom had signed the consent. I would like to write a play-by-play as the days unfold a week later.

For now, it is time to go wake my husband up, get ourselves ready and head to the hospital to find out for sure if Little Bug is coming home TODAY!

*****

Thank you for walking with us every step of this journey through prayer. You are just as much a part of this day as we are, even though you faithful prayer warriors are literally spread over the entire world.

We feel your prayers.

We have indeed witnessed multiple miracles.

To God be the Glory, Great things HE has done!

- Elaine