This is one of my favorite pictures.

It speaks volumes as to what was happening those first few days after Sweet Pea’s birth.

Having not been present at Sweet Pea’s birth, I didn’t meet my second daughter until she was over 2 days old.

This picture was taken shortly after meeting her for the first time.

The night of Sweet Pea’s birth, I lay in bed tossing and turning because I knew this sweet baby was in a hospital by herself with no mother taking care of her. I would almost fall asleep and then I would have visions of this tiny baby laying all alone that would not allow me to drift off to sleep.

Not even her birth mother was with her because Sweet Pea had been transferred to a different hospital hours after her birth. Her birth mother had remained at the hospital where she had given birth.

The only way I finally found sleep that night was to pray that God would send a special doctor or nurse that would take Sweet Pea under his/her wings and watch over her until we were able to go to the hospital once the TPR had been signed 48 hours after Sweet Pea’s birth.

God did send a special doctor. Dr. Marvelous looked after Sweet Pea and came running to meet us once she learned the adoptive parents had arrived at the hospital.

This picture is so precious to me because here is Sweet Pea, laying on her hospital bed, the nurse doing something at the foot of the bed. Sweet Pea is alert, eyes open wide, her head is turned to my direction and she is looking directly into my eyes.

It is as if she knows.

This is my Mama. I am not alone in this world.

Laying there, she is the picture of vulnerability. I love the way her little arm is curled up against her chest, her tiny feet sticking straight out and her adorable eyes looking up at me and crying out asking, Will you be my Mama??

I always hear about precious moments between women who give birth and then their baby is placed on their chest immediately to start bonding. Some women even choose to not deliver at the hospital so that they can have this precious time after birth with their baby instead of a nurse taking the baby away to do hospital protocol procedures.

There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a picture of a woman who has just delivered her baby and that baby has been placed on her chest. Mother and baby’s eyes meet for the very first time.

I could feel like I was “missing out” by not having these birth and right-after-delivery-moments with my babies, but God, in His great mercy, has given me precious moments with both of my daughters soon after their births.

This was my moment with Sweet Pea and it just so happens that my mother caught this moment in a photograph.

The moment my heart bonded with my second daughter.

- Elaine