I should be sleeping right now, but I’m not.

I’m too excited! In less than two hours from now (2am EST), Melissa is going to meet her baby boy for the very first time.

I’ve just been sitting here in bed thinking about her journey to Gideon.

It’s been a long, hard, tearful journey but tonight all the pieces of the puzzle will come together and Melissa & Ryan will finally be parents.

Their arms will be FULL with a little 16 month old boy named Gideon.

It brings tears to my eyes and I have a lump in my throat as I remember my special moments of seeing my daughters for the very first time.

There are no words to describe moments like that. It truly is a situation where the pictures have to do all the talking.

I cannot wait to see those pictures of Melissa, Ryan & Gideon!

My heart is also so very heavy for little Gideon tonight. His world is about to turn upside down. He is leaving all he’s known for 16 months. It is all for good – we know that, but he is just a year old and cannot possibly comprehend what is going on.

Before Melissa left for China she called me and one specific thing she asked for prayer for was Gideon’s heart. That he will open his heart to love and trust her and Ryan. That has been my prayer and I am praying specifically tonight that when Gideon sees Melissa & Ryan for the first time in just 1.5 hours that there will be an instant connection there that will just grow stronger and stronger with each day. That he will somehow know these two people have loved him before they even saw his picture for the first time back in June.

I realize that is far-fetched because of the tremendous loss Gideon is going to experience, but I also know God is a God of miracles and Melissa and Ryan’s journey to Gideon has been nothing short of miracle after miracle.

I just want Melissa’s Mama-heart to have some sort of instant “sign” (for lack of a better word) that Gideon is okay with this—or will be soon.

Oh how I would love to be a fly on the wall in that room. What a JOYOUS occasion for Melissa & Ryan. They have waited for this moment for YEARS.

And now, the time has come.

- Elaine