My adoption attorney called us on my cell phone while we were at the hotel to say that Interstate Compact cleared and we could go home with our daughter. It was Tuesday, the day after Memorial Day, about 4PM. We knew the call was coming at any time, so we were not completely surprised. The nine days since our daughter was born passed very quickly with family members visiting us intermittently throughout our stay. Our attorney said our daughter’s birth mother wanted to say good-bye to us in person before we left. As I packed, we made arrangements for her to meet us in the hotel lobby.
My husband and I said goodbye to her separately, each taking turns leaving the baby in the hotel room with one parent. She requested she not see the baby before we left. I don’t know what my husband said to her, he doesn’t excel at making small talk. I do know that when I said goodbye to her, I had a thousand butterflies in my stomach. It was emotional. I was excited, nervous and feeling sorry for her. A little small talk, a chance to meet her six-year-old daughter, a chance for her to meet our four-year old daughter. Hugs, tears and finally…goodbye. That was the last time we have seen her in person.
I remember driving home to New York from New Hampshire, stopping a couple of times at rest areas to eat and change my daughter. She was just over five pounds and people looked at me like I was crazy for traveling with such a tiny, obviously newborn baby. I remember us eating Auntie Anne’s pretzels and my nine-day old daughter downing a four oz. bottle of formula at the rest stop. I was excited since that was the most she had consumed at one feeding!
We arrived home after 11PM. My in-laws were at our house, waiting to greet us and they had set up the bassinet. My family was complete, my second child was now home and part of OUR family. We were blessed. This is the house she would grow up in. As I walked into our house holding the carrier with our infant daughter in it, I whispered in her ear, “Welcome home”.
*Photo courtesy of Jennifer Strauss
Searching for Juno 