A Look Back

On February 17th, one phone call from our caseworker saying we had been chosen by a birth mother, changed our lives forever.  Here is a look back on the events of the last three weeks.  We may not have been able to bring this baby home, but she will always be in our hearts.  Every March 8th, on her birthday, we will think of her and remember back on this time.
  
Her name is Ella Jane. We are still waiting to meet our Emeline...


One week after we got the call that we were chosen by a birth mom we left for Pittsburgh to meet her:

Right before we left to have dinner at The Melting Pot to meet the birth family. I'm not nervous at all - nope! 

A snowy afternoon in Pittsburgh.

And one week after we returned home; 2 days before her due date, our incredibly loving friends threw us this shower to celebrate our baby girl:

Oskar showing off his sister's bows!

On March 8th, the day of our daughter's arrival, we flew back up to Pittsburgh to bring her home:

Right when we landed in Pittsburgh I got a text with the most exciting news!  Our baby girl was born at 2:20 pm and weighed 8lbs and was 20in long.

The very next day we got to meet her.  Our hearts were overflowing with love.  We couldn't take our eyes off of her.  She was and is amazing in every way.  The precious moments we shared with her will never be forgotten.  We held her, kissed her, fed her, burped her, she smiled at us, stuck her tongue out at us and finally opened her eyes for us when it was just Kris, I and her birth mom in the room - everyone else had left.  It was a magical moment, one I can't erase from my memory no matter how hard I try. 

This picture breaks my heart. He was so in love and awe struck by his baby girl.  

As close as we've ever been to becoming a family.  

 After two hours of sleeping in our arms, she finally opened her eyes! 

These were our final moments with her.  

As we left, the final words of her birth mom and now mom were, "tomorrow you're going home with them".  And two hours later, we got the devastating call telling us that this wasn't actually the case. Our birth mom had decided to parent her baby girl. 

We hope Ella has an amazing life.  We know she is very loved no matter what, but it breaks our heart to know the kind of life we could have given this precious baby.  She deserves nothing but the absolute best. 

Her name is Ella Jane.  We still hold on to hope that we will meet our Emeline one day...