We are Adopting our Daughter!
By Jacquie Garner
After all the excitement of finding out we were really chosen to adopt a precious girl and figuring out how to get there, we finally arrived in Tampa Florida! We were still in shock, it all was happening so fast! We just couldn’t believe after waiting 1 and 1/2 years of trying to adopt domestically, this was finally happening! We were so excited! We arrived in Tampa, later than planned due to some plane issues. The first stop was meeting our birth Mom. We met at a Cheesecake Factory with an agency social worker and with birth Mom. She told us every detail about little Destiny and her life. We listened to every word and enjoyed our visit with her very much! It was priceless information we needed for our new daughter!
Then the moment we’d been waiting for! We went to the cradle care ( a family that takes care of children in between birth Mom and adopted family) house where destiny was staying and we met her at the doorway. We said hi to the adults and then Destiny gave me a hug and ran off! I was instantly in love! We spent about an hour visiting and playing. The next day Destiny spent some time with us. We went to a park and to the aquarium. It was a fun and lovely day. Destiny fell asleep in the car, and Then she continued to sleep on my lap in the house. I loved the bond and connection we already were having!
The next day Destiny spent the day with us at our hotel swimming, getting groceries eating, and playing! We read books and cuddled too. It was a very special day of getting to know each other! She is such an amazing child! We loved her so much already!
After lots of tears on my part of how much I worried about destiny’s pain, I gave it to God and got ready! This was the day Destiny would be ours! We talked with the agency workers and the therapist. Found out birth mo want coming today. So went to the office and signed lots of papers . That was it! She was our legal daughter! How excited we were! It all seemed easy at this point! I still couldn’t believe she was really ours! We went to our hotel with our daughter and played and swam. Then we had a short sweet talk with her that her mommy asked us to take cafe of her. That we were her new mama and daddy! She was fine with that and asked to go to the beach. So we went to the beach and had a lovely evening. When ready for bed, she snuggled with me so tight! It was precious! She has started calling us mama and daddy all evening! She gave lots of kisses and loved to be held! We know there will be hurts ahead, but we were so glad she’s seemed to be doing ok and so happy with us!
We met birth Mom at a park with Destiny, the next day! She told our sweet little girl she was getting a new family. That she would have two mommy’s and two daddy’s now. Destiny said “ok” and they kept playing. We had a nice visit with birth Mom. She told us how she picked Destiny’s full name. She taught me how to do Destiny’s hair. When it was time to go Destiny happily got into our car and said goodbye. Destiny has been calling us mama and daddy all day! She’s gone to bed for us two nights without any trouble. She so happy and loving and sweet. I pray she doesn’t hurt much and I pray she bonds with us and can heal easily!
We have to wait on the government paperwork to be finalized now so we can cross the state line a d go home . It will be so wonderful to take our baby girl home! But for now we are settling in, nesting, bonding, and enjoying every new moment together! We love you Destiny!
