The call that changed our lives...

Eight years ago today, I was sitting in my office at work, when I received a call from our social worker. In an oh so nonchalant manner she told me they had a sweet little girl, 4.5 months old, for us to meet. Being at work and in work mode, I said okay, wrote down the specifics on where to meet up, hung up the phone. Sat back in my chair - realized I had not taken a breath during the conversation and felt my life take a shift. After going through the home study and having our life peeled away like an onion - to insure to the State we would make a stable home for a little kabocha - you tend to forget what it's all about. Reflecting back I see how much energy and anxiousness we had tied up in becoming parents. In hindsight, I wish we were more relaxed, but hey first kid, your life is under a magnifying glass, you do what you got to do!

So now, you probably want to hear the rest of the story, when we met our little kabocha. We rendezvoused with our social worker at her foster family's home. The house was chaos, they had lots of kids and lots a love. We sat down amongst the toys and all the kid stuff, they brought out Chloe and put her in our arms. We were floored, love at first sight! We hung out for an hour or so, Wally gave her a bottle and she dozed in his arms and there my friends the first little tentacle was wrapped around daddy's heart!

At the wrap up of our visit, our social worker told us we needed to think about the 'placement' for 24-hours before notifying the Children Services. We tried to tell her it was a done deal, we were toast, we were in love, but she wouldn't hear it. We drove home with our jaws hanging open, mostly in silence, sprinkled with a few oh my, she's so beautiful, she's amazing. After a restless night and many walks into Chloe's future room, making little adjustments here and there, I called the social worker first thing! So worried we'd lose this chance at becoming this perfect little person's parents!

The 'placement' was made and the transition began, it would be a few days of back and forth before Chloe Rosebud was home for good at her forever home. I can't believe it was eight years ago, I wish we could slow it down a little.