Sep 12, 2007

Happy Referraliversary!

One year ago today on a Tuesday, Sept 12, 2006, at about 2 p.m., we received the most amazing referral. Triplet (!!!) baby boys, about 2.5 months old.

We'll never forget the day. I was least expecting it, yet I suspected down deep, something. First thing that morning I learned of another family who received a referral for infant twins, a family one day ahead of us on the waiting list. We were also waiting for twins so somehow I took this as as bad sign, as if this family mistakenly received our referral. Old pessimistic me nearly broke down. My heart raced then sank. I slumped through the work day without speaking, crying sporadically, going over terrible scenarios in my head. Jerry isn't getting it. But, hon, doesn't this mean we're next? I don't why you're so upset, I'm about to have a heart attack!

Later that day Jerry and I are working out in the field. He's driving a tractor and I'm hanging off. We turn that tractor and suddenly from nowhere there's our secretary walking towards us waving a note. . . and I just knew . . .

Jerry, this is it!. . . we race home and call the agency back (we still have the agency's message on our answering machine and we saved the note!). I'm on the phone scribbling notes as I talk and Jerry's looking over my shoulder. . . 'Good news. . . Unique situation. . . TRIPLETS!!! ALL BOYS!!!'

OHHHHHHH!

After The Call, some wine, and many yelps, sighs, laughter, dances, hugs, stomach butterflies, and I cannot believe it!s, we see for the first time on our computer screen an unclear glimpse of the triplets and let a big awwwwwww!.

We didn't know who was who in the pictures. We also assumed all three were bawling. I didn't even notice the band aids on the arms until several days later. We would later learn in Ethiopia through more pictures of the same scene that Tsega's on the left, Sira's in the middle (we saw his ear pierce in another shot) and Bereket's on the right and the only one bawling. We also couldn't decide which two were the alleged identical pair. Of course we will never know who is who in the blanket picture below, except that the baby in the middle is definitely not Tsega because my other two have the little button noses. It was the noses that gave away the identical pair.

We would wait more than two long months to travel and meet our sons, and in the meantime, received just one more (poor quality) picture. Ahhh, the two on the right are identical. . . matching noses; and yet Jerry wouldn't believe me until we met the boys. Look at Tsega's long skinny legs. He's a dancer, I thought. I think that's Bereket on the far right with the wacky expression; I told my family, I'm pretty sure he's not crazy (I kid!).

It was a hard wait to travel. We waited for the courts to reopen after their annual closure, waited for our case to be heard, waited for a brick to drop as rumors drifted through the internet. . . Of course everything smacked into place with barley a skip. I should have listened to my horoscope two weeks after our referral: Try not to make more of this than there really is. It's very easy to get caught up in a 'The sky is falling!' mentality, but that doesn't help anything in the end. Feel the panic, let it pass, then get down to business. (Yes, I saved it, what a dork!)

Only one year ago and today Jerry and I found ourselves on that tractor again, this time all smiles. Here are my four boys as of this morning, a little sleepy, disheveled, but sweet.

13 comments:

Mamato2 said...

This post made me cry... look at how far they've come!! Beautiful boys! :)

SisterMom said...

This was a beautiful post! You have such a wonderful and great family! I love looking at the boys' pictures they always make my day while waiting for more information on my sisters!!

Sprout's House said...

Wow what can I say? Beautiful blog Cindy! Your referral story is absolutely one of my favorites. Happy referral day boys!

Leah said...

i just found your blog... our dossier was just accepted... your family is so beautiful! it makes me excited!

Melanie said...

Happy referraliversary!!!!!!!! They are sooooo adorable -

LISA said...

Cindy, I loved reading your referral story. Makes me have some hope that it will happen for us.

tara said...

aaah, it was wonderful to hear your story- we are so close to getting a referral and this made it a little easier and even more exciting!!

Lori's Light Extemporanea said...

Beautiful story! Congratulations!

Clickin Mama J said...

What a wonderful post! It gave me chills.

Cavatica said...

Beautiful story. Beautiful boys.

Andrea W. said...

Beautiful family! Your boys look so happy!

Major Mom said...

Ahhh,what a lovely story. I love reading your blog. As a mom of boys I can feel not only your happiness, but your pain:) Your family is beautiful.

Leah Spring said...

I'm not exactly sure how I got to your blog, because I've been here well over 2 hours reading. LOL Anyway, and had to comment on the "ear piercing" you've referred to several times. My son has a spot EXACTLY like that in EXACTLY the same place! His is from the internal fetal monitor he was on during my labor. After your waster breaks, the probe through the cervix and into the uterus. It has a little coil thingy on it that kind of screws into the baby's scalp. Well, that's where it's SUPPOSED to go, but if the baby's head is turned it can go elsewhere. In my son's case it went just above his ear, leaving something reminiscent of a pock mark. I've seen one other child with the exact same mark, exact same place.