Thursday, March 7th–Gotcha Day (Part II)

We’re coming, baby girl! Mommy & Daddy are coming.

We raced through the Charlotte airport. I was impressed with how quickly our luggage (yes, all of it) made it to the baggage claim. We got our rental car, and we were off. We made it to Matthews (the town the agency is located in) in about 25 minutes. We made it to the parking lot, and then we had to call Doris and tell her we couldn’t find the right building. As we parked and got out of the car, my stomach was in my throat. We grabbed the car seat and the blanket that I had made, and we headed inside.

Doris and Jim welcomed us, and we sat and made small talk with them a little bit. Jim slipped back into his office to work on whatever project he was working on, and Doris started going over paperwork with us. She went over legal risks and medical history. She covered the fees, and we wrote out the check. As we finished that part of it, Doris got a text from Leah, the foster mom. She was in the parking lot.

I started to get giddy. Our baby girl was right outside that door. I didn’t really know how to act. Do I sit or stand? Brent had already told me that I could hold her first (have I mentioned how much I love him?), so we didn’t have to worry about that. Should I peek out there? Or should I try be patient for one more minute?

Doris and Leah walked in the door. Leah had this great smile and was full of life. Immediately I knew that I would love this woman. She was the one that took care of our daughter when we weren’t able to be there. She kept the car seat turned so we couldn’t see her. She wanted to fix her headband and get her all set. And then… she took her out of the car seat…

We sat for a time and talked with Leah. She told us about your schedule and about your family. She told us that you were calm and laid back. That you had been a true delight to have around. Leah and her husband John (and their two kids) have been doing foster care like this for two years. They let their kids take turns naming the babies that they care for, so they called her Baby Kate. We told her about Karter and Brody, and a little bit about ourselves.

And then… we had the OK to leave the agency WITH OUR BABY GIRL! It was just like when we left the hospital after having Karter and Brody. It was a proud walk to the car. We got the car seat all buckled in the back seat, and we were off.

We made it to the hotel as quickly as we could. It was about 10:30 in North Carolina, which meant that it was 9:30 for Karter and Brody. We had something very important to do. We got checked in, grabbed the baby and my computer and headed up to our room. My mom had taken the boys to Kristi’s house so that we could have a video chat. We had made the rule that no one could see a picture or know her name before the boys. And trust me… we were dying to get the word out.

We got all set up, and we could see the boys. Oh, I think they had grown already. They were so excited, too. So there, around that little screen we told them we had picked up their baby sister…

DESTINY DEONI HOOYER!

And then we showed them the little girl that they, too, had been praying for. And just like that… they were in love. We talked with them for a little bit, but it was past their bed time, so it was pretty short. We said our goodbyes, and we shut the computer.

Unfortunately, our night wasn’t over yet. We still had to find a Walmart. Apparently when you have a baby you need diapers and formula. Oops! It was about 2:00 before we had everyone tucked in for the night. And, after thanking the Lord for this life-changing day, we slept.

Baby girl, you have been in our prayers for so long. So long, baby girl. Your daddy and I started praying for you over two years ago. Long before we found out that you had been born, and then that we had the OK to come and get you, we were head over heels in love with you. And now, now we finally get to see you. AND TO HOLD YOU! And to take you with us when we leave this building? Destiny Deoni Hooyer, you are finally in our arms, and we couldn’t possibly love you more!

Love, Mommy