9.11

My heart and mind can instantly go back to that day nine years ago as if it were yesterday.

There is only one word to explain the feeling:
Heartbreak.

Name game.

We still have not decided on a name.

Davis has been throwing names in the hat for months. Here they are in a list, complete with her very solid and sure arguments for her choices.

Davis.
Mama: Really, Davis? TWO Davises?
Davis: Yes, TWO. Then you can just say "Daaaaaaaaaaavis" and we will both come running."
hmmmmm. Efficient. I like that.

Orla.
Davis' BFF had a baby sister in July. Her name is Orla.
Mama: TWO Orlas? Even if it's a brother? Orla?
Davis: Yes, then M will have an Orla and I will have an Orla. And it will be fair."
Laughter. But we eventually have to be very direct that there would not be TWO Orlas. She does not believe us.

Spencer. Nicholas. Jada.
Little brother of another friend. Children of two other babysitters in our neighborhood. Same reasoning as above.

In the car coming back from seeing Lion King with Mama, Auntie K, Mimi and fav cousin M, she says randomly "What about Luca for a name?"
Mama: I LIKE that.
Davis in disbelief/shock: You DO!?!

Other names in the mix:
Shu Shu, Tootsie, La La,
and my all time fav, Miss LaRose.

The story of THE call.

Here's how it all went down.

Monday morning Rolyn and I head to the NY International Gift Fair to work our booth for wee see. These are long days but also fun. The first two days of the show were great. I am wondering constantly where we will go IF we get the call. I have my flip camera in my purse, justincase. Monday comes and almost goes. About 10 to 5 I say to Rolyn, "Well, siiiiiigh, I guess it's not coming today." There was no need to explain that IT was. He simply answered, "yup."

My little cousin and her husband flew in earlier that day to spend the week. I sent a text asking where they were. They had stopped for a bathroom break and a cold drink at a bar just a few blocks from the convention center. So I decide to leave early to meet up with T&D and then head home. I mean, because, the call is NOT happening today...

So excited to see them and we are chatting away. They had been to our place and spent some time with Davis and then bravely headed into the city to explore. We were in the middle of the crazy scary story of how their house burned down just a month ago... when. my. phone. rang. 817.

I stared at the number in disbelief. And then thought ok, who is this? See I have lots of friends and family members that live in the 817 area code. Recently the IT dept at work "fixed" my email by deleting all of my contacts, so sometimes I'd get a call from 817... get excited and then it would not be the call. This has happened more than twice.

But. Something felt different as I said "Hello?" Then I heard Natalie's voice and the words "Hello Heather I have your referral!"

Instant tears. Bawling. Joy.

T&D knew what was happening but no one else in the bar did. I told Natalie I was not with Rolyn and I needed to call her back. Just as I was about to hang up, she mentioned I should write down her number. Oh. Right. Yes. So I look at our bartender and say scream "I NEED A PEN!" Every bartender handed me a pen. I wrote down the number and then realized this might look like something tragic just happened so I told the bartender this was HAPPINESS. T&D explained to everyone as I told Natalie I'd call her back in 10 minutes.

My head is spinning. WHAT?! This is it?! Where am I?

We hop into a taxi, going the wrong way, and head back to the convention center. I decide not to call Rolyn to warn him. And then it hit me I didn't ask if it was a boy or a girl! This was the one piece of info we had agreed I could ask Natalie before we could get together to hear all the info. And I completely spaced it. I told T&D how Davis had been certain it was a baby sister for months and months and months. That she was not backing down and I wondered if she was on to something. T&D then tell me Davis told them that she wanted a baby brother and that her baby was going to be a boy. REALLY??? Yes, really.

We get to the Wee See booth, I see Rolyn and again the tears start flowing. He is confused but he knows what's up. It's pretty much closing time at the show so we go out in the lobby to call Natalie back.

We were using my cell as a speaker phone and Rolyn pulls up the email on his phone. And then we saw our SON. There are no words. We are in awe. Instant LOVE.

We call our families. More tears.

We rush home to tell Davis. Rolyn and I spend the entire subway ride home flipping back and forth and forth and back through seven pictures of the most beautiful boy we've ever seen.

We let our babysitter go home for the day. Coincidentally another little cousin is at our place. She's here doing an internship for a few months and had stopped by to say hi to Davis. We sit on the sofa with Davis in between us. And then we show her his sweet face. "Awwwwwwwwwwww. He's so handsome!" declares Davis.

As we all prepare to have a champagne toast... we look over and see Davis flipping back and forth and forth and back between seven pictures. She is kissing the screen and talking to him and telling him how much she loves him. She was not doing this to put on a show for us. She is in her own world.

Tears.
Again.

And then she says, "Let's call him Tootsie!"

Smile.
Laughter.

Silent thought in my head: um, no. We shall not call him Tootsie.

Patience.

A good friend sent this to me after my desperate plea for patience on the book of face.



This wait is breaking my heart. Just want to hop a plane to Ethiopia and hold my boy. But for now, finding patience wherever I can will have to do.

Still on cloud 9.

I need to write down the details of the call. But life seems to be too busy to even pause. Hopefully this weekend we will have a moment to write and reflect.

This Mama is headed to Ethiopia to work in a hospital for the next month. She is taking a little package for us. So thankful that she will get to see our boy and give him some cuddles from NYC. She will also get to see her sweet boy as they received the call the day after us! woohooo!

Today we received a little update from this Mama. She said our boy is doing well and that she was able to get some great pics of him. I can't wait to see more!

More soon.

Feeling Blue...in a good way!

So sorry to keep all of you waiting. We've seriously been in a whirlwind.
After getting the call yesterday at 5pm it has been full on... we've have countless calls/video chats with family&friends and we're looking at seven pictures over and over and over and over.

My little cousin and her husband are here (so incredible to have them here for the call!) and we are still in the middle of a trade show. We are happy and exhausted. Not much free time to do much of anything. I thought I would be able to post about the call from my phone at the convention today, but that was not the case. Sorry! I would have killed me if I were you. ;)

I can barely hold my eyes open at the moment. TIRED is not a tired enough word.

Sooooooooooooo here is the skinny (in brief because Mama is going to bed!)

It's a BOY!!!
He is 5 months old.
We are head over heels in love.
He is Precious. Divine. Gorgeous.
or as Davis would say "Awwwwwwwwwww. He's so handsome!"

Happier than happy.
And.
Wishing I could go to sleep until we have our embassy date. Not really, as I would miss Davis' first day of school, but kinda.
If you don't know what I mean, trust me, if you are still in the adoption process you will.

woooooooooooooohoooooooooooooooooo!

Lovely Day, indeed.

Details coming SOON!