Every month I checked in with our coordinator, Diane. She was always so positive and encouraging. I remember her saying on more than one occasion, that it just takes one birth mom to like something about our family. So we prayed and waited.

On a Friday afternoon at the end of September, I received the call. Amy from Lifetime was on the phone telling me about a birth mom in Florida who was interested in us and wanted to call me that day. Since I was on my cell phone and not far from home, I told her to give me 10 minutes and I'll be home. Shortly after that, our birth mom called. We had a wonderful conversation. She was open, honest, and easy to talk to. I was so excited! She sounded like she had already made up her mind and the phone call was just a formality. She told me I could find her on MySpace and look at pictures of her, her family and friends, and even the birth father. I told her that I had just revised my profile and I wanted to send her a copy. After we talked, I called Amy to tell her that I thought the phone call went really well. Apparently, our birth mom thought the same thing, and we were matched!

The due date was around Thanksgiving, so we had about 8 weeks to prepare. During that time, we communicated through email a couple of times a week. Between the emails and MySpace, I had the opportunity to get a glimpse into her life. We were about the same age and had things in common like movies, music, reading, etc. Under different circumstances, I could see myself easily being friends with this woman. She seemed very nice, intelligent, mature, and articulate.

On a Monday about two weeks before her due date, our birth mom called me after her doctor's appointment and said that we were going to have a baby on Wednesday! She was going to be induced at 7:30 a.m. and was hoping we could come soon. Luckily, I had been packed for about a week prior so all I had to do was get plane reservations. Less than twenty-four hours later, we were on a plane to Florida! We decided to take our boys (ages 6 and 4) because this was a monumental family event that they needed to be a part of. Especially because we've been praying for our birth mom and her baby for so long, they needed to experience the whole process with us and see the results of much prayer and preparation. I also wanted them to meet our birth mom.

When we arrived in Florida late Tuesday afternoon, our birth mom called us and suggested that we meet that evening so she could show us exactly how to get to the hospital where she would be delivering. Prior to that phone call, I was thinking that maybe it would be nice to go to dinner with her so we could officially meet before the induction. So we made a plan to do both. I met her in the hotel lobby and we had a few minutes together before my husband and the boys picked us up at the door. So many thoughts and emotions ran through my head. My stomach was doing flips-I was so nervous. For the past two years, we've been planning for this. We've been going down a long checklist of everything that had to be done prior to adopting a child. The logistics have been completed, but the emotions were just beginning.

The evening went really well. The boys acted like they had known our birth mom forever, and she was so good with them. Our birth mom agreed that bringing them was good because she got to see our family interacting and got to meet her baby's big brothers.

At the end of our evening, we took a few pictures and said we'd see her at the hospital in the morning. However, at about 1:00 a.m., her niece called me and said they were in the hospital and our birth mom was in labor! I left my husband and the boys at the hotel and headed for the hospital.

The labor lasted over 12 hours. During that time, I had the opportunity to meet and get to know our birth mom's mother, father, and niece. I got to visit with her while she labored. When she was resting, I paced the hallways waiting to hear news of progress. And best of all, when the time came, I had the privilege of witnessing the birth and cutting the cord. I am so grateful to our birth mom for letting me be in the room with her and her mother. What an honor to see our future child's birth. Words cannot express the joy I felt when the nurse placed the baby in my arms. Our birth mom had a long and difficult labor, but delivered a beautiful baby girl.

For the rest of the day of birth and the next day, both families were so happy. The birth mom and I shared caring for the baby while the rest of the family members doted on her. Countless photos were taken and the mood was up. The final day in the hospital was very different. When we arrived in the morning, our birth mom looked as if she'd been crying most of the night. Her otherwise upbeat, positive personality had turned sad. The lawyer was due to arrive around 1:30 p.m. to do the paperwork. That morning seemed to last forever and the questions started to flood our minds. Will our birth mom change her mind? What about the birth father? The baby looks healthy, but is she? Can we show our joy in the midst of our birth mom's sorrow? She's not ours. . .yet.

Throughout this process many people were praying for us, but this particular Friday morning, we requested immediate, specific prayer. I called our church and spoke with a secretary who was familiar with our situation. I requested prayer from the church and she not only put me on the email prayer list, but she prayed with me on the phone at that moment. I can't remember everything she said, but what I do remember is her request for our birth mom. She asked the Lord to grant our birth mom peace as she releases the baby to us. When I got off of the phone, I told Mike about her prayer. At that moment, he felt led to pray with our birth mom. We immediately headed for her room. I quietly knocked on her door and asked her if we could come in and pray for her. She agreed. As we entered the room, she was lying down on the bed and the baby was by her side sleeping on a pillow. She reached for our hands and we all held hands while I prayed first and then Mike finished. We all cried. Our hearts were broken for her. Afterwards, we left her alone for the last couple of hours with her baby while we waited for the lawyer.

After the lawyer came and the legalities were completed-a tearful good-bye was about to begin. Mike and the boys went into the room first. Our boys promised to be good big brothers and by this time, she knew how much Mike would take care of her little girl. After the boys left the room, I came in with the baby. She hugged and kissed the baby many times and asked me to tell the baby someday how much she loved her. I promised to honor her decision, love the baby unconditionally, and give her every opportunity for a wonderful life. We had a long hug good-bye and then I left with the baby. Our birth mom wanted us to leave the hospital first, so we did. We drove away feeling humbled and privileged to be the recipients of the ultimate earthly gift.

We are thankful to Lifetime for bringing families together. We will be forever grateful to our birth mom for giving us Haley Ann. And most of all, we give all the praise and glory to God for orchestrating this process every step of the way, for answering every prayer, and for giving us and our birth mom a peace and comfort that only He can provide.

Mike, Amy, Nathan, Aaron, & Haley Ann