The past 2 years of Van Ericson!
Two years ago on November 12th we got the best gift God could give us...Van Ericson Albert!!! I remember the first few weeks like it was yesterday. Travis and I were on cloud 9!!! We got the phone call on Nov. 5th letting us know a Birthmother chose us! How amazing that a women chose us to parent her child for life!! These Birthmothers are so brave and strong!
It was around 10pm on the Monday night that we got "The Call." Travis and I were sitting on the couch very close talking to our caseworker on speakerphone. Then she told us the news!!!!! We were so excited!! We cried, laughed and just were in shock! After a very long 3 1/2 years of disappointments our dreams of having a family were coming true! She told us about our future son for about an hour. The whole time I could not believe this was "THE call" we were waiting on!! We hung up with her and cried and hugged for about 30 min. Then it was time to let the rest of our family know! Those were the best phone calls!!! Everyone cried and was so excited! My parents were out of the country so we had to call them the next day! I could barely talk when I told people. I'm such a crybaby sometimes! But this time they were tears of pure joy!!
We meet our precious little boy on the following Friday. I have never been so nervous and scared to meet a baby! I cried on our way to Macon because I just could not believe we were becoming parents! We got to Covenant Care and had to wait in a room upstairs. We sat in silence. No words could come out! Then...it was time to meet our SON!! We walked into the room and there he was.... I fell in love!!!! I knew it was the same love a mother would have for a biological child in the first few moments. The kind that is unconditional. He was the cutest little boy! First I noticed his beautiful blue eyes. Then his pretty skin and he had the sweetest smile. We sat in the floor and he came right to us. We sat and played for a few minutes. We also had to talk business while we were in there with the wonderful caseworkers. I had to keep focusing! I could not stop staring and thinking of him!
Meeting our son for the first time!!
The next part was the greatest, hardest and most nerve wrecking! We meet Van's Birthmother! What do you say to this woman who is blessing you with the greatest gift of all!!! This stranger that I have never meet chose US! That still amazes me to this day! We are forever grateful!!!
We stayed and played with him for about 2 hours. Our time was amazing!! It was so hard to leave him there and not take him with us that day. So I did the next best thing! We SHOPPED for him!!! We had prepared for a newborn but God had a better plan. Van was a very cute and full of energy 14 month old!! We did not have anything for a 14 month old! So Ginger (my sister), Grace, and I went to target and shopped like maniacs!! We were grabbing everything cute (which was a lot)! It was so much fun and such a time of happiness! Everyone was looking at us funny. We had 2 buggies FULL!!
On Monday the 12th we brought our son home!!! We drove once again to Covenant Care and once again I was crying on the way. I could not believe this was all happening. It was the best feeling putting our son in the car seat and driving towards home. I rode in the back with him. He fell asleep because it was a very long and busy day for him. I just cried tears of joy while watching him sleep. He was beautiful and God gave him to us!
All the grandparents were waiting on his arrival! They were meeting their grandson for the first time! He stole their hearts like he did ours!! That night more family and close friends came to meet him. It was so much fun to show him off! That night Travis went and rocked Van to sleep. The moment was so special in everyway! Travis cried like a baby. It was so sweet! Daddy was hooked! We all were!
Sleeping in his bed for the first time!
This is how Daddy slept the first night!!
Van has brought so much meaning to our lives! He is truly a huggable reminder of God's unfailing love!! Adoption has blessed our family in so many ways. Adoption is truly amazing!
It is so great to hear this story! I have heard it before but to relive it through your eyes in words is great! I remember it like it was yesterday! You put me in labor! You called on the on the Monday the 5th at 11:30ish that night and Wednesday at 4:35 I delivered Skylar. Just a few days later you had your baby!
ReplyDeleteBest friends doing things together!!!