And so WHO is Behind Door #1????????

Today is THE day we got the answer to that question!!!

It was such a quiet and laid back morning. Michael left at 8:20 to take Emma to her 2nd day of school and then went off to work. Jakey and I waved goodbye to both of them and went inside to quietly work and play. And that's exactly what we were doing until 10:09am, when our phone rang and I noticed it was All God's Children.

I had emailed Julie over the weekend letting her know we had a few questions for her and she had written saying she would call back to chat about them.  So I assumed that's what the call was about.  When Julie told me she had something real important to talk with me about and said the news was really big, I started crying and almost couldn't breathe.  I asked Julie to hold on a sec so I could get a movie into the DVD player for Jakey (so that he would be occupied for THE call) and sat down in the office.  It was then that Julie told me that she was calling to talk with us about 6 week old twin girls!!  I began shaking so badly I couldn't even write.  I know Julie is used to emotional responses, but I didn't want to totally lose it.  My efforts were in vain though because I could hold it all in only for a moment before soon my crying and gasping spilled over on the phone.  I just could not believe this was happening!  Twins???  Two girls???  Six weeks old???

I don't know how long we were on the phone, but Julie told me all about their known history, medical information and other important details.  By all accounts, they appear to be wonderfully healthy little girls.  Their first names both start with the letter "Z."  By the time she went over all the information, my eyes had glazed over and all I wanted to do was call Michael.  I could not believe he was gone for this and I just wanted him to be here with me.

 

Julie and I hung up and I immediately called Michael.  His phone went to voicemail.  Called again right away.  Voicemail.  Called again a 3rd time.  Voicemail.  UGH!!!!  Are you serious?  Answer your phone, Mikey!!!!  So, I sent him an email so it will pop up on his blackberry if he was in an appointment with a client & he can't answer his phone.  I only typed three words in the subject line: 
CALL ME NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

And can you believe it, he STILL didn't call.  By now, I'm walking around the house weeping and hyperventiliating - in a serious state of shocked joy.  Jakey is still watching "Cars" totally oblivious to the fact he just became a big brother.  I wait 5-10 minutes on my knees in the living room, just praying to God through my tears.  I then call Mikey a 4th time and he FINALLY answers.  I still am crying so hard I can barely talk.

 

I only could muster, "I need you to come home." 

He says, "Are you ok?  What's wrong?" 

"Julie called.  Come home!" I reply.

"Is it good or bad?  You sound upset." He said nervously.

"It's good, but I need you NOW!" I cry.

Without a second delay, he says, "I'm on my way."

Meanwhile, Julie has sent us the email with the pictures and all the documents about the girls.  I wanted to open the email SOOOOOO badly, but Michael and I agreed that when this moment came we would do it as a family.  So during the long 10 minute drive home, I waited for him on the front porch.  When he pulled in, I walked out to meet him in the driveway and I immediately told him that Julie called with our referral.  And he was dying to know, saying tell me, tell me!  I was still crying and all I could say was "Well, they were born on July ___ and they are 6 weeks old."  And he stops me and says, "THEY?"  And I said, "Yes!  They!  I know!  Why do you think I'm freaking out?"  And he doesn't believe me!!!!!!!!  He thinks I'm messing with him, cracking a joke, making a funny.  This, I suppose, is the hazard of having such a joking, goofy relationship with your spouse.  Even when you're dead serious, he thinks I'm trying to make him laugh or pull his leg.  After who knows how many minutes of us loudly going back and forth in the driveway with, "I'm serious!"  "No, are you serious?"  "Yes!  Stop!  It's twins!"  "What?  There's no way!  Don't joke about this - are you serious?" he realized this was real and we just held each other.

By now, it's almost time to pick up Emma from school, so we load up with Jakey and all go get Emma from school.  Since I'm still teary, it only took a matter of minutes for the news to be shared with all our wonderful school moms, friends & teachers who were SO excited for us.  And then we got to tell little Em, who looked so shocked by all the commotion, we could tell she didn't really understand what was happening.  So we went home and all together went straight to the computer to see the pictures of our new babies.  And that was the first moment we saw them.  The first feature that stood out to all of us was their eyes.  They have huge, beautiful eyes and they reminded me of Emma & Jakey when they were babies.  They, like the twins, are just all eyes.  Amazing.

After seeing our new babies for the first time, we started a whirlwind of phone calls, emails & such.  We decided to drive up to Portland to get the referral packet today (because to wait for it come overnight would take WAAAAAY to long).  We got to see Julie & Emily & Becky & Megan and others of course who gave us hugs and big congratuations.  What a loving & supportive group of people we've been blessed to know at AGCI.  We also got to stop and see my mom and Nana and show them the girls' pictures.

 

Unbelieveable.  The reality of this blessing is still sinking in as I write this.  We are humbled that God has chosen us to be the parents of these adorable baby girls!!!  We have stared at their pictures all day today and cannot believe they are half a world away with no idea there is this family here just dying to meet and hold them forever.  Emma & Jakey were so sweet with all the chaos.  As we tucked the kids into bed, Jakey prayed again tonight (as he does every night) that his baby sisters won't cry.  And Emma spent 10 minutes describing to me in the dark how she wants to change her room for her "sis sis's" cribs & clothes.

So....as much as we would LOVE to post their pictures on here for all to see, we are not allowed to do that as they are not legally our children yet.  We were given 5 pictures of them and I cropped the one picture of them together so you can see their tiny hands......to see just one beautiful part of them.

What a day......a day where our family of four became a family of six.  Thank you Lord for this amazing blessing & overwhelming joy!!