Couldn’t Be More Perfect
After being active for just over nine months, Bill and Diane got the call on December 21st, 2011 that a baby boy had been born and that his birth mother had chosen them as his adoptive parents. It was the best Christmas present they could ever have imagined.
“It was an incredible feeling, and whenever I go back to that moment in my mind, it brings such a smile to my face and, at the same time, a tear to my eye.” Diane says.
Diane left work immediately, and Bill told her to be careful driving. The two said they jumped up and down like little kids at Christmas as they absorbed the excitement. “It was three days before and we felt like we had just woken up and spotted the biggest gift under the tree on Christmas morning.” Diane says.
There was a lot to sort through that evening. The couple ran to Target for baby essentials, took care of bills, made hotel reservations, packed, etc. as they knew they would be away from their home in Missouri for ICPC in Illinois. Bill tried to get a few hours of sleep since he was driving, but Diane was too anxious and decided to watch a holiday favorite: It’s a Wonderful Life.
The couple drove to Illinois thinking that they would not have the opportunity to meet their son’s birth mother, but she later changed her mind. “It was a wonderful experience to meet her and to see how at peace she was with her decision,” Diane says. “It was, however, a mix of emotions. We were so elated, but obviously it was a sad time for the birth mother.”
The couple says they clicked right away with their son Logan’s birth mother. “Even in this difficult situation, she had a good spirit about her,” Bill says. “You could see the extreme love that she has for this child. We asked her if she wanted to hold him, but she said, ‘No, go ahead. He’s yours.’ I think she really wanted to see us with him and how we fit together.”
Logan’s birth mother signed her relinquishment paperwork on Christmas Eve, which also happens to be Bill’s birthday. Though they were elated, they remained nervous during the 72-hour contestation period in Illinois. “It was mixed feelings,” Bill says. “We were bonding with our son so happily, but that also made us nervous as we knew she could change her mind.”
