Our Referral!!!

I am so sorry, I have been neglecting this blog. I have so many pictures to post of recent family trips and fun times, but first things first! Monday morning as I was loading the kids into the car to head to my weekly ritual of torture a.k.a kickboxing class. I received a call on my cell phone from our coordinator. She asked if it was a good time to talk...I said, "um, yes." We were still #4 on the waitlist, so I couldn't imagine what she was needing to talk to us about. Then she said those magic words I thought I might never hear..."we have a referral for you." I said, "oh". Then I don't remember too much of what happened next. I totally wasn't prepared. She told me that a 10 month old baby girl had been placed at the orphanage a few weeks ago, but because she was so small she had been hospitalized for about a week and was just recently available for a referral. And then she said she was sending me the email with her picture and information. After we hung up I called my husband, but while trying to get the words out of my mouth as to what had just happened three police officers started banging on my front door. I thought I was going crazy! I then remembered that about 20 minutes earlier my dear, sweet and very naughty three year old had found the alarm panic button and pushed it. I thought I had turned the alarm off on time, but apparently if you push the panic button the police come no matter what. I then had to tell the officers at my door that I wasn't panicked (although I really was and was just hoping they wouldn't notice). They hesitantly decided I wasn't in any danger and then left. I then called Ryan back and we shared the moment of meeting our newest daughter via email while on cell phones (welcome to the age of technology). It all happened so fast! Yet there she was, a little person with great big eyes and a beautiful mouth. I was still confused as to why she had come to us so soon and it took us about a day to have the information sink in. But then it didn't matter any more.

I'm not sure if it is okay for me to post her Ethiopian name on our blog, but she will have a new name that I firmly believe God placed in our minds not more than a few weeks ago so we would be ready for this. Selah...(say-lah). It is a very old word that can be found most commonly in the book of Psalms. The exact meaning of the word is debatable, but the general consensus is that it means to pause and reflect. It might have been used in the Psalms as a musical term (which is perfect for us, our daughter Aria's name is Italian for melody or song) meaning to rest.

Beyond her age and her name there isn't too much more information available to us right now. We can not post pictures until she is legally ours. We did receive a few more photos of her from a couple that had just arrived home from Ethiopia. I am so grateful to them. It is a strange place to be indeed to be given such an amazing gift, but still be so far from having it be real, really real.

Oh my dear Selah, Mommy and Daddy are on their way. Rowan promises to be a good big brother and share all his toys. He keeps asking if "Sailor" is here yet. Aria is dying to have a little sister and can't wait to share her room with you. Elijah is the best big brother you could ask for, he will protect you from Rowan. It breaks my heart to think of all that you have been through already. I pray that God sends you sweet dreams of us. We never dreamed we'd be blessed with a little girl as perfect as you.

A little sneak peak!