Happy Birthday to me! Longtime readers might recognize the title of today's post. I am fairly certain it's one I'm recycling but am far too lazy to go back and check.
Yesterday was my birthday. It was a loverly day.
It started with bagels with my Beaver State gang. Tall girl had a rainbow bagel. I had a berry french toast bagel with vanilla cream cheese. Yes, it was as good as it sounds! The tables at the cute bagel shop were covered in chalkboard paint so there was much drawing.
Then we went to Sydney's midwife appointment. It was awesome! We all crowded into the room and got to meet the lovely nurse who attended birth classes with Sydney and will be her coach (love her!) and her midwife who's worked with many other clients from our adoption consultant (love her too!). She gave us a run down on the hospital and what to expect. Since Tall Girl wasn't born in a hospital this is all new to us.
This hospital sounds awesome! I've heard horror stories about not-so-progressive hospitals that treat the moms horribly when they know there's an adoption plan. That is not the case at all here. They'll respect Sydney's plan and continue to check in with her to see if anything has changed (like she wants more time with the baby or wants to be change her discharge instructions).
She also has the option of checking in as "no info" which means if folks call the hospital (or show up), hospital personnel will simply say "we don't have anyone with that name here". That's very reassuring to her.
After talking with the midwife for a bit we got to hear baby boy's heartbeat! What a wonderful birthday gift! Tall girl was mesmerized. She had been playing doctor on the computer in the room but got very still and thoughtful. She knows big changes are ahead but doesn't understand just how much her life may change soon.
Sydney isn't really progressing and wants very much to have baby boy while her own mom is still in town. So she's scheduled an induction for Friday morning! It's still completely surreal but we think nothing is likely to happen before then and Friday will be the day.
Last night we had a lovely birthday dinner, just the five of us. Sydney and her mom made a cake for me! So thoughtful and lovely and just full of awesomeness! We are so incredibly lucky to have all this time together and so incredibly lucky to have been chosen to parent a baby by this very special woman.
Two years ago on my birthday I didn't know if Tall Girl would become our daughter. It was that rough drama-filled limbo place. We'd just gotten home and were trying to pass the time. Our friends were hugely supportive and our safety net. I kept telling myself "we're in this for the long haul and one week is awfully short in the long run". I share my home state and birthday with Tall Girl's biograndpa (I don't think I've ever really talked about that before) and I remember telling myself "at least he gets to hold her on our birthday". He couldn't hold her the one time we'd met him because he had poison ivy or oak or something. Two years ago I cherished the thought that he was holding her that day and that she'd come home to us soon and become our daughter.
She did come home to us soon and did become our daughter. And that kind, gentle man died unexpectedly 5 months later. It was the only time he got to hold his granddaughter. So now on "our birthday" I tell her how very lucky I am that I get to spend it with her and how lucky her grandpa was a couple of years ago.
It's amazing how much can change in such a short span of time. I can't even begin to think what other changes the next two weeks hold, much less two year.
Happy Birthday!
Sounds like a lovely one.
Posted by: BigP's Heather | Tuesday, 13 September 2011 at 17:31
Sounds like your birthday was fabulous. I hope the coming days are too.
So sad about TG's biograndfather. It never ceases to amaze me how much things can change in the blink of an eye.
Posted by: Michell | Tuesday, 13 September 2011 at 17:44
these are not "small things" at all. each one momentous!
so glad your birthday was so wonderful.
it is so awesome that you are getting to spend so much quality time with sydney and her family.
what a crazy two years this has been. with such big things ahead.
so excited for you guys!
p.s. I remember when we first heard J's heartbeat, at a midwife appointment on the afternoon that obama was inaugurated. it was a special moment!
Posted by: luna | Tuesday, 13 September 2011 at 18:30
Induction on Friday! So exciting!
Funny how the "small" things are really the biggest things. So happy to hear you had a fabulous birthday!
Posted by: Summer | Tuesday, 13 September 2011 at 20:20
So glad you had such a good day. And that things are going so well with Sydney. Fingers crossed Friday is a good day for all of you.
Posted by: thalia | Wednesday, 14 September 2011 at 03:40
I am overcome with tears and goosebumps. Happy Birthday to you. What a wonderful time to get to spend this time together. I just love, love reading all these stories. Thank you for sharing so much of it with us. Really, thank you. :-) Enjoy your last few sleep-filled nights.
Posted by: Lois | Wednesday, 14 September 2011 at 06:41
Thanks for sharing again. What an incredible journey you are all on. Happy birthday and wow, Friday! Wishing you all, all the best.
Posted by: Sue | Wednesday, 14 September 2011 at 11:56
Thanks for sharing again. What an incredible journey you are all on. Happy birthday and wow, Friday! Wishing you all, all the best.
Posted by: Nike Shox | Thursday, 01 December 2011 at 16:27