Our most precious gift!

Wow, is all I can say from when we last posted. It is only a little over a month ago and so much has changed! As many of you know Matt and I were preparing to leave our jobs here in California and pick up and leave for Utah for two years while Matt attends BYU's MBA program. The plan was to rent out our condo and I would then start looking for a job here in Utah. Well, some of this changed when we received "the call" from our social worker from LDS family services. She said that a birth mother was interested in us! I could not believe it! We were just approved in June and didn't even think it would be this quick! They say it could take up to two years....One month...wow! This was the farthest thing on our minds as we were in the middle of packing and getting things ready to move. However; I was speechless and over come with so much joy to have even been considered by this birth mother. I immediately called Matt to give him the news and all I could do was cry! We didn't get a lot of details at this time other than she was having a girl, she was due August 31st and the birth mother is 1/2 Native American. The difficulties with this is the tribe would have to approve the adoption to a non-Native American family. We felt good about this and felt it was worth the risk. Initially the birth mother wanted the process to be relatively closed. Then we received an email that the birth mother wanted to meet us! Wow! We met with her on Friday, August 8th. The moment I saw her I was in tears! She is beautiful! We all knew (Matt, myself and the birth mother) at this moment this was the right match. The birth mother is incredible! She is very smart, great head on her shoulders, sweet spirited and very loving! After this meeting we decided to meet with her the following weekend so that we could meet her little girl. We were very excited at this opportunity and definitely wanted to get to know her and her daughter better. This too, was also a great meeting. At this point the next step was to wait until the baby was born. In the meantime, Matt moved up to Utah August 18th to start orientation for school while I stayed back to back for the baby! Then, at around 6am on August 26th I go the call from the birth mother's social worker that the baby had been born 4:26am, weighing 7lbs 13oz, 19 1/4 inches long! I immediately called Matt in Utah and he was able to catch the first flight available. We made it to the hospital by 1pm to visit with the birth mother, her family and our new baby girl! The birth mother is truly amazing. She offered us to stay at the hospital over night so that we could bond with her. The hospital was so awesome and gave us our own private room. So, during this time we had the most wonderful opportunity to meet the birth mother's parents, two sisters, and daughter. During this time it was great spending time together to all get to know one another better. We were most grateful to spend time with our baby while the birth mother did as well! What an amazing woman! I truly love this girl! Then, the most difficult moment arrived; leaving the hospital with baby Seneca (Sabrina--this is what the birth mother named her). My heart truly ached for the birth mother and her family because I felt like I was taking away their baby! Matt and I were very emotional over this transition and prayed that she and her family would be watched over and protected and that we too would be comforted at this time. We finally got home and then bonded with her more! Oh, she is absolutely beautiful! We are most grateful for this birth mother...her sacrifice to make such a wonderful blessing come to fruition in our family. We will be forever grateful for her! Since she is a quarter Native American the tribe has to approve this adoption. Until this is approved I cannot move to Utah. So, please keep us in your prayers! Here are some pictures of Seneca Rae...please enjoy!

At the hospital...our first family portrait

Cute Seneca Rae! Bringing her home!

Snuggling up after a warm drive home!

Her first bath!

Her first encounter with the Grossi's