Referral-versary

First pic of me with my baby girl

One year ago today we received the phone call telling us that we had been matched with a four-and-a-half month-old baby girl named "Sosina." I was home by myself when the call came from the director of our agency, Merrily. She gave me Sosi's information over the phone, but then immediately emailed me her file and 2 photos. Goosebumps. Because Donovan was more than an hour away, I forced myself to wait to look at the email--we wanted to see our daughter's face together for the first time. So what is a panicked girl to do with an hour? I cried. I prayed. I opened the email to make sure we received the attachments but (with great restraint) did not scroll down to see her photos. So I cried and prayed some more as I stared at the tippy top of Sosina's head. I knew she had a few curls on top before D did. Then I googled "Sosina" and learned that there is an Ethiopian contortionist named Sosina (who also, might I add, apparently has a thing for cheetah undergarments). Go figure, right? Surely, this child was meant to be mine. You see--for those of you who don't know me--I have a nifty trick shoulder that dislocates on cue.

Sosina Wogayhu

It was during that long hour that I learned Sosina means "you will find happiness." I was sitting in a pool of tears by the time Donovan came through the door, knowing that all of our happiness had just been increased. I'll always remember Donovan and me savoring the quietness of that night. We were the only ones who knew that we had a daughter.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.