Our Story, Part 8 – Fifteen Minutes Notice!

Ruth was due in April and we already knew she would be having a boy. Ruth and I had spent several hours talking and I knew that she wanted to take the baby home. I did not want to pressure her about placing the baby (she had already placed one beautiful little boy with me). She had asked me if I wanted to come to the hospital and have dinner with her after the baby was born (she delivered at a small local hospital and they give the parents a nice dinner before they leave the hospital). It is funny how smells conjure up memories, because now whenever I smell baked carrots I get déjà vu about that hospital meal.

Bryan with his new little brother at the hospital, April 1998

Ruth and I spent the evening talking and by the time I left to go home, I knew Mykel and I wouldn’t be taking a baby home from the hospital. I would be lying if I didn’t say my heart was crushed, but who was I to try to make my pain any more important than hers?

We were able to see the baby in the hospital and of course he was completely perfect. He had a shock of black hair and his little red lips and the shape of his mouth reminded me of Mykel….

I have a vivid picture of Mykel cradling him in his arms and rocking him….and oh how we longed to bring him home with us.

I guess I always pictured motherhood/adoption like a Hollywood movie, you know the scene where everything works out perfectly and the happy couple leave the hospital with their newborn…all smiles, but that was not to be (at least not the hospital scene).

During the next few weeks I saw Ruth on several occasions. We went and visited my mom and my mother-in-law together and we went out to lunch. I even had the opportunity to go to her house and hold Preston and get him dressed once (he was so tiny and soft!).

A few weeks later I was at home with Cole (he had just turned one) when I got a phone call from the boys’ biological grandma. It was early afternoon and Mykel was at work, Cole was sleeping and I was doing some laundry. She asked if we still wanted to adopt the baby, and again without hesitation I quickly said YES!!!

She said “we will bring him over in 15 minutes.” I started screaming and dancing around (after I hung up the phone of course!) I think I cleaned my entire house during that 15 minute wait!

I tried to call Mykel at work but he was out on location and had to be reached via satellite phone, when I finally got a hold of him I started crying and said “guess what?? We are getting another son, he is on his way here!”