How he came to be ours...

I have alluded to the newest addition to the family, our little peanut, but have yet to officially tell the story of how we became a family of four.  This, my friends, is how the cutie in the pictures below ended up in our hearts.  (Looking forward to the day he'll be in our arms as well!)

When we began our adoption journey, there was one thing that we didn't quite agree upon.  I thought when we filled out our paperwork, we should say we were open to gender (which in the Korea program would most likely mean we would receive the referral for a boy.)  The hubs?  He wanted a girl. 

I remember talking on the phone with one of my dear friends about it.  "My thing is, when you get pregnant you don't get to choose.  And he just tells me, 'Yeah, but this time we can choose.  And I really want a little girl."  My friend spoke these words of wisdom to me on that day.  "You just have to trust God with this.  Maybe your hubby's stubbornness on the issue is because He knows a little girl is right for your family.  But, if you're meant to have another boy, God will make it happen.  He'll change your husband's heart." 

Thanks Bon, that's good advice.  But, I think I'll just do this myself. ;)  I can be pretty persuasive.  I started with the fact that the wait time for a female referral was way longer than the wait time for a male.  And then you still have to wait another year after that to bring her home!  "Didn't you tell me the wait for a boy was 6-12 months and the wait for a girl is 12-18 months?"  Yes!  So, we could wait an additional 12 months for a girl!  "Or we could wait just a year for either gender, right?  I mean, that's what the numbers say."  Sigh.  He actually listened to me when I told him those time frames.

Then I came home from a Korea program meeting at our agency armed with information that I was sure would change his mind.  Do you know how many families are currently waiting to receive a referral for a girl?  Like 40 something!  And there are only 5 families waiting for boys.  "But, there are still families waiting for boys, right?"  Well, yeah.  "Ok.  I'd still like to wait for a girl." 

And so it went.  Every few months we'd have the conversation.  And each time he'd say that the wait didn't seem that bad and he didn't want to change anything right now.  Don't get me wrong, I loved the idea of having a daughter.  I would pause a little each time I passed all those cute, frilly clothes in Target.  I didn't buy one thing though.  I just had this strong feeling that this time, this baby would be a boy.

We get a monthly newsletter from our adoption agency.  While browsing through the Korea program news I noticed a heading in bold print.  Families Needed for Boys.  The short paragraph explained that the Korea program had an urgent need for families willing to adopt boys.  There were many healthy infant boys available for adoption.  It implored families currently waiting for girls to consider making a switch.  And that for families who do move over to the waiting list for boys, a match would be immediate.  This was like confirmation for me.  But, I knew how these conversations with my husband had gone over the past few months, so I didn't get my hopes up.  I didn't want to come at him again just trying to win him over to my side.  I truly just wanted to share with him what I'd read and hear his honest opinion. 
So, that night on the phone (this was during his six months at Ft. Huachuca, AZ) I told him there was something in the newsletter that I wanted to read to him.  I did.  He was quiet.  And then he softly said, "I just got choked up."  Very rarely does something strike a chord emotionally with my husband.  So, when I heard that, I knew.  God had changed his heart.  Literally in that moment!   
Just in time too. ;)  Our agency wasn't kidding on that whole immediate match thing.  More on that later...