God answered our prayers!

Our grand entrance!

Maegan giving Makayla kisses

Just landed in Midland

Checking out of our hotel, about to head to Los Angeles airport to go home!!

Joel carrying Makayla to our waiting limo!! Raul, the driver we had for the week was the sweetest! He took us everywhere we had to go. At times it was up to six hours a day! So we became friends with him. As we walked out of the hotel Saturday morning, he said he brought the limo for Makayla!! How sweet of him!

The sign outside of Adoption Network Law Center (ANLC) congratulating us on the birth of Makayla & our speedy exit!

Maegan meeting Makayla for the first time. Maegan is so proud of her baby sister. When Makayla would cry during the night, Maegan would half asleep say,"Mom, Kayla is crying"

Making sure she is real & still smiling!

Her first bath! She hated every minute of it. This was also my first time bathing a newborn so I felt the same way!

She wants to do it all. She doesn't want any help either.

Yep, hair all the way around! Daddy is jealous!

When we were packing, we didn't know if we were having a boy or girl! So we borrowed some neutral outfits from baby Kaden.

Our very awesome team at ANLC. On the left is Cary Sweet. She is the very 1st person we spoke to when we began thinking of adopting again. She kept in touch several times a week, usually just to say hey and see how we were. She is the reason we went with ANLC. She knew her business, answered every question and worry we ever had along the way!! On the right is ANLC's attorney Kristin Yellin who acted as our attorney. I went to ANLC on Friday to meet Cary & introduce our baby girl to everyone. During our visit, employees of ANLC were coming in to see Makayla and congratulate me. It was obvious that they all loved what they do, bringing families together.

This is Mary from ANLC. She is the one who called us with the good news!

Maegan & Joel picking flowers outside the hospital while Nanny & I visited with our birthmom & Makayla.

Maegan taking after Wayland checking out a squirrel! ( he has to be the only kid in history to catch a squirrel! then it latched onto his finger!! never a dull moment with Wayland!)

Can't get enough lovins!!

I can do it myself!!! she says

Maegan got so sick on their last day with us. Nanny took her to the giftshop and bought her a turtle to make her feel better.

Saturday, all dressed to go meet with our Adoption Supervisor & birthmom for her final sign-off.

Picture Joel took on their way home last Sunday. I think it is beautiful with the sun's rays shining down!

Averi & Maegan making welcome home signs for us.

On Wedenesday evening (10-1) our phone rang. It was ANLC asking if our homestudy was done. I said yes, our social worker actually just mailed it this evening. I heard her talking to someone else and she came back on and said we have a birthmom in CA in labor. Since your homestudy is done we are going to present you to her. The birthmom wanted one of the parents to be hispanic. We hung up and waited for a call back. Our next call was from Karissa telling us that the birthmom could not decide and that her labor slowed and the baby would not be born until the next day. She said for us to go to sleep and she'd call us the next day. YEAH RIGHT!! So as were just trying to process things, she called back and said she picked us!!! She was now in heavy labor and the baby was on the way. We needed to get to CA ASAP!! She went through all the history on the birthmom. I only half listened, my mind was racing on what all I had to do. It was 9:00pm!! We booked our flights & made a mad dash to Wal-Mart for a few essentials. We flew out of Midland at 7:00 am and arrived at LAX at 11:30am. We went to the hospital only to be greeted by the worst social worker in history!! Let me point out, she worked for the hospital, not ANLC. She acted like she had no clue what was going on, when ANLC had filled her in and so did our birthmom. After almost an hour of talking to her, she said only I could go back to meet the birthmom. This is after I had already called the birthmom and told her we were in town and on our way. She was expecting all of us. I walked into our birthmother's room and I felt my heart stop and all the air leave my lungs. My legs felt like jello! For someone who had given birth only 18 hrs ago, she looked amazing! Hair & make-up done. We introduced ourselves and hugged. I automatically felt a warmth in my chest and knew everything was going to be okay. Makayla was laying in her baby bed all wrapped up. She looked so tiny. She was just perfect! We visited for awhile, getting to know eachother. It felt like I had known her? The conversation was very comfortable and not awkward at all. She asked where Joel was, and I told her about our experience with the social worker. She went onto tell me she was ugly to her too. The social worker & OB doc had been trying to convince her to keep Makayla and that she would regret her decision later. Even after she told them she was comfortable with the decision and that there was no way she could care for a baby at this time, they didn't let up!! I apologized that she had to go through that and that I wasn't there with her during that hard time. They totally made her feel horrible. Joel then came in to meet her and Makayla. Then my mom came in. That's when the tears started!! We then took mom & Maegan to the hotel and went back to the hospital. She felt good enough to be discharged so they released her and Makayla. I took out Makayla's outfit and gave it to her. She asked if I wanted to dress her and I told her to go ahead. That was a little emotional for us. She kissed her and said good-bye. Saturday, we had to meet with a Adoption Supervisor for paperwork and for the birthmom's final sign off. We met there at the same time so we just did our paperwork together. Once again she looked amazing! As we were finishing up, she handed me 2 pink envelopes. One for us and one for Makayla. We read it on the way back to the hotel. She is a writer so the letter was amazing! She told us not to think of her as a hero. We were the heros for taking her baby and giving her life. Sunday, mom, Joel and Maegan flew back home. Joel would return when we were cleared to come home. Makayla and I hung out in the hotel together. I was too chicken to venture out! Wednesday I woke up with a fever and horrible sore throat and body aches!! Thanks to Kelli, Honey & the amazing Dr. Farquhar meds were called in for me! The rest of the week was uneventful, besides the news there was like a reality show!! CRAZYINESS! Friday morning, I was in a deep sleep and barely heard my phone ring. It was the agency in CA telling us we were cleared to come home! I asked several times to make sure I didn't misunderstand her! I called Joel and he booked the first flight to CA!! We arrived home Saturday afternoon. It is actually starting to sink in that she is ours forever! We signed with ANLC in August. Our homestudy was done September 1st. I never dreamed we would have our baby and home in October! There were many times we were faced with obstacles during this time and it felt like it wasn't meant to be. I prayed every night that if this is what God wanted from us, for Him to open the doors. If not, please close them. I prayed for Him to give us the strength to make it through. I also prayed for comfort and peace for our birthmom wherever she might be. Once again He answered our prayers.