Countdown to Kira

Do you know how many days are left until Kira's due date?

12!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TWELVE!!!!!

I can't believe it! Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday that J & D were on the phone saying that they were unexpectedly pregnant and wanting to know if Jim and I would be willing to parent their child........then, BOOM!........Now, we're 12 days from Kira....OR LESS! Unbelievable. Totally unbelievable.

In our household, the bottles are washed and the armoire and changing table are organized and stocked. The crib is set-up and the formula is in the cabinet. The nursery is decorated, and Ian says his prayers every night: "Dear God, please help Baby Kira grow healthy and strong, so that she can come and live with us and be my little sister." (How cute is THAT?)

This Saturday, some ladies from our church are throwing us a bonafide baby shower. I hope that we will be able to attend the shower! Today, at D's appointment, there was some speculation that perhaps her doctor may want to schedule an induction. If this happens, we will know more on Thursday at D's OB visit. I suppose that D could be induced as early as this Thursday, or as late as next Friday. Either way, we're going to have a baby VERY soon! WOW!

I walked through Kira's room last night and touched all of the things that we have collected for her. I hugged her teddy bears and straightened her crib sheets. I rocked in the chair sitting next to the windows, and I opened a box of wipes just to smell the scent of artificial baby powder that the manufacturers sometimes pump into the packaging. The idea of having a baby in that room was surreal - like a dream.
As I thought about how eerily quiet the nursery was at that time (12:00 AM), I also became keenly aware that Kira's room would not endure many more nights of silence. This thought made me the happiest woman in the world......

After three years of wishing, wanting, praying, hoping, begging, asking why, feeling broken, feeling "abnormal", questioning, anguishing, and making infertility treatments the core of my daily routine - it's finally almost over. I am actually going to be a Mom to a beautiful baby girl in less than two weeks. I am going to have daughter. My son is going to be a big brother at last. All of my greatest dreams are about to come true!

How did I get so lucky? Why am I so blessed? I don't deserve all of this, but I am SO thankful to God and to J & D. God knows the struggles that Jim and I have been through in our long battle with infertility. He knows how horrible our darkest days have been. J & D know that they are giving their daughter a loving home - but I wonder.....do they know that they are giving us a joy that is so complete - so incredibly healing - a joy that surpasses any life event that we have encountered thus far? I don't know that they could possibly comprehend how much Jim and I have wanted another child to love and to teach. I don't think that they could possibly understand the pain that we have experienced in thinking that Ian would be our only child. I don't think that they really know just *HOW* much their little girl is going to be loved by me, and Jim, and her big brother. Do they know that they are giving away a part of themselves to make our broken hearts whole?

We love you, J & D! (((((Hugs to both of you, and Kira too!)))))

Love,
Kris