Home

Evander and I scurried around a tiny, humid hotel room trying desperately to get ourselves ready. Is a dress to much? Are sandals appropriate? The nervous energy in the room was enough to overtake even the most laid-back of individuals, and the unairconditioned room was starting to get to me. Only days before, I had run to the mall to pick out the perfect outfits for Evander, Bubba, and I, but, as I stared down at what was before me, nothing seemed to be the right fit. There was no time for changing, though. We had to be in the lobby in just a few moments. We dressed, double checked our documents, took a deep breath, and headed for the door.

Three years ago, on August 8, 2006, Evander, Bubba and I anxiously headed for the US Embassy in Guatemala City. A woman from the adoption agency met us, along with 3 other couples, in the lobby of the Westin Hotel. There she detailed exactly what would take place: we would wait to be called to the window; we would enter a room and be asked some questions; we would wait for our names to be called again; we would receive Bubba's visa. As we entered the Embassy, I immediately noticed that it was unairconditioned. Great! I was 2 months pregnant and wasn't sure if the pregnancy, the nervousness, or the lack of air was about to make me vomit.

As we approached the window to retrieve Bubba's visa, our final step, I could feel butterflies in my stomach. As the woman looked through our paperwork, she stopped and stared at one of the pages. "Oh no!" I instantly thought. We filled something out wrong, or they forgot to put the correct stamp on it. What is it? Will we get the visa? Please, please, let us take our baby home. Then, she raised her head and said "You were born in Birmingham, Alabama?" "Yes" I stammered. "Well... I'm originally from Alabama. My whole family lives there." she exclaimed.

I wanted to say, I'm sorry but I didn't hear what you just said because a load of bricks just fell off my shoulders. Instead I listened and smiled as she continued to talk about all the places I knew in Alabama, as she mindlessly stamped our papers and prepared Bubba's visa.

First class is something that Evander and I rarely, if ever, splurge on, but this was a special occasion. We wanted everything to be just perfect (or as perfect as possible). We quickly found our seats and, as I removed Bubba from the Baby Bjorn, we prayed for a good flight. It couldn't have been any better. Other couples were walking up and down the isles bouncing their babies and pleading for them to stop crying, but the three of us sat quietly, just taking one another in.

It is hard to believe that Bubba has been home for 3 years. While a lot of our journey with Bubba has been challenging for us, I would not take it back for anything in this world. This child was a gift from God and meant to be part of our family. Evander and I (and Baby) love him with all of our hearts.

*Note: Baby would be upset if I did not make very clear that she WAS THERE when we went to pick up Bubba in Guatemala. She was just snuggled in my belly!