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sharing moments of tears with strangers

So I am officially an aunt again. My lovely sister-in-law gave birth today to a beautiful baby boy. This is just one of those moments where being separated by thousands of miles is just a little harder than most days. I wish I was there so I could go to the hospital and bring flowers and balloons. So I could sit in her room holding her new little one while she tells me how labor went. So I could take her a homemade meal and keep it in the freezer for when she’s too tired to cook.
As adoptive parents our hospital experience is quite different. Chris and I were not surrounded by loved ones as we met and bonded with our son at the hospital.  We didn’t have a stream of visitors stopping in to say, “Congratulations!”.  It was just the two of us.
With our situation we have a closed adoption. That was Jack’s birthmother’s wishes. So we did not have the added element of spending time with his birthmother. When we met Jack and laid our eyes on him for the first time, we were surrounded by nurses and social workers. Those moments of uncontrolled emotion, just overcome by it all. Precious moments. We were crying, they were crying too, and in their wisdom they took our phones and camera and took tons of pictures for us of those first priceless moments.
In some ways I feel a little sad that my mom and dad weren’t there at the hospital with us. Our dear friends couldn’t drop in with flowers and balloons. And although there’s a part of me now that is a bit saddened by that,  it makes complete sense.  Something to remember is that as prospective adoptive parents we were a guest of the hospital, not  parents to a newborn.  This new little life didn’t belong to us.  Ultimately we were granted guardianship via the adoption agency.  So having a stream of visitors of family and friends wouldn’t have been right.
Bringing Jack home from the hospital was so special and welcoming. My sister had decorated the back patio, brought food and clothes. Neighbors dropped in to say, “Congratulations!” and bring flowers. And family and dear friends came to meet our precious bundle of joy 💕
Our hospital experience may have been different than most moms and dads, but it was still pretty amazing just the same. 

 -Kristen

 "God places the lonely in families." Psalm 68:6a

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