Meeting our Lil' Monkey

The two days seemed like an eternity for us. I was still preparing to leave on my trip to see my girlfriend and my husband was working long hours...I think in hopes of keeping his mind on something other than Julian and the upcoming appointment. When we were together we talked about him constantly. It was hard to think of anything else.

Finally, the day had come to meet him. The appointment was in the morning which was nice because I don't know that we could have waited all day to meet him. We knew we were meeting the receiving home foster mother at the appointment and Leyla was going to be there as well. The appointment was about an hour away from our home so we left with plenty of time so we wouldn't be late.

Out of the entire group of us that was meeting we got to the physical therapist office first! We took two chairs at the back of the waiting area and I remember being disappointed that we had to wait. Within minutes a lady walked in with a baby in carrier and she was followed by another young child. She knew it was us right away. I don't know what gave our identity away... probably the deer in the headlights look we both had...but it didn't matter how she knew....I was just glad she knew. She walked our way with a big smile and introduced herself and her child to us. As soon as she got close enough I had lost eye contact with her and when she introduced her child I didn't even look the child's way...I couldn't... I was to mesmerized by the baby in the carrier.

As soon as I saw him I got tears in my eyes. I looked at my husband and he too couldn't take his eyes of Julian. I felt like we were the only three in the room. I had forgotten we were in the waiting room until I noticed that there were other people watching us...I am sure trying to figure it all out. But for me it was just us three and I didn't care how many people watched.

Julian wouldn't make eye contact with us..in fact I noticed he didn't make a lot of eye contact at all. His little body was covered with a blue winter coat and blankets. As he sat in the carrier on the floor I began to move the blankets so I could get a better look. I looked up and the foster mother said...well go ahead take him out of that thing! I smiled at her and immediately began moving the safety straps. As I picked him up his eyes briefly met mine....and when they did I smiled and said...Hey Little Man! He had no smile back for me, but my heart was still melting. My husband sat along side me and I held Julian so he was facing both of us.

He was so small. It was hard to imagine him with casts on. His little face was so precious and his hair was just as crazy in real life at it was in the pictures. Just like when I looked at the photos of him I was drawn into his dark eyes. They were almost black without any sparkle. No matter how hard we tried he didn't smile for us and the weirdest thing was he never moved he just stayed completely still.

I could tell my husband was getting antsy to hold him so I handed him over. When he took him my heart melted...Father and Son....it was a picture perfect moment. As my husband took him in his arms he said...well hello lil' monkey! And Julian just laid perfectly still. I watched the two of them together. My husbands pale skin against Julian's milk chocolate skin. The two of them so different in looks yet it was obvious they were father and son. I couldn't have been more in love with either of them that day...together we were perfect.

Soon our names were called and we were headed back to a room to get Julian's physical evaluation...just as we were going back Leyla came rushing in. My husband was holding Julian and I was walking behind them. Leyla came up behind me and said... so are you in love? I smiled with tears in my eyes and said...YES....he is ours! She then said...so it doesn't matter what the doctor has to say? I said there isn't anything we wouldn't do for him now...so no it doesn't matter!