I recently picked up my adventures on Steemit after a long break. My journey was soon interrupted, however, by the arrival of a tiny pink bundle! We started the adoption process for our second child last year and we finally got THE CALL!! We are over the moon to announce the arrival of our little girl who is currently only 4 weeks old. She is perfect in every way and we couldn't be happier!

THE CALL

We had been waiting for this special call for a very long time! The wait was getting to us, however, so our little family decided to take a break and go on holiday. Our son is very much into camping so we planned a camping trip that would keep us busy and help us to take our mind off of things. 

Would you believe that the moment we arrived at our campsite we got a message from our social worker to say "please give me a call"? She had been trying to phone us the entire morning but because we were out in the bundus the signal was very poor. 

My heart stopped when I read that message and I immediately went looking for signal to phone her back. When she answered all she said was "I think you know why I have been trying to contact you". This was the moment we had been waiting for for months! We had been matched with a beautiful girl!  

Sufficed to say - this was a camping trip that will go down in history. 

THE WAIT 

Before we could fetch our baby, we had to wait for the paperwork to be finalised and for all of her Dr's checks to be completed. Again, this wait was unbearable, especially knowing that our little girl needed her mommy and daddy. Luckily, the time went by quickly and we were allowed to fetch her just two weeks after we had received the call.

THE ADVENTURE

Our baby was born in a different city to ours and so we had to plan a very special trip to fetch here. This trip included flights and a visit to a place my hubby and I had never been to before. Planning the logistics was exhausting, especially because it had to all be done the day before we fetched her! When we arrived at our destination I was very emotionally and anxious. But I am sure every parent feels this way when they are about to meet their child for the first time!

The morning we met our daughter is a moment set in stone. We had seen photos of her previously but we never realised just how tiny she was. She has BIG sparkling eyes and a cute button nose. Holding her for the first time was very special - a blessing beyond measure!

Our court visit to finalise her home-coming was quick and easy - to our relief. We headed home the very next day (another exhausting by VERY worthwhile trip). 

COMING HOME

Bring our daughter home was almost surreal. We thought we would never get to this point! But come home she did. She has been at home with us for a week now and she has settled in very well. Her brother dotes on her and is very helpful when it comes to caring for her. Our days have been filled with visits from family and friends who have welcomed her with love and open arms. 

*** I have kept my daughter's story private - how she became adoptable is her own story to tell. I have also hidden her name and face for legal reasons. 

Thank you to everyone who enquired about our adoption along the way (@giantbear) and for supporting previous posts re the adoption journey of both my son and daughter. 

In South Africa, where 3000 babies are abandoned annually - adoption is an option for those who want to grow their families. 

I AM OFF TO KISS MY KIDS!!

Much love @sweetpea