Where Bluebirds Fly: October 2013

Friday, October 11, 2013

They Don't Prepare You

It has been such a long journey to meet our daughter, beginning from before she was born, when she was only the ache that we had wishing for a child, by two gay men who had thought it was impossible.

That journey culminated yesterday when we picked up our daughter from the hospital. We thought we knew what to expect. We saw other parents with their children every day, and we met former "IPs" returning with their new babies. We heard their stories, nodded at their advice, soaked it all in.

But they don't prepare you for meeting your own child for the first time.

They don't prepare you for the overwhelming feeling of joy mixed with equal parts wonder, love and gratitude.

They don't prepare you for the softness--not just of the baby, but of your own being, melting into a puddle before this little creature.

They don't prepare you for the true terror of the immense responsibility that comes with caring for your child in a world that suddenly becomes more dangerous.

They don't prepare you for being transformed into the biggest idealist and crusader for changing that world into a better place for your children.

They don't prepare you, because it's an indescribable experience.

Is there anything more precious than a baby's chubby cheeks and neck rolls?

"OK Dads, enough with the hair bows!"

Monday, October 7, 2013

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

Gonna make this short and sweet:

It's a girl!

You could have knocked us over with a feather! We expected the baby to come as early as November 5th, but we weren't mentally prepared, even though we had packed and had most of the planning already done. Meera and Audrey Maya are fine. Audrey is on demand feeding and her vitals and systems are healthy and stable. That's all we've ever hoped for. And her grandparents are thrilled with their first granddaughter!

Today has been a whirlwind and I'm only now getting a chance to post this. I had to go into work to get everything set up for my absence for approximately 3 weeks. We also had to book flights for my brother-in-law to fly in from San Francisco to dog-sit, then book our flights to India departing the day after he arrived, then decide on accommodations and make reservations.

My BIL arrived at 10 PM tonight, and we're so grateful for him dropping everything and catching the last flight out today. Travis and I had originally planned to leave for India on Wednesday, but couldn't stand the thought of our little girl alone in the hospital for even one more day, so we're leaving tomorrow on Lufthansa (luckily able to get decent seats and pricing, at the last minute, too). Due to the short notice and uncertain length of stay, we are just going to check into a hotel, but may switch once we get our bearings back in India. I used to travel a lot for work, and have amassed a lot of frequent flier miles and hotel points, so what better time to use them--but when oh when will the JW Marriott open in New Delhi??

Anyway, we're almost done finalizing our packing; whatever we've forgotten we can most likely find in New Delhi, so our main concern now is getting on the plane. Can't wait to meet our darling daughter!