How we came to adopt Tamaya - Part 3

We had never really discussed becoming parents twice... our goal was to have a child. We never talked about how many we wanted. Steve doesn't like change, when life is good he doesn't want to change it, it doesn't need changing :-) When I approached the subject of bringing in another child into our family he wasn't there.... yet. He was quite content with our family and why change something that is good. He had a want list and if we were to adopt again his "ski-doo" would be put on hold.. lol.. men. One night we we're having a lengthy conversation about his wants and my wants.. I think he may have even had a couple drinks in him too :-) He says to me.. ok if you let me buy this certain ski-doo we will adopt again... Well I didn't need anymore convincing. I told him to go out and buy it NOW. He chose not to buy it, and then told me that meant we weren't going to adopt our baby girl... well I lost it, playing around with a maternal lady is not cool.. hahaha He did finally agree to start the process again. (and last year received his ski-doo of his dreams)
I called my adoption agency again and was told we we're no longer eligible to Haiti. We no longer met the eligibility to adopt from Haiti. I was so saddened to have to put Haiti out of my heart. I was determined to have both my children at least have something in common.. so we agreed it would be Africa... but we would have to wait because they has a waiting list for the African program. I put our name on this list and we we're to start 6 months later.
I found a Canadian chat group that was for parents adopting from Haiti. I posted a message saying that we had adopted from Haiti, but we're going to have to pursue our next adoption in Africa because we we're no longer eligible. I got a response from a "lady" (I will call her lady to protect her identity) She said that they will make some exceptions to the rules and to e-mail her directly to tell her our situation. She contacted her orphanage to be told that YES we would meet the criteria. The Haitian gov had just relaxed their rules yet again. I knew it wasn't quite the time yet to start and knew when it was I would know. I kept in contact with the lady and had told her about my plan to adopt a baby girl. She gave me some tips on how to make my adoption go a little more smoothly. She told me as soon as we started the process to contact her to put ourselves on the waiting list for a girl. (In Haitian adoptions it usually takes a bit longer for a girl)
A few months later I got the feeling again it was TIME, I contacted everyone I needed too. Got our appointment with our social worker for a couple months later July 8th 05 (this is when we would both be off and able to run around to paper chase). Steve came home from work and I told him it was time. I had my million reasons why it was time list :-) In his manly voice he gave me his "we'll see" usual comment.
As time approached to starting we both we're getting excited about adding another Haitian child to our lives. I placed our name on the waiting list and was told there was 4 girls ahead of us... I figured it would be so much more. Lady and I became great friends and she was equally excited for us. The day came when I got the e-mail saying we we're next. We weren't anywhere near being done with the Canadian side of things when we we're told we we're next on the waiting list. The lady told us if we rushed and got everything out we would be ok.

I get an other e-mail from lady and they had a baby girl. Actually they had 2 baby girls available. Which is very rare. I got information on both little girls and knew that my baby was one of them. I went to bed that night knowing by the morning when I was too see her picture I would know... I would know my baby girl. I went to sleep at 3am. Steve and I waited by the computer for "extra" info on the baby. I went to bed and I woke up 2 hrs later from my dream... my dream that I had been to Haiti to meet my baby. She had the biggest head of hair... the biggest fro I had ever seen on a baby. The nanny in my dream kept repeating over and over, here is your baby Chantaline. I woke up knowing my baby girl.
I ran to the computer to see if the pictures had arrived... there she was, my baby... the most beautiful baby girl I had ever seen. She had the biggest fro. It was 5 am... I couldn't even call anyone. I cried in silence as I looked at her.... and finally at 7am I woke Steve up and told him to get his butt up, we had her picture. (Steve's comment; I'm sleeping, besides I have the rest of my life to look at her..LOL... Men are so different than us ladies. :-)
I examined her birth date and no one had a birthday that day... But I knew there was something special about that day. It was a day after our wedding anniversary, but that wasn't it. I looked in my agenda and there it was. It was the day we had "officially" started her adoption. Her name was similar to her Haitian mom's Chantal... and my family my mom's name is Pauline, my sister is Lynn and my Godmother and middle name is Jacqueline.. talk about it being meant to be :-)
Here we are 15 months later... she is getting older by the day and we are still waiting. I can't wait until I have my baby girl home, safe in the arms of her family.
Thank you "lady" :-) you helped make our dreams come true and it has been appreciate.