It was Thursday at 1pm. Unbeknown to us, 6 full emails were landing in our inbox.
At 1:15 or so, Jrock got a call at work… it was the Adoption Centre in Kelowna. “Congratulations, Daddy!” he heard on the phone. “You are a father to twin girls!” Jrock was ecstatic, thanked the lady profusely and asked her not to tell me what the big news was. He hung up, and then told everyone in his office the good news. He works with a lot of women, so there was a lot of exclamations, hugs and tears.
In the meanwhile, I was driving home from work. I had a split shift that day, so I decided to do a little grocery shopping, and shopped by the bakery for a piece of cake. When I got home, I let the dogs out, make a pot of tea, put my piece of cake on a plate, and heading out to the deck with a magazine and the telephone tucked into the serving tray. I sat down, had a bite of cake, and then checked the messages.
Message one: Call the Adoption Centre.
Message two (from my husband): Do not open the email until I get home!
My heart started to race and I called the Adoption Centre. Sure enough, she said that the emails were sent to me and I should check if I received them. There they were - sure enough. But I couldn’t open them. Even worse? Jrock was scheduled to get home at 6pm, but my next shift started at 5:30. We wouldn’t be together to open the files until 8:30 that night. Agony!
So I called Jrock at work. Out of the office. So I called my best friend, who is also a doctor, and told her the happy news… I told her I’d forward the emails and asked her to review them so she’d be ready to talk about the children’s medical files at 9pm. I squinted my eyes, and one by one, forwarded the emails. By the way, my pulse was still racing - I think I was swept up in a tide of adrenaline until 2 days later!
She called me back in 1/2 hour… “Don’t tell me!” I exclaimed.Â
She chuckled, and laughed: “Can I tell you anyway that they are REALLY cute?”
The rest of the afternoon I frantically started to prepare the surprise for my parents. We had this surprise scheme concocted that I’ll tell you all about in a subsequent post… but for now, suffice to say that I had to track down my brother. I must have had him paged six times at his school and called his cell ten times. Finally, he called me back and I told him the news. He was driving in the car and let out a big whoop! In our excitement made plans for the parental surprise. Near the end of the conversation, I heard “Oh $*#%^%! I’ve been hit by a car!” My poor brother - he had parked in a parking lot to talk to me, but a mini-van had backed into his PARKED car! Sheesh. So I let him go and tried like crazy to prepare for work that night.Â
Meanwhile, my cake and tea had grown cold on the deck. I was so excited - I guzzled a little tea, but I couldn’t finish my cake at all - in fact, I barely ate for the next two days, I was so excited!
Three hours of work… very hard to concentrate. Then, finally, I was driving the very short distance home. All I could think about was those emails and what we’d learn. Remember, all we had requested wa two kids under four year old - so we didn’t know gender, or age…
Over the radio, a song started playing. I don’t know what it is called, but it’s an old catchy tune that goes “Heyyyy-yah! Follow your daughter home… heyyyy-yah! follow your daughter home!” I think the tune is about chasing your rowdy teen daughter home to bed at night, but no matter! - I thought “Could it be? A girl? Two girls?”
Heyyyy-yah! Follow your daughter home!
I burst into the door and yelled up the stairs. J came running down, we hugged, I dropped all my stuff and we ran to the computer. And this is what happened….
Story to be continued in a later post…
October 26th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
You guys are so cute. The video made me laugh and cry. Congratulations on your twin girls.
October 26th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Awesome recount of this marvelous event! I wish we had videoed ours!
So happy your dream of being parents is now becoming a reality! Poor JRock- he really has no idea what he’s in for with all these women!
October 26th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Adorable! Did you get my email back to you- I think they look like Mal
This will be so awesome for them to see one day!
October 26th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Congratulations again! I loved the video. The first time you see your children’s faces, what a great moment to remember
October 26th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
I love how your voice went up, like, an octave when you got to say “twin GIRRRRLSS???”
October 26th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Thanks for posting that. You know all us waiting just live for these stories. When I read everything, and then got to the botton and saw there was a video, I welled up. That was awesome! Thanks for sharing, you guys. I’m loving following your blog.
October 26th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I am so excited for you guys! Age 2-3 is such a neat and fun age! Great idea to video tape opening up the referral together. Brings back memories…. Best wishes for you all.
Cheryl
October 26th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Okay laughing, then crying, then laughing some more! You guys are awesome!Sooo happy for you both. You will remember that day forever!
Jenny and Rob
October 26th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Awesome!!! I loved the video. What a special thing for you to show your daughters later on!
October 26th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
WOW!! You have willpower.
It was everything for me not to open the email for 15 minutes before David came home.
Can’t wait to hear the rest.
October 26th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
You guys are so cute! Wasn’t that an awesome moment!
and yes we got to get together soon soon, so we can ooo and ah over the girls pictures and you see Abby!
Call me when it works for ya!
nat
October 26th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
That was way cool!! Thanks for sharing that. It is such a great moment!! Twin girls will be amazing.
October 26th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Oh I’m just so happy for you!!! I almost started squealing too, when you did!
Wow, wow, wow!!!
October 26th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
I am soooo excited for you guys! This video was awesome to watch. Thanks for sharing such an important moment. If you are sharing pics, I am happily gushing!
Blessings,
Keltie
October 26th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
wow what a great post. I love the video. Thank you for sharing this special moment with us.
October 26th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Thanks for sharing..it’s awesome..
now I have to go get a kleenex!
October 26th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Love that you guys videoed that! What a great keepsake to show the girls when they are older!
October 26th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Amazing! I’m so excited for you guys. Congratulations!!!
October 26th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
That is so beautiful. I long for that experience with my husband but until then thanks for letting us enjoy and be apart of yours.
October 26th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Really lovely! Your girls are going to love watching this…
October 26th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
What a great idea - recording the moment. Your girls will play that over and over. Congrats again!
October 26th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
What a great story! Thanks for sharing!
October 26th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Thanks for making me cry at work…nice!!!
Aww that was an awesome video…thanks for sharing it!!!
Louise
October 27th, 2008 at 10:09 am
I am so overjoyed for you guys! Have fun buying two of everything…you’re going to need a personal shopping assistant to help you out!
-Andrea
October 27th, 2008 at 11:13 am
So sweet!!! What a great thing for your girls to watch when they get older
Rhonda
October 27th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Thanks guys - it took a while to edit out the names so we could put the vid up on the blog, but we thought you’d enjoy it. I know how everyone else’s videos have helped me so much during this long wait…. For the girls, we got video throughout the day and after so they CAN watch it over and over
Nicky
October 27th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
My heart just exploded for you two. Wow, just wow. I laughed, I cried, I want to relive our day just like that over again.
Giganitic congrats.
Tracy
October 27th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
WOWOWOW! Congratulations!
October 27th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Very cool! Congratualtions again! Wow - you guys must be soooo excited!
October 27th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
To read the details about The Day and then to get to watch the video - FANTASTIC! Thank you both for sharing so much. It must have been an impossible few hours waiting to open that email together!
October 27th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
How incredible! Congratulations on your little girls! I look forward to the day we can all see a pic of them. I pray that you will have a quick and speedy court date and travel to your daughters soon!!!!
Thanks for sharing!
Tammy
October 27th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
What a wonderful video!! It made my cry. Thank you for sharing your happy time with us. For those of us waiting(me at least)it gives us hope!!
Lorie
October 27th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
I love when you say to Jrock “focus on me it’s for the girls”…it just made me cry. “It’s for the girls” You’re already thinking of what this video will mean to them as they grow up…… oh…. this is so precious. I’m so happy for you.
Time to start shopping!!! Enjoy this high, I know I am!!!
October 28th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Thank you for sharing that video with us. You were so smart to video it… You think of everything. Those girls of your are SO lucky.
October 28th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Congratulations, Nicky & Jrock!! Twin girls!! That is so lovely! I hope the next four to six months fly by and you can travel early in the new year… I can hardly wait to see pictures of the happy family united!!!
October 28th, 2008 at 8:28 am
Hi there,
I tried to watch the video, but it says it’s no longer available…..would love to see it.
Debbie
October 28th, 2008 at 8:31 am
I was just wondering why you are choosing to change the names of the children? By the age of 2, don’t they already know their names?
Also, are you planning to give them ‘white’ names or Ethiopian names?
Thanks!
October 28th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Hey Debbie - seems to be up and working again…
October 28th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Hello Rowan family,
I finally am catching up on blogs and I am so happy to hear about your referral!
Congratulations on your daughters! This brought me to tears and absolutely made my day!!!!
Laura
October 29th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Congrats on your referral!
You guys must be so super excited!!!
Can’t wait to follow along as you continue the process to bring your babies home!
October 29th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
That is fantastic news. You should have a court date by or around christmas! Good for you. I can’t wait to hear more about your daughters!
Leah
November 1st, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I love the video, I wish I had done that for my daughter. You are so ahead of the game, I am still catching up. My daughter came home in Feb.