Remembering 7-2-2005

As I reflect on our lives exactly one year ago today, I can barely imagine what our lives were like without Elaina. We had just come off of a heartbreaking roller-coaster ride with the loss of Our sweet Ava and only had a trusting hope and lots of prayers that The Lord would finally grant our prayers in a child to love and call our own.

At 10:10pm on Saturday, July 2, 2005, with the sound of fireworks echoeing from a nearby park, Elaina Rose was born and welcomed into the world by a new mommy and daddy that craved a baby girl and couldn't wait to fall in love. Eric was first to hold Elaina in his arms as I hugged Elaina's birthmom and tried to express what this baby meant to us. A near impossible task as my heart was pounding with excitement and my body trembled with joy.

As we held our daughter in our arms we knew immediately that this little stranger had just changed our lives. This little stranger was everything we had prayed for and we couldn't wait to begin our new life together. Looking into our baby girl's gray-blue eyes, we knew that we had finally gotten our angel here on earth.