home sweet home!

It is amazing to think that only a week ago, our son was born. Tuesday June 23rd at 2:34am we welcomed Garrett Gregory Erlandson into the world and with one glance he stole our hearts. He was 8.5lbs and 22inches long. We where so lucky to have been in the room with the birth mother while she was giving birth. It was an amazing experience. We all, including the birth mother where able to come home the following evening. Prior to our discharge the birth mother had her pastor come and do an intrustment ceremony. It was the neatest thing we have ever experienced, other than his birth. There was not a dry eye in the chapel. It was one of the most humbling experiences I have even been a part of. Prior to the ceremony the pastor talked to all three if us and said that after this ceremony in the eyes of god Garrett was our son. It was a beautiful thing to hear. I highly recommend anyone whom is adopting and has a open adoption to have an intrustment ceremony. As for Garrett, he is AMAZING! I never knew that something so little could bring so much joy to someone. Brian is an amazing daddy, he loves his so much and it just warms my heart when I see them together. Garrett sleeps most the night but just waking up for his feedings. Brian and I have great team work...We don't go to be until midnight, and Garrett gets a bottle before Brian and I go to bed, I wake up at 3am to feed and change him and then he wakes back up between 6 and 7 and Brian gets up and feeds him and we start our day! Perfect-o! We are so in love it is silly, I wish I could express in words how we feel, but every time I try it just doesn't seem to do it any justice. I do feel like I finally after years and years of trying to decide what to be 'when I grew up' know that I am meant to be a mommy. I have never felt so much contentment and peace as I do when I am with Garrett. It is an amazing feeling. Because of the laws in MN regarding the time line that the birth mother can change her mind and decide to parent, we have decided not to post any pictures until we can say 100% that Garrett is OUR SON! We are not concerned that she will decide to parent but we are just being safe. Friday July 10th is the final day. So you bet your bottom that July 11th at midnight Brian and I will be celebrating! So please keep us in your prayers. Also if you would pray for his birth mother we would appreciate it. She is so amazing and is now part of our family too.

hospital day one

Here I sit in the hospital room with the birth mother sleeping and Brian sitting by my side reading “What to expect the first 48 hours” He had been so wonderful today, helping the birth mother with everything she needs, he has really stepped into the “husband” role today! Although we have been here for 15 hours is seems like its only been 2 or 3. The birth mothers water broke on its own at 7:10! But we are still waiting for the little man to decide to show himself to the world. Brian and I are so lucky the staff here is great, they offered us a room to stay in, two doors down from So we will be able to get some rest and not be afraid we will miss anything. Brian and I are still in ahh with all the wonderful blessings that have been happening to us over the past few weeks, and today. Please continue to pray for all four of us as we wait for our son.

I am so excited it is hard to form a sentance

Friday was such a wonderful day. As you know we where invited to go to a doctors appointment. We where able to hear the heart beat and see an ultra sounds. It was amazing. They scheduled an induction day….Monday at 8am she will be induced. The midwife wanted her to wait until Wednesday but thankfully her social worker stepped in and said that was to long. So we got locked in on Monday! Hooray! After the appointments we went to lunch and than off to the car dealership to find a car for the birth mother. She had bought one earlier that week and it broke down so she asked if Brian and I (mostly Brian) would help her look for a better one. Sure enough she found a great car! It was really nice to be able to spend the day with her and get to know each other better. For Monday, She asked if instead of us meeting her are the hospital if we would meet her at her house and all ride down to the hospital together. We are so excited to be with her every step of the way! It is incredible to know the exact moment that your life is going to change. Brian and I are so excited we can hardly stand it. Today, being fathers day Brian and I are feeling so blessed. My parents are visiting from D.C. so we all went out for a fathers day brunch and than off to Babies R Us to get some last min items that are a must have before Garrett comes home. While we where shopping, I have a horrible habit of checking my email on my phone several time through out the day/hour! I noticed a email from the birth mother, and she said…I just wanted to wish Brian a happy fathers day. Ahhh my heart melted and my eyes filled up with tears. What an amazing thing for her to do. When I told Brian he had the same reaction that I did. We are so blessed to have her in out life, she is an amazing person. Brian and I are staying in a hotel tonight so we can be closer to her house and not have to get up so early in the morning. We just left our house, made sure that it was all picked up and ready for us to leave as two and come back forever as three!

Just a quick update... Still no baby, seven days over due. Although we had dinner with the birth mother tonight. It is always so reassuring when we meet. Both Brian and I are super excited because she asked us to go to a appointment with her on Friday (if she hasn't already had him) At this appointment they will be checking to make sure that there is enough fluid around the baby and will be setting up a time to induce him. Everyone is hoping that he comes sooner and on his own before than! So if you all could

EXCITMENT

December??? holy cats how life gets away! Lots of amazing things have happened for the Erlandson's since December! Here is the really short version... December: Started to get our foster license, but mid way through there was a tugging at both Brian and my heart to stop the process. We didn't know why but we listened. January: I got pregnant! What What?? It was an amazing moment. February: Sadly 7 weeks into my pregnancy I miscarried. But I was lucky to have 2 of my best friends from GA in town to help me through it. March: I turned 28...I know there are so many people that wish they where 28 again but I had a really difficult time with it. Until... April: Brian turned 29!!! Now that made me a bit happier to be 28! Brian and I took a 10 day trip to GA to get out of our 'funk' that we had been in for the last few months, and man o'man was that fun! May: Wow May goes down in the record books...here's where the story begins... May 9th I was photographing a wedding with a friend of mine and I kept getting a phone call from my Aunt, than my sister kept calling. My first reaction was ok what happened? So I snuck away for a moment to call my aunt back and this was our conversation...(actually rewind to October, My aunt called and said there her best friend's co-workers daughter was having a baby and giving it up for adoption, and wanted to know if she would be out of line to mention Brian and I. I of course said she could tell her about us, but didn't give it much thought after that since it seems like everyone knows someone and wants to tell them about you. So we swept it under the rung and really didn't think about it again.) Ok fast forward to May...here is the conversation that my aunt and I had when I was able to call her back... He jeanne its Jill. oh my gosh Jill you know my friends coworker who's daughter is putting her baby up for adoption. yeah well she is asking about you and Brian and wants you to call her mom. Hu?? yeah yeah crazy I know. Jeanne, I am shooting a wedding and going for Margaretta's with the girls tonight, and you are telling me that there is a pregnant woman out there waiting on me to call her mom...holy crap my biggest worry was if i was going to have my Margaritas on the rocks or frozen...holy crap...ok ok (as I am scrounging around the car to find a pen or something sharp to carve the number into something) Ok whats the number. Umm Umm ok ok... I called Brian who was on the way home from the cabin (where the cell phone reception is not good) and all I was able to get out was..."remember when Jeanne called in October about that chick that was putting her child up for adoption? Well she is asking about us"...and the phone went dead! So poor Brian had to drive all the way home 3 hrs. He said it was the longest drive of his life! So I hung up the phone and made what was the most important call that I have ever made at that point in my life. I called the birth mothers mom. She and I chatted for a while and she told me all about her daughter situation and their family. She ended the call by saying, "ok well here is my daughters social workers number, she is expecting your call" I hung up the phone and cried in my car in the driveway. Still at this point I hadn't had a chance to tell Brian what was going on in detail. Finally he came come and we talked about it as we waited for the social worker to call us back. Finally she called and we talked some more about the situation, she asked us some questions and asked that we send in a 'Dear Birth Mother' letter along with some pictures of the two of us and our family. Remember this all is taking place on Saturday and she wanted all this by Tuesday so the birth mother could look at it on Wednesday along with 5 others. So Brian and i frantically wrote the most important letter of our lives. The social worker said that she was going to put our letters and picts in with the other 5 families and not tell the birth mother that we where the friends of her mom's coworker. Just so that there wasn't any pressure. We got a call on Thursday morning saying that the birth mother picked our profile along with another couple, and that she wanted to meet us on Monday. So after 3 sleepless nights I finally picked out an outfit that screamed...I'm hip, I'm fun, I would be a great mother to your child, I and responsible, and I am classy. :) We met the birth mother and two social workers at a restaurant. Brian and I where so nervous. But oddly enough the birth mother said she was really nervous too and after that we all calmed down and where able to chat and get to know one another. She asked us lots of questions and we did the same. Our meeting lasted about 3 hours, as we where getting up to leave, the birth mother asked if we wanted to feel the baby..aahh it was perfect. She let us know that she would know by the end of the week since she was meeting with the other family on Wednesday. Both Brian and I thought the meeting went really good. We just kept telling our self's that we are good people that deserve a baby and if it is not this child it would be another. So the next morning I called her social worker to give her some information that she needed and she told me that the Birth Mother wants to go with us. That she didn't want to meet with the other family, she said it so casually that I made her repeat it a few times. When I hung up the phone both Brian and I where in shock. Since she is due June 10! So it was exactly 5 weeks from when we found out. There was so much to do in 5 weeks...home study...finger prints....get a nursery done...finish all our half done projects. We met with the birth mother again and went over the birth plan and other stuff. She asked that I be in the room with her during delivery and that I cut the cord!!! I was blown away we where really just hoping that she would let us come to the hospital at some point. So to be in the room and cut the cord is so amazing. She also asked if she could name the baby. Both Brian and I thought that would be pretty neat if she did that (as long as it wasn't something really crazy!) Luckily it was a name that both Brian and I loved, something we never thought of be when she said the name it was perfect. She named HIM Garrett, we picked the middle name so his full name will be: Garrett Gregory Erlandson (Gregory is my dad's name) June: Garrett's room is complete! Being that it is a semi open adoption Brian and I where invited to the birth mothers parents house for a BBQ to get to know than and the birth mother on more of a personal level. We had a blast. They are all such great people. Brian and I are excited to start a relationship with them. In the main time Brian finished a bathroom downstairs and a bedroom for when Grandma and Grandpa come up to visit (and hopefully decide that MN will be there new home instead of D.C) June 10th (the due date) came and went. Now Brian, our hospital bags and I all sit waiting on the phone call. Every time the phone rings our hearts jump with excitement. The birth mother is really good about keeping us in the loop on what is going on. She has emailed us every day for the past few days letting us know whats happening. She went to the dr today and is not dilating yet. So if she is still pregnant next Friday she has another appt to check the fluids and figure out what happens next. At that point she will be 11 days over due. So lets all pray that she will have our baby this weekend. My parents are coming up on the 20th (Saturday) to see their first grandchild! Please keep Brian, Garrett, the birth mother and me in your prayers as the next few weeks are going to be emotional for everyone. And i promise to keep you all in the loop!