April Fools', Part 1

Some holidays I appreciate.  I will sing Christmas carols at the top of my lungs, stuff my face at Thanksgiving, and layer on the flag-themed clothing come July.  Other holidays I simply loathe.  Move a finger anywhere near me on St. Patrick's Day, and I will hysterically reveal whatever green I possess before letting myself receive the horrid St. Patrick's pinch.  But my least favorite holiday by far has always been April Fools' Day.  Sure, the day offers some fun, satirical articles and internet posts, but for someone who can't even handle betrayal during a laser tag game, a day full of distrust and disappointment is a nightmare.  Some April Fools' pranks are put together with days of research, planning, and preparation, but my worst April Fools' was actually nobody's fault at all.  It began about three weeks ago.

Dustin had gone to his late-night hockey game when I received an email about an adoption case with an early April due date.  We had seen over a hundred cases so far, but the second I opened this case, I knew that we needed to present.  I texted Dustin to call me on his way home, and when he called me, I told him to pray, pray, pray.  He arrived back home late that night with the same conviction.  We absolutely needed to present to this mother.  We sent in our "yes" letter in the middle of the night and continued to pray like crazy.  A few days later, I was sitting in the Publix parking lot while Dustin ran in to get some groceries, when I got the call from Sara that B had chosen us.  Not only had she chosen us in spite of my pregnancy, but she had chosen us because I was pregnant.  After our disappointment in December, this was big news!  I launched my big, round self out of our car and ran/waddled into the store until I found Dustin in the produce aisle.  We hugged and rapidly began making plans for April.  

Over the next couple of weeks, I was able to text back and forth with B and begin forming a relationship.  I absolutely loved her.  She was fun to talk to, and we had a lot in common.  Dustin and I were crazily busy with our agency phone calls, emails, background renewals, and other red tape, and time quickly slipped away as we neared her baby's due date.

Read April Fools', Part 2.