5 Years Ago

Five years ago Brian and I set out on a road trip.  A road trip to El Paso, Texas which would change our lives forever.  We left the afternoon of September 6th, 2005.  As we drove late into the night we learned our son had been born at 4:54 p.m.  We had become parents.

We met our son the afternoon of September 7th around 1:00 p.m.  I remember that day like it was yesterday. His birth parents had signed paperwork allowing us into the nursery immediately so we could meet our son.  As they wheeled his bassinet into the private room beside the nursery we saw him for the very first time.  We began to cry and I immediately removed his blanket to see his little fingers and toes.  We were not allowed to hold him (hospital paperwork had to be completed) for a few more hours but we held his hands and talked to him.  We were able to change his diapers and eventually we were able to feed and hold him.  We rocked him in that little room for hours.  We stayed until we were not allowed to stay any longer.  

We went back to our hotel room and did not get a wink of sleep.  All we could think of was our sweet son sleeping in the nursery right down the road and getting back to him the next morning as soon as we could. 

Brice was born on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoon they released him to us.  We took our new son back to our hotel room and felt like fish out of water.  We spent that night watching him and counting every breath he took.  

Friday morning we set out with our newborn toward my parents' home in north Texas.  We were not allowed to leave the state to come home to Oklahoma.  We had to wait a about a week for the interstate compact paperwork to be completed.  Those first few days were spent at my parents' house admiring our son and learning to be parents.  

Brice is such a special blessing to our family.  He was meant to be our son.  We will celebrate his 5th birthday tomorrow.  It's hard to believe how fast those years have gone by.

Happy Birthday Briceman.