Stumbled Upon Memories

an "empanada" break for our deserving crew on a Saturday setting up house

An e-mail from our children's school in the States urged us to download their report cards and transcripts within the next few days. As I completed the process this evening, an attempt by my kind husband to instruct me in the use of the computer's "cloud" led to a letter I'd quite forgotten. The day Silas was born, I left it in care of my sister to be read with the older children after we left for the hospital. I am pasting it here for posterity's sake, along with a picture from today. On October 28. 2015 I could not quite imagine how little Silas would change our family dynamic but now I can see how he fits right in the midst of us and adds his own little spice to our life! 

__________________________

October 28, 2015

Dear Eva, Isabel, Owen, Ian and Alec:

It’s hard to believe, but today we finally get to meet your baby brother Silas. It has been a lot of fun to listen to the five of you count down the number of days until his arrival! Every time it made me smile to hear your excitement and enthusiasm. Daddy and I are so thankful for each one of you. We also want to say thank you to each of you for helping out in so many ways to get ready for Silas’ arrival. We know it hasn’t always been fun and there have been some days with lots of work to do. But we can truly say it has been a Garcia family effort to prepare for baby (and Aunt Jenn’s visit, which we know you are already enjoying!) We love you all so much.

As we get ready to meet Silas for the first time, I thought it might be neat to tell you about the first time we met each of you! Eva, we met you for the first time in a stuffy little office of an old stone building in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Daddy and I were waiting nervously on hard wooden chairs until the door opened and in walked a social worker with a sweet little bundle in her arms! She said, “Here is your daughter,” and handed you to me. After that, the little office seemed like the most beautiful place in the world and we could not take our eyes off you! Isabel, we actually “met” you for the first time before you were born. I remember giving your birthmother a hug and thinking I was also hugging you! But the first time we met you after you were born was in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit of a hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania when you were about twelve hours’ old. You were hooked up to all kind of tubes and wires and machines, and we couldn’t hold you but we could gently put our hands on your little leg or arm and talk to you. It was amazing and scary all at once, but we thought you were the most precious baby in the whole place!

Owen, we had to drive all through the night and fly through the day to get to you at the hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. We actually spent the night before meeting you in a little apartment with an empty crib and could hardly believe you would be in it soon! When we were taken to meet you in a little room in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit of the hospital in Florida, you were so tiny and also hooked up to wires and machines. But we got to carefully hold you and I cried tears of happiness!

Ian and Alec, we “met” you through pictures before we ever got to meet you in person. We thought you got cuter and cuter with every picture we saw! We flew to Haiti when Ian was nine months’ old and Alec was five months’ old. It was a long trip with lots of problems to finally get there. We were picked up by the orphanage truck and to our delight and surprise, the two of you were waiting inside! We were so excited and took turns holding you as we bounced around the pickup truck (with no car seats or seat belts) on the way to our hotel. Then we got to spend a whole week with you – playing, swimming, resting and eating together. Those were special days!

Today will also be a special day, but we want you to know that every one of you has an unforgettable special day in our hearts. To celebrate, we are leaving some sweet treats with Aunt Jenn! Enjoy them and remember how much we love you. Also remember to pray for Mommy and Silas! We will see you soon!

Love, Mommy and Daddy