Haley's Story 

by Kay Green

 

A phone call Sunday, March 5, 2000 was the end of 7 years of waiting and the start of a new beginning in our lives. The call was telling us that our new child's birth mother's water broke and she was in the hospital and we should come to Nebraska. 

Let me start at the beginning. I am Kay. We live in rural Oregon. I am a 40 year old mother of 3 wonderful homegrown children, Melissa 18, Jordan 15, Allison 13. I have been married to my best friend Russell for 21 years. For the last 7 years I have known and prayed for the other child I knew was still to join our family. 

Last November I started talking with a young woman who emailed me after seeing our information on my web site http://www.preciouskids.org/ . She was looking for a family for her unborn baby. Christmas week she asked us to parent her baby. I then began 8 weeks of preparation to breastfeed our adopted child. 

March 6, 2000 Miss Haley Elizabeth was born to a wonderful young high school couple who chose to give her life and place her with us. We arrived in Nebraska 24 hours after that Sunday evening phone call and phoned the hospital. We were told, "You have a baby girl!" We could not get there fast enough. We still had 3 hours of driving to go. We arrived when she was 5 hours old. That night we met Connie and Mike and their family for the first time. We met our daughter! What a joyful, emotional, and confusing time. After a couple of hours we had to leave them to go to the hotel for the night. It was so difficult to leave our daughter. 

The next morning we arrived at the hospital. Connie was alone with the baby so Russell left to run some errands so I could visit with Connie alone. After being assured by Connie that we were going forward with the adoption, I asked if I could nurse her. Connie knew of my plans and preparation and was supportive. She said yes! I put the baby to my breast and she latched on perfectly. She knew exactly what to do. What joy and bonding I felt at that instant. Connie later told the social worker how much it meant to her to see me nurse Haley and bond with her so quickly. 

The rest of the day we spent at the hospital. That afternoon Connie went home. That was an emotional time for all of us. Connie and Mike love her so much. It was very difficult for them. They knew they were making the best choice for Haley. I nursed her and held her most of the day. That evening we had to leave her in the hospital again as we went back to the hotel. The next morning we returned early to spend the day with our daughter. That evening her birth parents returned to the hospital to sign the paper releasing Haley to us. We then walked out of the hospital with a new daughter. 

That night we met Connie and Mike and Connie's family at their church where we had a wonderful ceremony dedicating ourselves to loving Haley and raising her to the Lord. We had asked Connie and Mike to be Haley's God-parents. Afterwards we put Haley in her car seat. Russell and I walked to the car as we left Haley with Connie and Mike so they could say their good-byes. After several minutes they brought her to us in the car and we said goodbye. That is the last time we saw them. We returned to the hotel to hold and watch the miracle daughter God had brought to us. As we lay in bed and I nursed her to sleep such a great sense of peace flooded me. I had a new daughter!

Monday 3-13-2000 Haley and I arrived home to Oregon to meet our other children Melissa 17, Jordan 15, and Allison 12. Russell had flown home 3 days earlier, while I stayed in Nebraska to wait for the Interstate Compact approval to take the baby home.

I stayed in the home of a wonderful woman I met online. Her family had also adopted. In her home Haley and I got to know each other and got used to our nursing relationship.

She is a great nurser, super latch. She likes to nurse a long time and switch sides often. I typical feeding involves 4 ten minute sessions. Then she will take a couple ounces of formula in a bottle or the Lact-aid supplementer. She nurses often. She is a good baby. I am absolutely in love. I used the sling a lot in their home so I could nurse more discretely around her husband and 15 year old son. Haley seems to really like the sling. She sleeps very well in it.

Melissa, Jordan and Allison could not wait to each hold her. They will be wonderful big brothers and sisters. Melissa has no college that week and has taken the week off work to be home and help me. I home school Jordan and Allison so they are home too. It is a sweet time with our new family member.

PS. We continue to have a wonderful open relationship with Mike & Connie. We send emails and photos every month and have occasional phone calls. Mike & Connie and their families sent Haley birthday and Christmas presents. We are hoping to have them visit this summer. We brought home lots of mementos from Nebraska to be able to share with Haley where she was born. Mike & Connie were married February 2001 (a week before Haley's 1st birthday). Haley is truly blessed to be loved by 2 families.

More by Kay Green (click to read!):

• Induced Lactation-Adoptive Breastfeeding
• What Makes A Mother?
• Haley's Story
• Happy Birthday Haley
• Baby Sign Language
• Is your child protected in an emergency?

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