***Our Baby BoY!***

Josiah Bryden McClelland

7/15/09 3:04 p.m.

7 pounds 1.5 ounces 19 3/4 inches

I'm a little late on this post I know!! We have been super busy...but I wanted to tell you about the day that Josiah was born. It was on a Wednesday and Josh and I were both at work. I had taken a break from work to call our adoption specialist at 9:00 to see if she had heard from Jessica, to see if she had gone back to the doctor. She said that they had not heard anything but she would let me know as soon as she knew something. At 10:45 my phone rang and I notice it was Bethany's office number. I picked up the phone and Melinda said she had some good news. (I was thinking maybe Jessica had gone to the doc and they said she would deliver any moment) But Melinda said that Jessica had been in labor since 8:00 a.m. and that Jessica wanted us to come up to the hospital!!!!!!!!! (She was 2 cm dilated) I left everything at work just like it was...called Josh in a panic and told him to meet me at the house...he was like why?? I said JESSICA IS IN LABOR!!!!!!! I had to stop and get some gas and then I met Josh at the hospital where we grabbed some cold pizza out of the fridge, grabbed the diaper bag and headed out the door. On our way to the hospital I called Jessica's mom and she said that she was 4 cm dilated. It took us almost 45 minutes to get to the hospital in Canton. We were pulling in the parking lot at the hospital and Jessica's mom called and said she was already 7 cm dilated!!!! I thought, man this is going quickly!!! So we got up to the hospital, went in the room and said hi to Jessica and Connie and sat patiently in the waiting room...OKAY well not patiently!!!!!!!! We couldn't contain ourselves! Thirty minutes after we were there her mom came out and said that she was 10 cm dilated at that she would have him in 30 minutes to an hour! At 3:04 p.m. we heard a little chime go off on the load speakers and just knew that meant our little boy was just born! The nurse then came out a minute later and told us we could come back! We got to see him before they bathed him and I was the first one to hold him. He was soooo tiny and sooo sweet!

God has truly blessed us with not only the most precious baby boy, but an awesome birthmom! She let us stay in the room with her until 10:00 that night. Jessica was starving after giving birth so Josh went and got her a big ol' steak from Longhorns. We just hung out and talked and loved on baby Josiah together. Leaving that night was so tough. We didn't have doubts that he wouldn't be going home with us the next day, but it was just hard to know we weren't with him!

The next day we woke up at 5 o'clock and got ready to be back up there at 7:00 like Jessica had asked! We were very excited about taking our baby boy home, but we knew it was also going to be a hard day. On the way to the hospital we heard a loud noise......WE got a nail in our tire!!!! What the heck? Well, we made it to the hops ital and then Josh changed our tire. We got up there and they said that Josiah didn't sleep very well. So Jessica's mom went home to take a nap and Jessica napped while Josh and I took care of our son! Everything went so perfectly!

LEAVING was tougher than I ever imagined it being. I grew attached to Jessica because she is such an amazing woman. She spent a few minutes alone with Josiah and then she called me in to spend time with both of them. This was tough...very tough. But I know that God has a plan for her and that He is going to bless her with goodness! She will always have a special place in my heart and I can't wait to tell Josiah how great she was! :)

Even though that part was tough, it was awesome to know that we were taking our son home! He slept the whole way home and did so good! He is our lil' angel and we are so thankful for God! Looking back at the whole adoption process it amazes me because I felt God with us through the whole thing. He knows what is best for all of us...we just need to trust him more often!

Sorry for such a long post! I will try to do better!