Halloween Revisited

It's crazy to think about how far we've come in just one year. So much of our lives have changed (for the better) but certain milestones and holidays remind me of how "parent-less" we were last year and completely unaware that Noah was growing inside his birth mother...probably before she even knew that she would decide to create an adoption plan for her little boy.

Halloween last year was by far the most memorable Halloween I have ever experienced. It was the first Halloween that I EVER dressed up as something. We weren't big into the holiday as kids and by the time it became interesting we (my brother and I) had no desire to dress up or trick or treat. I'm typically not the party goer either as an adult, although we've attended our share of Halloween parties. So for the first time, I saw the perfect opportunity to dress up at work. I felt it was risky as well but I knew if anyone could do it, I was the only one who could pull it off...literally.

I dressed up as my boss who was then 7 months pregnant. I even reached out to her husband for "permission" and his take on how it might come across, but obviously it was planned with the utmost respect for her position. She has a telltale style that I could pull off and I worked at creating the perfect matching prego belly. Add on top of that a long black wig and it was pretty darn obvious who I was supposed to be.

That morning was by far one of my favorite days walking into work. I tried to cover my belly with an over-sized coat until I was ready to reveal my identity, but the walk to my desk was far from inconspicuous and as the buzzing began around the floor people started looking, laughing and clapping. I received a standing ovation which is saved only for the rarest of costumes gracing the floor on Halloween day. My boss' boss was actually in town, so the hijinks kept building throughout the morning and when she finally saw me, the payoff and her reaction was immensely rewarding. She even confirmed my inclinations that only I would ever be able to pull the prank off.

The memory is special for two reasons. 1.) I pulled off a great idea/costume that was certainly one for the books. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to top it again. 2.) When you look at the picture of us both, the fact that we're "pregnant" together almost has some prophetic qualities to it (as pointed out to me by a couple of friends).

While she was 7 months pregnant, so was Noah's birth mom...
My boss gave birth to her daughter mid-December....
We learned of Noah on Christmas Eve...
He was born the day before before my boss' child...
Almost exactly 12 hours before.

While we did not have a couple months notice regarding Noah as most adoptive families, I fully believe that adoptive moms spiritually "carry" their adoptive children. While they may not have contact with the birth mom, the same prayers and worries and concerns weigh on them. Even the nesting phase is prevalent for adoptive moms in prepping for baby's arrival. Obviously, I was oblivious at the time that a year from then we would have a beautiful baby boy to dress for Halloween 2012, but I like to think that God was certainly smiling down on my crazy costume and saying to himself of me, "If only you knew. If only you knew."

I like it when God surprises us.