Dear Max,
Sunday, December 7, 2008
It has been an incredible journey awaiting your arrival.
You were born on Tuesday November 18 at 7:54 pm. Your dad and I had been awaiting the arrival of a little boy born that very day. We received the phone call from the agency that the baby had arrived and went straight down to sunrise hospital and met a little boy - we spent the next three days getting to know him and awaiting to bring him home - when the devastating call came that she would be keeping him and he would not come home with us.
We were heartbroken. Your dad and I felt so strongly that we had left our son in that hospital - we could not explain it.
That Sunday we met with our bishop and he prayed with us and he cried with us and he said - you are parents and this baby will come to your family soon.
Little did we know that you were already here!
We left for St. George to be with our family for Thanksgiving. We felt so empty handed not having the baby with us - but we were brave.
I left for DC on Tuesday December 2nd - I had a very successful trip to DC and returned on Friday, December 5th. I needed to run to the office just for an hour to finish some things - I had not even sat down at my desk when the agency called and said - we have a baby boy that was born at sunrise on Tuesday - November 18th - but wait I thought - we already know about him. Then she said - that you were still in the Hosptial - you had a heart condition that required open heart surgery and your birth parents were ready to let you go to a family.
We were so thrilled and overwhelmed! But so very afraid that it would not happen- we have felt disappointed before and feared the same.
Saturday we waited and waited. You birth mom and dad wanted to be careful about their selection and took some time reading and learning about us. They love you so much and wanted to be sure they did the right thing for you.
The agency called on Saturday and said that Sylvia and Corey (your birth parents) had decided on us and that we would be your parents! They would complete the paperwork on Sunday.
We were still so cautious and decided not to tell anyone but you grandma and grandpa page and your aunt Kathy.
We waited all morning - the agency called around noon and said come to the hospital at 1:30 - we got down town at 1:00 pm – so anxious to meet you. As soon as we pulled into the hospital parking lot – the agency called and said it would be later, most likely by 3:00 pm. Our hearts were racing and we could barely breathe. We knew we couldn’t wait in the parking lot for 2 hours so we decided to go and get some lunch. We drove across the street to Applebee’s. We thought that would take at least an hour or more – but wouldn’t you know it – we were done within a half an hour. Unbelievable! We decided to go window shopping at the mall to keep our minds occupied for the next hour. We were in B Dalton book store roaming the store and looking at books when at 2:30 they called and said...
You are parents - come to the hospital and pick up your baby boy! The sweetest words I have ever heard.
We have been through a lot waiting for you to arrive – and their have been times that we have questioned our desire to be parents and even questioned our Heavenly Fathers desire for us, did he not trust us with his sweet soul? Max, I want you to know that when we were driving to the hospital that Sunday, I have never felt more loved by Heavenly Father. I know that he knows our family and saved your especially for us.
Meeting you for the first time was amazing. You have been staying on the PICU floor. We came into your hospital room - number 8 - we rushed to your bedside and just cried our eyes out. When I said - can I pick him up they said of course he is your son. We looked up and their were nurses and a fire fighter man all in the room - everyone was crying. You see these people are the guardian angels that had been protecting and caring for you for the past 20 days.
We were so curious why the firefighter was there – I was unsure if you needed special care and he was on hand for some type of emergency situation. As the nurses began to leave the room he still remained in the room – so your dad asked him how he fits into all this – if he was there for a special reason? And he said that he was actually training to become an EMT and 10 days earlier he decided to walk the PICU floor and came to your room. You are the sweetest little baby – all snuggled up in your hospital crib. He was so curious about your story – so asked the nurses, when they explained all you had been through he decided that he would like to spend his entire shift by your bedside caring for you. For the past 10 days he has spent 10 hours a day by your bed, feeding you, holding you and even changing your diapers. He said to us that he especially feels like he was guided to your room for a reason and is your true guardian angel. He stayed and visited with us for quite some time – we told him our story of waiting for you and he asked if we were originally from Las Vegas – we said that no – we were from St. George, Utah but have been in Las Vegas for the past 10 years. He asked if we were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints. Yes – we are! He said that he and his wife are getting baptisted on January 3rd. He is such a sweet sole and truly a blessing to us. He knew we would be coming and wanted to be sure that you were ready to meet your family.
All the nurses love you so much - you have a closet full of outfits, stuff animals and blankets.
They all feel like they have been your little mothers and love you so much. They even gave you there own name. Your birthparents named you Dean. But the nurses decided to name you Noah. They felt like you had been through the flood and survived!
We love you so much and are so glad you are here in our family. We know without a shadow of a doubt that you were meant for us. We have never felt the love of our heavenly father more than we have today.
We hope and pray that you will remain healthy. We pray that you will grow into a young man full of the spirit, smart, worthy and strong. An example to your friends and brother and sisters.
Max, you are the joy of our lives and we love you!
Being in the hospital tonight with you - is so peaceful and exciting. It’s just the three of us - hanging out and getting to know each other.
Our Family______________________
Max Learning to Eat at the Hosptial
Come on... Gives us a burp!
Max's Hospital Room for the past 19 days!
Proud Poppa!
Max Charles Trenholm
