Jenny, Ayden's Birthmother

          So sitting in Red Robin talking to Jenny was a never to be forgotten time. The restaurant is mildly dark with this overhead lighting that casts a strange glow over everything. And the acoustics in that place are just awful. So we are battling a bit with just being heard and the whole thing was just a little over-the-top stressful.
          Jenny and Paul are having this conversation which, every once in a while he turns to us and condenses for us. We try to ask some questions, such as how was your flight and what is life like in the Marshall islands. Rather stilted responses. Then Jared asks Jenny to teach us some Marshallese, and hilarity results. She tried to teach us the word for fish, but we could not say it right and apparently we keep saying crazy instead. Jenny thinks we are hilarious and the ice is broken a bit. We talked for a bit more and then it was time to go.
          My desire to learn more about the Marshall Islands then spurred a great search of the internet for more information where I stumbled upon several articles talking about the questionable legality of bringing Marshallese women to the US for the purpose of placing their unborn children for adoption. Uh-oh. I was a bit freaked out by this point and when i shared my concerns with Jared, he was all, we better talk to Paul.
          Later that week we met Jenny and Paul for a doctors appointment to have her first ultra-sound, and what should have been an exciting special moment was a bit overshadowed with worry and doubt. Paul, however, glib smooth talker that he is! was able to reassure us and smooth over all of our doubts for the moment. So continued several weeks of meeting Jenny for lunches and dinners and she and I also went shopping together a few times and we had plans to go to the movies as well. Jenny was not due for another month, so we were taking it slow getting ready for the baby...very slow. I had this block like if i actually bought something for the baby (we didn't know Ayden was a he at this point) Jenny would change her mind.
          Monday September 26 around noon, however, we got a call from Paul that Ayden had been born....Apparently Jenny, who was intimidated by hospitals, decided that she would rather have Ayden at home. The family she was staying with went to check on her that morning, and when they saw she was in labor, quickly rushed her to the car. Ayden was almost born in the car, but instead was born in the hospital entrance. He was not breathing, and as it was a small hospital, they life-flighted him to a bigger hospital nearby. He was whisked away from Jenny so quickly she did not even have a chance to see him.

           We immediately rushed to the hospital to see Ayden, but as we were not his legal guardians yet and Jenny was not there we were unable to see him for three days while we waited for Jenny to sign the paperwork. So we went to visit Jenny who was very tired and not much up for visitors. Three agonizing days later, Jenny signed the adoption paperwork and we were finally able to meet Ayden!  He was only 3lb, 10oz. He had wires running all over him and he was in an incubator to keep him warm. We spent as much time there with him as we could, but we also had to get ready for him to come home!  Jenny accompanied us for these fun baby shopping expeditions, and that is where we really got to know her. We had so much fun together.

          We also took Jenny to the Temple because she had promised her daughter that she would go there and take pictures for her. We laughed and "talked" working through the language barrier and just had fun together. I am really grateful for those special days together getting to know each other. Especially because now I know just how like Jenny Ayden is.  I see so much of her in him. He is like a mini male version of Jenny.
        Jenny did not want to see Ayden in the hospital, so the first time she met him was actually in our home after the hospital finally released him three weeks later. Talk about a crazy emotional evening. Especially because Jenny had decided to return home to the Marshall Islands and was leaving the next day. It was a heart-wrenching evening filled with laughter and tears. When Jenny left, i just sat in a chair and held Ayden and cried. What else was there to do?  My wish is that someday we can see Jenny again and she can see the incredible individual Ayden is growing up to be.