Becoming a father was a dream I had long held. I still vividly recall the day I received the call at work: a baby boy was in need of a home. My heart raced with excitement! After a painstaking nine months filled with classes, paperwork, and countless emotional ups and downs, we were finally on the verge of parenthood. “We’re on our way to the hospital to collect him,” the voice on the other end conveyed, “Once he’s here, we’ll reach out to you so be prepared.” Little did I know, the journey ahead would be anything but straightforward.
I rushed home, called my partner, Jamie, and dashed into the store, grabbing all the essentials for our new arrival. Diapers! Bottles! Formula! Cute little toys! We hurried back home, prepped everything with care, and settled in for the wait.
And then we waited.
And waited.
And… waited. Staring at my phone became a new hobby, wondering if it was even working. Four o’clock passed, then five. Anxiety crept in. What was going on? By six-thirty, I could no longer keep quiet and called the agency. After a few rings, I was greeted by an automated message telling me they were closed.
Frustration bubbled up. Apparently, the process of becoming a parent was more significant to me than it was to the woman who called. The next morning, I called again to figure out what happened. The receptionist repeated the same lines she’d likely recited a hundred times before, “Oh, baby Lucas? We’re going to get him, and we’ll call you as soon as he’s here.”
Internally, I was screaming, “I was ready YESTERDAY!” but I kept my cool and thanked her. The nagging thoughts returned about how this agency seemed disorganized — just like the entire foster care system. Was someone too busy to pick up my son? I envisioned someone procrastinating with social media instead of doing their job. As the hours dragged on, my frustration grew. I decided enough was enough. “Jamie, we’re going to get our baby!”
In true Gandhi fashion, I planned a peaceful protest. By the time we arrived at the agency, it was nearly closing time. We stood at the lobby desk, and an obviously annoyed employee turned to us, “Hi, can I help you?”
“We’re here to pick up Lucas,” I responded, wearing my best friendly smile.
“Oh, did we… call you?”
“No worries, we know you’re busy. We can wait.”
She looked puzzled, “I don’t think he’s ready—”
“That’s totally fine. We brought snacks and books. We’ll camp out here all night if we have to!”
After some reluctant back-and-forth, she begrudgingly took my words to heart. As we settled in, I couldn’t help but feel this was my form of peaceful protest.
An hour passed, and I spied the annoyed staff member returning, a car seat in tow. My heart raced — could it be? She placed the seat down next to me and unbuckled it. Suddenly, I was face to face with the most delicate, beautiful little face I had ever seen.
What a surreal moment! We spent the next couple of hours filling out paperwork, and I couldn’t believe it — I was officially a dad! But as we got home, a wave of panic washed over me. What do we do when he wakes up? Oh, no! What had I gotten myself into? HELP!!
Looking back now, I have a newfound respect for social workers. They work tirelessly and are often underappreciated — it’s the system that needs fixing, not the people within it.
In the end, everything worked out just fine.
If you’re navigating the complexities of fostering or pregnancy, check out this link for more information on social support. And if you’re looking into insemination options, visit Make a Mom for expert advice. For further reading on fertility treatments, ACOG provides a great resource here.
Summary:
The journey to fatherhood is filled with unexpected twists, as Alex learns through his experience of adopting baby Lucas. Despite frustrations with the foster care system, he ultimately embraces the chaos of parenthood. With newfound respect for social workers and a humorous take on the challenges of parenting, this story reflects the resilience and love that come with welcoming a child into your life.