When I was eighteen years old I went to a book signing with my close friend Sam. We stood in line for what seemed like forever to have Anne Rice scribble on our tattered soft cover books and we squealed like stereotypical school girls after Ms. Rice displayed a modicum of interest in the two of us asking about our lives and inquiring about our dreams for the future.
After that brief moment of time when the air crackled with excitement for Sam and myself, the two of us walked out of the trendy small book store, arm and arm and wandered into a nearby coffee shop so we could dissect our experience and relive each moment over and over again through our conversation.
Samantha, very much a poet, looked straight into my eyes and told me, “That was an electric moment in my life. A slice of life so vivid and outstanding I will cherish it until the day I die.”
Her words echoed in my head and long after Samantha died and Anne Rice stopped writing about vampires, the phrase ‘electric moment’ lives on.
Wednesday morning, I relived that bookstore signing over and over in my head. I thought about all the electric moments I have had in my life and wondered, no, worried, that meeting my new son wouldn’t be one of them.
What if he didn’t like us? What if we didn’t like him? What if he smelled?
I was bouncing around with nervous energy, trapped in a small vehicle hurling down a high way, annoying my darling husband with every worried glance I shot at him. The two hour car trip to meet our son seemed to take forever.
Even live tweeting didn’t make the time go any faster.
(It was an honest oversight. I swear I just forgot and didn’t drive past the gas station the night before thinking I was too tired to bother and my husband could do it the next day. Really. Scouts honour.)
(How can a man listen to brash rock and roll when his life is on the brink of a reality-changing precipice? Seriously dude. I don’t get you.)
(Funny, Boo was unamused by this offer and my tweet. Hmmm.)
(I’m about to be a new mommy. There should be a law stating it’s mandatory to sing with Captain Hammer.)
(It was getting hard to twitter with his fingers wrapped around my neck. Road trips with me are FUN. I swear.)
(I don’t care what you say dear hubs. If you don’t know where you are or how to get where you need to be you are lost. Not directionally challenged. Full fledged LOST.)
(When one is ten minutes late to meet one’s new son and emotionally charged, one should not politely insist freak out demanding one pull over to ask for directions. Unless one would like one’s head bitten off by an annoyed spouse. Just so y’all know.)
Thankfully Boo and I finally got to be where we were suppose to be.
There are no adequate words to explain how one feels knowing her son is just on the other side of the door.
I can’t even begin to explain how my heart burst into a million tiny pieces when my son was wheeled out to greet his father and I, smiling from ear to ear and asking for his first high-five.
Or how the ocean of grief I have been treading time in for the past three years suddenly parted like the Red Sea when my new son laughed so hard with me he all but wiggled out of his wheel chair and peed through his pants.
That morning was filled with one electric moment after another.
There will always be a cloud in my skies, a scar on my heart and a tear on my cheek for the little boy I loved and lost. But life hasn’t seemed this vibrant for all of us in a very long time.
I’ve never been more delighted to squint at the blinding brightness of happiness.
Thanks for sharing this long road with my family and myself. If you hadn’t been here to hold my hand along the way I can’t guarantee I’d be wearing this silly mommy grin and wondering if it’s wrong to use my son as a lint collector as he crawls on the floor.
It’s with great pleasure I introduce you to my son. (Feel free to leave a blog pseudonym suggestion in the comment box. I’m stumped.)
One of our very first cuddles. He is fascinated with the size of my nose. Apparently, it’s highly honkable.
My boy has tight fists. He’s going to be a great boxer.
I could pose for pictures with him all day long. My son, however, has other ideas and is bored of this game.
Getting ready for his first sleep in his brand new forever bed. The puppy was eager to join him.
And finally, I’d like to thank Kristen, Catherine and Katie for throwing together a Redneck Shower for the kid and I. There are no adequate words to express our gratitude and affection for all of you.
Plus, I’m dying laughing at the prizes available and I can’t wait to read how I’m not the only redneck mommy in the world. I can’t be the only gal who has accidentally spray painted her son’s penis with bright red paint. Can I?













Headless Mom
He is darling!
Suppose he’ll grow out of that black mark on his face?
Kidding! Love you all muchly!
Domestic Extraordinaire
Yay! I am so happy for you guys!
del
Wow, electric moments for all of us. Your little boy, I vote for Frib, is just adorable and you look the most relaxed new mum I have ever seen. Congratulations.
Sarah
Congratulations =) I am so unbelievably happy for you and for your family. I remember when you first blogged about beginning the adoption journey here and I am so glad that now it has come full circle.
I think you shouldn’t take blog suggestions for the pseudonym. Give it a day or two; there is nobody in this world better suited to choose a name for your boy than his mother.
Becca
SO SO SO SO happy for you and your whole family! You and your pretty smile are just GLOWING, and your new smooshably, deliciously, heart-breakingly adorable son…what a blessed, blessed gift. Wishing nothing but THE BEST for you all, and doing a little happy dance and crying at the same time.
(Cats thinks I’m nuts)…
Jacquie
Yay for you guys! I think he’d make a great Tic-Tac, he’d rhyme with Fric and Frac then?
Congrats!
Karen
Delurking to say so happy for you! How about Doodle?
Gwen
I vote for Oscar — for the famous (and SUPER hot!) boxer, Oscar de la Hoya! Oh yeahhhhh!
OK, I was tearing up here, too — we have those same splints for our little one (in red! damn thumbs inside the fist… you get that lovely feta cheese by-product of fisted hands. LOL) & I have a serious affinity for the crossed legs & the high tone!!! I’ve got 2 here myself with that goin’ on… and it’s SO damn endearing! Can’t wait to see more of him – - you don’t know how touched I was to find out this was going to work out!!!! You were meant to be his Mommy… and I’m STILL holding out hope for BamBam, too!!!!!!!!!!!!
Muchas smooches!
xooxox Gwen & the dwarves
sassymonkey
I think the whole darned world is conspiring to make me cry today. At least these are happy ones.
Those fists make me think of Rocky.
Kate
Awww…hard to tell who’s happier – YOU or your boy. You’re both incredible and incredibly blessed. Congratulations and may you have a long and happy life together.
Helen
Oh he is divine! Congratulations and as for his bloggy pretend name? With all that electricity he should probably and absolutely be Sparky.
Cathy
My God, I don’t even know you and you make me cry. I’m so happy for you and your family. You deserve this Tanis. And, he deserves a mother like you.
ellieranc
I’m so happy for you. You are positively glowing in the pics.
Angie in Texas
i’m a little late to the game, but happy valentine’s day! i can’t imagine a more perfect way for you and your family to celebrate. =D
Kari
Congrats, Tanis!
I’m thrilled for you!
Fairly Odd Mother
I am so happy for you all, especially one special little boy who finally has a family. Beautiful.
Venom
Wheels, definitely Wheels!
Remember the original DeGrassi? Wheels was the cute kid with the car.
Rachael
Congratulations on your new little boy. The adventure begins!
Hannah
I am hopeless at names, so I can’t help you there.
But I have lots of congratulations to throw your way! I’m so happy for all five of you – it’s wonderful.
Carolyn aka Bugs momma
CONGRATS, CONGRATS, CONGRATS again!!! We are all so happy for you here! I just read this post out load to not only my hubby, but also my 3 little terrors and now I think even the terrors realize why I always cry as I read your posts! I cant wait to read more about your new son and all the new pics we are going to be seeing!