I am so excited!!!!

After a totally crappy 4 days at work--something close to miraculous happened tonight. For those of you that have been with us from the beginning of our adoption journey--and I'm talking before Julia--this might ring a bell. When we found out about Julia, we knew about the cleft lip and palate. What we didn't know about was the amniotic banding. All we knew was she had a "deformed right hand". At that time we basically said screw it--whatever it is, we'll deal with it. There was a reason for that. While I grew up, I knew someone who I now think has amniotic banding. I first meet her in second grade and graduated high school with her. What were those thoughts I had??? If L. did just fine ( which I knew she did in high school and I had heard through the grapevine), then I know Julia will. I think that's why I didn't even blink when I saw Julia's hand and then found the band on her ankle. Knowing how well L. did really was the final thing for us--it really sealed the deal and erased whatever speckle of dust I had.
In the years since I have frequently thought of L. and have wished of finding some way to contact her. Just to thank her for the wonderful and positive example she gave and how that influenced me so many years later--and brought me first the most wonderful daughter in the world--and really started the ball for the boys. For some reason I just have felt compelled to write her a letter or something.
Tonight, in talking with a person at work, I got that address. It was truly a fluke, a miracle, an act of God--I don't know what you would call it. All I know if over the next couple of days, I'm going to write that letter and also send some pictures--one of Julia in the orphanage and one now. I need to let L. know that even if she didn't know it--her positive example gave hope and a family to not just one child but 3.