Saturday, January 31, 2015

Who needs a clock?



Who needs a clock when you are running on CJ time?  From desating on command in the NICU to getting his first tooth a year to the day of coming home; Charles James Galvin, named after his great-grandfathers and affectionately known as CJ, rolls at his own pace. 
For Miranda Galvin in the summer of 2011, the idea of becoming a foster parent was placed on her heart, and about this same time her dream to adopt a newborn baby with Down syndrome also started.  As a special education teacher in Sioux City, Iowa, she was thinking more like when she was 35 or 40 and either was married or had decided to start a family without Prince Charming.  After completely foster care classes, and while waiting to get a call for her first kid, she signed up with the National Down syndrome Adoption Network.
 Fast forward to November of 2013; Galvin is busy planning a birthday party for one of the two siblings in her care.  Thing 1, as the birthday girl is affectionately known as, enjoys going with Galvin to GiGi’s Playhouse in Sioux City where Galvin is heavily involved in the educational tutoring, playgroups and Down syndrome Awareness Walk operations of the Playhouse. 
The morning after the cupcake birthday party, Galvin receives an email from Stephanie at NDsAN.  A baby boy had been born the day before, Thing 1’s birthday, and Stephanie is wondering if Galvin would like to be considered as a potential forever family for the little boy.  Not wanting to close the door on any opportunity in life, Galvin agrees but assumes a young, single gal from Iowa doesn’t have a chance.
Thirty-six hours later it is time to pick Thing 1 and her little brother up from daycare to take them to visit their mom for the weekend.  As Galvin arrives at daycare, she realizes she has a voice mail from Stephanie congratulating her as the new mom of the baby boy in Tampa, FL!  In the midst of a life changing weekend of preparations, Galvin heads to the Playhouse to work on a project day she is orchestrating to get the latest set of photos of smiling area children on the walls.  It is in the middle of just another morning at the Playhouse that Galvin shares she is officially a Playhouse mom.
Today, a morning at the Playhouse includes 14 month old CJ playing on the floor with his friends, while Galvin pauses to add another hat to her duties at GiGi’s, the one as mommy sitting on the couch catching up with her cherished friends, fellow moms.