My wife and I are in the process of adopting a baby girl, known affectionately as ‘Squish’ here at the Daily Dad until her adoption is finalised.

In this regular column, I am sharing the ins and outs of parenting a newborn and the joys and challenges of adoption.

Enjoy this week’s edition of ‘The Adventures of Squish’.

The Song That Made Us Both Cry

The other day, Angie had me listen to a song she had just discovered, explaining it had made her cry every time she had heard it.

Not expecting to have the same reaction, the song caught me off guard and immediately filled my eyes with tears, too.

It’s called ‘Unplanned’, and it’s by an artist called Matthew West, whose other tunes we had on our wedding playlist.

What made us both so emotional?

Unplanned speaks of the incredible beauty and value of a baby’s life — in our case, the precious life of our little Squish.

The world can be a treacherous place for the tiny and innocent among us. Due to all sorts of fears, pressures, and other malevolent forces at work today, unborn babies don’t always get a chance at life.

The Beautiful Gift of Life

Listening to ‘Unplanned’ made my wife and I deeply grateful for Squish, and deeply grateful to her birth mother and father for staring down every challenge they faced to give this beautiful baby the gift of life.

At almost six months of age, Squish is developing such a unique, personable, fun, strong-willed and sassy little personality. Every day, she makes us laugh and does something new that surprises us. Six months ago, she was still hidden from sight, and we knew so little about her. Now she is — as we like to say — “part of the furniture”. She would never have joined our family without the beautiful gift of life.

Maybe ‘Unplanned’ will speak to you the same way it did for us, or perhaps in a different way and for a different reason.

Have a listen, and please let me know what you think in the comments below.

‘Unplanned’ by Matthew West

I’m looking at a masterpiece
I’m staring at a work of art
I’m listening to a symphony
In every beat of your tiny heart
You used to be a choice to make
But now I think you’ve chosen me
‘Cause I see ten fingers, ten toes
Two eyes and I know this is meant to be

Oh I don’t believe in accidents
Miracles, they don’t just happen by chance
As long as my God holds the world in His hands
I know that there’s no such thing as unplanned

Broken turns to beautiful
I see you right before my eyes
And every single breath you breathe
Is destiny love has brought to life
I thought it was my story’s end
But now the future’s all I see
Instead of asking who you might’ve been
I’m wondering who you’re gonna be

‘Cause I don’t believe in accidents
Miracles, they don’t just happen by chance
As long as my God holds the world in His hands
I know that there’s no such thing as unplanned

Every life deserves a voice
Every child deserves a chance
You are more than just a choice
There’s no such thing as unplanned

___

Image courtesy of Unsplash.