The Tants Go Adopting

   This post is just going to be pictures from Eliana's Gotcha Day - 10.7.2019. All photos are credited to my incredibly talented sister, Mandy Keel and Mandy Loves Eric Photography We wanted to fill the courtroom, and our village showed up This girl loves her Papa It's like she knew it was going to be a good day The judge had each big kid come up, declare "Adoption Granted" and pound the gavel The incredible judge and our wonderful attorney Our village I love this picture, holding my daughter is my nephew who was adopted into our family 7 years ago. It's as if Ellie knows the special bond they now share.  Ellie and her grandmothers My parents Ellie and her grandfathers Aaron's Dad Ellie loves Tia Katie Tia Katie and Uncle Cav Aaron's parents Aunt Mandy, Uncle Eric and family All the grandkids on my side of the fami...

     Today was a really wonderful, fantastic, super fabulous, terrific, marvelous, glorious, awesome (and all the other good superlatives) day. 😁       It was on this day, October 7, 2019, that we finalized the adoption of our youngest daughter, Eliana AriaGrace Tant. This has been a day years in the making and it was such a beautiful, perfect day surrounded by our family and friends. We want to share not only our happy ending with everyone, but we also our daughter's story.       Our daughter was born on December 12, 2018 and she was 7 weeks premature. She spent a total of 100 days in the NICU and had two surgeries while there. Our daughter was born with Down syndrome, a stomach and intestines that were not connected, and two heart defects. It was evident early on that our baby girl was a fighter and a heart breaker. Every nurse, doctor, therapists etc we met during our hospital stays (and anyone who meets her in passing) can't help...