He was supposed to be delivered at 8. We raced home from a BBQ, speed-cleaned the house and bathed the kids. They were (as they always are when we get a new baby) giddy with excitement. We promised the kids that if they behaved, they could stay up until the new little guy arrived. 8 turned to 9, and as it approached 10, we put the kids to bed promising that we would have the baby kiss them good night when he arrived. 10 turned to 11, and I started to get irritated. Doesn’t this social worker realize we’re tired? Doesn’t she care that we have already have 4 children and would like to get a decent night’s sleep before the next day when we would have a 5th child to care for? The phone rang at 11:30 and a rushed social worker explained that there was a problem at the detainment, and she was now leaving the facility to head to our house for the drop off. They arrived to our house a little after midnight. An exhausted social worker with a sleeping 3 month old in the backseat. She apologized for the delay and explained the holdup as we carried the little guy into our house. We took a seat at the dining room table to sign some placement paperwork. We chatted briefly about her job and she shared that she had been working since 9 am that morning. I instantly felt guilty for my earlier irritation. She was not intentionally trying to deliver him late, she was just doing the best she could under the circumstances. She began to share about her frustrations with the county, her desire to make a difference, and her love for the children. We shared with her our passion for foster care and our dreams for the future. Over an hour passed, as we chatted about her various cases, our family and what the future might hold for the little baby that was just removed from his mommy. As she was leaving, I couldn’t help but be filled with gratitude. I am so thankful for that social worker. I wish there were more like her in LA county. I am thankful that she is dedicated to trying to keep children safe. I am thankful that the new little guy in our house is safe from danger and has a loving (and loud) home to be in for the next couple of weeks. Next time I am about to become irritated or discouraged about system we are dealing with, I am going to remember our midnight delivery that turned into a midnight blessing.