Sharon Bloomingdale didn't have nine months to prepare for the arrival of her first grandchild. In fact, she didn't really see it coming at all.
Bloomingdale's daughter and son-in-law, Laura and Josh Dell, had been approved just three weeks before they were quickly matched up by the adoption agency with their new baby. "She didn't expect it that fast at all," Laura told The Huffington Post in an interview.
So when Laura and her husband decided to surprise the new grandma, they knew they had to capture her reaction on camera.
The same day they got their baby daughter, Ellie, they showed up at grandma's Ohio workplace to introduce the infant to her new family member. Laura handed her mom a baby onesie and grandma instantly knew what was going on. Grandma's priceless reaction and excitement were all recorded as she rushed to meet the baby girl -- and burst into tears.
"After the video ended, she walked around the office with Ellie and told everyone, 'When I came to work this morning, I wasn't a grandma and now I am,'" Laura said.
What makes the story even sweeter is that Bloomingdale was adopted as an infant, herself. "It'll be great for Ellie to see the video when she grows up and know that grandma loved her even before she got to know her," she said.
Ellie is only five months old and was adopted just over a month ago. Initially, Laura and her husband weren't sure they wanted to share the video publicly but later decided it was for the best.
"We love adoption and there are so many kids out there that need a home. Next month is National Adoption Month, so we decided this would be a way to show people how beautiful adoption is," she said.
The Dells have a fundraising campaign set up with AdoptTogether to help cover the cost of the adoption. You can find more information here.
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