Adoption Planning
“The desire to adopt a child has always been part of our story. Even when we were just dating it was in our hearts. Little did we know God was just laying the foundation for our path as parents.
Fast forward to March 20, 2010, our wedding day. Our lives, our hopes, our dreams were forever joined. Our biggest dream was to raise a family. Looking ahead another five years, we found ourselves faced with a decision of how to realize this dream. Although we tried the traditional route for several years we eventually circled back to the possibility of adopting. A lot of conversation and emotions went into the decision, but we felt our hearts being called to it. We still had so many questions and needed more information. Fortunately, a friend directed us to an adoption conference at the church down the street. We went, we learned, and we left with more clarity that this was something we were going to pursue.
We researched agencies and finally decided on Gladney Center for Adoption. So on March 20, 2015, our fifth anniversary, we found ourselves sitting in the agency’s orientation. Thus, our journey officially began. We completed the home study in July of 2015 and were approved as a family in waiting. And we waited, for two long, emotional years. It was very hard, and we were beginning to wonder if there was light at the end of the tunnel, but we remained steadfast in our faith that God was going to provide.
In April 2017, upon our return home from a vacation abroad, we received a phone call from our caseworker about a birth mom who had narrowed her search to us and another family. Heeding our caseworker’s advice, we wrote a letter to her introducing ourselves and answering some questions she had.
Welcoming Our Baby
A few days later we get the news that she has chosen us! Finally, a glimmer of hope that our wait was drawing to an end. We were cautiously optimistic! After following the agency’s standard schedule of an initial phone call and lunch meeting both parties decided this was a good match. Over the next few months we established a communication with her allowing us to get to know each other fairly well. We really admired her selfless love for this unborn child and were honored she chose us to be his/her mommy and daddy. God was definitely at work in all of our hearts.
On August 18, 2017, a beautiful baby boy came into the world and into our lives. We were fortunate to meet and hold him the night of his birth. The wait was long, but the love was instant. Words can’t describe the joy and fullness of our hearts. However, we still had one more hurdle to overcome, a 30 day wait to bring him home. Of all the waiting that was the absolute hardest!
Well, we made it through and on a warm, bright day in September we became a family of three. Our placement ceremony was very emotional for sure. Tears of joy for our family and probably mixed for the birth family were shed that day as a precious baby boy was welcomed into his forever family’s loving arms and hearts.
Since that day we have experienced a whole new level of love, laughter, worry, joy, sleep deprivation, and closeness as we navigate parenthood. Every day is a great new adventure. We have so much fun watching him discover everything and seeing his personality emerge.
We have an open adoption. We remain in contact with his birth mom via texting and email/photo updates. We met up with her and her family recently and will do so again a few more times this year. We want him to grow up knowing who she is, his story and how much he is loved by so many.
Love, not DNA, truly makes a family!”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Lauren, 37, of Texas.
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