POWERFUL: ‘I got to hold our son, skin to skin, something I’d dreamed of for years.’ Adoptive parents’ joyful meeting after IVF

“Our journey to parenthood was a long, painful one. Years of infertility left us with little hope and little finances to continue trying for another chance of our own biological child. After a loss of pregnancy due to a failed IVF cycle, we just took a break from it all, yet we knew we were called to be parents. So, months later while vacationing, we discussed and agreed that we felt certain that adoption is how God was going to grow our family.

It was all very exciting and we immediately began to interview agencies to find the right fit for us. A home study, endless amounts of paperwork, and four months later we were on our chosen agency’s waitlist. We began to prepare our hearts and our home for the day we found out we were active clients, because once you’re active, you can get the call anytime.

We became active on a Friday, after four months of being on the waitlist, and then learned about the baby that would be our son the following Monday.

Husband and wife wait in waiting from their adopted child to be born — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

That baby boy was born just four days after we learned about him. Yep, that fast. It was all so fast! Only our baby didn’t come from our agency, he came from an adoption attorney I used to work for years ago.

While working for her, I introduced that attorney to a friend who had just passed the bar, and wouldn’t you know that many years down the road, that same friend I introduced was the one to connect the adoption attorney to our birth mom, and in turn, our baby boy. Amazing! Everything I prayed for came true.

Birth mom chose to have a C-section and gave us permission to be in the room for his birth. It was all surreal. One minute we’re in the waiting room praying for a safe delivery and thanking God for our soon to be son…

Husband and wife sit head to in waiting room waiting for their adoptive child to be born — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

Husband and wife sit in waiting room holding hands awaiting the birth of their adopted child — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

And then the next minute we’re in the operating room anxiously waiting to see him for the first time. It felt like eternity, but it was only just a few minutes.

Man walking down hospital hallway to go meet his adopted child who was just born — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

He was out, the nurses announced his birth time, and I burst into tears. My heart was so full. It’s going to sound cliche, and it’s hard to explain, but I loved him immediately. Truly, I did.

It was all a blur from then on. Temperature good. Skin color good. Oxygen good. Lots of blonde hair. 10 fingers, 10 toes. 19.5 inches. 6 pounds, 10 ounces. Then, they were rolling him in his bassinet into our room and I knew the moment I’d waited so long for was about to happen.

Man stands over newborn adopted child asleep in hospital — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

Nurse picks up newborn baby while adoptive father stands next to her — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

Nurse smiles while holding newborn baby — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

I got to hold our son, skin to skin, something I’d dreamed of for years. It was incredible. Being treated like his ‘real’ parents at the hospital was truly incredible, an experience like no other and one that I will never forget.

Mother holds newborn adopted baby skin to skin in hospital bed — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

Woman lays in hospital bed holding adopted newborn tight to her chest — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

I immediately knew why we had to go through all those years of hurt, pain, and loss: without all of that, we would never have had this moment. We would never have had this baby. We would never have had our son.

Stranger on airplane adopts woman’s newborn son after chance encounter: ‘I felt as if we had been friends for years’

Woman holds adopted newborn towards her husband for him to see baby's face — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

He’s 6 weeks old now and he has stolen our hearts completely.

Husband leans over wife who is in hospital bed who is holding adopted newborn — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

Mother smiles as she holds adopted newborn on her chest — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

Father holds adopted newborn in his arms in hospital room — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

To those of you reading this that have experienced loss, pain, heartache, infertility, etc, I am so sorry. I feel your pain right along with you. But know that you are not alone. Know that people have been placed in your life for a reason. Know that things rarely go as planned but there is hope in the Master’s plan. Know that someday you will see purpose in this hard and painful season. Know that you are heard, and you are loved!”

Mother holds adopted newborn up for husband who is sitting in chair beside her — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

Father smiles down at adopted new born he holds in his arms — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

Close up of adopted newborn's ankle that has hospital bracelet around it — April Freeman of Limitless Portrait Co.

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by an East Tennessee couple who wishes to remain anonymous. Submit your story here, and subscribe to our best love stories here.

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