Our Adoption StoryChris & Elma

The Road We Never Thought We Would Travel

We have always known we wanted a family of our own and dreamed of the day we would welcome children into our lives. After struggling to conceive a biological child, we opted to try fertility treatments. When that path turned out to be just as challenging, we began to look outside of what we knew and gather some information on adoption. With no previous knowledge about the adoption process, we began researching and talking to friends about their experiences. We came across Angel Adoptions and liked what they had to offer, and we felt called to move forward with their support.

When we made the decision to move forward, we shared the news with family and friends, and they were just as excited and hopeful as we were. We had all been longing for a child to join our family, and they supported us 100%. For us, this was our last chance, the final hope we had of experiencing the joys of parenthood. We knew if this didn’t work out, we would be not only hurting but making peace with the fact we would never have a child.

We knew there wasn't much we could do outside of completing our homestudy and submitting our story and pictures for our profile. We truly thought our adoption journey would be a quick process and we would be holding a child of our own in no time. We spoke with a few birthmothers, all of which resulted in nothing more than a few text conversations. We did our best to go about our lives and trust the process, knowing our lives could change in an instant at any time.

An Early Arrival

We were at home as Elma had recently undergone a hysterectomy, and we received a call there was a birthmother wanting to speak with us. Although we were of course excited, we were also reserved as we knew we needed to guard our hearts a bit as we moved forward. We began speaking with the birthmom via text, and we felt an automatic connection. She was very open and was looking to meet us in person. We made plans to meet up with her, and we took her to her first ultrasound appointment followed by a lovely brunch. We had a great connection, and although we were very excited, there was a huge part of us that wouldn't allow us to feel too hopeful or excited, as we knew the birthmother could understandably change her mind.

The day we received a text from the birthmother asking us if we would be her child’s adoptive parents, we happened to be in Hawaii celebrating our wedding anniversary. It was such a beautiful gift and the first time we felt true hope.

We were up getting ready for work like any other Monday when we received a text from the birthmother’s boyfriend, who let us know she was going into labor and we needed to get to the hospital. She was just 33 weeks along, so this came as a bit of a shock. We left as soon as we could and drove the 3.5 hours to get to the hospital, where we met her and her boyfriend. We spent time talking, praying, and getting to know each other a bit better as she labored. We truly felt a deep connection to her and the whole family, and even though everything pointed to a successful adoption, we were still preparing ourselves for her to change her mind.

She graciously let us stay in the delivery room for the birth of Taylor and witness such a profound miracle. Chris had the honor of cutting the umbilical cord, and after the birthmother held her for a few seconds, the baby was in our arms. We were so in love. She was so incredibly beautiful, and we were so emotionally connected the moment we laid eyes on her. It was so hard to not let that intense love overtake our whole being as we waited for the birthmother to sign her rights over and then wait the 30 days for the revocation period to pass. We focused all our energy on showing this baby girl love and support, even if it wouldn't be permanent. We knew we couldn't leave her side as she gathered her strength in the NICU. After the birthmother was discharged from the hospital, we stayed. After she was released from the NICU, we were so excited to welcome her home, and the rest of her family was beyond excited to hold her.

Looking Forward

The journey to becoming parents was one of both heartbreak and joy, and although we had many challenges, we wouldn’t change anything for the world. We have our beautiful child, and we feel so incredibly grateful for the gift Taylor’s birthmother gave us. Elma and her family endured the loss of her father just before Taylor was born, and with having something so joyful happen right after such a loss, it felt as though he was watching over us. We named her after him as a way to honor not only his memory but him looking over us as Taylor came into this world and our lives.

After having time to reflect on our path to becoming parents, we can say for certain that everything falls into place as it should. Hold on to the hope and knowledge that this is all in God’s timing, and as you wait, remember to keep living your lives and travel if you can.