Our Adoption StoryHow it All Began...
Starting Our Journey
For us, we have never felt that something was missing from our lives. When we decided to pursue adoption, it was more a feeling of wanting to expand on the already beautiful life we had. We were together for fourteen years when we first began talking about growing our family. Watching our friends expand their families and seeing how much love and joy came from that was something that began to pull on our heartstrings. We have so much love for each other and in our relationship and we knew we had so much more love to give and share with a child.
As we began our research, we came across Angel Adoption’s website and felt immediately connected to the other adoptive families as we read their profiles and stories. When speaking with staff at Angel Adoption, it was easy and comfortable and we truly felt cared for. We were so anxious and nervous not knowing what our journey was going to look like. The anticipation was somewhat overwhelming at times, so we decided to try to make the waiting process as fun as possible while trying to prepare ourselves for the arrival of a new family member. Thankfully we have an amazing support system and our families have been by our sides every step of the way.
The Call that Changed our Lives
We were about a year into our contract with Angel Adoption when we received a call that completely changed the course of our lives forever. We had just returned from a long trip when Angel called to let us know there was an expectant mother who chose us to be the adoptive parents to her unborn child. She was six months along and expressed her wish to have a closed adoption. Although we were shocked and excited, we remained cautious and observant those first few phone and text conversations.
Over time we grew more and more excited in anticipation of the baby’s due date and spent time gathering baby items and dreaming of the perfect name. When we received the call that the expectant mother was in labor, boy, were we a sight to see. We were running around like crazy. Picture any episode of “I Love Lucy” and you will get a good idea of what that moment looked like. We drove the two hours to get to the hospital and by 6:45pm that evening she gave birth.
Meeting Our Child for the First Time
We can’t recall any other event in our lives that produced the instantaneous love and connection we felt when we met our daughter for the first time. Within ten minutes of being born, we had her in our arms. We couldn't believe this was really happening. We couldn’t believe this moment was finally here and that we were now with our child, our beautiful daughter, Amelia.
The hospital staff was just as overjoyed as we were and spent time showing us all the ins and outs of caring for a newborn. Gordon had the honor of giving Amelia her first bottle, a moment that was so perfect and one we will never forget. When we shared the news with our parents, there were so many tears of joy and such excitement. Being an only child, Gordon’s parents were especially emotional, as they truly never thought they would have the opportunity to be grandparents.
Words of Wisdom
We know and understand the waiting process can be difficult. It certainly was for us, and we assume it is for most adoptive parents. Being able to lean on the staff at Angel Adoption for support was key for us. We would advise other adoptive parents to be patient and be prepared for ups and downs. Remain trusting and hopeful through it all, knowing that when it is meant to be, it will be. While you are waiting, spend your time doing things to better yourself and prepare for whatever may happen during this adoption journey. Nothing is ever black and white when it comes to adoption, so being prepared for last-minute changes and fees, and knowing different state adoption laws could help you immensely.
Life After Adoption
We have been busy enjoying and treasuring our time with Amelia as she continues to grow and thrive. Unfortunately, we never had a chance to meet Amelia’s birthmother, but we know she is an amazing woman and the love she has for her daughter is immeasurable. We will always leave communication up to her, as it’s only fair to Amelia. We want her to always know how selfless her birthmother is.
We just recently had Amelia’s first birthday and made it into a “Thank You” celebration for our family. We wanted to somehow express our love and gratitude for their support as well as honor Amelia’s birthmother for giving us such an incredible blessing. We couldn’t be happier for all the ways Amelia has blessed and enriched our lives.