Our Adoption StoryKarin & Kevin

Karin and Kevin’s Story

Our story might start out a bit different than others, being as we are the proud parents to four biological children. We have always known we wanted a large family and have had adoption on our hearts from the very beginning. After suffering one loss, we decided it was a perfect time to look into growing our family through adoption.

From the moment we set foot down this path, we knew we wanted to work with Angel Adoption. They were at the top of our list and a favorite to follow on Instagram. Even though we knew this was part of our plan to grow a family, taking the first steps to sign on and really put ourselves out there was overwhelming and brought feelings of fear and anxiety. We were so excited but so fearful that we wouldn't be chosen due to our already large family. Thanks to our incredibly supportive family, theatre family, and friends, we remained determined to pursue this path. Our biological children were over the moon and excited to welcome a new family member into our home.

Unexpected Surprises

We were incredibly pleased to learn that an expectant mother wanted to speak with us soon after we signed on with Angel Adoption. Within just a couple weeks if going active,, we began communicating with our son’s birth mother. She chose us after a few brief texts over the course of a couple days. After that initial contact, we did not speak with her during the remainder of her pregnancy, as she wished to have a closed adoption.

It all happened so fast and we were incredibly nervous when we received the call that our son’s birth mother was in labor. Knowing that we hadn’t had much contact with her and the fact that she could change her mind left us feeling apprehensive and a bit emotionally guarded upon arriving at the hospital. Karin was the first to arrive and was met by a social worker who was encouraging the birth parents to meet with her. Much to our surprise, they consented to meet and what unfolded was such a pleasant and unexpected surprise. We immediately connected and ended up enjoying a lot of each other's company over the course of our hospital stay.

Gaining a New Family

Meeting our son, Wrigley Matthew (Matty), was a joyful yet reserved moment. While we were so overwhelmed with pride and unconditional love for this tiny human and thought our hearts would burst open, we maintained a level of self preservation. We had an incredible amount of empathy for the birth parents and we wanted to honor their time and their feelings. We were overjoyed but remained conscious of respecting the feelings and process for the birth parents. It wasn't until they were asleep and Karin was holding Wrigley Matthew in the wee hours of the morning, that the flood gates opened and we were overwhelmed with gratitude and love for this child.

We knew when we began this journey, it was in hopes of adding to our family, but we had no idea just how much we would add. Not only do we have the most beautiful son, we have grown close with his birth parents and communicate daily. We thought closed adoption was best and weren't bothered by it when we first made contact with his birth mother. Now we have come to see just how amazing an open adoption can be and how incredibly healing it has been for all involved. We wouldn't change anything and feel so grateful that he will know his birth parents and have so many people surrounding him in love. We have plans to travel to see them and their children next spring. We are excited to continue connecting and growing as a family, making memories to last a lifetime.

Challenges and Advice

One of the hardest parts about this journey was waiting for clearance to leave the birth parents’ state. Karin stayed alone with the baby and was anxious to get home to our biological kids who were dying to meet their new sibling. It was difficult to be away from home and wait for word from the lawyers. If we have any advice to offer it would be to roll with the punches and take things as they come. Truly, there is no way to emotionally prepare, but just know that this journey will take you on an emotional rollercoaster and it will be worth every second in the end. More than anything, keep an open mind about adoption. We were not expecting an open adoption and we certainly weren’t expecting a relationship with a new family, but it has been one of the most enriching connections and we are so thankful to have grown our family in more ways than one.