“A newborn in my arms, logic and reason screamed no. Yet, here we sat, unable to deny any longer the way our hearts were pulled toward these children. All we had to do was say YES.”
‘Both their parents died. I was a stay-at-home mom, barely used to life with 3 kids. The idea of adding 3 more was crazy.’: Couple adopt 3 siblings from orphanage, become ‘forever family’ of 8
‘Are you my birth mom?’ I fought tears. ‘She searched all over for a Daddy and Papa who’d take care of you.’: Dads discuss blessing of open adoption
“‘I don’t have a mother.’ They see ‘mommies’ come to pick their kids up every day. ‘We searched everywhere for you, baby.’”
‘We have some kids that might be a good fit.’ Did she say KIDS? As in plural? We became an instant family.’: Foster parents welcome sibling group, ‘We plan to spend forever loving them’
“A car pulled up. I held my breath and watched as the 2-year-old, in an act of pure bravery, walked by herself up our steps. She was crying. I didn’t know what to do, so I just opened my arms.”
‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ I was at a crossroads. I knew it was my calling.’: Mom turns down dream job to foster, ‘I wanted to make a difference’
“This summer, we said ‘Yes!’ It was a leap of faith. I suited up in PPE and they placed her in my arms. ‘Meet Julia.’ All I could do was thank God.”
‘He sobbed when I drove him home, ‘No, Mommy!’ It was unbearable. In his eyes, we abandoned him.’: Woman adopts brothers 2 years after saying goodbye, ‘God had bigger plans’
“I fell to my knees. It couldn’t be. This baby boy was going to go to an entirely new home. I cried myself to sleep, praying he was safe and loved. My phone rang. When she said his name, I thought I was going to throw up.”
‘There are other ways to be a mother.’ I was so angry. I wanted to be a mom the ‘natural’ way.’: Woman becomes foster care advocate, ‘I never expected my heart to change’
“I still can hear my OBGYN telling me all the diagnoses. Infertility. PCOS. ‘Fostering doesn’t make you any less of a mother.’ I felt my heart break into a million pieces.”
‘This is the last one I have in me.’ My stomach painfully dotted with bruises, I noticed a voicemail. My breath caught.’: Couple finally chosen by birth mom, ‘My heart is so full’
“We put together a nursery for our ‘some-day’ baby. ‘Someday, it will be our turn.’ After 6 years of disappointments, it did not seem possible. Then the voicemail said, ‘Do this tonight.’ ‘Birth mom.’ ‘Chosen you.’ My breath caught.”
‘They found our kids!’ There was a clerical error. We felt them slipping away.’: Couple fight for sons during pregnancy, ‘They made our lives so full’
“My oldest announced, ‘I want a concert and a baby.’ I told him I could probably make one of those happen. I was puking every day. The mess grew and my belly grew.”
‘You were adopted.’ My world stopped. I investigated their faces as all of them started to cry. I became their mother.’: Mom of blended family says ‘blood doesn’t mean anything’
“We made excuses. They were all months apart from each other. I put so many thoughts into my head that when the day came to tell them, I felt like I was about to jump into an ice bath. No one ever doubted I was their ‘real’ mother.”
’I want to reconsider keeping the baby.’ Then she changed her mind again. We booked a flight, not knowing the outcome.’: Couple recalls how disrupted adoptions led to son, ‘He is ours FOREVER’
“We hadn’t had contact with her for weeks. We were basically waiting with our phones for the call. We booked a flight and moved forward, not knowing the outcome. When we arrived, we found a nurse. ‘Let’s go meet your baby!’”
