“I must have pulled that pregnancy test out of the trash 16 times to make sure I wasn’t making it up. ‘I’m pregnant,’ I blurted to my husband. We sat speechless on the phone until he said, ‘Well, looks like we are bringing home siblings after all!'”
‘I COULDN’T let him down. The biggest brown eyes popped out at me. We took in every detail of his face.’: Couple adopts, has surprise pregnancy, ‘I love them equally, forever’
‘Our journey to become parents was heartbreaking. I seemed to find every pregnant woman on the planet. I had to save my sanity.’: Mom shares healing through meditation, ‘Find what brings you JOY’
“I threw myself into working, scouring the internet for infertility stories, scrolling Instagram mindlessly. I knew I needed help to bring myself out of the fog. But what I actually learned was to let go.”
‘It’s Stage 4.’ Two years into the adoption process, I had a strange urge to take a pregnancy test.’: Mom battling endometriosis, infertility births miracle twins after 1,460 days of trying
“Fast forward 2 weeks. Jay and I were shaking at the knees, anxious for more negative news. After few moments of silence, the ultrasound tech muttered, ‘I think I see another heartbeat here. Yep, I definitely see two.’ After 1,460 days of trying, every single tear, heartache, and moment of suffering was worth it.”
‘The moment she was in my arms, I whispered, ‘I’m your mommy.’ We were CALLED to this. She’s the star of our story.’: Family adopts baby with Down syndrome, ‘Worth isn’t defined by chromosomes’
“She stared into my eyes as I stroked her hair, telling her she was beautiful. It was over 8 months until we saw our baby girl again. 8 excruciating months, separated by a pandemic, on opposite sides of the world. It was GUT-WRENCHING.”
‘I started preparing for another childless Christmas. I got a text. ‘Are you still interested in adopting?’ My heart stopped.’: Couple adopts after infertility battle, ‘It felt like a dream’
“I told everyone a little one would join our family before Christmas. As we sat around the table, it hit me I might just be wrong. I was standing in the kitchen with my family, saying our goodbyes when I got a text from our agency. Now my heart was beating faster than ever.”
‘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
“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.”
‘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.”
