50 Most Inspiring Adoption Stories with Beauty Revived: Part 12
Beauty Revived has joined with Adoption.com to bring you the 50 Most Inspiring Adoption Stories. We have found 50 amazing photographers with big hearts to donate a session to tell the story of an inspiring adoption story in their community.
Want to learn more about Beauty Revived and see the rest of the pictures? Check it out here and on Instagram.
Photography for this session by Stephanie Dennehy Photography Website
Family is what we live for. Growing up I was very close to my family, and I still am to this day. My siblings and I would constantly make mud pies, play baseball, and take road trips. We did everything together. I have always wanted to have a family of my own. When Thomas and I realized that we could not have children on our own, my heart hurt, but that didn’t stop us from starting a family. I had faith that eventually we would be blessed with a baby.
We used every method available to get pregnant: donors, IUI, and In-Vitro Fertilization—four times. During the last IVF treatment, I only produced five eggs when we wanted at least 20. I cried! Out of the five, only two were fertilized and placed. Two weeks later when I got my pregnancy results, I cried! We were pregnant. The test was positive!
That was the happiest month of my life. I was glowing. Thomas and I would go baby shopping for clothes, cribs, and strollers. I say that was the happiest month of my life because I was only pregnant for a month, and then I had a miscarriage. There are no words to describe my pain and heartache.
With time I felt better. We had to move to the next option, so Thomas and I started the adoption process. Background checks, fingerprints, referrals, classes, home studies, financial reports, and physical exams where some of the things that we had to do just to be approved for our home study. It’s a very time-consuming process.
Finally our profile was complete. We then began the odd process of advertising for a baby. Websites, Facebook, Instagram, and social media helped get the word out to potential birth mothers. I was ecstatic when women contacted us. I knew our eternal family was close and I was ready. What I wasn’t ready for were the scammers. Women would call pretending to be pregnant, hoping to get money from us. How could anyone be that cruel? Playing with our emotions, hopes, and dreams? Eventually, we learned how to weed out girls looking for money. We went through two bad experiences involving women who wanted to trick us into believing they were pregnant. I was devastated that there were people like this in the world.
The adoption process was moving along slowly, and then one day I picked up the phone and heard a woman say something that changed our lives forever: “I choose you.” I couldn’t believe it. I was finally going to be a mother!
The first time we Skyped, she had no hesitation in showing me her pregnant belly. Our birth mother was perfect! She followed through with everything we asked her to do. She talked to our lawyers and also went to counseling. We then decided to drive a few states away to meet her face-to-face. I was so excited and so nervous at the same time. Never in my life have I wanted someone to like and trust me more then I wanted her to. Thomas and I had a wonderful lunch with her. She then invited us to take a drive so she could show us around her town. Everything just felt comfortable. Our conversations were special and sacred and just too personal to share. As we were saying our good-byes, she expressed her gratitude to us for driving to meet her, and told us she knew without a doubt that we were going to be the parents of this baby!
As the birth date approached, she asked us to be a part of his birth, and I screamed with joy! To be there for our son’s birth was too much to ask for. Most of all, I’m glad that we were able to be there for her. She was strong and resilient and all I could do was hold her hand while she gave birth to our son. Thomas was able to cut the umbilical cord. Tears streamed down my face as I held my son for the first time and introduced myself to him as his mommy!!
