Once upon a time in Brooklyn, there were two girls who fell in love, became a devoted couple, and longed to grow into a loving family. They were certain that adoption would be a part of their story, and it was supported by many of their close friends and family members, especially those who happened to be adopted too!
Our aspiring moms, Ann Marie and Darlene, decided after being together for over 15 years, and having looked at different options to create their family, that Adoptions From The Heart (AFTH) was the right fit for them. AFTH was also recommended by a close friend that has an open adoption with their daughter through AFTH as well.
They were fortunate to be assigned to Jenna Smith, the New York District Supervisor, who they immediately adored, and who would be a major part of their entire adoption roller coaster ride of a journey.
Along with the great advice from their family and friends, the AFTH staff, and social media adoption groups, the hopeful adoptive moms started making their profile key and their ever-evolving profile book. At first, the key was a challenge to create and understand. However, with their research, podcasts, adoption courses, and reading the required literature, it all helped in understanding the monthly situations more and more. In return, those updates along with their new knowledge ultimately helped them to become more comfortable and more open to situations that they typically wouldn’t have been open to in the past.
As days turned into months and months turned into seasons, their book and key were updated again and again, and the monthly situation reports kept coming…and coming. And they waited. And waited. Waited so long that their magic number was 22 months. Ann Marie and Darlene never lost hope, nor were discouraged, even when they were not chosen for situations they had said “yes” to, especially when the birth mother and birth father decided to parent. Everyone always stayed positive and tried to keep in mind that when things are meant to be, when they are truly meant to fall into place, you will not be able to explain the serendipity of that moment of when it actually happens.
It was a rainy Friday afternoon when the latest hardcopies of the updated profile went into the mail and they finally agreed that their video profile should be shown as well. They were all in now. They even started setting up the nursery, something they held off on completing for a while because just the sight of it seemed painful and discouraging to them at times. That very evening, the hopeful adoptive moms received an email about a situation that needed a response by the end of the weekend. Jenna explained how extremely complicated this situation was. A decision had to be made. They all knew something was different about this particular situation, so without hesitation, they knew they had to be shown. Their brand-new profile was shown to the expectant mother that morning, and you guessed it…a couple of days later, Jenna called them to tell them they were officially chosen! Hearts were bursting, and so much was running through their heads. It was finally really happening. They even had the wonderful opportunity to meet the expectant mother a couple of weeks before she was due.
Then, they got “THE CALL.” It all happened so fast they couldn’t believe they were about to become the “Brooklyn Moms.” Ann Marie and Darlene dashed out of their house, raced home from work, packed everything within reach (a bunch of things they didn’t need), somehow forgot to pack pants, and drove to another state to meet the love of their life. They were so fortunate to be with the birth mother in the hospital. Nothing could prepare the new moms for that ultimate moment when they held their baby boy in their arms when he was only 5 hours old.
The most incredible feeling in the world grows more amazing every day. The Brooklyn Moms are super busy chasing around the sweetest little toddler and loving every minute. They are proud to be two women that can show their unconditional love for one another and raise a healthy, happy, and kind little boy. The new little family now refers to themselves as “The Big Three.” They never doubted each other’s capabilities of becoming amazing moms, but what they didn’t realize is that the adoption journey to get there can be hard; it can be very long, and you need to stay positive. You need to seek helpful advice from your social workers and support teams within adoption groups. It will happen if you hang in there. There is so much hope in the world; there’s so much love to be shared, and there are so many beautiful families that are waiting to love a baby. Ann Marie and Darlene were one of those long-waiting families, and it happened just when they least expected it to.
The truth about adoption is you never know what part of the up or down you are about to encounter, but when you are waiting to love a baby, trust that everything will fall into the right place at the right moment.
Are you ready to pursue adoption? Visit Adoption.org or call 1-800-ADOPT-98 to connect with compassionate, nonjudgmental adoption specialists who can help you get started on the journey of a lifetime.
