Every single adoption story is amazing and is full of twists and turns that we look back on and marvel over. Every step we take, even the ones that hurt, leads us to the baby meant for us. Never have I seen that play out more clearly than with Irene and Nate’s story. In a matter of hours, they went from heart-break to sheer elation. The selfless love they poured out not only to their daughter’s birth family but to a birth family they got attached to and bonded with who ended up choosing to parent has moved me more than I can express. It’s a true example of unconditional love and the desire, not just to become parents, but to love the very best way they could. Enjoy their journey to their precious Aubriella:
Our home study and profile were completed in April. We applied to a few different agencies starting in May, and then had our first match within 6 months. I remember getting that email asking if we would be available for a phone interview. We were extremely nervous. The agency provided us with the contact information and the date and time of when we should call. On November 8th, we made the phone call and spoke with the birth mom. The conversation went really well. A week later we were told that we were officially matched with a baby girl due at the end of February.
In mid-December, we planned a trip to visit with the birth family. Our first visit was meeting for breakfast, followed by going to the beach, and then going to their ultrasound appointment. It was neat to see the pictures both in 3D and 4D as well as listen to the heartbeat. We were given pictures and DVD to take home with us.
After we celebrated Christmas and New Year’s with our family and friends, we started getting the baby room ready. We continued to remain in contact with the birth mom throughout. In mid-January, I started to get a sense that something didn’t seem right. I got a message from the birth mom stating that she decided that she wasn’t going to go through with the adoption plan after all. Our hearts were completely crushed as we had the room almost ready and were prepared to bring a baby girl home next month. I immediately emailed the agency to tell them what happened. The day after, the agency called us with another case where the birth mother decided at the last minute she wanted to make an adoption plan for her daughter who was born just last week. . This birth mother wanted a family who loves the outdoors, travels, and pets. The agency told the birth mother that we were that family and after looking at our profile, she picked us immediately. This happened just days after we got news that the original birth mother wasn’t going to go through with her adoption plan. We packed up our bags Friday night, bought a car seat, and started our drive the next day.
On January 30th, we headed to the adoption agency and met our daughter’s birth mother for the first time. It was good to meet them and they were so glad they picked us. Then they brought the baby in and we all saw her for the first time. The birth mother didn’t want to see the baby at the hospital so this was the first time she saw her as well. It was definitely an emotional moment to share with her.
God definitely had a plan. If our original birth mother hadn’t chosen to parent, we would have missed out on this amazing opportunity. Our daughter is perfect in every way. In that same week, we went from extreme heartache to pure joy all in a matter of days. We are so excited to start this new journey as parents now. We are so proud to introduce Aubriella Kay, born on 1/23/2017 and adopted into our hearts on 1/30/2017.
Crazily enough, we learned while we were in Florida that our original expectant mom had delivered her baby 4.5 weeks early. It was our intent to go see her while we were in FL to return the ultrasound pictures as it wouldn’t feel right to keep them. Her baby was in the NICU, so we met at the hospital to return the pictures and to also meet her baby. We brought some baby gifts as well since they didn’t have a lot of baby things on hand. It was a good way to bring peace and closure to the situation. We are happy for them that they were able to find a way to keep their family together. We also met with Aubriella’s birth parents again right before we left and took pictures of them holding her. We will forever treasure that moment.
We are enjoying our time with sweet Aubriella and can’t believe how the events unfolded. I would have never guessed this would have been the ending to our story. It’s amazing to see God’s hand in this and to realize this is actually just the beginning.