+Welcome Coralai+

I remember when Denae and John started with me back in August 2014 and I initially did a profile book review for them. When I saw their book I was immediately excited for them knowing they were going to make wonderful first time parents! Even though they started with me and Christian Adoption Consultants in August they actually started their adoption journey in 2013 with pursuing an adoption in the Democratic Republic on Congo. They had been waiting a long time when their home study provider contacted them about a potential adoption situation in their home state. That situation didn’t end up working out but it l sparked something fierce in their heart for domestic adoption!

That lead them to CAC!

Meet Denae and John, pre-Coralai

They became home study ready for a domestic adoption late September and were ready to start seeing potential adoption situations! They looked through several before seeing one that REALLY caught her eye! In February I remember as soon as she saw birth mom N? story she was drawn to her. They put their whole heart in and decided to present.

THEY WERE MATCHED!

We emailed more over the next few months making sure they were prepared as much as possible and then I got the text I had been waiting for..IT?S GO TIME? they were just a few short hours away from the hospital and made it just in time for Denae to Hold Coralai’s birth mom’s hand through the delivery and she was able to witness her daughter being born!

This was John and Denae’s LAST picture together before becoming a family of THREE!

And then they welcomed Coralai and this was their FIRST photo as a family of THREE! I was anxiously waiting by my phone for an update and then I got this on my phone!

She was here and all of the heartache began to disappear.

And here it is from Denae’s point of view:

I can’t believe that as I sit here and write, I am holding my baby in my arms. It’s an unbelievable feeling to know that after many years of trying to become parents here we are- knee deep in diapers and formula, and overjoyed that God lead us down this winding and twisted path to parenthood.
After 2 failed adoptions in Africa over a year and a half period, we were directed by a friend to look into Christian Adoption Consultants. Casey reached out to me within a day and after reading EVERY single blog post on their website about adoptions that had positive outcomes, I felt that this was really going to work! To be honest, John and I were complete skeptics by the time we made it to CAC. We felt we had been a bit battered and bruised by the adoption system and wondered if God really had it in the plans for us to become parents. We strongly questioned if we should just give up the thought of adoption all together afterall, we were a happy couple and truly enjoyed life together as just the two of us. But once again my drive to become a mom and John eagerly wanting to be a dad saidlet’s do this, let’s see if THIS is where God has our baby.
After only a few months we learned of a situation that seemed so perfect for us. A mom due in July who had a strong adoption plan. Over the next 5 and a half months we had the ability to connect with her and we could easily see how much she loved her baby girl, and wanted to do what she thought was best for her baby adoption. Our birthmom was the most caring and thoughtful woman I have ever met. She had a strong desire for John and I to be in the delivery room with her, to watch our baby come into the world, so that our bonding with her would startright from the beginning?. She selflessly asked that John and I hold the baby first,? and told us repeatedly,YOU are her parents?. We understand that this scenario is not how every adoption looks, and we have recognized the abundant blessings God allowed us to experience during this process. We look at Coralai and know without a doubt this baby was a gift from God and the graciousness of her birth mama will forever be a part of her life story.
We appreciate the growing pains we experienced along the way while anticipating our baby’s arrival- because they were just that- they were helping us grow closer to God and realize that His will and way are perfect, even when we desire something in the here and now and he says Wait?. In the end our waiting was rewarded with a beautiful 6 lb. 8 oz. bundle of love and joy! Thank you Jesus for your good and perfect gift!
Psalm 139:13-16?