A Lifetime of Preparation for That One Day
All my life I dreamed of one thing: being a mother. I knew that I would be a mother one day no matter what, and starting in high school, I began to have an intuition it would be through adoption.Over the years, I’ve had several family members who have adopted their children. Less than two years ago, I knew the time to adopt was now, and I started researching where to start.
As a single parent, I encountered more barriers than usual when I tried to adopt. When I found LifeLong, however, I just had a positive feeling about it. The people there made me feel supported and cared for. As a single parent, feeling a sense of equality in this process is priceless, and LifeLong gave me that from the beginning.
The Emotional Preparation
From the beginning of the journey, I trusted things would fall into place. I run the family farm with my brother, and our work tending to our land taught me how to weather the ups and downs that nature frequently throws at us. At those times, we simply trust there will be both good years and bad years. We don’t make immediate plans, although we always have long-term plans. This skill of being able to trust the process came in handy for me throughout this entire journey.
Even though my adoption journey had been a very smooth journey, there were points when things didn’t work out as planned. There were also points when I had to simply wait. Rather than stressing about the outcome, I decided early on to simply live my life. I didn’t buy anything for the nursery for a long time, and I avoided thinking about it or talking about it. I went out with friends, traveled, and went about my normal life.
The Big Day
I connected with an expectant mother shortly before the baby was born. We talked on the phone a couple times before the birth. The birth was supposed to be a scheduled C-section, but there were complications. When I received the call she was to have a C-section a few weeks earlier than planned, I packed up my suitcase, got into my car with my mom and dog, and drove to the hospital. Thankfully, I had relatives in the city where Willa was born. They welcomed me with open arms and helped me with the journey of taking her home. Willa is truly a blessing for my entire family!
At the hospital, I finally met her birthmother, and we were very comfortable with each other. She knew the moment she saw my profile that I would be the mother of her child. We embraced each other naturally.
In the delivery room, I felt like I was dreaming. Classic rock music played as Willa entered the world, and I helped to cut the umbilical cord. I was in a state of shock when Willa came out. I couldn’t believe she was finally here and my family was complete. As I held her for the first time, it just felt natural, and I knew God had brought us together.
The Family That’s Meant to Be
Our family is exactly as it should be now. I knew life would be different and truly wonderful with a baby. However, I had never known the sense of completion I felt after Willa joined my family. I embrace this sense of completion every day now. Through this entire journey, I’ve learned the strength of my faith. It’s carried me through the ups and the downs. My faith is my source of strength, and there’s no way I could have gone through this process without faith.