Wonderful Start of a Beautiful Family
We always wanted a big family. We discussed having four children, and we wanted to have a blended family. But we knew the journey might not be easy. We looked into adoption as soon as we were able to. It was very important to us to be financially prepared for adoption expenses and to have a stable, supportive environment as we began the process.
When we found LifeLong, we were happy to find a place that supported same-sex adoptions. Throughout our journey, they were very supportive of us and what we were going through.
Since this was our first adoption, it was a lot to take in. It was a process to go through the home study, meeting the expectant mother, etc. There are a lot of unknowns at many stages of this journey. We spoke with the coordinators and several adoptive families along the way about their experiences and what to expect. We weren’t quite sure what to feel or how all of it was going to work.
We decided to surprise our friends and family, and we kept the decision to adopt from them until we brought Elliott home. They were delighted, surprised, and super excited for us. They’ve seen us as foster parents, and they knew that we were going to raise our son in a loving, supportive environment and be excellent role models for him. They were really happy for us to become permanent parents to our son.
A Smooth Journey
In the end, we know we lucked out. We are so fortunate that our entire journey was only seven months. We started in September, and by the end of March, Elliott was home with us.
Our son’s birthmother lived in Florida. We arranged a Disney World trip to go meet her in February after speaking on the phone and texting for several months. Immediately, we knew she was the one. We bonded quickly, and we even had similar views. She liked our personalities and how we intended to raise Elliott. Most of all, she was grateful and happy we were going to give Elliott many experiences she always envisioned for him.
All throughout her pregnancy, she kept us informed by phone calls or text messages. Elliott was not her first pregnancy, but he was being stubborn. She scheduled a stress test for the day after her due date as he still had not turned and was having a few other issues. However, before she could go for her stress test, she messaged us to head to Florida! She went into the hospital because she wasn’t feeling well, and they told her she was already dilated four centimeters. One of us jumped on a plane, while the other drove.
Ultimately, one of us was there four hours after his birth. When we met him for the first time, both of us felt pure happiness. He was so little and so perfect. Our hearts were full.
After the waiting period after his birth, we were delighted to come to a semi-open adoption decision, where we can share photos and progress with his birthmother. She gave us the most selfless gift to always treasure.
Wisdom from Our Journey
All throughout our journey, we thoroughly enjoyed every moment. We realized that we were new at this and simply went along for the ride. We now appreciate more than ever that it takes a village to raise a child. We were happy to have gone through foster parenting to learn to be parents first. We were also happy to prepare financially for this process. In the end, the community that we’ve built is what anchors us as a family. We are very grateful for that.
The Future of Our Family
Every day as we hold Elliott in our arms, we can see the vision of a beautiful large family that will include siblings for him because we want Elliott to share joy and camaraderie with his future siblings. This journey has made our family stronger, and we can see with each additional child, we will learn and grow as a family. We can’t wait to take our children into the world to experience the joys we want to share.