Be Still & Wait Patiently
The time of waiting
certainly was not easy. At times, we wrestled with whether we were supposed to
be or if we even wanted to be parents at all. We were told when we began the
process that it could take 3 months or even 3 years. As we ventured the long journey of infertility and adoption, people would often say, "you two are so young, just enjoy being married." While we appreciated the thought behind these words and many others, they did sting at certain points. This time is not for the faint of heart, and ensued much pain and heartache. We are ever grateful for the family and friends who remained by our side and prayed with and for us. From the very beginning of the adoption process, we prayed fervently that God would be made much of and glorified mightily! š We praise our sovereign Lord that His timing is indeed perfect. The 4 years spent as husband and wife prior to the events laid out below were absolutely wonderful, and allowed us to build a solid foundation in Christ prior to becoming parents. 
On April 2, 2018, we were hanging out with two of our sweet nieces. We missed a phone call from the social worker who was on our case at the adoption agency. We could hardly believe our ears when we listened to her voicemail that said, “I was calling about a possible placement about a birth mom that we’re working with. So, if you could please give me a call back…” Our hearts leapt. Could this be it? Millions of thoughts rushed through our minds. Wait, slow down, don’t get your hopes up. We hurried up and called her back and she filled us in on some info about the birth mom and her situation.
The prospective baby was to be born May 30th, and the mom had previously adopted out a child, so we were given a tiny ounce of hope. One of the factors involved with adoption is the possibility of needing to pay some sort of living expenses. They were very upfront early on that this case may require a good amount of these. However, we continued on in the process. We knew for a fact, with all of our hearts, that if this was the baby that we were meant to welcome into our home… The Lord would provide in miraculous ways – financially, emotionally, and spiritually.
Once we agreed to move forward and meet with the birth mom (we’ll call her Hope), all of the next steps felt like a rapid speed whirlwind. Just a few days later, we met at the agency’s office in the conference room. We were told that a neutral location was preferred, which totally makes sense. The huge conference table at the office felt a little bit uncomfortable for us. We could only imagine what Hope was feeling. The owner of the adoption agency (we’ll call her Robin) facilitated the meeting for us. She asked each of us questions and also encouraged us to interact on our own. We felt like we were in some sort of job interview, and could definitely tell that Robin had done this many, many times before. She was a true professional, very matter-of-fact, and was very helpful throughout the entire process. At the end of our meeting, Hope said that she would like to move forward in allowing us to adopt her baby.
We ended up driving Hope home afterward and stopped for some food on the way. Eating at Olgas was a lot more relaxed than the feel of the conference room. She opened up a ton more, as did we. It was such a great opportunity to find out more about her life, family, pregnancy, and much more. A couple of days later, we learned from the birth dad that the baby was to be a GIRL! We began dreaming of her beautiful face and what we would name her.
Initially when we met
Hope, she did not seem interested in us going to her doctor appointments. About
a week later when Hilary had the chance to get together with Hope, she invited
her along to her next appointment. Hearing the baby’s heart beat for the very
first time was a breathtaking experience. We thought, “This precious life is
the one that we could potentially, very soon call our own baby girl!”
It was at the first appointment that we also met one of Hope’s sons. He was a year and a half and the sweetest, happiest little boy. Jordan stayed in the waiting room with him, while Hilary was in the doctor’s office with Hope. There were many mixed emotions as we attended this first visit: fear, hesitant excitement, nervousness, and much joy. We were grateful that she so graciously allowed us to attend such an intimate part of her life.
The days and weeks continued on as we prepared for our baby girl’s arrival. There were intermittent get-togethers as well as doctor visits scattered throughout. We initially thought Hope was due on May 30th, but we later learned that the baby was actually due on May 6th which led to more of a scramble. In between all of this, Hope was displaced from her home, leaving the agency/us responsible for finding her suitable housing. This turned into a very eventful evening with us running to various stores to find cooking ware, cleaning supplies, and a few other household essentials. We found this very important to make sure that Hope felt well loved and taken care.
Multiple times prior to Hope’s due date, we went for long walks at malls, parks, and just around the neighborhood. We cherish this sweet time that we had with her and her son, getting to know them better at each encounter. On April 26th, we received a call at 10AM from Hope, letting us know that it was time for her to be picked up and brought to the hospital. This ended up being the first of two false alarms. The second was on May 6th, the baby’s actual due date at 1AM. The three of us walked tirelessly around the hospital for three hours, trying to induce labor. Turns out it wasn't quite time for baby girl to make her entrance into the world. We headed home, just in time for a 5AM taco run. š At least we improved our duration of time from home departure to hospital arrival with each baby drill!
The third and final call was on May 12th – Birth Mother’s Day. We had just finished shopping for flowers at Block’s in Romulus, Michigan in the pouring rain. It was comical to us how everyone was so angry about how wet they were getting at the greenhouse. We were definitely running on pure adrenaline and excitement for what was to come. Along with some flowers, we were able to get together a few final touches for a basket we were putting together for Hope. There truly are no ways to adequately say “thank you” for such a life altering, unforgettable, sacrificial gift.
On April 2, 2018, we were hanging out with two of our sweet nieces. We missed a phone call from the social worker who was on our case at the adoption agency. We could hardly believe our ears when we listened to her voicemail that said, “I was calling about a possible placement about a birth mom that we’re working with. So, if you could please give me a call back…” Our hearts leapt. Could this be it? Millions of thoughts rushed through our minds. Wait, slow down, don’t get your hopes up. We hurried up and called her back and she filled us in on some info about the birth mom and her situation.
The prospective baby was to be born May 30th, and the mom had previously adopted out a child, so we were given a tiny ounce of hope. One of the factors involved with adoption is the possibility of needing to pay some sort of living expenses. They were very upfront early on that this case may require a good amount of these. However, we continued on in the process. We knew for a fact, with all of our hearts, that if this was the baby that we were meant to welcome into our home… The Lord would provide in miraculous ways – financially, emotionally, and spiritually.
Once we agreed to move forward and meet with the birth mom (we’ll call her Hope), all of the next steps felt like a rapid speed whirlwind. Just a few days later, we met at the agency’s office in the conference room. We were told that a neutral location was preferred, which totally makes sense. The huge conference table at the office felt a little bit uncomfortable for us. We could only imagine what Hope was feeling. The owner of the adoption agency (we’ll call her Robin) facilitated the meeting for us. She asked each of us questions and also encouraged us to interact on our own. We felt like we were in some sort of job interview, and could definitely tell that Robin had done this many, many times before. She was a true professional, very matter-of-fact, and was very helpful throughout the entire process. At the end of our meeting, Hope said that she would like to move forward in allowing us to adopt her baby.
We ended up driving Hope home afterward and stopped for some food on the way. Eating at Olgas was a lot more relaxed than the feel of the conference room. She opened up a ton more, as did we. It was such a great opportunity to find out more about her life, family, pregnancy, and much more. A couple of days later, we learned from the birth dad that the baby was to be a GIRL! We began dreaming of her beautiful face and what we would name her.
 |
| One of our last date nights before baby's arrival! |
It was at the first appointment that we also met one of Hope’s sons. He was a year and a half and the sweetest, happiest little boy. Jordan stayed in the waiting room with him, while Hilary was in the doctor’s office with Hope. There were many mixed emotions as we attended this first visit: fear, hesitant excitement, nervousness, and much joy. We were grateful that she so graciously allowed us to attend such an intimate part of her life.
The days and weeks continued on as we prepared for our baby girl’s arrival. There were intermittent get-togethers as well as doctor visits scattered throughout. We initially thought Hope was due on May 30th, but we later learned that the baby was actually due on May 6th which led to more of a scramble. In between all of this, Hope was displaced from her home, leaving the agency/us responsible for finding her suitable housing. This turned into a very eventful evening with us running to various stores to find cooking ware, cleaning supplies, and a few other household essentials. We found this very important to make sure that Hope felt well loved and taken care.
Multiple times prior to Hope’s due date, we went for long walks at malls, parks, and just around the neighborhood. We cherish this sweet time that we had with her and her son, getting to know them better at each encounter. On April 26th, we received a call at 10AM from Hope, letting us know that it was time for her to be picked up and brought to the hospital. This ended up being the first of two false alarms. The second was on May 6th, the baby’s actual due date at 1AM. The three of us walked tirelessly around the hospital for three hours, trying to induce labor. Turns out it wasn't quite time for baby girl to make her entrance into the world. We headed home, just in time for a 5AM taco run. š At least we improved our duration of time from home departure to hospital arrival with each baby drill!
The third and final call was on May 12th – Birth Mother’s Day. We had just finished shopping for flowers at Block’s in Romulus, Michigan in the pouring rain. It was comical to us how everyone was so angry about how wet they were getting at the greenhouse. We were definitely running on pure adrenaline and excitement for what was to come. Along with some flowers, we were able to get together a few final touches for a basket we were putting together for Hope. There truly are no ways to adequately say “thank you” for such a life altering, unforgettable, sacrificial gift.
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