Our Adoption StoryCristina & Abel

Navigating the Unknowns

When we decided we were ready to expand our family, we turned to adoption. We did initial research online and found Angel. We spent time reading through their profiles and appreciated how they represented families. After an in-person meeting with their staff, we felt as though Angel’s program was the best fit for us. We were hopeful and excited when we started our adoption journey, but we were also nervous. We knew there were many unknowns, and we weren’t sure what to anticipate.

The Right Connection

About six months into our wait with Angel, we received a call that our profile had been chosen by an expectant mother. She was in her second trimester and had recently found out she was pregnant. She had her mom’s support through the adoption process, and they had actually looked at family profiles together. We found out she was in school only a couple hours from us, and we were optimistic about the opportunity.

We started texting with her immediately and felt almost an instant connection. That same weekend, we drove to meet her in person and went to lunch together. She invited us to be part of her doctor’s appointments, which Cristina was able to attend with her.

As we got closer to the expectant mother’s due date, we started discussing her birth plan, and we knew she preferred her mom in the delivery room with her. The night before the expectant mother went into labor, we had the opportunity to meet both her and her mom, and her mom was so gracious and appreciative toward us. We had agreed to hold off on going to the hospital until the baby was born, and it was quite possibly one of the most difficult waits of our lives. The birthmother was the one who actually called and let us know her son had been born, and we headed to the hospital immediately.

The hospital provided us with our own room, and we had to wait about one and a half hours before meeting our son, Abel. When the nurse brought him in to us, we were instantly in love. He was absolutely perfect and had the sweetest brown eyes. Abel’s birthmother had chosen not to meet him, but his maternal grandmother did. We did not spend time with Abel’s birthmother in the hospital, at her request, but we were open to the idea had she asked.

After being discharged from the hospital, we spent one more night in Abel’s birth city before heading home. We will admit, it was the most nerve-wracking drive of our lives. We could not wait to get him home and introduce him to his home and room.

A Slower-Paced Relationship

Abel’s birthmother initially asked for a closed adoption, which we absolutely wanted to respect. However, it also was important to us that Abel know his birthmother and her story, so we have left the door open for communication. We have left the invitation on the table for her that if she ever wants to join us for major celebrations, we would love to have her. She has reached out a couple times for photos, which we are thrilled to share. We are happy to move at her pace and support her as she feels comfortable.

A Perfect Fit

While our adoption journey was fairly straightforward and without complications, it was still an incredibly emotional one. We had to remind ourselves to remain positive and keep our faith that the process would work for us. We always knew we wanted to be parents, but we had no idea how much we wanted Abel and how perfectly he would fit into our family.