How it all began...
2nd Time Around
Not too long after having what we felt was an "easy" first adoption, we were ready to continue growing our family through adoption. Since our first adoption was not with Angel, we figured the second time around would be different, but we had no idea just how different. We started the journey hopeful and excited.
When we found Angel Adoption online, we quickly discovered that they were a good fit for us. Our wait was long. During the 27 months, we trusted in the process. But getting to that point was extremely difficult.
Thankfully, our family and friends were there to help support us throughout the process. They stayed engaged, making it easy to lean on them in times of need.
The Wait
To say the wait was challenging would be an understatement. The more time went on, the more hope we lost. Before we matched with our daughter's birth mother, we had just a single other opportunity and it was brief. We had given up almost all hope. For a while we even put our lives on hold, which made the wait seem even more lonely and difficult.
The Call
The day that Angel called us to let us know we had been chosen by an expectant mother, the world stood still. We dropped everything we were doing and focused on her and only her. Through a shared love for plants, and especially tulips, we built a foundation. From the beginning, we were committed. Communication was smooth and sometimes simple, but in the best way.
We were able to plan our travels and make it to our destination the night before the birth. That night we met some of the birth family for dinner. It was a beautiful moment and one we are still so honored to have as a close part of our journey. Over dinner we bonded and learned about things we had in common. What a way to start off!
Unfortunately, the hospital was full, so we were unable to have our own room. While the birth mother was being induced, we stayed in the waiting room. While it wasn't ideal, we were happy to be so close.
Love at First Sight
Meeting our daughter for the first time was love at first sight. An indescribable feeling, really. We noticed her beautiful dimples, just like her birth mother. Since we were only able to stay at an Airbnb, we visited the hospital nursery as often as we could until she was released. We were in the birth state for about two weeks, giving us just enough time to settle and, most importantly, see our daughter's birth mother once more before traveling home.
Keeping in touch monthly and sending yearly photo updates are just part of the continued communication we honor with our daughter's birth mother. We value our relationship and have even become Facebook friends. We try to honor our daughter’s birth mother the best way we can and will always have such admiration for her; a love meant to blossom.