It Was Jack All Along: Our Adoption Story

Looking back at my college years I would do some things differently. Not taken myself so seriously...Enjoyed my friendships more...Maybe even pick a different major.   When I think about my adoption journey, just like those college years, I see some things I would do differently.  I would try so much harder at not taking things so seriously, take the intensity down a notch. I would look for moments of joy, because I was convinced the adoption process was a “joyless journey.”   And I would put more faith in the people around me, because I didn’t trust my circle enough.  In this way, I think Chris and I handled things very differently from one another. He was able to talk to his family, friends, and coworkers about what the adoption experience was like. It wasn’t hard for him to share, and he didn’t mind. People could ask him how it was going and he wouldn’t freeze up or change the subject. He trusted his support system in all the areas of his life.  For me i...

That telephone call was a shot across the bow. It was as if God was telling us that He could drop a baby off at our house at any time with no warning. This realization came to me as Kristen and I walked our dog around the block that night, trying to make sense of what had just happened. I don’t think very many couples imagine they will be saying no when a call comes in that could lead to a baby being placed in their home. The circumstances were somewhat unusual in that the birth mother was not connected to our agency, but was a friend of a friend of a relative. Even so, it wasn’t supposed to happen like this. Our agency told us that on average it would take between 3 and 6 months after our home study was completed before being matched with a birth mother. We had been relying on that timetable and planning accordingly.  As the saying goes, “If you want God to laugh, make plans.” It was during this walk that Kristen and I recognized our trust had been on the wrong thing. We we...

The first time we got a call about a possible adoption opportunity we were not ready. We were right in the middle of our homestudy process, still checking off boxes on a never ending to do list. I think if you had asked me then if I was ready to become a mom I would’ve said absolutely! I was excited for a child to enter our lives and make us a family, ready to hold a baby in my arms, maybe even ready to actually meet a birth mom (eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeks!).  Then one sunny day in October a call from my sister changed everything.  I wasn’t surprised to get her call, I had planned a trip to see her in Las Vegas  where she lived and had a flight booked for the following week.  But she wasn’t calling to confirm my travel plans, she was calling about a baby. A baby that hadn’t been born yet, a birth mom who wanted to make an adoption plan but didn’t yet have prospective parents in mind.  A baby that was due within the week. I remember standing in my kitchen moving in slow...