Adoption Story: Adam and Amye

It was a joy walking with Adam and Amy on their journey to their son. When they started with Christian Adoption Consultants, they didn't know what was in store. After the struggles, the waiting, the praying, today Amye shares what it's like to look back on their journey.

“The pain that you’ve been feeling can’t compare to the joy that is coming.” Romans 8:18 

From our first failed round of IVF to our first “not yet,” those were the words I turned to over and over again. While true, those words brought much needed comfort on the most difficult of days, I’d be lying if I said I never struggled with believing them.

After nearly two years of infertility struggles, we had a new found hope in adoption, and were so very excited at the thought of growing our family in this most special of ways. As we approached a year of being “in the wait” and countless “not yets;” however, I began to feel that hope and excitement fade. But, as He always does, in His perfect time, almost nine months exactly (my mom pointed out) from our first time presenting, we got our YES!

I can’t tell you how many times we read in others testimonials or were told to “trust the process” and that “it will all be worth it.”  Well, as cliche as it sounds, we can attest that there is nothing more true! 

When I had the absolute honor to speak with our sons birth mom, she told me “I am so glad the others didn’t choose you, because I know you were meant for me.” And you know what? I am so glad too, because while I didn’t think the day would ever come, I can without a doubt, 100 percent, tell you that we would not change a single thing that led us to this child we are blessed  to call our own.

Adoption Story: Kevin and Hailey (again!)

I had the joy of walking with Kevin and Hailey on their second adoption journey (you can read about their first adoption here). This time they walked through adoption at the height of the pandemic, in the midst of a lockdown. But just like when they adopted their son, when they received "the call," all of the waiting and praying and hoping came together. And this time, not for one baby, but two...

We want to share our adoption story of how the Lord brought the sweetest blessing of twins to our family. They bring so much joy that we call them our double rainbow in the storm of Covid. We hope this adoption story brings encouragement to those interested in learning more about adoption and our desire is to give all the glory to our Heavenly Father who loves and cares for each one of us in the adoption triad. I want to be sensitive to the feelings of the birth family because adoption is bittersweet and born out of loss. No one prepares you for the pain and joy that bonds adoptive and birth families together. 

Adoption is a picture of God’s love for his children. We are chosen by him and wanted and given an inheritance. The adoption process is filled with so many emotions for hopeful adoptive parents…the waiting, hoping, and then finding out that “not yet” answer. We waited almost two years and went through one “failed match” to a little girl we had named “May.” The beauty of this is that we were able to pray for almost fifty expectant moms. Wow! Susan, with Christian Adoption Consultants, was such a help and encouragement every step of the way. It was overwhelming, and completely out of our control, which is a good place to be, where the only place to go is to God in prayer. As we continued to wait, Kevin and I decided to try foster care. I knew in my heart that we should wait and not try to control the situation and run ahead of God but I plowed ahead anyway. There were children in foster care that needed homes and I thought that would be a faster route. But I knew God was telling us to wait. After two foster care classes, God made it clear that we needed to stop. I gave up on adoption also and basically stopped the process and began to seek feeling content with where God had us and to focus on raising our five year old son and loving the family right in front of me. I love this verse from Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

Enter COVID-19 and the 14 day shutdown… As everyone was experiencing a new unknown, Kevin, began working from home and the best place to set up his office was in the former nursery. He had a great view out of the window as all the neighbors began walking around the block since you couldn’t go anywhere, and he had a great view of the crib. He began praying that God would answer our desire to adopt. The next day we had an email from our agency looking for a family to adopt a four week old baby girl and Kevin thought we should find out more. The world seemed to be shutting down and maybe we would be that family for this baby girl. But no, they had already found the perfect family for her, but they were trying to find a family for twins due sometime in April. They weren’t exactly sure of many details but I told the social worker that I thought we would be interested. The next day, I was letting my son ride his bike in the parking lot with his cousins (because we were all social distancing and if they were on bikes the kids couldn’t get too close), when my phone rang and it was the social worker calling to let me know that they would love to “match” us with the twins if we wanted to move forward. The babies were due in five days!!! Jaw drop! And the shocker! In New Orleans! WHAT?! You want us to go into the hotspot of Coronavirus? We hadn’t even let our son go play at his grandparents house yet, but that was all about to change. God gave strength and courage I did not have on my own. That night, at a Wednesday evening prayer service on zoom, we asked our church to pray for us as we began to prepare for a quick adoption, not knowing if the birth family might change their minds at the last minute. God was giving peace to our hearts and leading us to take steps forward in this adoption situation.     

The next four days flew by as we were doing additional paperwork, finding car seats, cribs, basinets, rock and plays, girl clothes, and diapers. Friends, and even strangers, were dropping off girl clothes, sheets, blankets, and baby basinets at our front door. Boy, the Lord provided every detail, and fast! 

Every time the agency would call, I automatically thought the expectant mom had changed her mind, but they would reassure me that everything was good and we should be ready to come and meet the expectant family on Sunday for lunch. Since this is the beginning of COVID-19, there were no restaurants open and parks had been closed. We met in the parking lot of a movie theater and in that huge concrete lot was a perfect shade tree for us to set five lawn chairs out for our first visit to meet the expectant family. What a sweet provision from the Lord. 

The Lord blessed the birth mom with a healthy delivery and recovery. Our time together in the hospital with the birth family was sweet and emotional. The baby nursery was closed due to COVID and the twins were brought to my room for me to care for them on my own. I felt on my own I wasn’t able to handle feeding, swaddling, diaper changing, and loving on two newborn babies but the Lord gives strength and answered the prayer that my husband, Kevin, could be in the hospital with me. We were discharged after 48 hours and said our emotional goodbyes to the birth family. God provided opportunity to share the gospel and to love on them through handwritten letters, texts, small gifts, and meals delivered to their room. Papers were signed and we were so thankful to make it home safely and healthy. Our extended family came and waved through the window to meet the twins for the first time.  

We finalized their adoption on November 30, 2020 with a limited amount of family due to COVID restrictions, but so thankful they could be with us to witness the testimony of the love we have for the twins and their birth family. We celebrated the twins first birthday at our home filled with family! We invited their birth great grandmother who we adore and have remained in communication with. It was a joy to watch her enjoy the babies and hear more stories of their family traditions. 

From the moment they were placed in our arms we have loved them with all our hearts. God has been faithful to us through the wait, hard times, emotional journey, and navigating relationships and we praise His name for the blessing of all three of our sweet children brought to us through the gift of adoption.