Our Adoption Story

Well, ours is about as atypical as you can get, but in a wonderful way. I found out in Dec. 2006 that I had a heart condition my whole life and never knew it. I had gone in for foot surgery and found myself at a cardiologist within the week and still with a bum foot. I was not put on any medication but was told to monitor how I felt and call if I had any problems. I didn't think it sounded like a big deal. So in January I met the love of my life and we were married in June. Now when I had gotten my divorce from John I had made a pact with myself that IF I ever got married again, my new husband would have to be ok with my kids and if he had any, his kids, being the only ones. I just didn't think any more kids were in my future. I prayed for a man that would love my children as his own. Boy did God answer that one. David is the best step father I know. But this changed something in my heart. David did not have any biological children. I saw how much joy the girls gave him and knew he deserved the chance to have all the experiences he missed out on. So we started trying to conceive. That's when I started having more and more problems with my heart. After a very bad "episode" my cardiologist made the decision that he could not recommend another pregnancy because he could not promise that my heart would not be damaged. I had to think about the kids I did have. I was heart broken and went home and headed straight to bed where I cried for the rest of the night. I can't imagine the heartache my friends who have miscarried have faced but I know how it feels to grieve for the baby that could have been. I woke up the next morning determined. David and I had discussed adoption on the very first day we had met. We were both open to the process. I knew this was the path God had for us all along. Then my mom got sicker. She had been diagnosed with Multiple Myleoma and her kidneys had failed. My father had died of cancer and my grandmother had died from complications resulting from dialysis. And now my mother was battling both. It was hard on her. She had been independent her whole life and had raised us alone since I was 2. So she decided to stop her treatments and passed away 2 weeks later on August 4, 2008. Adoption was still on our minds but I needed some time to grieve for my mother. So in December 2008, we started filling out paperwork with an agency one of my best friends had used. We finished our home study on January 31, 2009. The next day I was driving to work listening to KSBJ like I always do and heard the song While I'm Waiting by Josh Wilson. I prayed a silent prayer that I would be patient and fully trust in Him while we waited for our baby. I knew He was in control. Well, 9 days later I got a call after school from David saying that I needed to come home immediately. Being me...I wouldn't leave until he told me what was going on. He asked how soon I wanted a baby. I was dumbfounded. He explained that the agency had just called and they had a drop-in placement. A baby girl was leaving the hospital the next day and she was ours if we were ready. I raced home after letting my principal know that I might not be back for 3 months:) The agency sent us a picture on my phone. We looked at her and knew she was the one we were supposed to have. So we made a mad dash to Target to get the basics because I had gotten rid of all my baby stuff! We filled up 2 shopping carts! The next morning we left at 6 am and got to Dallas about 11ish. Then we met our baby girl. She was beautiful. We met her birthmother who is also gorgeous and her grandmother (you know it...gorgeous!). When we told them our story, Grandma began to say, "Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord!" I knew this was right. She settled into our family and has provided so many laughs, so much love, and has strenghtened our trust in God. On January 7, 2010, she became officially ours. We love her and she lights up a room like no other:) I feel God leading me down the adoption road again. I pray I can hold on to the trust in Him Kierstin gave me. More updates on that later.