Dreaming of Adoption
Long before our adoption journey began, we talked about becoming dads through adoption. After settling into our forever home, perfect for family growth, the time felt right to start researching the process. We found LifeLong online and felt a pull to them and their success stories.
Not long after our profile was live, we received two expectant mother opportunities but chose not to move forward with either. Both had special circumstances that were outside of our comfort level. We wanted to stay true to ourselves during this process and felt confident with what we were able to handle as a couple.
A Fast Yet Magical Connection
After the first two opportunities, we were anxious for a third. When we were contacted with the next opportunity, we were shocked to find out the expectant mother was due in only three weeks. Before speaking with the expectant mother, we first spoke with her mom. We were anxious going into our first conversation since everything seemed to be happening so fast. We ended up having a great connection with the expectant mother’s mom and, the following day, started texting directly with the expectant mother.
Our conversation with the expectant mother went well and felt easy. We ended up also having a video call where we were able to “meet” each other. We spoke daily leading up to the expectant mother’s due date, getting to know each other little by little.
The expectant mother had a scheduled induction, so we headed to her home state the day before. We spent the day playing tourists and waiting for our time to head to the hospital. We were invited to the hospital after the expectant mother had been induced, and we were excited to meet her in person. We knew she was artistic, so we brought her a nice painting kit we gifted her when we met. We spent a couple of hours at the hospital with her, and when it was clear there would be no baby that evening, we headed back to the hotel.
The following morning, we returned for a couple hours, but again, with no progress, we headed to the hotel to wait for news. That evening, the expectant mother’s mom called us and told us it was time, and we headed to the hospital to wait! We were so excited when the expectant mother’s mom came through the doors and said, “He’s here! It’s time for you to meet him!” We headed back and saw our son, Grayson, for the first time and were overcome with love and joy. Grayson’s birthmother really wanted us there for his firsts, so we met him only minutes after he was born.
We spent the first couple hours of Grayson’s life with his birthmother and then took him to our own room. In total, we spent four days in the hospital, and during those four days, we spent much of our time with Grayson’s birthmother. It was so special to see Grayson with his birthmother, and the time we spent together was time we knew we would not get again.
We have been privileged to remain in contact with Grayson’s birthmother. We have shared photos and milestones and have video calls. We hope to see her soon for an in-person visit as well!
Staying Patient
While our adoption journey wasn’t incredibly lengthy, the wait time was still difficult. There were so many unknowns, and we had no idea how long we would be waiting. The anticipation was brutal at times. We had to continually remind ourselves to be patient and that the wait would be worth it—and it absolutely was. We cannot imagine life without Grayson and have his amazing birthmother to thank for that.