The phone rang and Mrs. Dana’s name popped up. The last couple of calls had been phone calls of encouragement and love after a painful disruption… I took a deep breath and answered the phone.
This call was a little different. We were told that there was a wonderful birth mother out there, and she had viewed our profile and was trying to decide between two different families. Ours and another.
My breath caught in my throat. “A little girl….” Mrs. Dana told me.
I choked back tears. I had been open to whatever, whoever, from wherever…but something inside of me soared at the thought of a daughter…
What they don’t tell you about adoption is that every match feels like a positive pregnancy test, and every disruption along the way feels like a loss…
I sent up one of those “Nehemiah” prayers. Then she began to tell me about Jerry. She told me how kind he is and how understanding he can be of both birth mother and adoptive mother. I told her that I would wait for his call. Not a day or two passed, and Jerry’s number lit up my phone. We had a wonderful conversation.
I told him of my fears, heartbreaks, hopefulness, and love that I already felt for birth mother and baby. I told him my husband was very reserved. He feared heartbreak, and he also wanted to protect me…
Jerry was completely understanding. He held our hands and prayed with us through every single step.
Eventually, we set up a call with our birth mother and got to know her. We hit it off immediately. She wanted what was best for this beautiful girl, but I told her of the immense gift she was giving us. This precious child that we had prayed so hard for over the past year. We eventually set up a physical meeting and we sat and talked with Jerry and our daughter’s birth mother for hours.
I loved her. I wanted to know her. I longed to connect with this woman and let her know how loved and thankful I was and still am!
A couple of weeks passed, I bought all the outfits. I prayed, cried, prayed some more. I talked with family and friends. And one Monday morning, after deciding to sleep in late, Jerry called us. We talked for a while. He chatted about procedures and whatnot, and all of a sudden, he dropped the bomb: “She’s at the hospital. Her water broke.”
The blood drained from my face. I got to taste what husbands go through when their babies are being born. I began moving frantically. A woman from church came over immediately and began straightening my house up (it was in chaos from packing for camp). My dad drove down (FOUR HOURS) to pick up DJ, and we began booking it for our baby girl.
The drive there was quiet & prayerful. Jonathan and I dared not say a word… When we got to the hospital, my heart was pounding. In the back of my mind, I still knew that this wonderful mother could back out, and if she did, I needed to be ready to support her in any way she needed me.
Jonathan and I sat in the waiting room with Jerry right next to us for what seemed like decades. Jerry kept our minds off of waiting and chatted with us about life, work, and anything under the sun.
Finally, we heard the news: our daughter had been born.
My goal that night was not to rush in and grab this sweet little girl but to help our birth mother through this day. Even though she was giving us a gift, it was a tough gift to give. I knew I loved this little girl the minute I heard about her, but I choked back tears as her birth mother asked me to take her.
She was perfect. Her tiny toes, her dark hair. She was perfect because I had waited so long to have another baby in my arms. My heart felt full.
However, we still had another 48 hours to go before we could sign any paperwork. Those hours were challenging, but I wasn’t afraid…
- Because Jonathan was there with me the entire time.
- Jerry wasn’t going to leave our side, nor would he stop taking care of the birth mother.
- And mainly — my God was an ever-present peace that passes all understanding. I was at peace with whatever happened because I knew in the end, God’s got me.
We were allowed to stay at the hospital with the baby during those 48 hours. We got to know her and love her even more. We even got to spend some time with the birth mother and her [other] children.
On a Thursday morning, we signed the papers, and this little bundle of pink became Briella C. She was our baby. She belonged to us. CFS gave us gifts, took pictures, and cried alongside us as we kissed OUR daughter for the very first time.
Since she was born, we have kept in contact with her birth mother and Jerry.
I cannot express how thankful I am for CFS. They made what can be a complicated process so easy — even while we were trapped out of state for nearly three weeks. But that’s another story for another time.
Sacred Selections and CFS helped bring our baby home — and a HOST of so many others that love us and have followed our story.
How I wish I could fit in every detail, but some things are better kept in the heart.
We can’t imagine how different our lives would have panned out if I hadn’t listened to one of my best friend’s advice and sent Sacred selections that message on January 25th.
~ Anastasia, CFS Adoptive Mom (2021)
Are you pregnant and want to learn more about your options, modern day adoption, open adoption vs closed adoption vs semi-open adoption? Are you curious what the adoption process looks like? Do you want to learn what the Florida adoption laws are and what rights you have? Are you curious how adoption doesn’t mean you just “give up my baby”? Call/Text CFS today to get answers to your questions and get the information you need to make the best decision for YOU and your baby. We know adoption isn’t right for everyone. We also know parenting at this time is not always right for everyone. That’s why it’s important to learn what and how adoption works & community resources available to you so that you can make an informed decision
Contacting and/or meeting with CFS does NOT, in any way, make you committed to working with us or creating an Adoption Plan.
We are ready to answer your call or text to discuss judgment free options with you. Consider your options for your unplanned pregnancy. Call or text 24/7 to speak to a case worker. Call: 800-226-2367 or Text: 352-600-2138
UNDERSTANDING POSITIVE ADOPTION LANGUAGE: Blog posts of CFS are written using words people search for if they are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. To reach women and provide options to them, we use language our SEO agency suggests, not the positive adoption language we prefer to use! We consider women making an adoption plan as wanting to place her child with an adoptive family, but many times she first uses words like “give my baby up” for adoption.
