We both individually felt that God would lead us to adopt at some point in lives prior to starting dating. After we got married, we soon began talking about this together and knew this would be part of God’s plan for us, especially as Chelsea has a medical condition that could make pregnancy risky for an unborn child.

One February, God’s calling became more prominent, and we knew we were ready to begin the process for a newborn adoption. We looked into Adoption Agencies in Florida and felt a strong pull towards CFS. Their mission fit perfectly with our vision. We loved that they care about each member of the adoption triad. Specifically,

we loved that CFS Case Workers take such good care of Expectant Mothers experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, regardless of the ultimate outcome.

We applied with CFS in March and began the process of filling out paper work, obtaining references, and working on our home study. We were approved and placed on the waiting families list in May of that year. Patience is not always our strong suit, but we knew God was calling us to this for a reason and we needed to wait on His plan and timing.

We reminded ourselves that this journey is not only about us but also about the birth parents, the child, and all of the other people that would be affected by this adoption and our story. We were cautiously optimistic and slowly gathered items that would be necessary for taking care of a baby, should we end up having a surprise call.

We were first called in July about a potential match with an infant girl that quickly ended. We matched again in October with an expectant mother for about 4 weeks, but ultimately that match did not go through either.

Both of these events were hard for us, but we knew this was part of God’s plan and that the right choice was made in each instance. CFS checked on us and took care of us in both situations, and we were further assured we had picked the right agency as we watched them continue to love and care for the mothers and babies as well.

We were comforted when we heard the story of God parting the Red Sea in a completely new way. We learned that it was likely God parted the sea from the opposite side and that it took all night. The Israelites wouldn’t have seen how God was going to save them until the very last minute. We felt our story might mirror this.

Sure enough, in February of the following year, we were called that there was a sweet two day old boy that we were being chosen to parent! This was the baby we were meant for, the baby God had us wait for. The baby we dreamed of and prayed for as we rocked in the new rocking chair in our empty nursery and now get to rock in that same chair.

As soon as we met him we knew every minute, every twist and turn of the roller coaster was worth it. Even parts of our life experiences and journeys that led to this point seemed to have more clarity!

As he continues to grow, each day our love for him grows deeper, and we can’t imagine our journey having turned out even a tiny bit different! We are so thankful to CFS for walking with us every step of the way!