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12 yrs ago this month my husband and I were childless with no hope of being parents.

Rose in BC
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Rose in BC

Rose in BC

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At the beginning of May in 1996 my husband and I took a cruise from Acapulco to Vancouver with my parents. We had no children and after years (8) of infertility and trying we were going to map out different plans for our lives. Alot changed in the week of our cruise.

 

We had docked in San Diego mid-trip and I decided we should leave the ship to phone home where my nephew was dog sitting our basset hounds (our pseudo-children). Towards the end of the conversation my nephew says "oh yeah, someone named so and so is trying to get ahold of you". My knees began to shake. That some one was the worker at the adoption agency we had registered with two years prior. I hung up the phone to tell my husband and we agreed it was probably a formality call -- you know, checking to see if our info. was current, etc. So I called from the docks in San Diego. That call changed our lives forever. That day we were told by the worker that a young couple (teenagers not seeing each other any more) had selected us to adopt their, as of yet unborn child. Would we be able to meet them on May 14th in Vancouver. We live 400 km as the crow flies, 1500 driving kms away from Vancouver. Our cruise shipped docked in Vancouver May 13th and we were flying home May 15th. We had a one day lay over in Vancouver May 14th. We are Christians and we don't believe in luck . . . God's providence shone brightly in this experience. All the events unfolded in ways we could never have planned.

 

Needless to say the rest of the trip was a right off. We didn't have much info. and we didn't know that they wouldn't change their minds. We were in a constant state of anticipation . . . what if they did choose us. What if they didn't choose us?

 

May 15th arrived and we met this couple at the adoption agency. They were so young but had some incredible questions for us. (Of course, we felt like we were going to die. We were so desperate we did not want to make a "mistake" answering questions in a way that would make them not like us.) After our meeting we went home where we had to wait. The baby's due date was June 7th. They would call when she was born and when they made the final decision.

 

It was a crazy, emotional time. Maybe we would become parents. Maybe not. On June 3rd I was sitting at my desk at work when the agency called to say that the baby had been born May 28th and that we should come pick it up June 7th. The birth mother wanted to phone us herself that night to tell us the sex. Well my co-workers, who knew nothing, thought I was dying because my legs were shaking so hard and I could barely breath. Our dream was unfolding.

 

At 5 p.m. the phone rang at our house. "Hello, this is "birthmom". I want to tell you, you have a baby girl."

 

That was a Monday evening. Friday evening we met at the agency with the birthmom and her family and the birth dad and his mom and they handed her our precious gift.

 

And life has never been the same.

 

My dad cried the day we brought her home and within that year my dad died of leukemia (not diagnosed until a few months after the birth of our daughter). He got to see me become a mom and got to meet our bundle of joy.

 

Today she is 12.

 

(When my son turns 12 next month I will continue the story on how his adoption is related to our daughter's adoption.)

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cricket1178

cricket1178

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And I'm anxious for the "rest of the story";)

 

I have a 12yodd, too. She is such a blessing to me. I'm still wiping the tears from my eyes for all of you; the birthmother, her family, the birthfather, his family, and for you and your dh and family. We serve a very BIG God!

 

Happy birthday to your daughter, mom.:)

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Laura Corin

Laura Corin

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What a lovely story. On the other side of the Atlantic, on around this day, I was meeting my husband at a coffee shop in the City of London to inform him that, after eight years of infertility, and without any medical intervention, I was pregnant. Calvin was born in December.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

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Rose in BC

Rose in BC

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It always amazes me how many people are touched by infertility and by adoption and I can completely empathize with the sheer magnitude of both of these issues. It's a marathon at times!!

 

Anyway, our celebrations are over today and I am touched by the many responses to our story. We had a lovely day. I'm very emotional because I see the move from young childhood. Where has the time gone!! I have to say, however, in many ways I am really enjoying this age too (most days :glare:). Parenting is journey.

 

For one month I am the mom of a 12 yr old, and 11 yr old and a 10 yr old. June 28th my son turns 12 and the celebrations continue.

 

And yes, I'd better change my signature line.

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Lisawa

Lisawa

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Oh that brought tears to my eyes. What a beautiful story! So sweet.... God is so good...

 

 

 

At the beginning of May in 1996 my husband and I took a cruise from Acapulco to Vancouver with my parents. We had no children and after years (8) of infertility and trying we were going to map out different plans for our lives. Alot changed in the week of our cruise.

 

 

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Laura Corin

Laura Corin

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Thank you. It was quite a ride. DH didn't really believe he had a child until several months after Calvin was born. He kept forgetting, because the idea was so foreign to him. He had believed himself unable to have children for over ten years by then.

 

Hobbes took a while coming too, and I had the satisfaction of calling up the fertility doctor, on whose long waiting list we were, to ask him to cancel the appointment because I was pregnant again. Perfect.

 

Laura

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Rose in BC

Rose in BC

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Sometimes the situation seems so hopeless and then a miracle happens. I still marvel at the fact that I have three children. I sit at the dining room table and recount the many years my dh and I sat it alone.

 

Even after my daughter was born we figured she would be an only child becuase we had adopted her through a private agency and knew we couldn't afford that again. Then our boys were added to the crew.

 

Life is good.

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Rose in BC

Rose in BC

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I'm 43. I've had a hysterectomy. I have three beautiful children. And sometimes I still grieve over the loss of my fertility. It's such a loss of control over an area of life that so many people are able to take for granted.

 

And still, as life unfolds, you treasure the miracles that do happen. It takes time.

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