It’s important to celebrate those who have come into motherhood in one of the most beautiful and unique ways. Through the journey of adoption. We spoke to one mother who detailed her adoption journey for us. She shared all the happiness, fear, and excitement adoptive parents feel along their journeys. Here, we celebrate Courtney Ray’s adoption story:
The sun wasn’t up. My husband and I were waking from a restless night’s sleep to the day that would change our lives. There was no possible way to describe the feelings. We were overwhelmed, anxious, and excited about what would come that day. And we loaded into the car, coffee in hand, for our last car ride as a family of two.
We anxiously arrived at the hospital at 6:15 a.m. and looked around. The agency instructed us to arrive 15 minutes after the birth mom had arrived. The weight of the situation started to hit. Knowing that our daughter’s birth mom was there too, getting checked in to deliver our baby.
We headed inside the large lobby only to find no soul working at that hour. On the labor and delivery floor, we were greeted by the sweet photographer we had hired for the day with the hopes we might somehow be able to capture all of the feelings we treasure forever. Once more, the hospital was barely staffed, and we sat in the cozy waiting room. Shortly after that, our families arrived, and there wasn’t an empty seat in the waiting room.
Changes to the C-Section Plan
We had arrived for what we thought was a scheduled C-section since our little girl had been breech the previous week. The agency instructed us at about 7:30 a.m. that all was going according to plan and that we should be meeting our daughter for the very first time in one short hour after the C-section. I could barely process the information, which was just as well because 15 minutes later, the agency let us know the baby had turned and the birth mom would be induced. We knew then that we were likely in for a long day in that little waiting room.
We patiently waited all morning and passed the time by chatting, having my dad make multiple Starbucks runs, and being entertained by our precious niece and nephew. Lunchtime came and went, and we still had very few updates. Tyler and I were not about to leave the hospital in case something were to happen quickly, but I definitely started to feel anxious. After what seemed like an eternity, we were finally told at 4:30 p.m. that there were signs of progress. At this point, I had almost grown comfortable and accustomed to the waiting, and now the nerves started to set in.
Finally, Time To Meet Our Little Girl
Suddenly, at 4:50 p.m., the doors to the waiting room swung open, and we were told, “I have some news! We have a room for you and need you to come now.” Our world stood still for a moment, and we didn’t know exactly what to do with ourselves. But we hurriedly grabbed what things we could find. We rushed back to the room next to the delivery room where our daughter would enter the world.
There is no way to prepare for such a moment mentally. We had just put our things down in the room when I completely lost it. The weight of the two-plus years of infertility and waiting, the self-induced pressure of having to be strong and keep it together all that time, the dreams I thought I would never actually realize finally coming true. A moment later, we heard a door open, and in walked the nurse rolling a cart in with OUR BABY.
That moment was powerful. I had been sitting on the hospital bed, told we would do skin-to-skin time right away, and felt paralyzed there for the moment. The agency instructed us to walk over while the nurse did the initial checks. We did, and then we saw HER. No words. I had to stare in complete disbelief and wonder. She was here, and she was ours.
The Moment I Became a Mom
I quickly rushed back to the bed to get ready for skin-to-skin. The nurse brought her over and put her down on my chest. That was the moment I became a mom—the moment my tiny, 6-pound, 1-ounce little girl came crashing into our world. I was so overcome with emotions. I had dreamt of this moment for so long, yet I’m not sure I had ever pictured it being quite so beautiful. God had orchestrated our family in a way I had never imagined before.
The beauty and the power of that moment felt like His way of saying, ‘Thank you for being patient, for ultimately trusting My plan.’ We had stretched and opened our hearts wider than we thought possible, opening ourselves to the possibility of growing our family through adoption, and in an instant, she filled every ounce of space in our hearts.
Everyone Celebrates Our New Family
After a few minutes of holding her and cherishing our first moments together, we invited our families in, and the tears flowed once again. Years of support and shoulders to lean on came through that door to celebrate our new family and share in our adoption story.
Then, it was Tyler’s turn for skin-to-skin, and watching my husband melt over our tiny little girl was magical. Years of being so strong for us and wanting this so deeply shown on his face. He was so in love, and it was beautiful to witness.
That evening, as our families left and shared quiet moments as a new family, I was overcome with deep gratitude. I knew the gift of motherhood was the greatest gift I had ever been given, in the form of our perfect little angel. I knew I would never forget the blessing.
Overwhelming Love
My adoption story continues in the early hours of the following morning. I would stare at her, still in disbelief and with overwhelming feelings of deep love. The lullaby station played “It Is Well With My Soul.” Through my tears, I thought there couldn’t be a more perfect description. The deepest parts of my soul were WELL. Not just well enough to make it through to next month. Not well enough to sport a forced smile. Truly and deeply WELL. Tyler and I were discussing our journey through infertility, heartache, and never being able to picture how the family we wanted so desperately would form. We talked about the magical gift we had been given, and I will never forget when he said, “She is enough; she will always be enough.” And it was true.
And Now It’s Official
We had enjoyed many precious moments as a little family in the hospital and were approaching the 48-hour mark when the papers would be signed, and she would officially be ours. The birth mom had granted our every last wish to become parents through adoption, and I had such an overwhelming sense of peace that day. The papers were indeed signed, and we loaded into our car, now a family of three.
We are so grateful to the birth mom who made the hard choice and gave us this incredible gift. We are thankful for her courage, and for making a sacrifice, we can’t fathom. She brought the most beautiful life into this world and gave us the most cherished gift. And we are thankful God brought our lives together in such a profound way.
I sincerely hope ours is a story of hope and encouragement for those considering or currently going through adoption. The adoption of our sweet daughter was the most beautiful experience we have ever had. It’s a story of God’s provision, long-awaited answers to prayers, and beautiful new beginnings.
