"With each 'no,' Becca would remind us that we were 'one step closer to our match.'"

Dan and I tried forever to get pregnant but it seemed like God had a different plan for us. After many failed attempts we took a long break and just enjoyed each other. As much as I loved and enjoyed that time I always felt like something was missing, our family was just not complete. Every time a friend posted a picture of their baby on Facebook or a new pregnancy update, or when I saw a new mom out with her baby, it broke my heart.

I longed to be a mom.

So with a little encouragement from my Aunt Barbie, we attended an adoption conference hosted by the Chicago Area Families for Adoption (CAFFA – If you live in the Chicagoland area and are looking into adoption, I highly recommend it). I learned so much and for the first time truly felt ready. My hesitation was gone. So after a lot of talking and researching, Dan and I began the process.

We reached out to an agency and Rebecca from RG Adoption Consulting, who we had met with at that conference, and knew we had the start of our team. Becca’s mode of signing up with a number of agencies with lower application fees in hopes that our profile would be shown to more expectant mothers, really resonated with us.  And boy did our profile get shown!

We never expected to present for so many adoption situations…and to hear the words “I’m sorry you weren’t chosen” so many times!  One expectant mother left the agency, one we met through Dan’s work, which sounded like a sure thing…until it wasn’t, one no longer wanted a married heterosexual couple and instead preferred a single mom or a gay couple. With each no, Becca would remind us that we were “one step closer to our match.” I’m not sure how we would have gotten through all of that rejection without Becca’s words of encouragement. She knew it would happen for us when we weren’t always sure. Becca never waivered.

Keeping our heads up and continuing to believe that God had a baby picked out for us, we just had to be patient and trust that He would guide us. We would end up presenting another 8-10 times before we got the answer we had been praying for…we were chosen! It felt like it had taken forever, but in hindsight, it took only 6 months from the time we started our adoption journey.

Shortly after finding out we were matched, we had the chance to communicate with our expectant mother via text and FaceTime. Dan and I were extremely nervous! But the conversations were going so well, that together, we decided to meet in person. So Dan and I traveled to meet the woman who would eventually make us parents. Meeting her was amazing!

Two days in the hospital. Two days of the worst beds ever. Two days of dealing with nurses who didn’t want this adoption to happen, trying to convince our birthmother otherwise. The hospital was the worst! But we got through it.

Two days after this sweet baby girl was born – then we were free, and she was ours!

While we were waiting to get word that we could take our daughter home, we tried to make the most of our time in Texas. We even had our first professional photo shoot! Also lots of trips to Target and lunch with Sarah Boucher, another adoption consultant with RG Adoption Consulting. That was a nice treat.

Our flight hit the ground back in Chicago at 10 pm and our entire family was at the airport to welcome our sweet girl home. And what a welcome it was! There were tears, signs, laughter, hugs and a ton of snuggles that night.

We were finally home! Addy was finally here.