Motherhood is something I pictured for myself, even back when I was a kid.
I loved children and believed it was my purpose in life. In 2009, after finishing high school in Norway, I went to Panama to serve with Youth With A Mission. That is where I met Bryan. At first, I found him annoying and quarrelsome but over time, everything changed.
Three years later, we reconnected on Facebook. We talked every day, and eventually, I moved to South Carolina so we could be together and study.
Just before I left Norway, I had an ultrasound because of stomach pain. The doctor found a tumor in my uterus. I was really scared what I feared most was not being able to have kids.
It turned out to be a fibroid, not cancer, but I needed surgery, and they could not guarantee i had be able to get pregnant afterward.
After the surgery in 2014, recovery was tough. But two months later, Bryan proposed, and we got married that September. I began taking pregnancy tests often, but they were all negative. Then one day, on my birthday, I finally saw the word “PREGNANT.” I was overwhelmed with joy!
In October 2015, our daughter Isabella was born. She had some breathing issues at first, but she was beautiful and strong. When Isabella was just 8 months old, Bryan went on a military deployment for a year, and I got a glimpse of single motherhood.
After he returned, we officially became foster parents.
Around that time, I found out I was pregnant again. Our son Andreas was born in March 2018. My mom gave him a wool blanket she had made years before, believing I would have a child one day.
That same year, we welcomed two foster daughters one was a newborn, the other was two. Suddenly, we had four little kids, all younger than four! Life was hectic, but our hearts were full.
In July last year, we found out I was pregnant again our surprise baby! Soriah was born in February, right before my 30th birthday. This pregnancy was hard. I went through anxiety and depression, but support from my family and prayer helped me get better.
There were moments I doubted I could care for all the kids, but I could not imagine giving any of them up. All of our kids are deeply loved. Right now, we are working on adopting our two foster daughters. The journey has been tough, but every part of it has been meaningful and worth it.
Motherhood is my calling. I believe God lets us face more than we can handle, so we learn to trust and rely on Him.
And through everything he has been faithful.
