Two months before our wedding, we found out I was pregnant. It was a shock since we thought it would be hard for us to have children. We were overjoyed. We had our dream beach wedding, then came home ready to start our life together, find a house, and prepare for our baby girl, Kinley Mae.
At first, everything looked perfect. We decorated her nursery with pink and dreamed about her future. But at 20 weeks, during a routine scan, the doctors noticed something with her heart. Soon after, they suspected Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and later found signs of a fatal chromosomal disorder. We decided to wait for answers until she was born.
The following months were filled with tears and prayers. I begged God to heal her, but I also began to accept we might lose her. My hope was just to meet her and hold her alive. At 37 weeks, doctors couldn’t find her heartbeat clearly, and I was rushed into an emergency C-section. She came into the world weighing just 4 pounds and 12 ounces.
God gave us ten precious days with her. She was later diagnosed with Trisomy 18. She taught us that joy and grief can live together, and to live in the moment.
A year later, we felt ready to grow our family and decided on foster-to-adopt. Once our license was approved, we welcomed a tiny 6-week-old baby into our home.
A. We loved her deeply, but after five months she was moved to her forever home. It was heartbreaking, but we focused on the joy of knowing she left us loved and secure.
Just weeks before losing Baby A, we had learned we were chosen to adopt Chloe, our nephew’s biological sister. At 15 months old, she became ours. She helped heal our hearts. Soon after, we got a call for a newborn, Baby K, and we said yes, even though we had planned not to take infants. Two months later, we were asked to take in a 3-year-old, M, who needed a forever home. Suddenly, we had three girls under three years old.
On Valentine’s Day in 2019, we officially adopted Chloe, celebrating the moment with our loved ones gathered around us.
My husband told the judge, “We needed her more,” and he was right. She completed us. Now, M’s adoption is just weeks away.
Through infertility, loss, and change of plans, we’ve learned to trust God and choose joy. Our life may not look like we once imagined, but it is full of beauty, love, and purpose.
