Monday, November 09, 2009

Adoption Month

November is national adoption month. In honor of it I thought I would share some personal journal entries from last year. These are entries during the time we were communicating with our birth mom. I decided to share them with you because adoption is so tender to my heart.


March 2008 -
...We’ve finally been approved. Now we just pray and wait!

Aug. 26, 2008-
...Scott called me twice at work and then text me. I was in the restroom and didn’t realize he had called until I got the text. I immediately called him back. He told me we had been contacted by a birth mom. He wanted me to be the one to respond to her email.


Sep. 18, 2008 -
...Right now, at this moment, there are some major changes taking place in our lives. We are making and encouraging some life changing decisions. I lay awake at night trying to fight the fire that is licking its way up my esophagus (heart burn) and trying to keep myself busy as to not die out of anticipation or wonderment. I’ll keep you posted!


Sep. 22, 2008-
Dear Scott and Shawna,
I hope you find this e-mail rather exciting. I have thought and prayed much about this. I have talked to my case worker and my family about it also. I feel very comfortable with you and have loved talking to and getting to know you two. I can tell that you guys have the light and truth and love for each other and everyone around you. I have thought very deeply about my decision. I have decided that I want you two to raise my baby. You would be perfect parents for this baby and I know that you would love him with all your hearts and you would raise him in truth and righteousness. This is very important to me…
… Once again, I would like you to be the adoptive parents of this baby boy. I know that you guys will be amazing parents. I am so glad that I had this opportunity to find the right couple and to get to know you!

Love, C


Oct. 8, 2008-
...Yesterday, after work Scott went over to the agency and picked up the Ultra sound pictures that C sent. At first I didn’t know how to take it. It just seems all like a dream and that any minute I’ll wake up and cry because none of it is real. But it is. It’s real. And As I kept looking at the picture of our future baby I finally was able to feel the reality. I cried. I hope I’m not guarding my heart too heavily so as to not allow this to become the beautiful thing that it truly is. I realize this. I think it will all change when my family finally knows...



Oct. 17, 2008-
...Our families all know our good news. They are so happy for us...
...I feel like hugging C forever! It’s almost like I want to make her apart of my family because of what she’s giving to us. She’s in a way like family. She’s giving us our family! May the Lord bless this selfless soul. We love her!



Dec. 5, 2008-
…We are all about the adoption this year and next year it will be all about our one year old! Very exciting. I remember thinking last year (2007), “what will next year hold and does it include a baby?” YES, YES It does! Words cannot express our joy. I feel like this year is all about us. I hope I can be aware of those around me who are in need so I can somehow repay the Lord for all of my blessings he’s given me. And what do you know, I keep asking for more!!!

Dec. 15, 2008-
… We asked Bishop Oldroyd during our tithing settlement if he would help us find a place to stay while we are in Illinois waiting for our baby to be delivered. During our communication we were able to make arrangements through C’s Bishop, Bishop Call, for a family there to allow us to stay in their home while they are on Holiday to Florida…
… Scott and I cried tears of joy when we found out from Bishop Oldroyd that we have a place to stay when we go pick up our son. We have no idea what we’ll do for this sweet Warner family to show our appreciation. I’m now looking rather forward to our upcoming adventure. With things working out where we need them to we just feel even more blessed. We pray that as we prepare for this trip that no further glitches will take place. I know we need to expect a few more, but nothing that will discourage our spirits...

Dec. 22, 2008-
Dear C,
… As we sit down to write you our last email before we meet you, we are overcome with emotion. Today we have been thinking about you a lot. What you must be feeling right now. The emotions and probably heartache you must be experiencing during these last days leading up to your delivery. Our prayers and heart go out to you. We love you so much! We will never be able to put into words how thankful we are to you for what you are doing for us. Awesome is the luckiest baby ever. Not only is he going to be loved by us, but he will also know how much love you have for him as well.
… As the days lead up to Christmas we also hope you can enjoy this sacred holiday with your parents. You deserve comfort and peace and we pray that you may have angels round about you during Christmas and during your delivery. We are anxious to meet you, hug you, and shed tears with you. This is a life changing moment for all of us. More then anything we just hope and pray you know how much you mean to us!

May the Lord be with you forever, especially during this time.

Love to you always,
Scott & Shawna

Dec. 30, 2008-
…We were all down in the lobby of the hospital. C got up from the wheelchair and placed Awesome in my arms as we all wept. This was the most heart wrenching thing I’ve been through; a birth mother placing her child in his adoptive mother’s arms. I still couldn’t believe I was the adoptive mother. What a privilege. We placed Awesome in the car seat and went for another round of hugs and sobbing. Scott went out to pull the car up as we waited inside. Once the car had pulled up this is where we parted. C watched as we placed Awesome in the car. She said, “Please take good care of him” I vividly remember C turning to her parents and stoically asking, “Where are we going for dinner tonight?” As we drove away with our new son I cried harder then I ever have; out of great pain and immense joy…


Adoption is a Miracle!



I also liked this video about adoption. Enjoy.


8 comments:

  1. Shawna, your family is AMAZING! AMAZING! We love you oodles and are so grateful for the beautiful woman who helped your family to grow and gave you the most beautiful and priceless gift! You are the best mom I have ever seen and your son is the luckiest most blessed boy to be yours eternally!!!! Thanks for sharing this. From my experience as an adopted child- it helps me to see the process you went through and the PURE love of Christ that you have for the birth mother AND your son! Love you!!!

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  2. Such a beautiful post Shawna. Thank you for sharing your personal thoughts from last year. I am so ecstatic that you and Scott have been blessed with Awesome. You are wonderful people who deserve to be happy.
    Thank you for reminding us all what a blessing it is to be a parent. I know I will hug Madeline a little closer today because of it. Of course, I may pop her head off if I do that, so maybe I will just keep hugging her like I was doing before. I love you guys!

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  3. Well, I am officially bawling over here. Beautiful post. Jonas is currently trying to "cheer mom up" by making the stuffed animal puppy come and bark at me sweetly. I know those seem like two unrelated comments, but really it is to say that these are such precious things in our lives. I loved this post- we love that Awesome is a part of our big family and know he could not be blessed with a more wonderful set of parents.

    We love and miss you guys!

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  4. What a sweet post! Thanks for sharing your journal entries. It's great that you wrote all your thoughts and feelings through the adoption process.

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  5. Such an amazing journey for your family! How blessed all of you are. Thanks for sharing such a personal part of your life.

    p.s. Addi loves that little guy!

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  6. Sitting here at three in the morning, reading you, bawling my eyes out,I don't think there is another experience on earth that compares to "the handoff"...such deeply personal sorrow and inexpressible joy. We're all so blessed.

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  7. I wish you knew how ironic it is for me to read this post right now. I've been thinking about adoption non stop for the past week...I didn't know it was National Adoption Month and yesterday I had a mother tearfully explain to me how wonderful her experience was with her adoption...I have chills after reading this. Thanks for posting!

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  8. We did the adoption 5k at Sugarhouse park the other day, (i guess it's been a month now) and I thought of you and your precious little family. My mom was adopted, my nephew was adopoted, and what they say it totally true, It's all about love!

    I'm off my blogging break just in time to move up to Idaho. Next time you visit Yellowstone, or the Tetons or are headed up north for any reason, jot me an e-mail, and you have a free meal, comfy bed and hot shower.

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