Adoption in the Calendar of Covid: Ryane and Joe's Adoption Story
In Joe and Ryane's Words:
It was December 2019 when we told our children we were thinking of expanding our family via adoption. The talk was a festive one and our youngest decided that this new baby was to be his most favored Christmas gift of all.
By January 2020 we started working with the amazing Fallon of Christian Adoption Consultants. All of our new years resolutions focused on classes, paperwork, home study prep, more paperwork, lots of prayer, did I say paperwork and teaching our youngest the art of patience. He had already begun telling anyone who would listen that he was going to be a big brother to a new baby girl. You can imagine my shock when the kindergarten teacher confronted me in the school valet line to let us know our Noah had told all of his classmates that he was getting a new sister named Olivia. Explaining the heartbeat of adoption to your kids can be beautiful but hard non the less.
We had always wanted to adopt but we never imagined the adventures of adoption in the calendar of covid. By March we were learning of the magnitude of this global pandemic. We immediately sat our sons down to explain that our adoption journey might be ending before it had even begun. With newly strained finances, home visits likely to be postponed and even taking family photos for a profile book all seeming impossible, we admittedly felt discouraged, but once again the faith of a child and their birth family restored our own. This time it was our then 12-year old who reminded us of a phrase we often say to him: nothing is impossible with God.
So we forged ahead and with adoption related activities happening virtually we were able to complete the rest of our adoption requirements via zoom. A tripod, a few back yard photos and our remarkably gifted adoption consultant, also aided us in our best attempt at a profile book all in time for our first (and our last) adoption case to be sent our way. This incredible expecting mom saw something in our family and said yes and suddenly our covid calendar included working out the logistics of coming alongside her despite being 2700 miles away.
In October of 2020 our baby girl (named Olivia like her big brother chose) was born. We flew out a week early during the height of the pandemic. With an extended Nicu stay it was an additional 6 days before we got to see our daughter. All of the lessons we tried to teach our boys about patience and the promises of God were put to test during this trying season. In a hotel room adjacent to the hospital God reminded, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer.”
It is now a full year since our adoption in the calendar of covid began. Our daughter is 4 months old and that picture that our now first grader drew with his baby sister is colored and complete. He has also added her birth mom to the picture. We are forever grateful for the heart and bravery she has given that fortifies our daughter’s spirit. For many people 2020 was a year filled with trials and uncertainty “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
If you are thinking of adopting, even during a season where the entire world is fluctuating, hold on to your faith. Adoption is a messy, multi-layered experience, but at its core adoption is a story of love. We are inspired by the love of our birth mom, motivated by our love for our daughter, and we are thankful for the love extended to us by Fallon and the team at CAC. Our baby, now nicknamed “Liv,” nestled up to her brothers this Sunday morning, is a testament to God’s love for us all.
***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me, Fallon Palacios, at Fallon@christianadoptionconsultant.com and check out www.christianadoptionconsultants.com for more information!! ***
