The adoption process for Eric and I took longer than we ever thought it would. It took us a year to find the right agency, almost a year to complete the paperwork and we were in the system waiting 2 years and 3 months when we finally got the call! During this process, my biggest worry / concern was would I connect with the baby, will I feel that he/she was my child? How will that connection be made? Well when we got the call and were told to come to the hospital the next day to meet our daughter and sign all the paperwork it was the most joyous and honestly scariest feeling. Then it happened, the moment we laid eyes on our daughter, the love, bond, and all those fears went out the window. She was our daughter!
Becoming a family of 3 at our age (42 at the time) was an adjustment. We no longer were the couple that could just go and do anything, our lives now were all around Skylar. From all the sleepless nights (she could not sleep unless held for the first 7 months of her life) to learning how to care for a tiny human and tailoring our lives around her schedule was honestly the best feeling we have had. We were (and still are) exhausted and having the time of our lives. It is also very emotional for us. We took Skylar to Disney on Ice this year and I sat there with tears running down my face. This is what I’ve always wanted, what I always pictured – this is our dream come true.
Last year was many “1st”, first Christmas, Easter, etc.… this year though was more emotional as she now understands a bit being 2 years old. Every day is just a blast! Watching Skylar grow up in front of our eyes and seeing everything that we dreamed about come true, still feels like a dream! Eric and I have been trying to have a family for over 6 years and now that we are living our dream, it feels like a dream! We haven’t had to fully change our lifestyle such as we always loved going to nice restaurants in the city. We still go and now bring Skylar! She has become a foodie quickly and its just cool to see her brunching with us at our favorite places!
If anyone is reading this and wondering if they should go through the adoption process, I cannot put into words enough how much you should do it! It is a very expensive, long, exhausting and emotional process. However, it is the most rewarding and beautiful process you will ever go through! We spent 3 years doing IVF and then 3 years for our adoption journey and I cannot thank the Gods above for giving us the strength and power to see it through. There were many times we wanted to just give up when we had to go for all our clearances again, fill out the adoption paperwork again, sit through classes, again. But the fact that in the end, we ended up with our amazing, strong-willed, funny, silly, and such a sweetheart of a girl, it makes us cry. I am beyond words grateful every single day that we did not give up on the process, that we did not give up to the length it was taking.
Allison, Eric, and Skylar at a Phillies game circa 2019
