Our journey began December 2006 when my husband was going through infertility testing. Through the process we talked about the possibility of not being able to conceive and what were our options. We wanted to have a plan for the what if. John and I soon found out that we could not conceive, so we decided to adopt. We started the paperwork and process January 2007 with a private attorney, which we went through for about 2 ½ years. John and I waited for what seemed forever and never got a call from the attorney on any possibilities. However there was one birthmother that was contiplating choosing us for her unborn baby girl but chose another couple. This is when John and I decided to go a different avenue. In 2008 we chose to adopt through San Bernadino County. The process with the county takes one year for paperwork, process, classes and other procedures. Then the waiting begins. Anyone can wait the minimum of 2 years to the maximum of 5 years, if not longer, before they get a child. By this time we were professionals on waiting and God had taught us much patience through this waiting process.
On December 18, 2009 John and I were licesned and approved to be fostadopt parents. Fostadopt for those who don’t know is when a family fosters a child until the adoption is finalized. Then On February 18,2010 while at work, I received an unavaible call on my cell phone. I never answer unavailble calls, but God told me to answer it. I answered the phone and it was a social worker from San bernadino County Children and Family Services. She want to let me know that there was a Safe and Surrender baby boy, born Tuesday February 16, 2010, full Hispanic, waiting for a family. If we were interested to give her a call back so that a time for that day or the next could be set up to give a little more information about the baby. I was so numb, excited, and speechless that I could not say much. I told the social worker that I would give my husband a call and would probably be able to meet that evening. I called John and told him that he had to get off work because we were going to get a baby tomorrow. He was in denial. John thought that I was joking with him. He said, „no really what do you really need?“ I said, „I am serious. A social worker just called and said there is a baby boy, he is a Safe and Surrender baby, full hispanic. She needs to know if we can meet with her tonight or tomorrow. The social worker will call back and let me know the time.
That evening at 5:00 pm John and I met with the social workers that were handling that babies case. The socail workers told us that the birthmother went to the hospital and delievered the baby. The baby was orignally identified as a religuishement baby. The mother did not want to release any of the fathers information, so the baby became a Safe and Surrender baby.
The birthmother was young, and had an 11 month old and hid her pregnancy. She found out she was preganant when she was 5 months along. The birthmother had a plan for her life. She wanted to go back and get her GED and then become a lawyer. This birthmother had so much strength and courage to give the baby up for adoption, when she had another child. She knew she could not care for another child, so she chose life and gave him to a family that could.
After the meeting with the social workers, John and I were given time to talk, think and pray. God had already put in both of our hearts that afternoon to give the baby a family. John and I called the social worker that evening and told her that we would take the baby.
On friday February 19,2010 at 11:00 am John and I met the social worker at the hospital. We all went up to the NICU were John and I had to scrub in. The baby, now who we call Sawyer, was in the NICU for security purposes. We could not wait to meet, touch and hold OUR BABY BOY. Words can not describe that moment we met Sawyer.
On Thursay November 4,2010 Sawyer’s adoption was finalized. That day we were filled with emotion and excitement. We could not believe that Sawyer was finally legally ours.
