Rebecca's Family
At the beginning of 2018, God led us to pursue adoption. We had a biological son and knew that adoption was the way to grow our family. Initially we looked at foster to adopt, but no doors opened. As we prayed more, God led us clearly to adopt a child with Down syndrome.
We had our home study at the beginning of 2019 and were on the NDSAN registry by March. Throughout the next two months, we were notified of several children. Even though we always said yes, the birth parents selected someone else. However…
One bright Saturday morning at the end of June we were notified of a baby that was just born in Florida. That next day we were told that the birth parents wanted to have a phone interview with us on Monday! We cannot describe to you the overwhelming sense of joy knowing that we were being considered. That next day we immediately had a strong connection with the birth parents and knew that this was the family with which we were to be forever connected.
On Tuesday we were on a plane down to Florida and that night we held baby Rebecca in our arms for the first time. She was by far the star of the NICU and the nurses were literally crying when saying goodbye to her, as she had stolen all of their hearts. It did not take us long to see why!
We were blessed to meet the birth parents, and just as on the phone, there was an immediate bond. They definitely are like family to us and we are looking forward to continuing to have them as part of our lives as we all enjoy the process of watching Rebecca grow. They thanked us over and over for being the parents of their child, but we feel so very blessed that they chose us for this amazing gift.
Rebecca is the most contented baby we have ever known, and she provides such joy to us. Her brother, Joshua, adores her, and is constantly saying, “My baby sister is so cute!” Our families, and our church, have welcomed her with open arms and she now has the biggest adopted family imaginable!
Stephanie has been a joy to work with and the NDSAN has been an incredible resource. While the financial aspect of adoption can be overwhelming, through the various grants available at NDSAN, GLADS, and other places, the money part became very manageable and we are forever grateful! While our life with Rebecca has just begun, we cannot imagine life without her!
June 2023
Rebecca is doing very well. She has graduated from physical therapy, and is excelling in both speech and occupational therapy. She loves life and is loved by everyone around her. She loves pretzels and would live on them if she was allowed. Right now, she loves Cocomelon, which was the theme of her birthday. Her birth mom is going to spend a few days with us in July. We talk to them once a month and are weekly sending pictures.
