I've always known I wanted to be a mother. It's something that's just always been inside of me. Of course, I also work with kids every day. I don't know too many teachers who don't enjoy children and want their own. Josh and I had talked about a family early on in our relationship and I was so glad we were on the same page. He's such an amazing guy and I could see his "daddy" qualities when he played with my cousin Stella or anytime he was around children. I just knew he would be the perfect father.
The day we found out having our own biological children was probably not going to happen was a sad, sad day, and that's all I'm really going to say about it. We decided to just enjoy our first year of marriage together and push pause on starting a family. 6 months later, we realized how very selfish we'd been and how badly we wanted to be parents. It took time, but we were finally able to see that biologically having children is just one way to become parents. That wasn't the way God wanted us to be parents, so we set out on the road less traveled.
We did some research and went with a California-based company we learned about through a friend. The month of February was a complete whirlwind of home studies, background checks, physicals, copies of pay stubs, etc. I often got frustrated with all of the hoops we had to jump through to become parents but when we received the call on July 9 learning we'd been chosen by a birth mom, all my frustrations melted into tears of joy. Right there in the Panera parking lot on a three-way call with my husband and the adoption agency, I heard the lady say, "You're going to be a mommy and a daddy." I just completely melted.
One and a half months later, Josh and I were speeding through Kentucky on our way to Missouri to get there in time for our baby's arrival. We drove all night, got there at 4:30 a.m. , and Ryan Michelle Lynch entered the world at 6:10 a.m. on August 24, 2013. We were there when she took her first breath and it was the most amazing moment of my life and I will never, ever, EVER forget it. My eyes filled with tears (just like they are as I'm typing this) and my heart filled with unspeakable joy as Josh and I held onto each other and watched the nurse wash her off and take her measurements and vitals. When she handed her over to me----I can't even describe it. No words. Just emotions. And a lot of them.
And that, my friends, is a very short summary of how we came to be a family of three. There was sadness, worry, anxiety, loneliness, and many highs and lows along the way. But the second she arrived, every tear, every sleepless night, and every panicked moment become worth the amount of joy and love she filled our hearts with. I love this little precious, perfect girl every single bit as much as if I'd carried her for 9 months. She is our daughter through and through.
I wouldn't change a single thing about this journey. NOT ONE SINGLE THING.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
