We’ve heard it said motherhood is a gift, a privilege. Natalie knows this to be true all too well and holds that thought close to her heart. Motherhood is something that Natalie wanted more than anything. She and her husband tried for many years to make this dream a reality. It was a long hard road of tears, disappointments, doctor appointments, and prayers. This is a familiar road for many moms.
She told me that there was a time in her life when her house was immaculate, almost like a museum, where nothing was ever touched. It’s funny because moms with a house full of kids dream of their house to be clean. She said, “It was during this time in my life, however, I was completely miserable.” She longed for a messy house filled with toys, sticky fingerprints, and dirty loads of little tiny clothes to wash. Instead of this, she stared at her perfectly clean house. There came a moment, a day she can remember that she and her husband decided to start the process at looking at other options of someday being able to be called mommy and daddy.
Natalie was ready for the journey of adoption. It was a beautiful and hard journey. It was not without many trials and years of uncertainty.
Along this journey, she found heaven’s help, love, a mother’s fight, a strength beyond her own, and a little baby girl to call her own forever. Natalie is an inspiring mom living the everyday moments with so much gratitude and joy. She is a truly a warrior mom.
Natalie’s Adoption Story in Her Own Words
“Once we made the decision to adopt a baby, our lives changed forever. We quickly filled out all the paperwork, took all the parenting classes required, and interviewed with several experts who would decide if we would be suitable parents or not. Finally, we were approved.
I remember over the next several months we talked to numerous young and scared birth mothers on the phone, who were desperately trying to decide who was most qualified to raise their baby. All the birth mothers I talked to greatly loved the child they had chosen to place for adoption. Their stories pierced my heart as they talked about how hard it was to be in their position. They all wanted what was best for their child. It was a kind of selflessness I had never witnessed. These women were amazing.
Before long, my husband and I found ourselves nervously waiting to meet face to face with the woman we hoped would choose us to be the parents of her baby. The meeting went well. She was beautiful, sweet, and charming. As we talked, we realized we all had similar family values and from there, everything seemed to fall into place. Her terms were if she chose us, we would have an open adoption. We agreed to email her with information and photos regularly and even suggested she could visit if it felt appropriate.
We developed a close relationship with the birth mother of our child. She was gracious enough to let us sit beside her when the doctor did an ultrasound exam and determined she was having a girl. We were thrilled!
I wish I could say the placement of our daughter went perfectly smooth. My husband and I took a step back, believing this wasn’t going to happen for us, due to unforeseen opposition during the adoption process. However, our daughter’s birth mother was very determined to do what was best for her child. She sought legal counsel and was able to safely move forward with her plans.
When our daughter was born, my husband and I were able to be there for the delivery, which we almost missed because we were pulled over by a policeman for speeding. After our daughter’s birth, the nurse handed me a swaddled beautiful baby girl. I was the first to hold my daughter and the first to feed her. That moment was completely indescribable. I became quite choked up when I realized my dream of becoming a mother was finally coming true.
Because my husband and I thought this day would never come, we quickly realized we didn’t have anything ready at home to take care of our new baby with. We soon left the hospital to buy supplies and make arrangements. First, we called our parents and absolutely shocked them when we said we were bringing home our baby girl. We hadn’t told anyone we might be getting our daughter for fear it wouldn’t happen.
Next, we borrowed a bassinet from our neighbors and then ran around town like chickens with our heads cut off, buying everything in sight that had “baby” written on it.
Finally, two days later, we were able to bring our daughter home from the hospital. That was a wonderful time… exhausting but amazing.
Several months later, we found ourselves in a situation no adoptive couple ever wants to see themselves in. Our daughter’s adoption was being disputed.
During this dispute, encouragement and support from our daughter’s birth mother remained strong. Over the course of many years, we were taken to court. There were times we truly thought we were going to lose our daughter. This was the most difficult thing we’d ever faced in our lives, but we refused to give up. Remarkably, things started to turn around. The courts finally threw our case out and around that same time, we found out we were pregnant with a son!
One good thing about experiencing such heartache is the ability to feel unbelievable happiness afterward. It’s hard for me to feel worthy of such happiness. It’s difficult for me to wrap my brain around how much love I feel God has for me. My 3,650 prayers pleading for a family had been answered.”
Her JOY
Natalie is a now a busy mom with a daughter and a son! She is like so many moms, always in the car shuffling kids to school and activities, going on family vacations, and cooking dinner that kids will eat. Natalie remembers too perfectly being depressed and miserable. Many days were long and scary. I asked her how she feels now and she calls it her “wonder years.” She loves being a mom.
She is so thankful to a birth mom that had such selfless love too. She said, “Her worst day was my best day.” Motherhood comes in a lot of ways, and we all have our story to tell and share. Each of us find somewhere deep within to fight and get up again and again. Here she is a beautiful mom with a perfect family ,and you wouldn’t know just looking at her what she has had to fight for, overcome, and create. She is a mother who loves and finds so much happiness in seeing sticky fingerprints and room full of Legos and Barbies all over the floor.
Natalie’s Quote
How Natalie Inspires
I love how she finds so much joy in the little things of every day.
I love how she shares a love and appreciation with the birth mom of her baby girl.
I love how she will spend countless hours on very tedious art or craft projects with her kids because she has an ability to see it all as such a joy.
I love how she lives with not letting all the little things get her down because it all just doesn’t matter or come close to the pain she knew before.
I love how she inspires by sharing her story to help and touch another mom who might find herself in the same situation.
I love how she shines with love and beauty deep from within.
I love how she told me, “Every day I wake up and have a boring normal day, I’m so grateful.” Goosebumps covered both of my arms when she said that. It’s so true! You know that feeling when the war of a trial is over and a rainbow comes after the storm. Thank you, Natalie, for sharing your story, faith, and heart. You are a warrior mom and truly inspire.
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