This guest post is by Christy, an adoptive mother and creator of the “We Match Hearts” wallpost.
My heart was broken when I found out I wouldn’t be able to carry a child. I’d gone through so much physically, and I wanted so badly to be a mother. My amazing husband took me in his arms and said we would adopt.
Our oldest daughter was born about a year later. We went to the hospital just a few hours after she was born and were ushered into a tiny room off of the nursery.
I stood in the center of the room as a nurse wheeled in a bassinet. I peeled back blanket after blanket until we could see her beautiful little face. She took my breath away and tears rolled down my cheeks. I stood there, taking in this miracle.
On a frigid night three days later, she was released from the hospital to us. We were a bit overwhelmed but ready. We signed paperwork and then went to the nursery. The nurses had carefully wrapped our new baby girl in enough blankets to keep her warm.
We left and confidently walked down the hallway with our daughter. We were parents! Just as we reached the elevator, alarms sounded all around us.
A frantic nurse jogged down the hall calling for us to wait. Our daughter’s ankle monitor had been left on. After checking over all the paperwork again, we left. The second time we were much less confident.
As she got older, she became incredibly concerned that our skin didn’t match. People would point out that we didn’t look alike and it started to bother her.
Personally, I think she hit the genetic lottery. From her birth parents she inherited deep brown eyes, thick brown hair and a perfect complexion.
She has always been very good at asking thought-provoking questions, and it seemed to always be when we are in public places. Once when we were in a restaurant, she pointed at our Hispanic waiter and asked if her birth father looked like him.
We had seen one photo of her birth father, and she listened intently as I described him. She soaked up the information, eager to know everything I did about her birth parents.
She struggled the most when she found out she had half brothers and sisters. She wanted those relationships. She asked to see pictures and laughed when she saw a half sister with very similar features. “We look alike!” she said excitedly.
When she brought up our differences, I would point out that our hearts matched. I said it flippantly the first time and then thought later of how true it was. We did match where it mattered, and that was all that mattered.
She is equally as beautiful on the inside, which I tell her is by far more important. She is kind, honest and witty. She genuinely cares about others and their feelings. We have adopted another beautiful little girl, and our oldest daughter is an amazing big sister.
For us, adoption meant one word: family. We share a life that is filled with so much joy. We laugh together, play together and love each other. We belong together and although we may not look exactly alike, we match hearts.
Christy is a graphic designer, art director and adoptive mom, and the creator of the “We Match Hearts” wallpost, which is available at her shop.. She loves being with her family, chalk drawing on the sidewalk with her daughters and eating cupcakes.
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