Dear Holly (Feb 2012):
Right now, you are excited. You and Jon have just made the decision to grow your family by adoption. You feel relief that you won't have to risk your life to grow your family. You feel excitement. You feel hopeful. You feel motivated. You are ready to tackle this home study full force and grow your family.
Let me warn you - you have no idea what you are about to begin. While the home study seems daunting and never ending, it's the easy part. In all honesty, that entire first year is the easy part. They're going to tell you that the wait will be two to three years and you'll be hopeful that they are exaggerating to keep you from getting your hopes up. You'll think surely it will happen sooner. Trust me - it won't.
The next three years will be the hardest of your life. Everything you've been through leading up to this point will seem like a breeze. This will be the hardest trial of your life. You will question everything. You'll want to give up at times and will think its never going to happen.
There will come a point (because it's taken so long) that you will have to update your home study. The home study that seems so doable and that you're so motivated to finish now will seem so much harder. You'll think it's pointless and almost (just almost) decide not to do it. Again, trust me. Just do it.
Baby showers and pregnancy announcements will be the hardest. You'll find it's often hard to be happy for others because you wonder why it couldn't be you. You'll find that someone pregnant with their first doesn't seem to bother you as much as seconds, thirds, fourths, etc. You'll have to learn to hold back emotions and do a lot of pretending. I know you're not good at that, but you'll have to try.
You'll meet a birthmom that you think is your child's birthmom. It won't go as planned and you'll be crushed. Trust me. That wasn't your baby.
A little over 3 years from now, you'll hit your lowest low. You'll think its never going to happen. You'll decide that God doesn't want you to have your heart's desire and you'll try to get willing for His will. Hold on and don't give up just yet.
May 15, 2015, will be the day you have been waiting on every single day between now and then. You'll get the call that you have a daughter. May 17th, you will meet her.
Let me tell you, Holly. Every single heartache, trial and worry will be completely worth it. You'll realize that it was all leading you to the perfect child to complete your family. She'll almost worship Dakota and he will her. She'll be a Daddy's girl at times and Mommy's baby at times. You'll watch her sleep and look back at the times you were so heartbroken and know every single day of waiting was worth it.
Prepare yourself. It will be a hard road and you'll be stronger on the other side. You'll feel like giving up but don't. Because the me that's writing to you now watching your daughter sleep while Jon and Dakota are talking in the next room knows her heart is full and it's all completely worth it.
Love,
Holly (Feb 2016)
PS. You'll decide that Emma (the name you've had picked out for a girl since before Dakota was born) is not her name. Instead, you'll name her Sarah after Sarah in the Bible.
PS. You'll decide that Emma (the name you've had picked out for a girl since before Dakota was born) is not her name. Instead, you'll name her Sarah after Sarah in the Bible.
