Editor’s Note: This guest blog post was submitted by adoptive mother and adult adoptee, Christine Wernquist, who shares their journey in the first of a three-part series. With her gracious permission, we have the privilege to feature this beautiful piece with you.
This is the first blog post of a three-part series. My prayer in sharing our story throughout this series is that families who are in the waiting will feel encouraged and to see how God perfectly knit our story together. Disclaimer: Our daughter’s birth mother has given permission to share details of our story. Some details will remain private for the sake of the intimacy of our journey.
Hello! My name is Christine. Adoption has always been part of my story, as I am an adoptee myself. My husband, John, and I always knew that we wanted to grow our family through adoption someday. Like so many couples, John and I faced infertility issues when trying to start our family. After a year and a half of trying and visiting fertility specialists, we were told we would never conceive naturally. We were also told that IVF and IUI would not be options either due to aggravating factors. We had a long weekend getaway trip to Gatlinburg planned, and we got the phone call from the fertility doctor the day before we were scheduled to leave. It was amazing how God had already lined up a space for us to getaway to and grieve.
Upon our return from Gatlinburg, we decided that it was time to pursue adoption. After countless hours of research, we landed on Quiver Full Adoptions. We immediately knew that this was the agency we were meant to partner with. We hit the ground running getting all of our required documentation in order, including our home study. Three of our friends who had gone through the adoption process all used the same social worker, whom they connected us with. I never imagined the bond we would form with her and how much she would support us through the entire process and years beyond. Flash forward a couple of months and we are placed on the waitlist with QFA. The very next day, which just happened to be our anniversary, Elizabeth called us to tell us we were placed on the active list! Twenty-six days later we got a call that an expectant mother had chosen us. I will save the details on how we got connected for the next post, but the short version is that a mutual friend of a friend saw our Hoping to Adopt Facebook page and shared our information with her.
We were cautioned of the risks of being chosen so early, considering she was only nine weeks pregnant. After an hour long phone conversation with her, we felt an overwhelming sense of peace and knew we wanted to proceed, no matter the outcome. The following months would end up being a journey we never expected.
We were so fortunate to be in the same town as our expectant mother so we were able to get together more often than not. Whether it was getting dinner together or helping her move, every visit helped build the foundation for a beautiful friendship. She was so gracious to invite me to her OBGYN appointments. I will never forget seeing that tiny little bean on the ultrasound for the first time. I cannot describe the gratitude I felt to get to be present for her appointments throughout her pregnancy, getting to watch this precious girl grow and develop in real time, especially since I never thought I would have the opportunity to experience pregnancy. I will never forget getting a phone call from our expectant mom at work telling me, “Christine, my water broke!”. I rushed out of the building and went straight to the hospital to meet her. She had invited John and I to be present for the delivery. After about twelve hours of labor and three pushes, the most beautiful baby girl entered the world. That moment is forever seared into my heart.
When I share our story, I often tell people that our adoption story is a bit of a unicorn story. The things we experienced are not common. It is not common to be chosen so early on. It is not common to attend so many medical appointments. It is not common to be asked to be in the room for delivery. I honestly believe it is quite rare to develop the type of friendship that we developed with our daughter’s birth mother. Everyone’s adoption journey looks different. There is not one story that is like another, which is a beautiful thing. My own adoption story is nothing like my daughter’s story.
No matter the story, it will be beautifully imperfect. The one perfect, constant force in our story is our Heavenly Father. Isaiah 60:22 says “When the time is right I, the Lord, will make it happen”. I encourage you to lean on this verse and trust in His timing.
*Post contributed by adoptive mother and adult adoptee, Christine Wernquist