If You Ever Need a Choice: A Gifts of Grace Birth Mom Story
September 26, 2018
If you’re thinking about adopting a child, you’ll face joys, challenges, waiting, and a big blessing for your entire family.
In this post, adoptive mom Kristin shares her story about Faith’s adoption — and how her little girl is thriving.
Adoption has always been a part of our lives.
Both Matt (my husband) and I have younger siblings who were adopted, so it just felt like a natural way to build our family. While we were in college, we talked a lot about how our family would end up looking and how we’d thought adoption would be a part of it. During this time, I had worked with a little boy who had Down syndrome, and from then on, I knew in my heart that one day a child with Down syndrome would be a part of our family.
Fast forward 10 years, and after having three biological children, we felt like the time was right to add a much-anticipated, much-longed-for, and much-loved child to our family through adoption. Two of our boys have varying degrees of special needs, so we felt even more confident that our home would be a perfect fit for a child who had some extra needs. We completed our home study and registered with the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network (NDSAN) as a waiting family.
We were hoping for a little girl who had that extra special chromosome.
We heard from Gifts of Grace Adoption Support Center in Lafayette, Indiana about a little girl, yet to be born, who had Down syndrome and a heart condition that would need to be repaired a few months after she was born. That was the beginning of our journey with Faith. She is our best yes!
Faith Noelle was born on New Year’s Eve, weighing 2 pounds 12 ounces and only 14 inches long.
Her biological family felt like they could not give her the life that she needed, so they chose and trusted us to be her family. They wanted us with her right away so she would never be alone, so we were waiting in the hospital in the NICU during her birth mom’s C-section. Once Faith was stabilized and in her room, we were able to see her and to hold her. And even though she was small, she was strong.
We spent a month with her in the NICU, and she was released to come home at a tiny 3 pounds 14 ounces! Her adoption became official when she was 4 months old, and she had a successful open-heart surgery at 6 months old.
It has been two years since Faith’s open-heart surgery, and she is absolutely thriving!
Running everywhere … climbing and exploring. She LOVES the outdoors. Always asking to go outside or “bye-bye.”
Faith knows around 25 words in her signing vocabulary and is picking up more words every day. She also says daddy, chicken, woof (for dog), kitty, brothers, and mama. Her favorite song is “The Itsy Bitsy Spider,” and she tries to do the hand motions.
She is a bundle of joy and energy and GO!
Faith is the light of our lives.
Her three older brothers adore her and would do anything for her. She is so loved by all who know her.
Not a day goes by that I don’t look into her sweet face and feel SO thankful that
her first family chose to give her life, and chose us to be the ones to watch her live it.
She is a gift, and such a blessing.
We can help you navigate the joys, challenges, and emotions of adoption.
Gifts of Grace Adoption Support Center has worked with expecting moms, adoptive families, and children in the Lafayette, Indiana community since 2013. We believe that quality, affordable, Christ-centered adoption services empower pregnant moms and dads, create thriving adoptive families, and help all children be placed in a loving home.
For more information, please contact us. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
