Another Baby Todd

Happy March everyone! Can you believe it is March?

When February started and we shared the privilege of receiving a matching gift, it was so hard to truly imagine achieving that goal, much less exceeding it. But here we are, a month later and your generosity has blown us away.

Thanks to you, we raised $3,490 in a single month! Combined with our $2,500 match, that is just under $6,000 to help us bring our daughter home. Thank you, thank you for this incredible gift to our family!

As we look ahead, the next expense and a half are covered which lightens our hearts and the financial burden on us. It is hard to put into words how much that means to us, so I’ll just say once more, thank you! Our hearts begin a new month incredibly full.

Reflecting back on our winter season, we have been able to celebrate and experience so much excitement. Part of that is thanks to you btw. 😁 Getting approved for a match also created bonus anticipation beyond the holiday season and now, here we are, getting ready for Spring! A season of new beginnings and fresh starts as fresh life returns to our outdoor spaces. 🥰 I love the changing of the seasons.

We are also hoping for the next season of our adoption to begin. It has officially been 2 months of waiting to be matched with our little girl. While the call could come any day now, it could still be several months more to wait.

By contrast to adopting in the pandemic, 2 months is really nothing. Back in 2020 the expected wait time for a match was up to 9 months. Our wait was 13 months before we saw our little girl’s face for the first time. That moment was pure magic. I remember with full clarity who I was on the phone with while our agency’s number popped up. I know exactly where we were and vividly remember the colors and smells and things surrounding us. I grabbed Sam and we rushed out of the store. I even remember the color and texture of the pavement as we hurried to sit in the privacy of our car. Then the news. Then the first picture we ever saw of our little girl! Imagine the culmination of 13 months of waiting!

Thankfully we anticipate the wait to be much, much shorter than 13 months this time around. 😅 And amazingly there are days when 2 months feels like 13. We miss the little girl we have never met, whose face we have yet to see. We can’t wait to know who she is and to welcome her into our family. 💕

Wishing you a happy beginning to Spring!

Stephanie, for the family

Another new winter experience is Amara adventuring into the world of Lego. We love seeing her determination and joy at the end result!