Before We Knew Him: Caleb's Story

God has been faithful every step of our adoption journey. There were moments of uncertainty, waiting, and unanswered questions, but He always provided peace, encouragement, and reminded us that He was writing Caleb's story long before we knew him. Looking back, we can see His hand in every detail that led us to our son.

We will honor Caleb's birth mom by sharing with him about the love she has for him. We want him to know that his story began with a mother who deeply loved him and made an incredibly difficult but courageous decision. We will honor her by keeping her place in his story and helping Caleb understand how deeply he was loved by everyone involved throughout his journey. We will also honor her in the same way we honor Noah's birth mom. We will have a framed picture of Caleb's birth mom in his room. This picture gives us the opportunity each night before bedtime to show love to our kids' birth moms. It also reminds us each night to share a little part of their story with them. This is our favorite part of bedtime routines.

One of the biggest things we learned was the importance of honoring our child's story and understanding that adoption begins with both joy and loss. That perspective has helped us approach Caleb's adoption with compassion, gratitude, and a commitment to always support him in understanding his story throughout his

During our first adoption we read the book “When God Says Wait” by Elizabeth Laing Thompson. One thing from this book really stuck out to us and stuck with us through both adoptions. There was a section in the book that talked about how periods of waiting should not be about the wait but about what we do and become in the wait. Many times, when God says wait, He has a plan for growth in areas of our life. This was evident in both of our waits but especially during our wait for Caleb.

Reflecting on our wait now we've seen growth in many areas, our relationship with God, our marriage, our love and relationship with Noah, and our love for Caleb and his birth mom. Focusing on growth in the wait removed the stress and anxiety of the wait itself.

Caleb's adoption is our first experience with an open adoption. We were able to meet his birth mom in the hospital. This definitely came with worries and anxiety of its own. However, when we met her for the first time the bond we had was effortless. It was like we had known her for months. God was working in our wait. He was preparing our hearts for Caleb and his birth mom. She has such a special place in our family, and we are so excited to see how our relationship grows throughout Caleb's life.