Our lives together began on July 4,1998, our wedding day. We immediately decided to start our family.
For the next five years we tried to conceive naturally and eventually turned to fertility treatments.
With no success we eventually took a break. Then to our surprise I became pregnant naturally. In less
than six weeks I would have a miscarriage. Our lives were torn apart. We wondered desperately what was
meant for us and our chances of having children. About ten months after our loss, and after a lot of
talk about adoption, I started our search.While browsing the internet I came across EAC and noticed they were having a seminar a few hours away from our home. After attending the seminar in late August 2003, we were sure this is what we should do and EAC were the people we should work with.
Two days later I sent in our registration to EAC and started in on the dossier. INS approval finally arrived on Friday December 5, 2003. We called EAC immediately. They said we should have a referral the following week. The next day, a snowy Saturday, my husband drove me to work. When he arrived home he called me to tell me EAC had called, they have a referral for us! I will never forget that day. I called the agency to find out if it was a boy or a girl , since we hadn’t specified a sex. It was a girl and she was 4 days old. From the first sight of her we knew she was our daughter. We called the agency the next morning and accepted her referral.
I went to visit her with my mother in March of 2004. She was 3 ˝ months old. No words can describe the first time you see your baby in person. The visit was great and we were well taken care of. Exactly one month from the decree being issued was Gotcha day! Both our mothers came along for the pick up trip. When we arrived at the hotel, waiting for us was the baby and her foster mother. We went to the embassy
»...my husband turned to me and said, “We stepped in a bed of roses finding EAC.”
on Monday morning and as we stood in line outside my husband turned to me and said, “We stepped in a bed
of roses finding EAC.” After seeing how well we were taken care of while in Guatemala and hearing some
horror stories of other families with other agencies, he had realized how lucky we were.Watching her sit here now, growing up before our eyes, we wouldn’t trade her for a biological child if we could. She may not have been born to us, but she was a gift from God and to us and our family, she is truly our daughter, granddaughter, cousin and niece. She has stolen our hearts. I used to pray everyday why us? Why can’t we have a baby, Now each day I thank God for his unanswered prayers, because he sure came through with this one!
As fate would have it, I became pregnant in December 2004 and she now has a brother who was born in September 2005. You never know what life will hand you, we love our children and we thank EAC for helping that dream come true.
Andrea, Mother of Aaliyah Noelle