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[Puppylover12397]

Adoption Story CAF 3/?

 

Part 1 ~ Part 2

 

It has been a year since you welcomed [child #1] into your family and both you and [LI] love being parents, while at times its very hard considering you both work demanding jobs and with you having been promoted up a position to [insert promotion position], but thanks to help from your mother, [blank], you know [child #1] is always in good hands even if you and [LI] are busy with work.

 

However, later that week you, [LI] and [child #1] attend his family's yearly reunion. You're staying with his parents, [blank] and [blank], while you do so. You love hanging out with all of his siblings, [roll for siblings, genders and names], their spouses and all your nieces and nephews as [LI] is the youngest child in his/her family. They're always talking to you guys ans giving advice about child rearing, relationships, etc and while irksome at times you know it all comes from a good and loving place. Later, when speaking to [pick a sibling], they ask you if you plan to have anymore kids or if you guys just plan to have [child #1]. You offhandedly comment that you would like more kids, but are unsure when you and [LI] intend to look into further adoption and go back to talking about other things, but the thought does seem to stay with you a bit.

 

The night after the reunion and after coming home from work and putting [child #1] to bed, you and [LI] are reading in bed when [LI] brings back up the fact that you both still would like to adopt internationally and that that can take quite a bit of time. You agree with [LI] having known other people in the adoption community in online support groups who have waited years, you know you just got very lucky with [child #1]. You both agree to go to bed and place a call with your case worker and agency tomorrow about paper work considering the likely occurrence of a two to four year wait to be matched up with a child.

 

The next day on your lunch break you place a call to your agent, [favorite exotic names, common last name], and she agrees it would be good to start working through the papers since it could take some time. [Agent] explains which countries they have current associations with and informs you that you and [LI] need to pick one to start the process. We chit chat a little more about how [child #1] is doing before hanging up and heading back to work that day, extremely excited.

 

That night you ask [LI]'s oldest sibling and their spouse - [Blank] and [blank] - to watch [child #1] so you and [LI] can decide on which country you want to adopt from. After leaving [child #1] you go out and have a nice dinner together for the first time in awhile and savor it, making some small work talk before hitting to harder subjects. You discuss some of the places that intrigue you both, you make it down to your top three locations, [country of choice], [roll] and [country of choice], eventually you end up deciding on [country you rolled] because [insert creative story].

 

Later that night you and [LI] send an email off to your agent to get the ball rolling on the process. The next day you pick up [child #1] from [LI]'s sibling and feel refreshed and excited about your decision. Over the next couple of months, both you and [LI] work through the paper work, have your home visits and then hit the dry spell you knew would hit, but you fill it with exciting things including your first family vacation with [child #1].

 

It takes some time for you to decide, but you end up picking [roll]. You and [LI] pick a less crowded week to take off, not around traditional holidays and then spend said week with your family making memories and taking a ton of photos. [Describe your vacation, what did you do, favorite or least favorite moment, etc].

 

Sadly, even after that you still haven't heard much back from your agent other then she's still looking to match you and [LI] with a child. You try not to feel disheartened by the time frame and continue to enjoy life as it is now. You get into a routine again with [LI] and [child #1], and your monthly discussions with your case worker to check in until it's been about a year and a half since you put in the paper work and [child #1] is just a month away from turning three! You can't believe ho big they've gotten.

 

While shopping for themed thing for [child #1]'s party, they're having a [roll] theme, you get a call from your agent. They've found a match! You ask agent if you can call them back in a minute as your out and not at a computer to recieve the file and they agree. You rush through check out and quickly call [LI] telling them they need to get home; you've been matched! You throw everything into the car and drive home and thankfully [LI] is there as well and you call back your agent who informs you that you've been matched with [use chart] and you couldn't be more thrilled. You speak with her for another hour before she sends the file and you open it up, look through pictures and feel your heart melt. You and [LI] browse through it a little more before leaving to go pick up [child #1] from a day with [LI]'s parents.

 

You get home and [LI] makes dinner and you bring up having a younger sibling to [child #1] and they seem excited by the idea which eases some of your tension and you call back your agent and talk through the process, you set up to go do a first visit in two months when you'll be off for Christmas break from work. You, [LI], your mother and [child #1] fly off to [country] and meet your precious babies, they have [blank] hair and [blank] eyes, for the first time, they're adorable and down right perfect and you fall in love with them, at the end of the week and a half when you have to say good, you can't imagine anything more painful, but your mother and [LI] help you get through it. You'll be returning for them soon enough.

 

As soon as your family gets home, you start to set up a nursery for your little one(s). You get [child #1] involved with painting and helping to set it all up and the next thing you know its been another month and you and [LI] travel back to [country] to go pick up your little one(s) for good, to take home, and when you arrive, [LI]'s whole family, your mother and [child #1] are there with all the food, gifts and babysitting offers you could ever want; of course what they're all eagerly awaiting is news your glad to give as you inform them of the names you've chosen for your newest addition(s), [insert name(s)], are welcome joyfully into the [your and li's surname] clan.

 

 

Please list your family!

 

DICE:

 

Mother's Name:

First/Middle [Your Maiden/Surname Name]

 

Mother-in-Law and Farther-in-Law Names:

(Surname matches [LI])

Mother - First/Middle

Father - First/Middle

 

Roll for # of Siblings for [LI]:

1. 4

2. 5

3. 3

4. 6

5. 9

6. 5

 

Roll for Siblings Genders:

Odd - Female Even - Male

 

Roll for Siblings # of Kids:

1. 4

2. 3

3. 5

4. 8

5. 6

6. 5

 

Siblings Name:

(Surname is either same as [LI] or UTY)

First/Middle

 

Siblings Spouses Names:

(Surname, Matches Spouse)

First/Middle

 

Nieces/Nephews Names

Boy First/Middle

Girl First/Middle

 

Adoptive Country:

1. China

2. Korea

3. Ukraine

4. Ethiopia

5. Your Choice

6. India

 

Vacation Location:

1. Disneyland Park - California

2. Disney World - Florida

3. Hershey Park - Pennsylvania 

4. The Atlantis - Bahamas

5. Sesame Place - Pennsylvania

6. Your Choice

 

Party Theme:

1. Lion King

2. Frozen

3. Safari

4. Super Heroes

5. Despicable Me

6. Scooby Doo

 

Child Details

(All Children have common looks from their country of origin)

China - Twin Girls, 1 year old

Korea - Baby Boy, infant

Ukraine - Twin Boys, 2 years old

Ethiopia - Baby Girl,  2 years old

Your Choice  - Boy/Girl Twins, infant

India - Baby Girl, 1 year old

 

Nursery

Twin Girl Nursery

Baby Boy Nursery

Twin Boy Room

Baby Girl Room

Twin Boy/Girl Nursery

Baby Girl Nursery

 

Child(ren)'s Name(s):

First

Middle Name is after opposite gender parent.

[glitchinggecko]

Gregor 'Greg' Archibald Maes [34]
Blonde Hair - Hazel Eyes - History Professor

Zacharias 'Zack' Jasper Maes [34]
Blonde Hair - Blue Eyes - Political Journalist

Sebastian 'Seb' Jasper Maes [3]
Brown Hair - Blue Eyes - Biological Child of Emily 'Milly' Sophia Vega

Wesley 'Wes' Arhchibald Maes [2]
Blonde Hair - Blue Eyes - Adopted from Ukraine

Joseph 'Joe' Zacharias Maes [2]
Blonde Hair - Blue Eyes - Adopted from Ukraine

~~~~~

Twin's Room

~~~~~

Margaret 'Maggie' Katherine Hansen [52]
Black Hair - Hazel Eyes - Mother of Greg



Tobias 'Toby' Jasper Maes Sr [72]
Blonde Hair - Green Eyes - Father of Toby, Tad, Bea and Zack

Lillian 'Lily' Eleanor Maes [68]
Brown Hair - Blue Eyes - Mother of Toby, Tad, Bea and Zack



Tobias 'Toby' Jasper Maes Jr [39]
Brown Hair - Green Eyes - Zack's Brother - Husband of Lydia - Father of TJ, Soph and Em

Thaddeus 'Tad' Jasper Maes [39]
Brown Hair - Green Eyes - Zack's Brother - Husband of Georgia - Father of Nick, Nate and Nora

Beatrice 'Bea' Edith Maes [36]
Blonde Hair - Blue Eyes - Zack's Sister - Wife of Oscar - Mother of Dom and Amy

[Holloway]

Your name is Clover Myra Danielson, you have Red hair and Blue eyes and you're 21 years old. You're a student at Stanford University and you're pursuing a major in English. Ever since you've come to college, you've always been focused on your studies, you've worked very hard to get into Stanford and need to maintain a certain GPA to continue getting your scholarship money to enable you to continue, the second being you need to be able to get scholarships to go on and further your education.

 

However, today is the last of your day Junior year of undergrad and you've just taken your final exam, you're thrilled, and feel like you've passed all your classes with flying colors and you could not be more ecstatic. All you want to do now is sleep, maybe watch some netflix, but your roommate, Shiloh Emerson,  insists you accompany her to the party to make sure she gets home safe since she plans on drinking. You loathe the idea, but she did help you out studying for your final in Chemistry. So, you accompany her to the party and watch her have a good time and hang out on the outskirts of the party.

 

Suddenly, a guy comes up to you. You dismiss him at first, but he made a comment about your favorite tv show which kind of catches your interest. He's got Blonde hair and Blue eyes and introduces himself as  Ewan Felix Raske, he's 21 years old. You start talking to Ewan and find out about him, he is apparently a legacy of the university, went to prep schools his whole life, has traveled the world with his bourgeois family and while that would usually make you feel a bit of a chip on your shoulder, for some reason, it doesn't with Ewan. You find him charming. You also find out that Ewan is majoring in  Biochemistry and the way they speak about their major so passionately entices you. You talk for hours before your roommate stumbles over. Realizing you need to get her home, but not wanting the conversation with Ewan to end so you exchange numbers and promise to call him later. You leave with your roommate and head back to your dorm, feeling much happier than when you arrived at the party.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It's been ten years since the night of the party and you honestly cannot help but to look back fondly on it. It's the first night you met Ewan who has now become your husband. You've both graduated from not only your undergrad programs, but from your respective graduate school programs and are each working in your dream jobs -  as a Book Editor and a forensic scientist. You and Ewan could not be happier right now. However, there does seem to be something missing. The pitter patter of little feet. So, you and Ewan decide to start trying for a family, you spend 1 year trying and failing to get pregnant, but nothing happens. No pregnancy.

 

You see a fertility doctor who unfortunately informs you that between the two of you there is a low sperm count and apparently a previously undiagnosed case of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome between you. The chance of you two having a biological child together is next to near impossible. The first thought of it stuns you both, you go home with that knowledge and both discuss some options, but you mostly grieve your loss. Both you and Ewan have always wanted a big family, you as an only child and then Ewan comes from a big family with a slew of brothers and sisters. 

It takes you 2 months to finally broach the subject of what you two want to do next, stay childless or look into adoption. It's an easy discussion between us and we decide we want to look into adoption. The first thing we decide is we want to look into both international adoption and into domestic adoption. It takes us some time to find an agency to work with and then to get our home looked into and approved for viability. It's a longer process then expected, but a year later you've been set up by the agency and made an adoption book and just hoped that you would be matched with someone; then one day you were.

 

Your case worker informs you that you've been chosen by a young teen, Sophia Emily Vega, who has fallen pregnant. She wants the adoption to be closed, the child is a product of a one night stand and while against abortion, she just wants to have the baby and be done with it. While you feel sorry for the girl, an excitement does well inside of your chest. You and Ewan want this, you want to be parents. You meet with Sophia and she comes to your house. You all talk and in the end, you sign the papers. You agree to help pay for the cost of her pregnancy from now on, from making sure her medical bills are paid, new maternity clothes are purchased and help her with getting good healthy food. Other than that there is minimal contact which works well for all parties. 

 

We find out at the six month mark that Sophia is expecting a girl. Either sex would have been okay, but you and Ewan are just so thrilled. The first thing you both do is go to half a dozen baby stores and purchase all the things you have always wanted to buy. You spend hours after, well into the night and wee hours of the morning setting up a nursery. It looks so beautiful and you honestly cry. You never thought that first night after seeing the infertility doctor you would ever get to set up a nursery.

 

The rest of the pregnancy goes by so fast, I work through the whole situation by working extra hours and then well, it happens. Sophia goes into labor. It's a quick one and we're there the whole time in the waiting room. Your little one is born perfect with red hair and brown eyes weighing in at 7 pounds and 9 ounces and 23 inches long. Sophia signs away her rights without ever seeing her and has no desire to do so which hurts a little, but what feels even better is looking down and just knowing Hazel Genevieve is coming home with you. Where she belongs and you and Ewan feel such joy as you strap her into her car seat to take Hazel home.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It has been a year since you welcomed Hazel into your family and both you and Ewan love being parents, while at times its very hard considering you both work demanding jobs and with you having been promoted, but thanks to help from your mother, Caroline Louise Danielson, you know Hazel is always in good hands even if you and Ewan are busy with work.

 

However, later that week you, Ewan and Hazel attend his family's yearly reunion. You're staying with his parents, Celia Guinevere and Elias Calvin Raske, while you do so. You love hanging out with all of his siblings; Jasper Tobias, Mirabel Edith, Genevieve Mae and Atticus Josiah; their spouses and all your nieces and nephews as Ewan is the youngest child in his family. They're always talking to you guys and giving advice about child rearing, relationships, etc and while irksome at times you know it all comes from a good and loving place. Later, when speaking to Gen, she asks you if you plan to have anymore kids or if you guys just plan to have Hazel. You offhandedly comment that you would like more kids, but are unsure when you and Ewan intend to look into further adoption and go back to talking about other things, but the thought does seem to stay with you a bit.

 

The night after the reunion and after coming home from work and putting Hazel to bed, you and Ewan are reading in bed when Ewan brings back up the fact that you both still would like to adopt internationally and that that can take quite a bit of time. You agree with Ewan having known other people in the adoption community in online support groups who have waited years, you know you just got very lucky with Hazel. You both agree to go to bed and place a call with your case worker and agency tomorrow about paper work considering the likely occurrence of a two to four year wait to be matched up with a child.

 

The next day on your lunch break you place a call to your agent, Ophelia Jones, and she agrees it would be good to start working through the papers since it could take some time. Ophelia explains which countries they have current associations with and informs you that you and Ewan need to pick one to start the process. You chit chat a little more about how Hazel is doing before hanging up and heading back to work that day, extremely excited.

 

That night you ask Ewan's oldest sibling and their spouse - Jasper and Georgia - to watch Hazel so you and Ewan can decide on which country you want to adopt from. After leaving Hazel you go out and have a nice dinner together for the first time in awhile and savor it, making some small work talk before hitting to harder subjects. You discuss some of the places that intrigue you both, you make it down to your top three locations, Africa, China, and Russia, eventually you end up deciding on China.

 

Later that night you and Ewan send an email off to your agent to get the ball rolling on the process. The next day you pick up Hazel from Jasper's and feel refreshed and excited about your decision. Over the next couple of months, both you and Ewan work through the paper work, have your home visits and then hit the dry spell you knew would hit, but you fill it with exciting things including your first family vacation with Hazel.

 

It takes some time for you to decide, but you end up picking Sesame Place in Pennsylvania. You and Ewan pick a less crowded week to take off, not around traditional holidays and then spend said week with your family making memories and taking a ton of photos.

 

Sadly, even after that you still haven't heard much back from your agent other then she's still looking to match you and Ewan with a child. You try not to feel disheartened by the time frame and continue to enjoy life as it is now. You get into a routine again with Ewan and Hazel, and your monthly discussions with your case worker to check in until it's been about a year and a half since you put in the paper work and Hazel is just a month away from turning three! You can't believe how big she's gotten.

 

While shopping for Scooby Doo themed things for Hazel's party, you get a call from your agent. They've found a match! You ask Ophelia if you can call her back in a minute as your out and not at a computer to receive the file and she agrees. You rush through check out and quickly call Ewan telling them they need to get home; you've been matched! You throw everything into the car and drive home and thankfully Ewan is there as well and you call back your agent who informs you that you've been matched with infant Boy/Girl Twins and you couldn't be more thrilled. You speak with her for another hour before she sends the file and you open it up, look through pictures and feel your heart melt. You and Ewan browse through it a little more before leaving to go pick up Hazel from a day with Ewan's parents.

 

You get home and Ewan makes dinner and you bring up having a younger sibling to Hazel and she seems excited by the idea which eases some of your tension and you call back your agent and talk through the process, you set up to go do a first visit in two months when you'll be off for Christmas break from work. You, Ewan, your mother and Hazel fly off to China and meet your precious babies, they have black hair and brown eyes, for the first time, they're adorable and down right perfect and you fall in love with them, at the end of the week and a half when you have to say good, you can't imagine anything more painful, but your mother and Ewan help you get through it. You'll be returning for them soon enough.

 

As soon as your family gets home, you start to set up a nursery for your little ones. You get Hazel involved with painting and helping to set it all up and the next thing you know its been another month and you and Ewan travel back to China to go pick up your little ones for good, to take home, and when you arrive, Ewan's whole family, your mother and Hazel are there with all the food, gifts and babysitting offers you could ever want; of course what they're all eagerly awaiting is news your glad to give as you inform them of the names you've chosen for your newest additions, Luca Daniel and Lena Felicity, are welcome joyfully into the Raske clan.

 

Clover Myra and Ewan Felix Raske (36)

Red hair and Blue eyes, Blonde Hair and Blue eyes

Hazel Genevieve Raske (3) (Birth Mother: Sophia Emily Vega)

Red hair and Brown eyes

Luca Daniel and Lena Felicity (4 months)

Black Hair and Brown Eyes

 

Clover's Mother: Caroline Louise Danielson

 

Ewan's Mother: Celia Guinevere Raske

Ewan's Father: Elias Calvin Raske

 

DS: Jasper Tobias Raske - DW: Georgia Alice

DD: Nora Frances

DS: Hugh Duncan

DS: Owen Graham

DS/DS: Cole Patrick/Clay Harrison

DD: Lucy Beatrice

DD: Mirabel Edith  - DH: Calvin Arthur

DD: Mabel Rose "May"

DS: Gabriel Simon "Gabe"

DS: Christian Lewis "Chris"

DS: Julian Isaac "Jules"

DD: Genevieve Mae - DH: Frederick Roman

DD: Leila Isabel

DD: Julia Margaret

DD/DD: Eliza Helen/ Emma Eleanor

DS: Theo Nathaniel

DS: Henry Sebastian

DD: Maya Charlotte

DD: Chloe Allegra

DS: Atticus Josiah Raske - DW: Eloise Josephine

DD: Natalie Juliet "Nat"

DS: Malcolm Jonas "Mac"

DD: Addison Josie "Addy"

LI: Ewan Felix Raske - Clover Myra

DD: Hazel Genevieve

DS/DD: Luca Daniel/ Lena Felicity

[Meghan<3]

My mother, Laura Anne Stendhal (née Buckley), moved to Philadelphia shortly after Milo was born to help us raise him, since Ben and I had such demanding jobs.  Juggling motherhood and being promoted to senior partner at my practice was challenging, but Milo's smile motivated us through the challenges we faced as new parents.

 

Around Milo's first birthday, Ben, Milo, and I flew to Albany, NY for the annual Peeters family reunion.  We stayed at Ben's childhood house where his parents, Georgiana Violette (née Danforth) and Byron Maxwell Peeters, still live.  Ben is the youngest of six kids.  The eldest Peeters child is Amos Lemuel, who is 46.  He graduated from Princeton with a degree in economics and is now an economics professor at Cornell.  He is married to Louise Dorothea Peeters (née Mulberry), a stay-at-home mother, and they have four sons: Henry Nathaniel (13), Duncan Tobias (10), Colin Frederick (6), and Simon George (4).

 

The second Peeters child is Thaddeus Alonzo Peeters, who is 44.  He graduated from Stanford University with a degree in mathematics and now works for Google in Silicon Valley, CA.  His wife's name is Cora Beatrix Peeters (née Dunn).  She is an attorney.  Thad and Cora have six kids: Emmett Reed (11), twins Lucy Caroline and Fiona Margaret (9), Gabriella Faith "Ella" (7), Josephine Charlotte "Josie" (6), and Madeleine Tess (3).

 

The third Peeters child is Millicent Eliza Peeters.  She is 40 and is married to Calvin Silas St. George.  Millie and Cal St. George have three children: Natalie Beatrice (8), Amelia Violet (5), and Walker Philip (2).  Millie went to Georgetown where she majored in nursing.  She is now a nurse and lives with Cal, a stock analyst, in Colombus, Ohio.

 

The fourth Peeters child is Phineas Josiah Peeters, age 38.  He has been married twice, the first time to Hazel Winifred Montgomery, who bore him their son Harrison Jack Peeters (12).  Hazel and Harrison live in Georgia, where Hazel's family is from, but Harrison still comes to the family reunions to see his dad's side of the family.  Phineas's current wife is Eloise Mae Peeters (née Bancroft).  They have three children together: Quentin Elijah (7), Sloane Arabella (3), and Olivia Zoe (1).  Phineas met Hazel when they both attended the University of Virginia.  Phineas majored in business and is now the CEO of a pharmaceutical company based in Annapolis, Maryland.  He met Eloise through work (she is the public relations executive for the same company).

 

Next is Ben's sister Cecily Maude Peeters, who is 36.  Cecily is married to Arthur Sebastian Hunt, an anesthesiologist.  They have three kids: Eleanor Maisie (5), Addison Claire "Addie" (3), and Isabel Daisy Hunt (6 mos.).  Cecily went to Dartmouth and is now a movie producer in Los Angeles.

 

With thirty five people at the reunion, there were plenty of people to talk to, and it was fun watching all the kids play together.  Ben and I fondly imagined Milo joining in the fun and games when he's old enough.  I received plenty of child-rearing advice from all of Ben's siblings and their spouses, not to mention my in-laws, which was irksome at times, but I knew their intentions were kind and sincere.  One evening, Millie asked me if Ben and I planned on having more children, or if we were just having Milo.  I told her that we would be interested in adopting again, but that we didn't have any concrete plans to adopt any time soon.  Millie didn't ask anything else, but her question stuck with me for the rest of the week.

 

Ben, Milo, and I finally returned home.  After putting Milo to bed one night, Ben brought up the idea of international adoption, which we had considered before adopting Milo.  We agreed that since it can be a two to four year process, we should put in a request at the adoption agency now.  The next day, I called our agent Leilani Jones, who told me the countries they were currently in contact with.  We talked about Milo, and she said that she would update us if any matches were found.  I hung up the phone feeling giddy about the prospect of having another child.

 

That weekend, Ben and I left Milo at home with my mom so that we could go out to dinner.  We hadn't had a real date night since Milo was born, so it was a refreshing evening for both of us.  We talked about what countries we wanted to adopt from, deciding that India, China, and Argentina were our top choices.  We eventually decided that India was our first choice of country, since Ben had recently helped UPenn start a program to send pre-med students to India for a semester in which they would study global health and volunteer at clinics and hospitals throughout India.  We thought it was an appropriate homage to Ben's work, so we called Leilani the next day and told her that we were interested in adopting a child from India.

 

For the next few months, we had our home inspected and filled out countless forms.  During the summer, we decided to take a weekend trip to Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA, which is only a forty minute drive from Philadelphia.  Milo loved meeting all of the Sesame Street characters, since Sesame Street was his favorite show.

 

The months pass, and we keep in touch with Leilani, who informs us that there are no suitable matches for us yet.  Although we are disappointed by this, we get into a happy and stable routine with Milo and rely on my mom's help less and less.  For his third birthday, Ben and I decided to throw a party for our son.  He asked for a Scooby Doo themed party, since Scooby Doo is his favorite TV show after Sesame Street.  While shopping for party supplies, I received a call from Leilani who told me that there was a match for us!  I rushed home and called Ben, who hurried home as well.  We received a file from Leilani with pictures of a one-year-old little girl from Chennai, India.  We fell in love with her immediately.

 

Milo was excited about the news of having a little sister.  The day after his birthday party, Ben and I dropped him off at my mom's house and caught a flight to Chennai, where we had five days to spend with our future daughter.  We loved every minute that we spent with her and knew that she was the perfect match for our family.  She had dark brown hair and hazel eyes.  We were sad to part with her, but we gave her kisses goodbye and told her that we would see her soon.  

 

Ben and I decorated our second spare bedroom, creating a beautiful nursery for our daughter.  Finally, another month passed, and we left Milo with Georgiana and Byron while we flew to India again, this time to bring our little girl home for good.  We named her Hanna Benadette Peeters.

 

The Peeters Family

 

Benedict Humphrey {35}

Finlay Cameron Stendhal {35}

 

Milo Atticus {3}

Hanna Benadette {1}

 

Ben, Finlay, Milo, & Hanna

[MusicCharm]

It has been a year since you welcomed Lila into your family and both you and Gray love being parents, while at times its very hard considering you both

work demanding jobs and with you having been promoted up a position to head journalist, but thanks to help from your mother, Mary Charlotte Holt, you know Lila is always in good hands even if you and Gray are busy with work.

 

 

However, later that week you, Gray and Lila attend his family's yearly reunion. You're staying with his parents, Gemma Louise and Spencer Josiah Simon, while you do so. You love hanging out with all of his siblings, Tobias Jasper, Lydia Pearl, and Violet Hazel, and their spouses, Eloise Ruby Knight, Calvin Arthur Montgomery, August Sebastian Thayer. You also love your many nieces and nephews, Alexa Claire, Faith Lily, Paige Olivia, Jonah Caleb, Juliet Rose, Owen Isaac, Hudson Isaiah, Elias Malcolm, Maisie Nell, Max Quentin, Daisy Caroline, Eliza Eve, Isabel Sophie, and Maya Madeleine as Gray is the youngest child in his family. They're always talking to you guys and giving advice about child rearing, relationships, etc and while irksome at times you know it all comes from a good and loving place. Later, when speaking to Lydia, they ask you if you plan to have anymore kids or if you guys just plan to have Lila. You offhandedly comment that you would like more kids, but are unsure when you and Gray intend to look into further adoption and go back to talking about other things, but the thought does seem to stay with you a bit.

 

The night after the reunion and after coming home from work and putting Lila to bed, you and Gray are reading in bed when Gray brings back up the fact that you both still would like to adopt internationally and that that can take quite a bit of time. You agree with Gray having known other people in the adoption community in online support groups who have waited years, you know you just got very lucky with Lila. You both agree to go to bed and place a call with your caseworker and agency tomorrow about paper work considering the likely occurrence of a two to four year wait to be matched up with a child.

 

The next day on your lunch break you place a call to your agent, Paloma Aveline Johnson, and she agrees it would be good to start working through the papers since it could take some time. Paloma explains which countries they have current associations with and informs you that you and Gray need to pick one to start the process. We chit chat a little more about how Lila is doing before hanging up and heading back to work that day, extremely excited.

 

That night you ask Gray's oldest sibling and their spouse - Tobias and Eloise - to watch Lila so you and Gray can decide on which country you want to adopt from. After leaving Lila you go out and have a nice dinner together for the first time in a while and savor it, making some small work talk before hitting to harder subjects. You discuss some of the places that intrigue you both, you make it down to your top three locations, Brazil, Russia and Ethiopia, eventually you end up deciding on Russia.

 

Later that night you and Gray send an email off to your agent to get the ball rolling on the process. The next day you pick up Lila from Gray's sibling and feel refreshed and excited about your decision. Over the next couple of months, both you and Gray work through the paperwork, have your home visits and then hit the dry spell you knew would hit, but you fill it with exciting things including your first family vacation with Lila.

 

It takes some time for you to decide, but you end up picking Disney World. You and Gray pick a less crowded week to take off, not around traditional holidays and then spend said week with your family making memories and taking a ton of photos and spent the week keeping up with Lila and taking a lot of pictures.

 

Sadly, even after that you still haven't heard much back from your agent other than she's still looking to match you and Gray with a child. You try not to feel disheartened by the time frame and continue to enjoy life as it is now. You get into a routine again with Gray and Lila, and your monthly discussions with your caseworker to check in until it's been about a year and a half since you put in the paperwork and Lila  is just a month away from turning three! You can't believe ho big they've gotten.

 

While shopping for themed thing for Lila's party, they're having a Despicable Me theme, you get a call from your agent. They've found a match! You ask agent if you can call them back in a minute as you’re out and not at a computer to receive the file and they agree. You rush through check out and quickly call Gray telling them they need to get home; you've been matched! You throw everything into the car and drive home and thankfully Gray is there as well and you call back your agent who informs you that you've been matched with newborn twins, a boy and a girl and you couldn't be more thrilled. You speak with her for another hour before she sends the file and you open it up, look through pictures and feel your heart melt. You and Gray browse through it a little more before leaving to go pick up Lila from a day with Gray's parents.

 

You get home and Gray makes dinner and you bring up having a younger sibling to Lila and they seem excited by the idea which eases some of your tension and you call back your agent and talk through the process, you set up to go do a first visit in two months when you'll be off for Christmas break from work. You, Gray, your mother and Lila fly off to Russia and meet your precious babies, they have black hair and black eyes, for the first time, they're adorable and down right perfect and you fall in love with them, at the end of the week and a half when you have to say goodbye, you can't imagine anything more painful, but your mother and Gray help you get through it. You'll be returning for them soon enough.

 

As soon as your family gets home, you start to set up a nursery for your little ones. You get Lila involved with painting and helping to set it all up and the next thing you know it’s been another month and you and Gray travel back to Russia to go pick up your little ones for good, to take home, and when you arrive, Gray's whole family, your mother and Lila are there with all the food, gifts and babysitting offers you could ever want; of course what they're all eagerly awaiting is news you’re glad to give as you inform them of the names you've chosen for your newest additions, Maggie Grace and Kai Alistair, are welcome joyfully into the Simon clan.

 

Gray and Alice Simon and Lila, Kai, and Maggie

[Laugh-Dream-Love]

It has been a year since you welcomed Pearl into your family and both you and Ned love being parents, while at times its very hard considering you both work demanding jobs and with you having been promoted, but thanks to help from your mother, Barbara Alice Dahl, you know Pearl is always in good hands even if you and Ned are busy with work.

 

However, later that week you, Ned and Pearl attend his family's yearly reunion. You're staying with his parents, Arthur Henry Mulder and Cora Genevieve Mulder, while you do so. You love hanging out with all of his siblings, Atticus Dudley Mulder, Judah Thaddeus Mulder, Eliza Beatrice Trent, & Phineas Otto Mulder, their spouses (Iris Clementine Mulder, Ruby Eloise Mulder, Jasper Calvin Trent, & Violet Josephine Mulder) and all your nieces and nephews (Isaac Graham Mulder & Nathan Gregory Mulder, Fiona Madeleine Mulder, Gabriel Nicholas Trent & Juliet Francesca Trent & Olivia Margaret Trent, & Kitty Arabella Mulder & India Susannah Mulder) as Ned is the youngest child in his family. They're always talking to you guys and giving advice about child rearing, relationships, etc and while irksome at times you know it all comes from a good and loving place. Later, when speaking to Judah, they ask you if you plan to have anymore kids or if you guys just plan to have Pearl. You offhandedly comment that you would like more kids, but are unsure when you and Ned intend to look into further adoption and go back to talking about other things, but the thought does seem to stay with you a bit.

 

The night after the reunion and after coming home from work and putting Pearl to bed, you and Ned are reading in bed when Ned brings back up the fact that you both still would like to adopt internationally and that that can take quite a bit of time. You agree with Ned, having known other people in the adoption community in online support groups who have waited years, you know you just got very lucky with Pearl. You both agree to go to bed and place a call with your case worker and agency tomorrow about paper work considering the likely occurrence of a two to four year wait to be matched up with a child.

 

The next day on your lunch break you place a call to your agent, Xanthe Wednesday Smith, and she agrees it would be good to start working through the papers since it could take some time. Xanthe explains which countries they have current associations with and informs you that you and Ned need to pick one to start the process. You chit chat a little more about how Pearl is doing before hanging up and heading back to work that day, extremely excited.

 

That night you ask Ned's oldest sibling and their spouse - Atticus and Iris - to watch Pearl so you and Ned can decide on which country you want to adopt from. After leaving Pearl you go out and have a nice dinner together for the first time in awhile and savor it, making some small work talk before hitting to harder subjects. You discuss some of the places that intrigue you both, you make it down to your top three locations, China, India and Ethiopia, eventually you end up deciding on India.

 

Later that night you and Ned send an email off to your agent to get the ball rolling on the process. The next day you pick up Pearl from Ned's sibling and feel refreshed and excited about your decision. Over the next couple of months, both you and Ned work through the paper work, have your home visits and then hit the dry spell you knew would hit, but you fill it with exciting things including your first family vacation with Pearl.

 

It takes some time for you to decide, but you end up picking Disneyland Park, California. You and Ned pick a less crowded week to take off, not around traditional holidays and then spend said week with your family making memories and taking a ton of photos.

 

Sadly, even after that you still haven't heard much back from your agent other then she's still looking to match you and Ned with a child. You try not to feel disheartened by the time frame and continue to enjoy life as it is now. You get into a routine again with Ned and Pearl, and your monthly discussions with your case worker to check in until it's been about a year and a half since you put in the paper work and Pearl is just a month away from turning three! You can't believe how big they've gotten.

 

While shopping for themed things for Pearl's party, they're having a Lion King theme, you get a call from your agent. They've found a match! You ask agent if you can call them back in a minute as you're out and not at a computer to receive the file and they agree. You rush through check out and quickly call Ned telling them they need to get home; you've been matched! You throw everything into the car and drive home and thankfully Ned is there as well and you call back your agent who informs you that you've been matched with a 1 year old baby girl and you couldn't be more thrilled. You speak with her for another hour before she sends the file and you open it up, look through pictures and feel your heart melt. You and Ned browse through it a little more before leaving to go pick up Pearl from a day with Ned's parents.

 

You get home and Ned makes dinner and you bring up having a younger sibling to Pearl and they seem excited by the idea which eases some of your tension and you call back your agent and talk through the process, you set up to go do a first visit in two months when you'll be off for Christmas break from work. You, Ned, your mother and Pearl fly off to India and meet your precious baby, they have black hair and brown eyes, for the first time, they're adorable and down right perfect and you fall in love with them, at the end of the week and a half when you have to say good, you can't imagine anything more painful, but your mother and Ned help you get through it. You'll be returning for them soon enough.

 

As soon as your family gets home, you start to set up a nursery for your little one. You get Pearl involved with painting and helping to set it all up and the next thing you know its been another month and you and Ned travel back to India to go pick up your little one for good, to take home, and when you arrive, Ned's whole family, your mother and Pearl are there with all the food, gifts and babysitting offers you could ever want; of course what they're all eagerly awaiting is news you're glad to give as you inform them of the name you've chosen for your newest addition, Mimi Edith, are welcome joyfully into the Mulder clan.

 

~~~

 

Imogen 'Ginny' Elspeth (Dahl) Mulder {35} - Red hair, brown eyes, lawyer

Edmund 'Ned' Amos Mulder {34} - Black hair, blue eyes, high school English teacher

 

Pearl Cordelia Mulder {3} - Blonde hair, green eyes

Mimi Edith Mulder {1} - Black hair, brown eyes

 

 

Ned and Ginny Mulder with Pearl and Mimi

[keladry12]

It has been a year since you welcomed Hazel into your family and both you and Ophelia love being parents, while at times its very hard considering you both work demanding jobs and with you having been promoted up a position to the Head of Medical Instrument Development in your company, but thanks to help from your mother, Helen Irene Raske, you know Hazel is always in good hands even if you and Ophelia are busy with work.

 

However, later that week you, Ophelia and Hazel attend her family's yearly reunion. You're staying with her parents, Harriet Sylvia and Ezekiel Jude Seelen while you do so. You love hanging out with all of her siblings, Evangeline, Clementine, Amos, Cecilia, Amity, Matilda, Jasper, Cordelia, and Felix, their spouses, and all your nieces and nephews, as Ophelia is the youngest child in his/her family. They're always talking to you guys ans giving advice about child rearing, relationships, etc and while irksome at times you know it all comes from a good and loving place. Later, when speaking to Amity, they ask you if you plan to have anymore kids or if you guys just plan to have Hazel. You offhandedly comment that you would like more kids, but are unsure when you and Ophelia intend to look into further adoption and go back to talking about other things, but the thought does seem to stay with you a bit.

 

The night after the reunion and after coming home from work and putting Hazel to bed, you and Ophelia are reading in bed when Ophelia brings back up the fact that you both still would like to adopt internationally and that that can take quite a bit of time. You agree with Ophelia having known other people in the adoption community in online support groups who have waited years, you know you just got very lucky with Hazel.  You both agree to go to bed and place a call with your case worker and agency tomorrow about paper work considering the likely occurrence of a two to four year wait to be matched up with a child.

 

The next day on your lunch break you place a call to your agent, Solveig Marisol Schmidt,and she agrees it would be good to start working through the papers since it could take some time. Solveig explains which countries they have current associations with and informs you that you and Ophelia need to pick one to start the process. We chit chat a little more about how Hazel is doing before hanging up and heading back to work that day, extremely excited.

 

That night you ask Ophelia's oldest sibling and their spouse - Evangeline and [blank] - to watch Hazel so you and Ophelia can decide on which country you want to adopt from. After leaving Hazel you go out and have a nice dinner together for the first time in awhile and savor it, making some small work talk before hitting to harder subjects. You discuss some of the places that intrigue you both, you make it down to your top three locations, Korea, Ukraine and Turkey, eventually you end up deciding on Ukraine because you know that there are lots of orphaned refugee children.

 

Later that night you and Ophelia send an email off to your agent to get the ball rolling on the process. The next day you pick up Hazel from Ophelia's sibling and feel refreshed and excited about your decision. Over the next couple of months, both you and Ophelia  work through the paper work, have your home visits and then hit the dry spell you knew would hit, but you fill it with exciting things including your first family vacation with Hazel.

 

It takes some time for you to decide, but you end up picking the Bahamas. You and Ophelia pick a less crowded week to take off, not around traditional holidays and then spend said week with your family making memories and taking a ton of photos. Hazel loved getting to see the fish and tide pools!

 

Sadly, even after that you still haven't heard much back from your agent other then she's still looking to match you and Ophelia with a child. You try not to feel disheartened by the time frame and continue to enjoy life as it is now. You get into a routine again with Ophelia and Hazel, and your monthly discussions with your case worker to check in until it's been about a year and a half since you put in the paper work and Hazel is just a month away from turning three! You can't believe how big she's gotten.

 

While shopping for themed thing for Hazel's party, they're having a super hero theme, you get a call from your agent. They've found a match! You ask agent if you can call them back in a minute as your out and not at a computer to receive the file and they agree. You rush through check out and quickly call Ophelia telling them they need to get home; you've been matched! You throw everything into the car and drive home and thankfully Ophelia is there as well and you call back your agent who informs you that you've been matched with twin boys who are  two years old, and you couldn't be more thrilled. You speak with her for another hour before she sends the file and you open it up, look through pictures and feel your heart melt. You and Ophelia browse through it a little more before leaving to go pick up Hazel from a day with Ophelia's parents.

 

You get home and Ophelia makes dinner and you bring up having a younger sibling to Hazel and they seem excited by the idea which eases some of your tension and you call back your agent and talk through the process, you set up to go do a first visit in two months when you'll be off for Christmas break from work. You, Ophelia, your mother and Hazel fly off to Ukraine and meet your precious babies, they have brown hair and brown eyes, they're adorable and downright perfect and you fall in love with them, at the end of the week and a half when you have to say good, you can't imagine anything more painful, but your mother and Ophelia help you get through it. You'll be returning for them soon enough.

 

As soon as your family gets home, you start to set up a nursery for your little ones. You get Hazel involved with painting and helping to set it all up and the next thing you know its been another month and you and Ophelia travel back to Ukraine to go pick up your little ones for good, to take home, and when you arrive, Ophelia's whole family, your mother and Hazel are there with all the food, gifts and babysitting offers you could ever want; of course what they're all eagerly awaiting is news your glad to give as you inform them of the names you've chosen for your newest additions, Axel Yorick and Luca Elisha, are welcomed joyfully into the Seeske clan.

 

Seelen Family:

DH: Caleb Ezekiel

DW: Harriet Sylvia

 

DD: Evangeline Cora

DD/DS: Clementine Edith/Amos Judah

DD: Cecilia Beatrice

DD: Amity Flora

DD: Matilda Mae

DS/DD/DS: Jasper Atticus/Cordelia Maude/Felix Josiah

DD: Ophelia Violet

 

 

The Wexler Family

 

DW: Evangeline Cora Wexler

DH: Silas Otto Wexler

 

DS: Ezra Lucas Wexler

DD: Susannah Charlotte Wexler

DS: Levi Colin Wexler

DS: Jonah Aidan Wexler

DD: Eve Juliana Wexler

 

 

The Seelen-Mendoza Family

 

DW: Clementine Edith Seelen-Mendoza

DH: August Frederick Seelen-Mendoza

 

DD: Rose Gemma Seelen-Mendoza

DS/DS: Forrest Hugh Seelen-Mendoza/Walker Isaiah Seelen-Mendoza

 

 

The Seelen Family

DH: Amos Judah Seelen

DW: Lydia Cora Sarkozi

 

DS:Owen Elias Seelen

DS/DS: Liam Isaac Seelen/Milo Jonas Seelen

DD: Alice Maya Seelen

DD: Fiona Lucy Seelen

DS: Finn Asher Seelen

 

The Lennox Family

DW: Cecilia Beatrice Lennox

DH: Phineas Walter Lennox

 

DS: Orson Reed Lennox

DD: Audrey Margaret Lennox

DD: Carolina Paige Lennox

DS/DS: Simon Jack Lennox/Julian Spencer Lennox

DD: Francesca Madeleine Lennox

DD: Eleanor Kate Lennox

DS: Alistair Eli Lennox

DD:Miranda Eva Lennox

 

 

The Matos Family

DW: Amity Flora Seelen

DH: Arthur Montgomery Matos

 

DD: Felicity Anna Matos

DS: Harrison Quinn Matos

DD: Willa Sophia Matos

DS: Henry Patrick Matos

DD: Arden Hope Matos

DS/DS/DS: Sawyer Luke Matos/Leo Nathan Matos/Noah Sebastian Matos

 

The Panlen Family

DW: Matilda Mae Seelen

DH: Emmett Oscar Pandev

 

DD/DD: Nora Eliza Panlen/Juliet Isabel Panlen

DD: Olivia Tess Panlen

DS: Miles Theo Panlen

DS: Elijah Lewis Panlen

 

The Seelen Family

DH: Jasper Atticus Seelen

DW: Iris Louisa Baumgartner

 

DS: Oliver Hugh Seelen

DS: Graham Anderson Seelen

DD: Josephine India Seelen

DS/DS: Dominic Christian Seelen/Cole Duncan Seelen

DD: Helena Amelia Seelen

 

The Bowen Family

DW: Cordelia Maude Bowen

DH: Asa Lionel Bowen

 

DD/DD: Clara Dorothea Bowen/Caroline Julia Bowen

DS: Andrew Tobias Bowen

DD: Celia Daisy Bowen

 

The Seelen Family

 

DH: Felix Josiah Seelen

DW: Pearl Eloise Mueller

 

DD:Ella Grace Seelen

DS: Caleb Quentin Seelen

DS/DS: Nathaniel Gregory/Gabriel Nicholas

 

 

-----------------------

 

Your name is Anwen Elspeth Raske, you have red hair and blue eyes and you're 20 years old. You're a student at Princeton University and you're pursuing a major in Biology. Ever since you've come to college, you've always been focused on your studies, you've worked very hard to get into Princeton and need to maintain a certain GPA to continue getting your scholarship money to enable you to continue.

 

However, today is the last of your day second year of undergrad and you've just taken your final exam, you're thrilled, and feel like you've passed all your classes with flying colors and you could not be more ecstatic. All you want to do now is sleep, maybe watch some netflix, but your roommate, Leslie Peyton Iverson,  insists you accompany her to the party to make sure she gets home safe since she plans on drinking. You loathe the idea, but she did help you out studying for your final in English. So, you accompany her to the party and watch her have a good time and hang out on the outskirts of the party.

 

Suddenly, a girl comes up to you. You dismiss her at first, but he has a witty t-shirt about the nature of time which kind of catches your interest. She's got brown hair and hazel eyes and introduces themselves as Ophelia Violet Seelen, they're 19 years old. You start talking to Ophelia and find out about them, they're apparently legacies of the university, went to prep schools their whole life, have traveled the world with their bourgeois family and while that would usually make you feel a bit of a chip on your shoulder, for some reason, it doesn't with Ophelia. You find them charming. You also find out that Ophelia is majoring in Philosophy and the way they speak about their major so passionately entices you. You talk for hours before your roommate stumbles over. Realizing you need to get her home, but not wanting the conversation with Ophelia to end so you exchange numbers and promise to call them later. You leave with your roommate and head back to your dorm, feeling much happier than when you arrived at the party.

 

-------------------------

 

It's been ten years since the night of the party and you honestly cannot help but to look back fondly on it. It's the first night you met Ophelia, who has now become your wife.  You've both graduated from not only your undergrad programs, but from your respective graduate programs and are each working in your dream jobs - Biological Engineering instrument development and assistant professor researching Nietsche.  You and Ophelia could not be happier right now. However, there does seem to be something missing. The pitter-patter of little feet. So, you and Ophelia decide to start trying for a family, you spend three years trying and failing to get pregnant with the help of donor sperm, but nothing happens. No pregnancy.

 

You see a fertility doctor who unfortunately informs you that between the two of you there is a previously undiagnosed case of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Endometriosis between you. The chance of you two having a biological child together is next to near impossible. The first thought of it stuns you both, you go home with that knowledge and both discuss some options, but you mostly grieve your loss. Both you and Ophelia have always wanted a big family, you as an only child and then Ophelia comes from a big family with a slew of brothers and sisters.
 

It takes you five months to finally broach the subject of what you two want to do next, stay childless or look into adoption. It's an easy discussion between us and we decide we want to look into adoption. The first thing we decide is we want to look into both international adoption and into domestic adoption. It takes us some time to find an agency to work with and then to get our home looked into and approved for viability. It's a longer process then expected, but a year later you've been set up by the agency and made an adoption book and just hoped that you would be matched with someone; then one day you were.

 

Your case worker informs you that you've been chosen by a young teen, Emma Sophia Capella, who has fallen pregnant. She wants the adoption to be closed. While you feel sorry for the girl, an excitement does well inside of your chest. You and Ophelia want this, you want to be parents. You meet with Emma Sophia and she comes to your house. You all talk and in the end, you sign the papers. You agree to help pay for the cost of her pregnancy from now on, from making sure her medical bills are paid, new maternity clothes are purchased and help her with getting good healthy food. Other than that there is minimal contact which works well for all parties. 

 

We find out at the six month mark that Emma Sophia is expecting a girl. Either sex would have been okay, but you and Ophelia are just so thrilled. The first thing you both do is go to half a dozen baby stores and purchase all the things you have always wanted to buy. You spend hours after, well into the night and wee hours of the morning setting up a nursery. It looks so beautiful and you honestly cry. You never thought that first night after seeing the infertility doctor you would ever get to set up a nursery.  There ends up being a nautical theme, although the favorite piece is the rocking chair 3.

 

The rest of the pregnancy goes by so fast, I work through the whole situation by working extra hours and then well, it happens.  Emma Sophia goes into labor. It's a quick one and we're there the whole time in the waiting room. Your little one is born perfect with black hair and blue eyes weighing in at 7 pounds and 9 ounces and 23 inches long.  Emma Sophia signs away her rights without ever seeing her. You feel incredible when you look down and just know Hazel Amity Iverske is coming home with you. Where they belong and you and Ophelia feel such joy as you strap them into their car seat to take Hazel home.

[brimariiee]

Your name is Ruby Jean Olsen, you have blonde hair and blue eyes and you're 21 years old. You're a student at Fordham University and you're pursuing a major in History. Ever since you've come to college, you've always been focused on your studies, you've worked very hard to get into Fordham and need to maintain a certain GPA to continue getting your scholarship money to enable you to continue, the second being you need to be able to get scholarships to go on and further your education.

 

However, today is the last day of your  Junior year of undergrad and you've just taken your final exam, you're thrilled, and feel like you've passed all your classes with flying colors and you could not be more ecstatic. All you want to do now is sleep, maybe watch some netflix, but your roommate, Aubrey Taylor Johnson,  insists you accompany her to the party to make sure she gets home safe since she plans on drinking. You loathe the idea, but she did help you out studying for your final in Statistics. So, you accompany her to the party and watch her have a good time and hang out on the outskirts of the party.

 

Suddenly, a guy comes up to you. You dismiss him at first, but he made a comment about the Millionaires since I was wearing their merch which kind of catches your interest. Horatio Atticus Pender's got black hair and blue eyes and introduces themselves as Horatio, they're 21 years old. You start talking to Horatio and find out about them, they're apparently legacies of the university, went to prep schools their whole life, have traveled the world with their bourgeois family and while that would usually make you feel a bit of a chip on your shoulder, for some reason, it doesn't with Horatio. You find them charming. You also find out that Horatio is majoring in Biochemistry and the way they speak about their major so passionately entices you. You talk for hours before your roommate stumbles over. Realizing you need to get her home, but not wanting the conversation with Horatio to end so you exchange numbers and promise to call them later. You leave with your roommate and head back to your dorm, feeling much happier than when you arrived at the party.

 

It's been ten years since the night of the party and you honestly cannot help but to look back fondly on it. It's the first night you met Horatio who has now become your husband. You've both graduated from not only your undergrad programs, but from your respective graduate programs and are each working in your dream jobs as a history professor and a biochemist. You and Horatio could not be happier right now. However, there does seem to be something missing. The pitter patter of little feet. So, you and Horatio decide to start trying for a family, you spend 1 year trying and failing to get pregnant, but nothing happens. No pregnancy.

 

You see a fertility doctor who unfortunately informs you that between the two of you there is a low sperm count and apparently a previously undiagnosed case of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome between you. The chance of you two having a biological child together is next to near impossible. The first thought of it stuns you both, you go home with that knowledge and both discuss some options, but you mostly grieve your loss. Both you and Horatio have always wanted a big family, you as an only child and then Horatio comes from a big family with a slew of brothers and sisters.
 

It takes you 3 months to finally broach the subject of what you two want to do next, stay childless or look into adoption. It's an easy discussion between you and you decide you want to look into adoption. The first thing you decide is to look into both international adoption and domestic adoption. It takes some time to find an agency to work with and then to get your home looked into and approved for viability. It's a longer process then expected, but a year later you've been set up by the agency and made an adoption book and just hoped that you would be matched with someone; then one day you were.

 

Your case worker informs you that you've been chosen by a young teen, Emma Mary Vega, who has fallen pregnant. She wants the adoption to be closed. While you feel sorry for the girl, an excitement does well inside of your chest. You and Horatio want this, you want to be parents. You meet with Emma and she comes to your house. You all talk and in the end, you sign the papers. You agree to help pay for the cost of her pregnancy from now on, from making sure her medical bills are paid, new maternity clothes are purchased and help her with getting good healthy food. Other than that there is minimal contact which works well for all parties. 

 

You find out at the six month mark that Emma is expecting a boy. Either sex would have been okay, but you and Horatio are just so thrilled. The first thing you both do is go to half a dozen baby stores and purchase all the things you have always wanted to buy. You spend hours after, well into the night and wee hours of the morning setting up a nursery. It looks so beautiful and you honestly cry. You never thought that first night after seeing the infertility doctor you would ever get to set up a nursery.

 

The rest of the pregnancy goes by so fast, you work through the whole situation by working extra hours and then well, it happens. Emma goes into labor. It's a quick one and you're there the whole time in the waiting room. Your little one is born perfect with blonde hair and hazel eyes weighing in at 7 pounds and 9 ounces and 23 inches long. Emma signs away her rights without ever seeing him. You feel incredible when you look down and just know August Tobias Pender is coming home with you. Where they belong and you and Horatio feel such joy as you strap them into their car seat to take Gus home.

 

It has been a year since you welcomed Gus into your family and both you and Horatio love being parents, while at times its very hard considering you both work demanding jobs and with you having been promoted up a position to being tenured, but thanks to help from your mother, Olivia Jane Olsen, you know Gus is always in good hands even if you and Horatio are busy with work.

 

However, later that week you,   Horatio and Gus attend his family's yearly reunion. You're staying with his parents, Vivian Eloise Pender and Roman Elias Pender, while you do so. You love hanging out with all of his siblings, (Eliza Clementine Thatcher, Violet Mae Yates, and Matilda Edith Urban), their spouses, (Oscar Josiah Thatcher, Jasper Montgomery Yates, and Sebastian Phineas Urban), and all your nieces and nephews, (Josie Eliza Thatcher, Natalie Rose Thatcher, Amelia Kate Thatcher, Georgia Claire Thatcher, Isaiah Oscar Thatcher, Daisy Alice Yates, Lucy Violet Yates, Maisie Hope Yates, Zoe Paige Yates, Grace "Gracie" Anna Yates, Milo Sebastian Urban, Sawyer Elias Urban, Fiona Edith Urban, Tess Margaret Urban, and Quentin Anderson Urban), as Horatio is the youngest child in his family. They're always talking to you guys and giving advice about child rearing, relationships, etc and while irksome at times you know it all comes from a good and loving place. Later, when speaking to Violet, they ask you if you plan to have anymore kids or if you guys just plan to have Gus. You offhandedly comment that you would like more kids, but are unsure when you and Horatio intend to look into further adoption and go back to talking about other things, but the thought does seem to stay with you a bit.

 

The night after the reunion and after coming home from work and putting Gus to bed, you and Horatio are reading in bed when Horatio brings back up the fact that you both still would like to adopt internationally and that that can take quite a bit of time. You agree with Horatio having known other people in the adoption community in online support groups who have waited years, you know you just got very lucky with Gus. You both agree to go to bed and place a call with your case worker and agency tomorrow about paper work considering the likely occurrence of a two to four year wait to be matched up with a child.

 

The next day on your lunch break you place a call to your agent, Allegra Giselle Smith, and she agrees it would be good to start working through the papers since it could take some time. Allegra explains which countries they have current associations with and informs you that you and Horatio need to pick one to start the process. We chit chat a little more about how Gus is doing before hanging up and heading back to work that day, extremely excited.

 

That night you ask Horatio's oldest sibling and their spouse - Eliza and Oscar - to watch Gus so you and Horatio can decide on which country you want to adopt from. After leaving Gus you go out and have a nice dinner together for the first time in awhile and savor it, making some small work talk before hitting to harder subjects. You discuss some of the places that intrigue you both, you make it down to your top three locations, Ireland, Ethiopia, and Sweden, eventually you end up deciding on Ethiopia because you feel they have a higher need for adoptive parents.

 

Later that night you and Horatio send an email off to your agent to get the ball rolling on the process. The next day you pick up Gus from Horatio's sibling and feel refreshed and excited about your decision. Over the next couple of months, both you and Horatio work through the paper work, have your home visits and then hit the dry spell you knew would hit, but you fill it with exciting things including your first family vacation with Gus.

 

It takes some time for you to decide, but you end up picking the Bahamas to go to Atlantis. You and Horatio pick a less crowded week to take off, not around traditional holidays and then spend said week with your family making memories and taking a ton of photos. You had a lot of fun at the dolphin cay,the water park, rock climbing and even getting to check out the comedy club and the spa but, it definitely was a long flight both ways with a young child.

 

Sadly, even after that you still haven't heard much back from your agent other then she's still looking to match you and Horatio with a child. You try not to feel disheartened by the time frame and continue to enjoy life as it is now. You get into a routine again with Horatio and Gus, and your monthly discussions with your case worker to check in until it's been about a year and a half since you put in the paper work and Gus is just a month away from turning three! You can't believe how big they've gotten.

 

While shopping for themed thing for Gus' party, they're having a Despicable Me theme, you get a call from your agent. They've found a match! You ask agent if you can call them back in a minute as your out and not at a computer to receive the file and they agree. You rush through check out and quickly call Horatio telling them they need to get home; you've been matched! You throw everything into the car and drive home and thankfully Horatio is there as well and you call back your agent who informs you that you've been matched with a 2 year old girl and you couldn't be more thrilled. You speak with her for another hour before she sends the file and you open it up, look through pictures and feel your heart melt. You and Horatio browse through it a little more before leaving to go pick up Gus from a day with Horatio's parents.

 

You get home and Horatio makes dinner and you bring up having a younger sibling to Gus and they seem excited by the idea which eases some of your tension and you call back your agent and talk through the process, you set up to go do a first visit in two months when you'll be off for Christmas break from work. You, Horatio, your mother and Gus fly off to Ethiopia and meet your precious baby, they have black hair and dark brown eyes, for the first time, they're adorable and down right perfect and you fall in love with them, at the end of the week and a half when you have to say good, you can't imagine anything more painful, but your mother and Horatio help you get through it. You'll be returning for them soon enough.

 

As soon as your family gets home, you start to set up a nursery for your little one. You get Gus involved with painting and helping to set it all up and the next thing you know its been another month and you and Horatio travel back to Ethiopia to go pick up your little one for good, to take home, and when you arrive, Horatio's whole family, your mother and Gus are there with all the food, gifts and babysitting offers you could ever want; of course what they're all eagerly awaiting is news your glad to give as you inform them of the names you've chosen for your newest addition, Juliette Horatia Pender, is welcomed joyfully into the Pender clan.
_______________________________________________

Olivia with Ruby
Roman and Vivian with Eliza, Violet, Matilda, and Horatio
Eliza and Oscar with Josie, Natalie, Amelia, Georgia, and Isaiah

Violet and Jasper with Daisy, Lucy, Maisie, Zoe, and Gracie
Matilda and Sebastian with Milo, Sawyer, Fiona, Tess, and Quentin
Horatio and Ruby with Gus and Juliette

[Addison]

Basil Jasper Klein

Blonde Hair, Brown Eyes

Columbia University, Major in Philosophy

 

Ruby Isobel Albertson Klein

Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes

Columbia University, Major in Political Science

 

Levi Atticus Klein

Blonde Hair, Green Eyes

 

Paul Isaiah Klein

Brown Hair, Green Eyes

 

Stella Jasper Klein

Brown Hair, Green Eyes

[Puppylover12397]

My name is Flora Lorna Larsen, I have Brown Hair and Brown Eyes and I'm twenty-one years old. I'm a student at Fordham University and you're pursuing a major in Political Science. Ever since I came to college, I've always been focused on my studies, I've worked very hard to get into Fordham and need to maintain a certain GPA to continue getting my scholarship money to enable me to continue, the second being I need to be able to get scholarships to go on and further my education.

 

However, today is the last day of my junior year of undergrad and I've just taken my final exam, I'm thrilled, and feel like I've passed all my classes with flying colors and I could not be more ecstatic. All I want to do now is sleep, maybe watch some netflix, but my roommate, James Lincoln Avery,  insists I accompany her to the party to make sure she gets home safe since she plans on drinking. I loathe the idea, but she did help me out studying for my final in The Anthropology of Food. So, I accompany her to the party and watch her have a good time and hang out on the outskirts of the party.

 

Suddenly, a guy comes up to me. I dismiss him at first, but he made a comment about my favorite band, Maroon 5, which kind of catches my interest. He's got Black Hair and Brown Eyes and introduces themselves as Dashiell Dudley Verhoeven, they're eighteen years old. I start talking to Dashiell and find out about him, he is apparently a legacy of the university, went to prep schools his whole life, has traveled the world with his bourgeois family and while that would usually make me feel a bit of a chip on my shoulder, for some reason, it doesn't with Dash, for some reason. I find him charming. I also find out that Dashiell is majoring in Philosophy and the way Dashspeak about his major so passionately it entices me. We talk for hours before James stumbles over. Realizing I need to get her home, but not wanting the conversation with Dashiell  to end, so we exchange numbers and I promise to call him later. I leave with James and head back to my dorm, feeling much happier than when I'd arrived at the party.

 

I met my husband ten years ago at that silly college party, and as much as I disliked the party scene in college, I can't help but look back on that night fondly.  Ever since that night, Dash and I started dating.  We graduated from Fordham, and Dash ended up working for his family's company while I went right into Law School at Columbia - Since we were both in New York, we continued to date throughout our 20's.  Eventually, Dash completed his internship with his family, and attended graduate school at Yale University, where he got his PHD in Philosophy and finished off a degree in pedagogy.  We had to commute from NYC to New Haven  to see each other, but it was worth it.  I eventually graduated from Columbia and moved to New Haven to be with Dashiell.  Once I completed my bar exam and passed it with New York, D.C, Connecticut, Florida and New Jersey under my belt, I became an Attorney at a practice about ten miles away from Dash's and my apartment.  Dash graduated and got a job as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy in the Philosophy Departments at Yale University and Wesleyan at the undergraduate levels.

 

Once we settled into our careers, we got married.  It was a small ceremony held at a quaint chapel outside New Haven in the winter.  Dashiell and I decided to honeymoon in a few places over the course of three weeks during the winter break of college - Nice, France; Santorini, Greece and Tokyo, Japan. We used the lump sum of money that Dashiell's parents had gifted us for the wedding invested the money we saved into buying a four-bedroom house together, since we planned on having kids soon after getting married.

 

Dashiell and I started trying to conceive soon after getting married, but a year passed, and we still had no luck getting pregnant.  We visited a fertility doctor, who reported that Dashiell had a low sperm count, and I had an undiagnosed case of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, making it nearly impossible for us to have a biological child together.  Dashiell and I were stunned and devastated.  We spent a few months going over the facts and trying to think of a solution.  As an only child, I wanted my kids to have many siblings that they could count on, since Dashiell has a load of siblings and loves being a part of a big family.

 

Six months after the news, Dashiell and I made the decision to visit an adoption agency.  We were matched with a birth mother, Ashley Emma-Mary Mars,  who lived in rural Pennsylvania.  She was 16 and had gotten pregnant accidentally.  We met with her a few times and agreed to pay for her medical bills.  The adoption agency informed us a few months into the pregnancy that we would be the parents of a little girl. Dash and I had agreed that we would be fine with either gender, but we were both so excited to have a daughter.

 

Dashiell and I spent the next few months converting one of our spare bedrooms into a nursery for our daughter.  Finally, the day of delivery arrived. Ashley went into labor, and we waited for hours at the hospital until finally we received news that she had been born.  Our daughter weighed seven pounds and nine ounces and was twenty-three inches long.  She had Blonde Hair and Green eyes.  Ashley signed away her rights without ever meeting her.  We took her home the next day and named her Poppy Genevieve Verhoeven.

 

My mother, Helen Jane Larsen (née Aske), moved to New Haven shortly after Poppy was born to help us raise her, since Dash and I had such demanding jobs.  Juggling motherhood and being promoted to senior partner at my law firm was challenging, but Poppy's smile motivated us through the challenges we faced as new parents.

 

Around Poppy's first birthday, Dashiell, Poppy, and I flew to Westchester, NY for the annual Verhoeven family reunion.  We stayed at Dashiell's childhood house where his parents, Genevieve Rosamund (née Montgomery) and Archibald Josiah Verhoeven, still live. Dashiell is the youngest of five kids.  The eldest Verhoeven child is Josiah Amos Verhoeven, who is 40.  He graduated from Princeton with a degree in economics and is now an economics professor at Cornell.  He is married to Elsie Clementine Verhoeven (née Hapstall), a stay-at-home mother, and they have eight kids: Jonas Philip (14), Celia Gabriella (14), Sophia Mabel (11), Ella Beatrice (9), Anna Grace (8), Graham Forrest (5), Hugh Christian (3) and Harrison Clay (3).

 

The second Verhoeven child is Clarissa Matilda Waldorf (née Verhoeven), who is 38.  She graduated from Stanford University with a degree in mathematics and now works for Google in Silicon Valley, CA.  Her husband's name is Otto Lionel Waldorf .  He is a plastic surgeon. Clarissa and Otto have three kids: Henry Miles (7), Chloe Eloise (5) and Elias Jack (2)

 

The third Verhoeven child is Humphrey Barnabas Verhoeven.  He is 35 and is married to Louise Isa Verhoeven (née Billings).  Humphrey and Lulu have three children: Julian Oscar (10), Barnaby Cole (4), and Daisy Faith (0).  Humphrey went to Georgetown where he majored in biology and was on a pre-med track.  He is now a Cardiologist and lives with Lulu, a stock analyst, in New York City, New York.

 

The fourth Verhoeven child is Evangeline Cecily Bancroft (née Verhoeven; formerly Carrington), age 34.  She has been married twice, the first time to Harry Walter Carrington, with whom she had her daughter, Sasha Zoe Carrington (12).  Sasha spends half her time living  in London, England, with Harry, but Sasha still comes to the family reunions to see her mother's side of the family.  Evangeline's wife is Florence Lavinia Bancroft.  They have three children: Florence's daughter - Kitty Rose (15), then twins who are biologically Evangeline's children with a sperm donation from Florence's brother -  George Levi (1), and Frederick Lucas (1). Evangeline met Florence when they both attended the University of Pennsylvania. Evangeline majored in business and is now the CEO of a pharmaceutical company based in New York City, New York.  She met Florence  through work (she is the public relations executive for the same company).

 

With around thirty people at the reunion, there were plenty of people to talk to, and it was fun watching all the kids play together.  Dashiell  and I fondly imagined Poppy  joining in the fun and games when she's old enough.  I received plenty of child-rearing advice from all of Dash's siblings and their spouses, not to mention my in-laws, which was irksome at times, but I knew their intentions were kind and sincere.  One evening, Josiah asked me if Dashiell and I planned on having more children, or if we were just having Poppy.  I told him that we would be interested in adopting again, but that we didn't have any concrete plans to adopt any time soon.  Dashiell didn't ask anything else, but his question stuck with me for the rest of the week.

 

Dashiell, Poppy, and I finally returned home.  After putting Puppy to bed one night, Dash brought up the idea of international adoption, which we had considered before adopting Poppy.  We agreed that since it can be a two to four year process, we should put in a request at the adoption agency now.  The next day, I called our agent, Talitha Ziva Johnson, who told me the countries they were currently in contact with.  We talked about Poppy, and she said that she would update us if any matches were found.  I hung up the phone feeling giddy about the prospect of having another child.

 

That weekend, Dashiell and I left Poppy at home with my mother so that we could go out to dinner.  We hadn't had a real date night since Poppy was born, so it was a refreshing evening for both of us.  We talked about what countries we wanted to adopt from, deciding that Korea, Norway, and Haiti were our top choices.  We eventually decided that Norway was our first choice of country, since Dashiell had recently been doing research in Scandinavian philosophy and found it to be an every day discussion topic in our home.  We thought it was an appropriate homage to Dash's work, so we called Talitha the next day and told her that we were interested in adopting a child from Norway.

 

For the next few months, we had our home inspected and filled out countless forms.  During the summer, we decided to take a weekend trip to Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA. Poppy loved meeting all of the Sesame Street characters, since Sesame Street was her favorite show.

 

The months pass, and we keep in touch with Talitha, who informs us that there are no suitable matches for us yet.  Although we are disappointed by this, we get into a happy and stable routine with Poppy and rely on my mom's help less and less.  For her third birthday, Dash and I decided to throw a party for our daughter.  She asked for a Superhero themed party, since she adores superheroes especially Batman and Captain America.  While shopping for party supplies, I received a call from Talitha who told me that there was a match for us!  I rushed home and called Dashiell, who hurried home as well.  We received a file from Talitha with pictures of newborn boy/girl twins from Bergen, Norway.  We fell in love with them immediately.

 

Poppy was excited about the news of having a little brother and sister.  The day after her birthday party, Dashiell and I dropped her off at my in-law's house and caught a flight to Oslo and then drove to Bergen where we had five days to spend with our future son and daughter.  We loved every minute that we spent with them and knew that they was the perfect match for our family.  He had Blonde Hair and Blue Eyes and She had Blonde Hair and Bluel Eyes  as well. We were sad to part with them, but we gave them  kisses goodbye and told them that we would see them soon.  

 

Dashiell and I decorated our second spare bedroom, creating a beautiful nursery for our twins.  Finally, another month passed, and we left Poppy with Humphrey, Louise and their kids while we flew to Norway again, this time to bring our little darlings home for good.  We named them Wesley "Wes" Larsen Verhoeen and Serena Daphne Verhoeven.

 

The Verhoeven Family

 

DW: Flora Lorna Verhoeven (nee Larsen) [35] [Brown Hair & Brown Eyes] [Attorney]

DH: Dashiell Dudley Verhoeven [32] [Black Hair & Brown Eyes] [Philosophy Professor]

 

DAD1: Poppy Genevieve Verhoeven [3] [Blonde Hair & Green Eyes]

(Adopted Domestically; birth mother: Ashley Mars)

DAS1: Wesley "Wes" Larsen Verhoeven [0] [Blonde Hair & Blue Eyes]

(Adopted from Norway; twin brother of Serena)

DAD2: Serena Daphne Verhoeven [0] [Blonde Hair & Blue Eyes]

(Adopted from Norway; twin sister of Wes)

 

Flora and Dashiell Verhoeven; with Poppy, Wes & Serena

 

 

[Puppylover12397]

My name is Poppy Esme Rowena Storstrand, I have Brown Hair and Brown Eyes and I'm twenty years old. I'm a student at Brown University and you're pursuing a major in History. Ever since I came to college, I've always been focused on my studies, I've worked very hard to get into Brown and need to maintain a certain GPA to continue getting my scholarship money to enable me to continue, the second being I need to be able to get scholarships to go on and further my education.

 

However, today is the last day of my junior year of undergrad and I've just taken my final exam, I'm thrilled, and feel like I've passed all my classes with flying colors and I could not be more ecstatic. All I want to do now is sleep, maybe watch some netflix, but my roommate, Casey Sawyer Dylan,  insists I accompany her to the party to make sure she gets home safe since she plans on drinking. I loathe the idea, but she did help me out studying for my final in Logic. So, I accompany her to the party and watch her have a good time and hang out on the outskirts of the party.

 

Suddenly, a girl comes up to me. I dismiss her at first, but she made a funny joke about Trump's campaign, which kind of catches my interest. She's got Brown Hair and Hazel Eyes and introduces themselves as Cornelia Genevieve Vervloet, they're nineteen years old. I start talking to Cornelia and find out about her, she is apparently a legacy of the university, went to prep schools her whole life, has traveled the world with her bourgeois family and while that would usually make me feel a bit of a chip on my shoulder, for some reason, it doesn't with Cornelia, for some reason. I find her  charming. I also find out that Cornelia is majoring in Political Science and the way Cornelia speak about her major so passionately it entices me. We talk for hours before Casey  stumbles over. Realizing I need to get her home, but not wanting the conversation with Cornelia  to end, so we exchange numbers and I promise to call her later. I leave with Casey and head back to my dorm, feeling much happier than when I'd arrived at the party.

 

 

I met my wife ten years ago at that silly college party, and as much as I disliked the party scene in college, I can't help but look back on that night fondly.  Ever since that night, Cornelia and I started dating.  We graduated from Brown, and Cornelia ends up deciding to attend Law School at Columbia while I attended NYU to do a PHD program in History and in pedagogy, of course we moved to NYC together and shared an apartment in the Upper East Side that belonged to Cornelia'a family, we enjoyed being young and in our twenties together, living the good life in love and it was honestly magical. By the end of it all, Cornelia graduated law school and got a position as an entry level Lawyer at Barden, Vervloet & Associates while I started working at Barnard College, Fordham University and St. Johns's University as a Visiting Assistant Professor of History.

 

Once we settled into our careers, we got married.  It was actually quite the large affair, mostly on Cornelia's side. I had a few childhood friends and college friends, my mother and then co-workers, but Cornelia well, she had her parents, siblings, the in-laws on all sides, her friends, all the girls from her old private high school, family friends and then her work colleagues.  We rented out a huge hotel with a large ballroom, it was catered by a celebrity chef and pastry chef, we had the the ceremony inside on a breezy, fall day. It was honestly a wonderful event even though I can only remember some of the people I had met. There were hundreds. Cornelia decided to take my last name as Afterwards, Cornelia and I decided to honeymoon in a few places over the course of three weeks during the winter break of college - Kauai, Hawaii; Reykjavik, Iceland and Amsterdam, The Netherlands. After our fun was said and done we used the lump sum of money that Cornelia's parents had gifted us for the wedding into buying a five-bedroom house together in Westchester County since we planned on having kids soon after getting married. However, there does seem to be something missing. The pitter-patter of little feet. So, Cornelia and I decide to start trying for a family, we spend two years trying and failing to get pregnant with the help of donor sperm, but nothing happens. No pregnancy.

 

 We visited a fertility doctor, who reported that a previously undiagnosed case of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in myself and Endometriosis in Cornelia. Cornelia and I were stunned and devastated.  We spent a few months going over the facts and trying to think of a solution.  As an only child, I wanted my kids to have many siblings that they could count on, since Cornelia has a load of siblings and loves being a part of a big family.

 

Four months after the news, Cornelia and I made the decision to visit an adoption agency.  It took a few visits, making a book about our lives, but not too long after we were matched with a birth mother, Jennifer Emily Altair,  who lived in rural South Dakota.  She was 16 and had gotten pregnant accidentally.  We met with her a few times and agreed to pay for her medical bills, some bills related to pregnancy such as birthing classes and maternity wear.  The adoption agency informed us a few months into the pregnancy that we would be the parents of a little boy. Cornelia and I had agreed that we would be fine with either gender, but we were both so excited to have a son.

 

Cornelia and I spent the next few months converting one of our spare bedrooms into a nursery for our son.  Finally, the day of delivery arrived. Jennifer went into labor, and we waited for hours at the hospital until finally we received news that he had been born.  Our son weighed seven pounds and nine ounces and was twenty-three inches long.  He had Blonde Hair and Brown Eyes. Jennifer signed away her rights without ever meeting him.  We took him home the next day and named him Stellan Tobias Judah Storstrand since he's our little star.

 

My mother, Barbra Margaret Storstrand, moved to Long Island from Sun Valley, Idaho shortly after Stellan was born to help us raise him, since Cornelia and I had such demanding jobs.  Juggling motherhood and being promoted to a full time professor at Barnard College was challenging, but Stellan's smile motivated us through the challenges we faced as new parents.

 

Around Stellan's first birthday, Cornelia, Stellan, and I flew to Darien, Connecticut  for the annual Vervloet family reunion. We stayed at Cornelia's childhood house where her parents, Eleanor Katherine (née Kennedy) and Byron Nathaniel Vervloet, still live. Cornelia is the youngest of four kids.  The eldest Verhoeven child is Judah Chester Vervloet, who is 43.  He graduated from Yale with a degree in Biochemistry, then went to Harvard Medical school and is a Pediatric Surgeon. Judah and his family reside in Darien, Connnecticut on the same block as Eleanor and Byron. Judah is married to Eloise Josephine Vervloet (née Mars), a stay-at-home mother, and they have five kids: Andrew Jonah (15), Beatrice Eleanor (12), Christian Jonas (9), Daisy Eliza (7) and Ella Josephine (6).

 

The second Vervloet child is Cecelia Beatrice Hearst (née Vervloet), who is 39.  She graduated from Yale University with a degree in Business and now works for Hearst, Walton and Cohen LLC in Manhattan, but they live in Manhasset, NY.  Her husband's name is Arthur August Hearst . He is an attorney at the LLC company where his own father is a head partner. Cecelia and Arthur have six kids: Frederick Nathaniel (13), George Nathan (10), Charlotte Eleanor (10), Margaret Frances (7), Susannah Helen (4) and Alice Francesca (4)

 

The third Vervloet child is Tobias Humphrey Vervloet.  He is 36 and is married to Hazel Violet Vervloet (née Koch).  Tobias ans Hazel have five children: Tobias "Toby" Hayden (11), Nathaniel Barnaby (8), Reed Walker (5), Arabella Sloane (3) and Violet Eleanor (0).  Tobias went to Stanford where he majored in Biochemistry and Neurosciences. He is now a Neurosurgeon and works at Mount Sinai Hospital while Hazel is a stay-at-home mother, the family now resides in New York City, New York.

 

With around thirty people at the reunion, there were plenty of people to talk to, and it was fun watching all the kids play together. Cornelia and I fondly imagined Stellan joining in the fun and games when he's old enough.  I received plenty of child-rearing advice from all of Cornelia's siblings and their spouses, not to mention my in-laws, which was irksome at times, but I knew their intentions were kind and sincere.  One evening, Tobias asked me if Cornelia and I planned on having more children, or if we were just having Stellan. I told him that we would be interested in adopting again, but that we didn't have any concrete plans to adopt any time soon.  Tobias didn't ask anything else, but his question stuck with me for the rest of the week.

 

Cornelia, Stellan, and I finally returned home.  After putting Stellan to bed one night, Cornelia brought up the idea of international adoption, which we had considered before adopting Stellan.  We agreed that since it can be a two to four year process, we should put in a request at the adoption agency now.  The next day, I called our agent, Sibella Estienne Smith, who told me the countries they were currently in contact with.  We talked about Stellan, and she said that she would update us if any matches were found.  I hung up the phone feeling giddy about the prospect of having another child.

 

That weekend, Cornelia and I left Stellan at home with my mother so that we could go out to dinner.  We hadn't had a real date night since Stellan  was born, so it was a refreshing evening for both of us.  We talked about what countries we wanted to adopt from, deciding that China, Ukraine, and Haiti were our top choices.  We eventually decided that Ukraine was our first choice of country, since I recently had a few international students form Ukraine in my class this past year and hearing about their culture was certainly interesting and they had been some of my most well-behaved and sincere students ever. So we called Sibella the next day and told her that we were interested in adopting a child from Ukraine.

 

For the next few months, we had our home inspected and filled out countless forms.  During the summer, we decided to take a trip to The Atlantis in the Bahamas. It was wonderful to enjoy the beach and sun, Stellan adored making sandcastles and while we felt a little guilty a few times we left him in the daycare and got massages, had some nice dinners together and even spent one afternoon in the sun lazily while he got to go play with some touch sea animals. Of course, we also did a lot together, we met with Dolphins and took pictures and helped work on teaching Stellan to swim in the ocean and in the pool, our little man even tried his first water slide in my lap.

 

The months pass, and we keep in touch with Sibella, who informs us that there are no suitable matches for us yet.  Although we are disappointed by this, we get into a happy and stable routine with Stellan and rely on my mom's help less and less.  For his third birthday, Cornelia and I decided to throw a party for our son.  He asked for a Lion King themed party, since its his favorite movie by far, and I cannot wait to take him to see Hamlet when he's older, have him read it and take him to Denmark - my mother's birth country - one day considering his fascination.  While shopping for party supplies, I received a call from Sibella who told me that there was a match for us!  I rushed home and called Cornelia, who hurried home as well.  We received a file from Sibella with pictures of two year old twin boys from Ukraine.  We fell in love with them immediately. We speak with Sibella for another hour before leaving to go pick up Stellan from a weekend spent with Tobias, Hazel and their kids; Toby, Nathaniel, Reed, Arabella, Violet and their new little boy born six months ago, Brenner Koch Vervloet.

 

When we get home and Cornelia makes dinner and I bring up having a younger sibling to Stellan and he seems excited by the idea which eases some of our tension and we call back Sibella and talk through the process, we set up to go do a first visit in two months when I'll be off for Christmas break from work. We drop Stellan off with Cornelia's parents and then Cornelia, my mother and I fly off  to Ukraine to start some more of the process for the adoption and meet our precious babies, while not identical, both boys have Brown Hair and Green Eyes. They're adorable and down right perfect and we fall in love with them, at the end of the week and a half when we have to say good, I can't imagine anything more painful, but my mother and Cornelia help me get through it. We'll be returning for them soon enough.  We loved every minute that we spent with them and knew that they was the perfect match for our family.  It hurts even worse knowing we're leaving them in the orphanage...While not terrible, the conditions are....still heartbreaking, the boys go by Oleg and Igor, We were sad to part with them, but we gave them  kisses goodbye and told them that we would see them soon and they would finally com home. I got on our return flight in tears and the only thing that got me through it was knowing that Cornelia's parents and Stellan would be there at the airport to pick us up and I could hold Stellan in my arms.

 

As soon as our family gets home, we start to set up a nursery for our little ones. We even get Stellan involved with painting and helping to set it all up and the next thing you know its been another month and it is time for Cornelia and I to travel back to Ukraine to go pick up our little boys for good, to take home, we left Stellan with my mother for the week long time of ourst hearing, signing of papers and such and honestly, its all a rush and barely there memories and when we arrive, Cornelia's whole family, my mother and Stellan are there with all the food, gifts and babysitting offers we could ever want; of course what they're all eagerly awaiting is news I'm glad to give -we had decided to give the boys new names for a new start - as we inform them of the names we've chosen for our newest additions, Boden Cornelius Vervloet Storstrandand and Kai Porter Rowan Storstrand are welcomed joyfully into the Storstrand and Vervloet clan.

 

The Storstrand Family

 

DW: Poppy Esme Rowena Storstrand [35] [Red Hair & Blue Eyes] [History Professor]

DW: Cornelia Genevieve Storstrand (nee Vervloet) [34] [Brown Hair & Hazel Eyes] [Lawyer]

 

DAS1: Stellan Tobias Judah Storstrand [3] [Blonde Hair & Brown Eyes]

(Adopted Domestically; birth mother: Jennifer Altair)

DAS2: Boden Cornelius Vervloet Storstrand [2] [Brown Hair & Green Eyes]

(Adopted from Ukraine; twin brother of Kai)

DAS3: Kai Porter Rowan Storstrand [2] [Brown Hair & Green Eyes]

(Adopted from Ukraine; twin brother of Boden)

 

Poppy and Cornelia Storstrand; with Stellan, Boden & Kai

[hollyann]

It has been a year since you welcomed Clementine into your family and both you and Cleo love being parents, while at times its very hard considering you both work demanding jobs and with you having been promoted up a position to department director, but thanks to help from your mother, Elizabeth Jane Rapp, you know Clementine is always in good hands even if you and Cleo are busy with work.

 

However, later that week you, Cleo  and Clementine attend his family's yearly reunion. You're staying with her parents, Charlotte Penelope and Jeremiah Ezekiel Samson, while you do so. You love hanging out with her six siblings, Dexter Tobias Samson, his wife, Cora Josephine, and their children, Emmett Finn, Amelia Claire, Graham Miles, Paige Rose, Levi Reed, and Jackson Ike, Amos Dudley Samson, his wife Eloise Pearl, and their children Liam Nathaniel, Madeleine Sloane, Malcolm Cole, and Juliet Rose, Genevieve Eliza Edmonds, her husband Silas Oscar, and their children Maisie Kate, Harrison Jonas, Jasper Lewis, Owen Luke, and Wyatt Henry, Adeline Violet Miller, her husband, Josiah Calvin, and their daughters, Sawyer Olivia, Isabel Hope, Mabel Tess, and Addison Eve, Felix Chester Samson, his wife, Hazel Iris, and their children, Jonah Oliver, Theo Simon, Gabriella Eve, and Anderson Clay, and Atticus Josiah Samson, his wife Ivy Mae, and their children, Asher Gabriel, Forrest Duncan, Ezra George, Leo Orson, and Willa Nell,  as Cleo is the youngest child in her family. They're always talking to you guys and giving advice about child rearing, relationships, etc and while irksome at times you know it all comes from a good and loving place. Later, when speaking to Adeline, they ask you if you plan to have anymore kids or if you guys just plan to have  Clementine. You offhandedly comment that you would like more kids, but are unsure when you and Cleo intend to look into further adoption and go back to talking about other things, but the thought does seem to stay with you a bit.

 

The night after the reunion and after coming home from work and putting Clementine to bed, you and Cleo are reading in bed when she brings back up the fact that you both still would like to adopt internationally and that that can take quite a bit of time. You agree with her having known other people in the adoption community in online support groups who have waited years, you know you just got very lucky with Clementine. You both agree to go to bed and place a call with your case worker and agency tomorrow about paper work considering the likely occurrence of a two to four year wait to be matched up with a child.

 

The next day on your lunch break you place a call to your agent, Kady Raquel Smith, and she agrees it would be good to start working through the papers since it could take some time. Kady explains which countries they have current associations with and informs you that you and Cleo need to pick one to start the process. We chit chat a little more about how Clementine is doing before hanging up and heading back to work that day, extremely excited.

 

That night you ask Cleo's oldest sibling and their spouse - Dexter and Cora - to watch Clementine so you and Cleo can decide on which country you want to adopt from. After leaving Clementine you go out and have a nice dinner together for the first time in awhile and savor it, making some small work talk before hitting to harder subjects. You discuss some of the places that intrigue you both, you make it down to your top three locations, Russia , Korea and Ukraine, eventually you end up deciding on Korea.

 

Later that night you and Cleo send an email off to your agent to get the ball rolling on the process. The next day you pick up Clementine from Cleo's sibling and feel refreshed and excited about your decision. Over the next couple of months, both you and Cleo work through the paper work, have your home visits and then hit the dry spell you knew would hit, but you fill it with exciting things including your first family vacation with Clementine.

 

It takes some time for you to decide, but you end up picking Disney World. You and Cleo pick a less crowded week to take off, not around traditional holidays and then spend said week with your family making memories and taking a ton of photos. 

 

Sadly, even after that you still haven't heard much back from your agent other then she's still looking to match you and Cleo with a child. You try not to feel disheartened by the time frame and continue to enjoy life as it is now. You get into a routine again with Cleo and Clementine, and your monthly discussions with your case worker to check in until it's been about a year and a half since you put in the paper work and Clementine is just a month away from turning three! You can't believe ho big they've gotten.

 

While shopping for themed thing for Clementine's party, they're having a Scooby Doo theme, you get a call from your agent. They've found a match! You ask agent if you can call them back in a minute as your out and not at a computer to receive the file and they agree. You rush through check out and quickly call Cleo telling them they need to get home; you've been matched! You throw everything into the car and drive home and thankfully Cleo is there as well and you call back your agent who informs you that you've been matched with baby boy and you couldn't be more thrilled. You speak with her for another hour before she sends the file and you open it up, look through pictures and feel your heart melt. You and Cleo browse through it a little more before leaving to go pick up Clementine from a day with Cleo's parents.

 

You get home and Cleo makes dinner and you bring up having a younger sibling to Clementine and they seem excited by the idea which eases some of your tension and you call back your agent and talk through the process, you set up to go do a first visit in two months when you'll be off for Christmas break from work. You, Cleo, your mother and Clementine fly off to Kora and meet your precious baby, they have black hair and brown eyes, for the first time, they're adorable and down right perfect and you fall in love with them, at the end of the week and a half when you have to say good, you can't imagine anything more painful, but your mother and Cleo help you get through it. You'll be returning for them soon enough.

 

As soon as your family gets home, you start to set up a nursery for your little one. You get Clemetine involved with painting and helping to set it all up and the next thing you know its been another month and you and Cleo travel back to Korea to go pick up your little one for good, to take home, and when you arrive, Cleo's whole family, your mother and Clementine are there with all the food, gifts and babysitting offers you could ever want; of course what they're all eagerly awaiting is news your glad to give as you inform them of the names you've chosen for your newest addition(s), Vincent Eli, are welcome joyfully into the Rapp clan.

 

The Rapp Family

Arabella & Cleo {35}

Clementine {3} & Vincent {0}

[Remy Hadley]

Adoption Story CAF 3/?

 

It has been a year since you welcomed Violet Beatrice into your family and both you and Ginny love being parents, while at times its very hard considering you both work demanding jobs and with you having been promoted up a position to lead psychologist within your region, but thanks to help from your mother, Charlotte Jane Jensen, you know Violet is always in good hands even if you and Ginny are busy with work.

 

However, later that week you, Ginny and Violet attend his family's yearly reunion. You're staying with her parents, Gemma Colette Mudler and Spencer Jude Mudler, while you do so. You love hanging out with all of her siblings, their spouses, and their children. Ginny is the youngest child in her family. They're always talking to you guys and giving advice about child rearing, relationships, etc and while irksome at times you know it all comes from a good and loving place. Later, when speaking to Edie, they she you if you plan to have anymore kids or if you guys just plan to have Violet. You offhandedly comment that you would like more kids, but are unsure when you and Ginny intend to look into further adoption and go back to talking about other things, but the thought does seem to stay with you a bit.

 

The night after the reunion and after coming home from work and putting Violet to bed, you and Ginny are reading in bed when Ginny brings back up the fact that you both still would like to adopt internationally and that that can take quite a bit of time. You agree with Ginny having known other people in the adoption community in online support groups who have waited years, you know you just got very lucky with Violet. You both agree to go to bed and place a call with your case worker and agency tomorrow about paper work considering the likely occurrence of a two to four year wait to be matched up with a child.

 

The next day on your lunch break you place a call to your agent, Rosetta Margeurite Smith, and she agrees it would be good to start working through the papers since it could take some time. Rosetta explains which countries they have current associations with and informs you that you and Ginny need to pick one to start the process. We chit chat a little more about how Violet is doing before hanging up and heading back to work that day, extremely excited.

 

That night you ask Ginny's oldest sibling and their spouse - Judah and Agnes - to watch Violet so you and Ginny can decide on which country you want to adopt from. After leaving Violet you go out and have a nice dinner together for the first time in awhile and savor it, making some small work talk before hitting to harder subjects. You discuss some of the places that intrigue you both, you make it down to your top three locations, China, Russia, and Ethiopia, eventually you end up deciding on Russia because of a touching story Ginny had heard about the poor conditions of Russian orphanages.

 

Later that night you and Ginny send an email off to your agent to get the ball rolling on the process. The next day you pick up Violet from Ginny's sibling and feel refreshed and excited about your decision. Over the next couple of months, both you and Ginny work through the paper work, have your home visits and then hit the dry spell you knew would hit, but you fill it with exciting things including your first family vacation with Violet.

 

It takes some time for you to decide, but you end up picking The Atlantis in the Bahamas. You and Ginny pick a less crowded week to take off, not around traditional holidays and then spend said week with your family making memories and taking a ton of photos. Violet loved the water but hated the sand. We quickly found that vacationing with children isn't truly a vacation but really an extention of every day parenting away from home. It was still refreshing, none the less. It was still a beautiful family memory. We were able to appreciate the time spent together as a family of 3, knowing it would be changing in the foreseeable future.

 

Sadly, even after that you still haven't heard much back from your agent other then she's still looking to match you and Ginny with a child. You try not to feel disheartened by the time frame and continue to enjoy life as it is now. You get into a routine again with Ginny and Violet, and your monthly discussions with your case worker to check in until it's been about a year and a half since you put in the paper work and Violet is just a month away from turning three! You can't believe how big they've gotten.

 

While shopping for themed thing for Violet's party, she's having a Super Hero theme, you get a call from your agent. They've found a match! You ask agent if you can call them back in a minute as your out and not at a computer to recieve the file and they agree. You rush through check out and quickly call Ginny telling them they need to get home; you've been matched! You throw everything into the car and drive home and thankfully Ginny is there as well and you call back your agent who informs you that you've been matched with boy/girl twins and you couldn't be more thrilled. You speak with her for another hour before she sends the file and you open it up, look through pictures and feel your heart melt. You and Ginny browse through it a little more before leaving to go pick up Violet from a day with Ginny's parents.

 

You get home and Ginny makes dinner and you bring up having a younger sibling to Violet and she seems excited by the idea which eases some of your tension and you call back your agent and talk through the process, you set up to go do a first visit in two months when you'll be off for Christmas break from work. You, Ginny, your mother and Violet fly off to Russia and meet your precious babies, they have fair hair and pale blue eyes, for the first time, they're adorable and down right perfect and you fall in love with them, at the end of the week and a half when you have to say good, you can't imagine anything more painful, but your mother and Ginny help you get through it. You'll be returning for them soon enough.

 

As soon as your family gets home, you start to set up a nursery for your little ones. You get Violet involved with painting and helping to set it all up and the next thing you know its been another month and you and Ginny travel back to Russia to go pick up your little ones for good, to take home, and when you arrive, Ginny's whole family, your mother, and Violet are there with all the food, gifts and babysitting offers you could ever want; of course what they're all eagerly awaiting is news your glad to give as you inform them of the names you've chosen for your newest additions, Gus Matteo and Olive Virginia, are welcome joyfully into the Mudler-Jensen clan.

 

 

Please list your family!

 

The Jensen Family

Charlotte Jane [59] with child:

Matilda Agnes [30]

 

The Mudler Family

Spencer Jude [82] and Gemma Colette [77] with children:

Judah Atticus [51], Dexter Lemuel [49], Cordelia Genevieve [45], Millicent Maude [42], Phineas Tobias [40], Edith Emmeline [35], and Imogen Violet [34]

 

The Mudler Family

Judah Atticus [51] and wife Agnes Winifred [50] with children:

Reed Charlie [24], Milo Graham [21], Clay Elias [19], Nora Fiona [17], Lucy Maude [15], Ezra Spencer [14], Anna Louisa [12], and Rose Helena [10]

 

The Mudler Family

Dexter Lemuel [49] and wife Clementine Mae [42] with children:

Charlotte Lily [18], Amelia Daisy [17], Beatrice Flora [14], Tobias Hunter [12], Mabel Clementine [9], and Dorothea Olivia [6]

 

The Maas Family

Cordelia Genevieve [45] and husband Walter Frederick [56] with children:

Zoe Arabella [16], Oliver Colin [12], Madeleine Audrey [10], and Isabel Sophie [7]

 

The Kaulkin Family

Millicent Maude [42] and husband Calvin Silas [47] with children:

Noah Max [19], Henry Asher [15], Willa Josephine [14], Jack Leo [11], and Maisie Theodora [9]

 

The Mudler Family

Phineas Tobias  [40] and wife Josephine Louise [38] with children: 

Harrison Gus [11], Dashiell Hugh [9], and Truman Wyatt [7]

 

The Riley Family

Edith Emmeline [35] with husband Arthur Harry [39] with children:

Gemma Frances [8], Forrest Malcolm [6], Allegra Sloane [5], Quinn Gregory [3], and India Margaret [1]

 

The Mudler-Jensen Family

Matilda Agnes [32] and Imogen Violet [34] with children:

Violet Beatrice [3], Gus Matteo [0], and Olive Virginia [0]

[astrothief42]

My name is Rhiannon Maisie Jørgensen. I have red hair and blue eyes and I'm 22 years old. I'm a student at Stanford University and I'm pursuing a major in Forensic Anthropology. Ever since I've come to college, I've always been focused on my studies. I've worked very hard to get into Stanford and need to maintain a certain GPA to continue getting my scholarship money to enable me to continue; the second being I need to be able to get scholarships to go on and further my education.

 

However, today is the last day of my fourth year of being an undergrad and I've just taken my final exam, I'm thrilled, and feel like I've passed all my classes with flying colors, and I could not be more ecstatic. All I want to do now is sleep, maybe watch some Netflix, but my roommate, Ashton Jameson Shepard,  insists I accompany her to the party to make sure she gets home safe since she plans on drinking. I loathe the idea, but she did help me out studying for my final in Biology. So, I accompany her to the party and watch her have a good time and hang out on the outskirts of the party.

 

Suddenly, a guy comes up to me. I dismiss him at first, but he made a comment about my favorite band, which kind of catches my interest. He's got black hair and green eyes (but wears light blue contacts) and introduces himself as Stellan Felix van de Laar. He's 18 years old. I start talking to Stellan and find out about him. He's apparently a legacy of the university, went to prep schools his whole life, has traveled the world with his bourgeois family and while that would usually make me feel a bit of a chip on my shoulder, for some reason, it doesn't with Stellan. I find him charming. I also find out that Stellan is majoring in Biochemistry, and the way he speaks about his major so passionately, entices me. We talk for hours before my roommate stumbles over. Realizing I need to get her home, but not wanting the conversation with Stellan to end, we exchange numbers and I promise to call him later. I leave with my roommate and head back to my dorm, feeling much happier than when I arrived at the party.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

It's been ten years since the night of the party, and I honestly cannot help but to look back fondly on it. It's the first night I met Stellan, who has now become my husband. We've both graduated from not only our undergrad programs, but from our respective medical school programs and are working in our dream jobs - I'm a Forensic Anthropologist and he's a Biochemist. Stellan and I could not be happier right now. However, there does seem to be something missing. The pitter patter of little feet. So, Stellan and I decide to start trying for a family. We spend 2 years trying and failing to get pregnant, but nothing happens. No pregnancy.

 

We see a fertility doctor who unfortunately informs us that between the two of us there is a low sperm count, and apparently a previously un-diagnosed case of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome with me. The chance of us having a biological child together is next to near impossible. The first thought of it stuns us both. We go home with that knowledge and both discuss some options, but we mostly grieve our loss. Both Stellan and I have always wanted a big family; me as an only child and Stellan comes from a big family with a slew of brothers and sisters. 
 

It takes us 1 month to finally broach the subject of what we two want to do next - stay childless or look into adoption. It's an easy discussion between us and we decide we want to look into adoption. The first thing we decide is we want to look into both international adoption and into domestic adoption. It takes us some time to find an agency to work with and then to get our home looked into and approved for viability. It's a longer process then expected, but a year later we've been set up by the agency and made an adoption book and just hoped that we would be matched with someone - then one day we were.

 

Our case worker informs us that we've been chosen by a young teen, Jessica Sophia Alcyone, who has fallen pregnant. She wants the adoption to be closed. While we feel sorry for the girl, an excitement does well inside of our chest. Stellan and I want this. We want to be parents. We meet with Jessica, and she comes to our house. We all talk and in the end, we sign the papers. We agree to help pay for the cost of her pregnancy from now on, from making sure her medical bills are paid, new maternity clothes are purchased, and help her with getting good healthy food. Other than that there is minimal contact which works well for all parties. 

 

We find out at the six month mark that Jessica is expecting a boy. Either sex would have been okay, but Stellan and I are just so thrilled. The first thing we do is go to half a dozen baby stores and purchase all the things we have always wanted to buy. We spend hours after, well into the night and wee hours of the morning setting up a nursery. It looks so beautiful and we honestly cry. We never thought that first night after seeing the infertility doctor we would ever get to set up a nursery.

 

The rest of the pregnancy goes by so fast. We work through the whole situation by working extra hours and then well, it happens. Jessica goes into labor. It's a quick one and we're there the whole time in the waiting room. Our little one is born perfect with blonde hair and brown eyes, weighing in at 7 pounds and 9 ounces and 23 inches long. Jessica signs away her rights without ever seeing him. We feel incredible when we look down and just know Levi Josiah is coming home with us, where he belongs, and Stellan and I feel such joy as we strap him into his car seat to take him home.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

It has been a year since we welcomed Levi into our family and both Stellan and I love being parents, while at times it's very hard considering we work demanding jobs, and with having been promoted, we get help from my mother, Katherine Jane Jørgensen, we know Levi is always in good hands even if Stellan and I are busy with work.

 

However, later that week Stellan, Levi and I attend Stellan's family's yearly reunion. We're staying with his parents, Emmanuel Oscar and Vera Celeste van de Laar, while we do so. Stellan is the youngest of 6 children.  Thaddeus Humphrey van de Laar, 43, is the oldest of the bunch. He is a world renowned surgeon who has been married for 25 years and has eight beautiful children with his wife, Ruby Hazel van de Laar {42}. They are: Nathan Oscar {23}, Oliver Miles {21}, Gabriel Wyatt {18}, India Grace {16}, Madeleine Rose {13}, Sophia Violet {11}, Dominic Lucas {9}, and Tessa Eve de Laar{6}. 

 

The next child is Judah Tobias van de Laar, who is 39. He is a CPA and is married to Clementine Ivy van de Laar {37}. They have four daughters. They are: Thea Mabel {17}, Hope Claire {15}, Daisy Faith {12}, and Gemma Leila de Laar {8}. 

 

Dexter Amos van de Laar is the third son. He is 37 years old and is a Lawyer. He's been married to Lydia Alice van de Laar {35} for 17 years, and they have six children. Their names are Jackson Ezra {19}, Christian Liam {18}, Natalie Ava {16}, Graham Lewis {14}, Jonah Milo {13}, and Charlotte Ella de Laar {10}.

 

Cora Mirabel Gallagher is the fourth child and oldest daughter. She is a stay-at-home mom, is 35 years old, and has been with her husband, Montgomery Frederick Gallagher, {36} for 21 years, and has been married for 15. They have 5 children. They are: Emma Juliet {18}, Finn Hudson {16}, Julian Isaac {13}, Carolina Josie {9}, and Lily Paige Gallagher {5}.

 

Evangeline Violet van Holland is the fifth child and youngest daughter. She is 34 years old. She is married to Calvin Silas Holland {34} and has 3 children. They are: Harry Sawyer {10}. Francesca Zoe {7}, and Nicholas Owen Holland {2}.

 

 I love spending time with my husband's siblings (their spouses), and our nieces and nephews. They're always talking to us and giving us advice about child rearing, relationships, etc., and while irksome at times, I know it all comes from a good and loving place. Later, when speaking to Cora, she asks me if Stellan and I plan to have anymore kids or if we just plan to have Levi. I offhandedly comment that we would like more kids, but are unsure when Stellan and I intend to look into further adoption, and then I go back to talking about other things, but the thought does seem to stay with me a bit.

 

The night after the reunion and after coming home from work and putting Levi to bed, Stellan and I are reading in bed when he brings back up the fact that we still would like to adopt internationally and that it can take quite a bit of time. I agree with Stellan, having known other people in the adoption community in online support groups who have waited years, and I know we just got very lucky with Levi. We agree to go to bed and place a call with our case worker and agency tomorrow about paper work, considering the likely occurrence of a two to four year wait to be matched up with a child.

 

The next day on our lunch break I place a call to my agent, Catharina Amaya Wagner, and she agrees it would be good to start working through the papers since it could take some time. Cat explains which countries she has current associations with and informs me that Stellan and I need to pick one to start the process. We chit chat a little more about how Levi is doing before hanging up and heading back to work that day, extremely excited.

 

That night I ask Stellan's oldest sibling and his wife - Thaddeus and Ruby - to watch Levi so Stellan and I can decide on which country we want to adopt from. After leaving Levi, we go out and have a nice dinner together for the first time in awhile and savor it, making some small work talk before hitting to harder subjects. We discuss some of the places that intrigue us, and make it down to our top three locations - Japan, Ethiopia and Germany. Eventually, we end up deciding on Ethiopia because of how many orphans there are in Africa.

 

Later that night, I send an email off to my agent to get the ball rolling on the process. The next day I pick up Levi from Stellan's brother and sister-in-law, Thaddeus and Ruby, and feel refreshed and excited about our decision. Over the next couple of months, Stellan and I work through the paper work, have our home visits and then hit the dry spell we knew would hit, but we fill it with exciting things including our first family vacation with Levi.

 

It takes some time for us to decide, but we end up picking Disney World. Stellan and I pick a less crowded week to take off, not around traditional holidays, and then spend the week with our family, making memories and taking a ton of photos. We got on every single ride, including the ones in Magic Kingdom. My favorite part was the water rides, and Stellan and I's least favorite part was cleaning up all the puke out of the car when Levi got sick.

 

Sadly, even after that, I still haven't heard much back from my agent, other then she's still looking to match Stellan and I with a child. We try not to feel disheartened by the time frame and continue to enjoy life as it is now. I get into a routine again with Stellan and Levi, and my monthly discussions with my case worker to check in, until it's been about a year and a half since I put in the paper work, and Levi is just a month away from turning three! I can't believe how big he's gotten.

 

While shopping for Levi's party (he's having a Safari theme), I get a call from my agent. She's found a match! I ask Cat if I can call her back in a minute as I am out and not at a computer to receive the file, and she agrees. I rush through check out and quickly call Stellan telling him he needs to get home; we've been matched! I throw everything into the car and drive home and thankfully Stellan is there as well, and I call Cat back, who informs me that we've been matched with a 2 year old girl, and we couldn't be more thrilled. I speak with her for another hour before she sends the file and I open it up, look through pictures, and feel my heart melt. Stellan and I browse through it a little more before leaving to go pick up Levi from a day with Stellan's parents.

 

I get home and Stellan makes dinner and we bring up having a younger sibling to Levi, and he seems excited by the idea, which eases some of our tension, and I call back my agent and talk through the process. We set up to go do a first visit in two months when we'll be off for Christmas break from work. Stellan, my mother, and Levi and I fly off to Ethiopia and meet our precious little girl for the first time. She has black hair and brown eyes. She's adorable and down right perfect, and we fall in love with her. At the end of the week and a half when we have to say goodbye, we can't imagine anything more painful, but Stellan and my mother help me get through it. We'll be returning for her soon enough.

 

As soon as our family gets home, we start to set up a nursery for our little girl. We get Levi involved with painting and helping to set it all up, and the next thing we know, it's been another month and Stellan and I travel back to Ethiopia to go pick up our daughter for good, to take home, and when we arrive, Stellan's whole family, my mother and Levi are there with all the food, gifts and babysitting offers we could ever want; of course, what they're all eagerly awaiting is news we're glad to give, as we inform them of the name we've chosen for our newest addition. Haven Stella is welcomed joyfully into the van de Laar clan.

 

The van de Laar Family

 

DW: Rhiannon Maisie van de Laar (nee Jørgensen) [36] {Red Hair and Blue Eyes}

DH: Stellan Felix van de Laar [32] {Black Hair and Green Eyes}

 

DAS: Levi Josiah van de Laar [3] {Blonde Hair and Brown Eyes}

DAD: Haven Stella van de Laar [2] {Black Hair and Brown Eyes}

 

Rhi and Stel with; 

Levi and Haven

[Cass]

My name is Annabel Fiona Lauritzen, I have long, wavy blonde hair and green eyes and I'm 21 years old. I'm a student at Brown University and I'm pursuing a major in Physcology. Ever since I've come to college, I've always been focused on my studies, I've worked very hard to get into Brown and need to maintain a certain GPA to continue getting my scholarship money to enable me to continue, the second being I need to be able to get scholarships to go on and further my education.

However, today is the last day of my Junior year in undergrad and I've just taken your final exam, I'm thrilled, and I feel like I've passed all my classes with flying colors and I could not be more ecstatic. All I want to do now is sleep, maybe watch some netflix, but my roommate, Noah Finley Taylor, insists I accompany her to a party to make sure she gets home safe since she plans on drinking. I loathe the idea, but she did help me out studying for my final in History. So, I accompany her to the party and watch her have a good time while I hang out on the outskirts of the party.

Suddenly, a guy comes up to me. I dismiss him at first, but he tells a stupid joke which kind of catches my interest. He's got bark brown hair and stunning blue eyes and introduces himself as Mordecai Tobias Archibald, or Kai, and he's also 21 years old. I start talking to Kai and find out about him, he's apparently a legacy of the university, went to prep schools his whole life, has traveled the world with his bourgeois family, and while that would usually make me feel a bit of a chip on my shoulder, for some reason, it doesn't with Kai. I find him charming. I also find out that Kai is majoring in philosophy,
and the way he speaks about his major so passionately entices me. We talk for hours before Noah stumbles over. Realizing I need to get her home, but not wanting the conversation with Kai to end, we exchange numbers and I promise to call him later. I leave with my roommate and head back to our dorm, feeling much happier than when I first arrived at the party.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's been ten years since the night of the party, and I honestly cannot help but to look back fondly on it. It's the first night you met Kai, who has now become my husband. We've both graduated from not only our undergrad programs, but from our respective graduate programs and are each working in our dream jobs - I'm a well-paid phycologist and he's a philosopher. Kai and I could not be happier right now. However, there does seem to be something missing. The pitter patter of little feet. So, Kai and I decide to start trying for a family, we spend one year trying and failing to get pregnant, but nothing happens. No pregnancy.

We see a fertility doctor who unfortunately informs us that between the two of us, there is a low sperm count and apparently a previously undiagnosed case of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. The chance of us having a biological child together is next to near impossible. The first thought of it stuns us both, we go home with that knowledge and both discuss some options, but we mostly grieve our loss. Both Kai and I have always wanted a big family, me as an only child and then Kai comes from a big family with a slew of brothers and sisters.

It takes us two months to finally broach the subject of what we want to do next, stay childless or look into adoption. It's an easy discussion between us and we decide we want to look into adoption. The first thing we decide is we want to look into both international adoption and into domestic adoption. It takes us some time to find an agency to work with and then to get our home looked into and approved for viability. It's a longer process then expected, but a year later we've been set up by the agency and made an adoption book and just hoped that you would be matched with someone; then one day we were.

Our case worker informs us that we've been chosen by a young teen, Jennifer Sophia Capella, who has fallen pregnant. She wants the adoption to be closed. While I feel sorry for the girl, an excitement does well inside of my chest. Kai and I want this, we want to be parents. We meet with Jenny and she comes to our house. We all talk and in the end, we sign the papers. We agree to help pay for the cost of her pregnancy from now on, from making sure her medical bills are paid, new maternity clothes are purchased and help her with getting good healthy food. Other than that there is minimal contact which works well for all parties.

We find out at the six month mark that Jenny is expecting a girl. Either sex would have been okay, but Kai and I are just so thrilled. The first thing we both do is go to half a dozen baby stores and purchase all the things we have always wanted to buy. We spend hours after, well into the night and wee hours of the morning, setting up a nursery. It looks so beautiful and I honestly cry. I had never thought that first night after seeing the infertility doctor I would ever get to set up a nursery.

The rest of the pregnancy goes by so fast, I work through the whole situation by working extra hours and then well, it happens. Jenny goes into labor. It's a quick one and we're there the whole time in the waiting room. Our little girl is born on January 9th, with perfect with dark brown hair like Kai's and gorgeous ocean blue eyes, weighing in at 7 pounds & 9 ounces and 23 inches long. Jenny signs away her rights without ever seeing her. I feel incredible when I look down and just know that Lila Amity Archibald is coming home with us. Where she belongs, and Kai and I feel such joy as we strap her into the car seat to take Lila home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It has been a year since we welcomed Lila into our family and both Kai and I love being parents, while at times it's very hard considering we work demanding jobs, and with having been promoted, we get help from my mother, Alice Olivia Lauritzen, we know Lila is always in good hands even if Kai and I are busy with work.

However, later that week Kai, Lila, and I attend Kai's family's yearly reunion. We're staying with his parents, Owen Elias and Veronica Ruth Archibald, while we do so. Kai is the youngest of 5 children. Silas Montgomery Archibald, 41, is the oldest of the bunch. He is a world renowned surgeon who has been married for 22 years and has four beautiful children with his wife, Louisa Ivy Archibald {40}. They are: Anderson Reed {21}, Gabriel Jonas {18}, Wyatt Nathaniel {17}, and Caroline Gemma {14}.

The next child is Violet Winifred Bass, who is 39. She is an amazing chef and is married to Jasper Roman Bass {44}. They have three daughters and two sons. They are: Chloe Mabel {16}, Elijah Clay {15}, Felicity Grace {10}, Josephine Hope {9}, and Dominic Leo {7}.

Cora Louise Carlo is the third child. She is 37 years old and is a Lawyer. She's been married to Lienol Asa Carlo {35} for 17 years, and they have five children. Their names are Eliza Clara {19}, Christian Graham {18}, Allegra Tess {14}, Clarissa Edith {13}, and Willa Frances {12}.

Calvin Theo Archibald is the youngest besides Kai. He is a CEO of a large company, is 33 years old, and has been with his wife, Pearl Dorothea Archibald {36}, for 15 years, and has been married for 9. They have 4 daughters. They are: Miranda Helen {12}, Beatrice Cara {8}, Juliet Arabella {6}, and Gabriella Faith {2}.

I love spending time with my husband's siblings, their spouses, and our nieces and nephews. They're always talking to us and giving us advice about child rearing, relationships, etc., and while irksome at times, I know it all comes from a good and loving place. Later, when speaking to Cora, she asks me if Kai and I plan to have anymore kids or if we just plan to have Lila. I offhandedly comment that we would like more kids, but are unsure when Kai and I intend to look into further adoption, and then I go back to talking about other things, but the thought does seem to stay with me a bit.

The night after the reunion and after coming home from work and putting Lila to bed, Kai and I are reading in bed when he brings back up the fact that we still would like to adopt internationally and that it can take quite a bit of time. I agree with Kai, having known other people in the adoption community in online support groups who have waited years, and I know we just got very lucky with Lila. We agree to go to bed and place a call with our case worker and agency tomorrow about paper work, considering the likely occurrence of a two to four year wait to be matched up with a child.

The next day on our lunch break I place a call to my agent, Angelica Teal Bennett, and she agrees it would be good to start working through the papers since it could take some time. Angelica explains which countries she has current associations with and informs me that Kai and I need to pick one to start the process. We chit chat a little more about how Lila is doing before hanging up and heading back to work that day, extremely excited.

That night I ask Kai's oldest sibling and his wife - Silas and Louisa - to watch Lila so Kai and I can decide on which country we want to adopt from. After leaving Lila, we go out and have a nice dinner together for the first time in awhile and savor it, making some small work talk before hitting to harder subjects. We discuss some of the places that intrigue us, and make it down to our top three locations - Brazil, Italy, and France. Eventually, we end up deciding on Italy because we honeymooned there and both have Italian background, so it has a special meaning to us.

Later that night, I send an email off to my agent to get the ball rolling on the process. The next day I pick up Lila from Kai's brother and sister-in-law, Silas and Louisa, and feel refreshed and excited about our decision. Over the next couple of months, Kai and I work through the paper work, have our home visits and then hit the dry spell we knew would hit, but we fill it with exciting things including our first family vacation with Lila.

It takes some time for us to decide, but we end up picking New York. Kai and I pick a less crowded week to take off, not around traditional holidays, and then spend the week with our family, making memories and taking a ton of photos. We got to see a play on broadway, which was my favorite part, and saw amazing landmarks (Kai's favorite part), and tried all of the ice cream (Lila's favorite part).

Sadly, even after that, I still haven't heard much back from my agent, other then she's still looking to match Kai and I with a child. We try not to feel disheartened by the time frame and continue to enjoy life as it is now. I get into a routine again with Kai and Lila, and my monthly discussions with my case worker to check in, until it's been about a year and a half since I put in the paper work, and Lila is just a month away from turning three! I can't believe how big she's gotten.

While shopping for Lila's party (we are having a Despicable Me theme), I get a call from my agent. She's found a match! I ask Angelica if I can call her back in a minute as I am out and not at a computer to receive the file, and she agrees. I rush through check out and quickly call Kai telling him he needs to get home; we've been matched! I throw everything into the car and drive home and thankfully Kai is there as well, and I call Angelica back, who informs me that we've been matched with a pair of infant boy/girl twins, and we couldn't be more thrilled. We had been a bit surprised with twins at first, but now we were even more excited than ever! I speak with her for another hour before she sends the file and I open it up, look through pictures, and feel my heart melt. Kai and I browse through it a little more before leaving to go pick up Lila from a day with Kai's parents.

I get home and Kai makes dinner and we bring up having younger siblings to Lila, and she seems excited by the idea, which eases some of our tension, and I call back my agent and talk through the process. We set up to go do a first visit in two months when we'll be off for Christmas break from work. Kai, my mother, Lila, and I fly off to Italy and meet our precious little twins for the first time. She has dark brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes. He has the same brown hair, but glittering green eyes that remind me of mine. She's adorable and down right perfect, he's a stunner that makes me at a loss for words. I love them both more than I could ever describe. At the end of the week and a half when we have to say goodbye, we can't imagine anything more painful, but Kai and my mother help me get through it. We'll be returning for her soon enough.

As soon as our family gets home, we start to set up a nursery for our little babies. We get Lila involved with painting and helping to set it all up, and the next thing we know, it's been another month and Kai and I travel back to Italy to go pick up our babies for good, to take home, and when we arrive, Kai's whole family, my mother, and Lila are there with all the food, gifts, and babysitting offers we could ever want; of course, what they're all eagerly awaiting is news we're glad to give, as we inform them of the name we've chosen for our newest additions. Brooks Malakai Archibald and Serena Julianne welcomed joyfully into the Archibald clan.

The Archibald Family

DW: Annabel Fiona Archibald (nee Lauritzen) [30] {Blonde Hair and Green Eyes}
DH: Mordecai Tobias Archibald [30] {Brown Hair and Blue Eyes}

DAD: Lila Amity Archibald [3] {Brown Hair and Blue Eyes}
DAD: Serena Julianne Archibald [0] {Brown Hair and Blue Eyes}
DAS: Brooks Malakai Archibald [0] {Brown Hair and Green Eyes}

Kai and Annie with;
Lila, Serena, and Brooks

[charmingbabynames]

It has been a year since you welcomed Emmi into your family and both you and Alistair love being parents, while at times it's very hard considering you both work demanding jobs and with you having been promoted up a position to a Best-Selling Author, but thanks to help from your mother, Charlotte Isabel Albertsen, you know Clementine is always in good hands even if you and Alistair are busy with work.

 

However, later that week you, Alistair and Clementine attend his family's yearly reunion. You're staying with his parents, Eliza Lillian and Maxwell Rufus Robert, while you do so. You love hanging out with all of his siblings, (Ada Cecily & Arthur Walter with Leila Felicity, Clara Eliza, Jack Lewis and Eva Josephine / Lavinia Maude & Phineas Jasper with Gabriel Finn, Elijah Forrest, Asher Owen, Luke Oliver and Arabella Paige / Amos Otto & Georgia Violet with Eleanor Sloane, Harrison Leo, Emmett Max, Sebastian Eli, Daisy Helena, Charlotte Louisa, Olivia Susannah and Violet Arabella / Susannah Mirabel & Asa Calvin with Calvin Dashiell, Simon Walker, Milo Finn and Sloane Thea / Cordelia Faye & Silas Frederick with Nathaniel Hugh, Josephine Charlotte and Maragret Arabella) their spouses and all your nieces and nephews as Alistiar is the youngest child in his family. They're always talking to you guys and giving advice about child rearing, relationships, etc and while irksome at times you know it all comes from a good and loving place. Later, when speaking to Lavinia, they ask you if you plan to have anymore kids or if you guys just plan to have Clementine. You offhandedly comment that you would like more kids, but are unsure when you and Alistiar intend to look into further adoption and go back to talking about other things, but the thought does seem to stay with you a bit.

 

The night after the reunion and after coming home from work and putting Clementine to bed, you and Alistair are reading in bed when Alistair brings back up the fact that you both still would like to adopt internationally and that that can take quite a bit of time. You agree with Alistair having known other people in the adoption community in online support groups who have waited years, you know you just got very lucky with Emmi. You both agree to go to bed and place a call with your caseworker and agency tomorrow about paperwork considering the likely occurrence of a two to four years wait to be matched up with a child.

 

The next day on your lunch break you place a call to your agent, Katrielle Smith, and she agrees it would be good to start working through the papers since it could take some time. Katrielle explains which countries they have current associations with and informs you that you and Alistair need to pick one to start the process. We chit chat a little more about how Clementine is doing before hanging up and heading back to work that day, extremely excited.

 

That night you ask Alistair's oldest sibling and their spouse - Ada and Arthur - to watch Clementine so you and Alistair can decide on which country you want to adopt from. After leaving Emmi you go out and have a nice dinner together for the first time in awhile and savor it, making some small work talk before hitting to harder subjects. You discuss some of the places that intrigue you both, you make it down to your top three locations, South Africa, Ethiopia and India, eventually, you end up deciding on Ethiopia because you both feel drawn to it.

 

Later that night you and Alistair send an email off to your agent to get the ball rolling on the process. The next day you pick up Emmi from Alistair's sibling and feel refreshed and excited about your decision. Over the next couple of months, both you and Alistair work through the paperwork, have your home visits and then hit the dry spell you knew would hit, but you fill it with exciting things including your first family vacation with Emmi.

 

It takes some time for you to decide, but you end up picking Disney World in Florida. You and Alistair pick a less crowded week to take off, not around traditional holidays and then spend 4 weeks with your family making memories and taking a ton of photos. The vacation was much fun and it warmed your heart to see Emmi

meeting all the Disney princesses, especially her favorites. Everyone enjoyed all the rides and had tons of fun, except the time where Emmi was feeling a little

sick, probably because of all the candy she had and the rides she had went on, despite that little hiccup, they had tons of fun in the different parks.

 

Sadly, even after that you still haven't heard much back from your agent other then she's still looking to match you and Alistair with a child. You try not to feel disheartened by the time frame and continue to enjoy life as it is now. You get into a routine again with Alistair and Emmi, and your monthly discussions with your case worker to check in until it's been about a year and a half since you put in the paperwork and Clementine is just a month away from turning three! You can't believe how big they've gotten.

 

While shopping for Frozen things for Clementine's party, they're having a Frozen theme, you get a call from your agent. They've found a match! You ask Katrielle if you can call them back in a minute as your out and not at a computer to receive the file and they agree. You rush through check out and quickly call Alistair telling them they need to get home; you've been matched! You throw everything into the car and drive home and thankfully Alistair is there as well and you call back your agent who informs you that you've been matched with [use chart] and you couldn't be more thrilled. You speak with her for another hour before she sends the file and you open it up, look through pictures and feel your heart melt. You and Alistair browse through it a little more before leaving to go pick up Emmi from a day with Alistair's parents.

 

You get home and Alistair makes dinner and you bring up having a younger sibling to Clementine and they seem excited by the idea which eases some of your tension and you call back your agent and talk through the process, you set up to go do a first visit in two months when you'll be off for Christmas break from work. You, Alistair, your mother and Clementine fly off to Ethiopia and meet your precious babies for the first time. They both have black hair and hazel eyes, they're adorable and downright perfect and you fall in love with them, at the end of the week and a half when you have to say good, you can't imagine anything more painful, but your mother and Alistair help you get through it. You'll be returning for them soon enough.

 

As soon as your family gets home, you start to set up a Nursery for your little ones. You get Clementine involved with painting and helping to set it all up and the next thing you know its been another month and you and Alistair travel back to Ethiopia to go pick up your little ones for good, to take home, and when you arrive, Alistair's whole family, your mother and Clementine are there with all the food, gifts and babysitting offers you could ever want; of course what they're all eagerly awaiting is news your glad to give as you inform them of the names you've chosen for your newest additions, Haven Aleah Seren & Axel Porter Isaac, are welcomed joyfully into the Robert clan.

 

DH: Alistair Rufus Robert

DW: Phillipa Lillias Isla Robert

 

DAD: Clementine Lola Edith Robert 'Emmi'

DAD/DAS: Haven Aleah Seren & Axel Porter Isaac

 

DH's Father: Maxwell Rufus:

DH's Mother: Eliza Lillian

DD1: Ada Cecily

DD2: Lavinia Maude

DS1: Amos Otto

DD3: Susannah Mirabel

DD4: Cordelia Faye

DS2: Alistair Rufus

 

DW's Mother: Charlotte Isabel

 

DH's Siblings and Families:

 

 

DD1:

DH: Arthur Walter

 

DD: Leila Felicity

DD: Clara Eliza

DS: Jack Lewis

DD: Eva Josephine

 

DD2:

DH: Phineas Jasper

 

DS: Gabriel Finn

DS: Elijah Forrest

DS: Asher Owen

DS: Luke Oliver

DD: Arabella Paige

 

DS1:

DW: Georgia Violet

 

DD: Eleanor Sloane

DS: Harrison Leo

DS: Emmett Max

DS: Sebastian Eli

DD: Daisy Helena

DD: Charlotte Louisa

DD: Olivia Susannah

DD: Violet Arabella

 

DD3:

DH: Asa Calvin

 

DS: Calvin Dashiell

DS: Simon Walker

DS: Milo Finn

DD: Sloane Thea

 

DD4:

DH: Silas Frederick

 

DS: Nathaniel Hugh

DD: Josephine Charlotte

DD: Maragret Arabella

[RainstreamofSpiritClan]

It has been a year since you welcomed Iris into your family and both you and Caspian love being parents, while at times its very hard considering you both work demanding jobs and with you having been promoted up a position to team leader for the first grade teachers, but thanks to help from your mother, Elizabeth Anne Hall, you know Iris is always in good hands even if you and Caspian are busy with work.

 

However, later that week you, Caspian and Iris attend his family's yearly reunion. You're staying with his parents, Cora Nicole and Arthur Josiah Lucas, while you do so. You love hanging out with all of his siblings, Clarissa Mae, Tobias Homer, Judah Phineas, Amity Susannah, and Amos Chester, their spouses and all your nieces and nephews as Caspian is the youngest child in his/her family. They're always talking to you guys and giving advice about child rearing, relationships, etc and while irksome at times you know it all comes from a good and loving place. Later, when speaking to Amity, they ask you if you plan to have anymore kids or if you guys just plan to have Iris. You offhandedly comment that you would like more kids, but are unsure when you and [LI] intend to look into further adoption and go back to talking about other things, but the thought does seem to stay with you a bit.

 

The night after the reunion and after coming home from work and putting Iris to bed, you and Caspian are reading in bed when Caspian brings back up the fact that you both still would like to adopt internationally and that that can take quite a bit of time. You agree with Caspian having known other people in the adoption community in online support groups who have waited years, you know you just got very lucky with Iris. You both agree to go to bed and place a call with your case worker and agency tomorrow about paper work considering the likely occurrence of a two to four year wait to be matched up with a child.

 

The next day on your lunch break you place a call to your agent, Persephone Hadassah Davis, and she agrees it would be good to start working through the papers since it could take some time. Persephone explains which countries they have current associations with and informs you that you and Caspian need to pick one to start the process. We chit chat a little more about how Iris is doing before hanging up and heading back to work that day, extremely excited.

 

That night you ask Caspian's oldest sibling and their spouse - Clarissa and Josiah - to watch Iris so you and Caspian can decide on which country you want to adopt from. After leaving Iris you go out and have a nice dinner together for the first time in awhile and savor it, making some small work talk before hitting to harder subjects. You discuss some of the places that intrigue you both, you make it down to your top three locations, Greece, South Africa, and Ireland, eventually you end up deciding on South Africa because you had a friend who came from there wile growing up.

 

Later that night you and Caspian send an email off to your agent to get the ball rolling on the process. The next day you pick up Iris from Caspian's sister and feel refreshed and excited about your decision. Over the next couple of months, both you and Caspian work through the paper work, have your home visits and then hit the dry spell you knew would hit, but you fill it with exciting things including your first family vacation with Iris.

 

It takes some time for you to decide, but you end up picking Hershey Park - Pennsylvania. You and Caspian pick a less crowded week to take off, not around traditional holidays and then spend said week with your family making memories and taking a ton of photos. We had lots of fun riding rides and exploring the theme park and also went to Hershey's Chocolate World. We got to ea lots of yummy chocolate!

 

Sadly, even after that you still haven't heard much back from your agent other then she's still looking to match you and Caspian with a child. You try not to feel disheartened by the time frame and continue to enjoy life as it is now. You get into a routine again with Caspian and Iris, and your monthly discussions with your case worker to check in until it's been about a year and a half since you put in the paper work and Iris is just a month away from turning three! You can't believe how big she's gotten.

 

While shopping for themed things for Iris' party, they're having a Scooby Doo theme, you get a call from your agent. They've found a match! You ask agent if you can call them back in a minute as your out and not at a computer to receive the file and they agree. You rush through check out and quickly call Caspian telling them they need to get home; you've been matched! You throw everything into the car and drive home and thankfully Caspian is there as well and you call back your agent who informs you that you've been matched with boy/girl twins (infant) and you couldn't be more thrilled. You speak with her for another hour before she sends the file and you open it up, look through pictures and feel your heart melt. You and Caspian browse through it a little more before leaving to go pick up Iris from a day with Caspian's parents.

 

You get home and Caspian makes dinner and you bring up having a younger sibling to Iris and they seem excited by the idea which eases some of your tension and you call back your agent and talk through the process, you set up to go do a first visit in two months when you'll be off for Christmas break from work. You, Caspian, your mother and Iris fly off to South Africa and meet your precious babies, they have auburn/red hair and blue eyes, for the first time, they're adorable and down right perfect and you fall in love with them, at the end of the week and a half when you have to say goodbye, you can't imagine anything more painful, but your mother and Caspian help you get through it. You'll be returning for them soon enough.

 

As soon as your family gets home, you start to set up a nursery for your little one. You get Iris involved with painting and helping to set it all up and the next thing you know its been another month and you and Caspian travel back to South Africa to go pick up your little ones for good, to take home, and when you arrive, Caspian's whole family, your mother and Iris are there with all the food, gifts and babysitting offers you could ever want; of course what they're all eagerly awaiting is news your glad to give as you inform them of the names you've chosen for your newest additions, Axel Hermes and Serena Cassandra, are welcomed joyfully into the Lucas clan.

 

 

 

 

----

DH: Caspian Felix Lucas  Looks

DW: Hermione Nessa Lucas url=https://arrowfashion...-15h15m10s4.png]Looks[/url]

DAD: Iris Mae Lucas (3)

DAS/DAD: Axel Hermes Lucas and Serena Cassandra Lucas (4 months)

 

----

Extended Family

 

Maternal Grandmother: Elizabeth Anne Hall

 

Paternal Grandfather: Arthur Josiah Lucas

Paternal Grandmother: Cora Nicole Lucas

 

Aunts, Uncles, Cousins:

 

DH: Josiah Roman Redwood

DW: Clarissa Mae Redwood

DS: Levi Cole Redwood

DS/DS: Nicholas Lucas Redwood and Nathan Jackson Redwood

DS: Simon Quinn Redwood

DS: Oliver Julian Redwood

 

DH: Tobias Homer Lucas

DW: Lydia Ruth Lucas

DD: Addison Brooke Lucas

DS: Andrew Jack Lucas

DD: Ava Kate Lucas

 

DH: Judah Phineas Lucas

DW: Violet Elsie Lucas

DD: Charlotte Grace Lucas

DS: Liam Elijah Lucas

DD: Isabel Hope Lucas

DD: Olivia Paige Lucas

DD: Sophia Claire Lucas

 

DH: August Jasper Raven

DW: Amity Susannah Raven

DS/DS: Gabriel Isaiah Raven and Isaac Gregory Raven

 DD: Emma Faith Raven

 

DH: Amos Chester Lucas

DW: Ivy Hazel Lucas

DS: Noah Andrew Lucas

DD: Felicity Helen Lucas "Lissy"

DD:Lily Gabriella Lucas

DD: Miranda Rose Lucas

DD: Juliana Addison Lucas

[Puppylover12397]

My name is Arabella Jamesina Rundstrom, I have Black Hair and Brown Eyes and I'm twenty-one years old. I'm a student at Columbia University and you're pursuing a major in Biology. Ever since I came to college, I've always been focused on my studies, I've worked very hard to get into Columbia and need to maintain a certain GPA to continue getting my scholarship money to enable me to continue, the second being I need to be able to get scholarships to go on and further my education.

 

However, today is the last day of my senior year of undergrad and I've just taken my final exam, I'm thrilled, and feel like I've passed all my classes with flying colors and I could not be more ecstatic. All I want to do now is sleep, maybe watch some netflix, but my roommate, Justice Harley Duncan,  insists I accompany her to the party to make sure she gets home safe since she plans on drinking. I loathe the idea, but she did help me out studying for my final in Journalism. So, I accompany her to the party and watch her have a good time and hang out on the outskirts of the party.

 

Suddenly, a guy comes up to me. I dismiss him at first, but he made a comment about my favorite tv show, The Magicians, which kind of catches my interest. He's got Brown Hair and Blue Eyes and introduces themselves as Lloyd Humphrey Vossen, they're nineteen years old. I start talking to Lloyd and find out about him, he is apparently a legacy of the university, went to prep schools his whole life, has traveled the world with his bourgeois family and while that would usually make me feel a bit of a chip on my shoulder, for some reason, it doesn't with Lloyd, for some reason. I find him charming. I also find out that Lloyd is majoring in Business and the way Lloyd speak about his major so passionately it entices me. We talk for hours before Justice stumbles over. Realizing I need to get her home, but not wanting the conversation with Lloyd to end, so we exchange numbers and I promise to call him later. I leave with Justice and head back to my dorm, feeling much happier than when I'd arrived at the party.

 

I met my husband ten years ago at that silly college party, and as much as I disliked the party scene in college, I can't help but look back on that night fondly.  Ever since that night, Lloyd and I started dating.  We graduated from Columbia, and Lloyd ended up working for his family's company while I went right into Medical School at NYU - Since we were both in New York, we continued to date throughout our 20's.  Eventually, Lloyd completed his internship with his family, and attended graduate school for business at Columbia University. Once we both completed school, I became a Pediatrician at Mount Sinai in NYC and Lloyd went back to working as an Executive at his father's company.

 

Once we settled into our careers, we got married.  It was a rather large ceremony with a ton of both of our associates at Oheka Castle on Long Island.  Lloyd and I decided to honeymoon in a few places over the course of three weeks Dublin, Ireland, Paris, France and ending in The Bahamas. We used the lump sum of money that Lloyd's parents had gifted us for the wedding invested the money we saved into buying a four-bedroom house together, since we planned on having kids soon after getting married.

 

Lloyd and I started trying to conceive soon after getting married, but a year passed, and we still had no luck getting pregnant.  We visited a fertility doctor, who reported that Lloyd had a low sperm count, and I had an undiagnosed case of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, making it nearly impossible for us to have a biological child together.  Lloyd and I were stunned and devastated.  We spent a few months going over the facts and trying to think of a solution.  As an only child, I wanted my kids to have many siblings that they could count on, since Lloyd has a load of siblings and loves being a part of a big family.

 

Six months after the news, Lloyd and I made the decision to visit an adoption agency.  We were matched with a birth mother, Jessica Isabella Luna,  who lived in a rural area in Vermont.  She was 16 and had gotten pregnant accidentally.  We met with her a few times and agreed to pay for her medical bills.  The adoption agency informed us a few months into the pregnancy that we would be the parents of a little girl. Lloyd and I had agreed that we would be fine with either gender, but we were both so excited to have a daughter.

 

Lloyd and I spent the next few months converting one of our spare bedrooms into a nursery for our daughter.  Finally, the day of delivery arrived. Jessica  went into labor, and we waited for hours at the hospital until finally we received news that she had been born.  Our daughter weighed seven pounds and nine ounces and was twenty-three inches long.  She had Brown Hair and Green Eyes.  Jessica signed away her rights without even seeing the baby another time.  We took her home the next day and named her Flora Veronica Vossen.

 

My mother, Katherine Grace Rundstrom (née Avignon), moved to New York shortly after Flora was born to help us raise her, since Lloyd and I had such demanding jobs.  Juggling motherhood and being promoted to a full time Pediatric Resident, but Flora's smile motivated us through the challenges we faced as new parents.

 

Around Flora's first birthday, Lloyd, Flora, and I flew to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida for the annual Vossen family reunion.  We stayed at Lloyd's parents home, Veronica Charlotte (née Carlton) and Jeremiah Felix Vossen,. Lloyd is the youngest of four kids.  The eldest Verhoeven child is Felix Dudley Vossen, who is 42.  He graduated from Sanford with a degree in Computer programming  .  He is married to Agnes Louise Vossen (née Fontaine), a stay-at-home mother, and they have five kids: Finn Jasper (16), Liam Felix (14), Theo Lewis (12), Max Charlie (10) and Sophie Bella (7). They live in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida in the same community as Veronica and Jeremiah.

 

The second Vossen child is Dexter Amos Vossen, who is 39.  He graduated from New York University with a degree in Political Science, to go on and get a law degree from Fordham. His wife's name is Tess Winifred Vossen (née Harwell). She is also a lawyer and the pair have their own law firm together. Dexter and Tess have five kids: Aidan Wyatt (10), Zoe Addison (9), Brooke Tessa (7), Walker Andrew (5) and Sloane Chloe (5). Dexter, Tess and the kids all live on Long Island and we actually see them rather often, a standard once a month dinner.

 

The third Vossen child and only daughter is Faye Theodora Anderson (née Vossen). She is 35 and is married to Lionel August Anderson. Faye and Lionel have four children: Simon Jack (6), Violet Thea (4), Maisie Rose (1) and Levi Frederick (0). Faye went to Columbia University where she majored in Accounting and Business. She's now working as an Executive at the family business and Lionel is a stay-at-home father. They live in Long Island and again, we see them very often, even more so since Faye and Lloyd work together.

 

With around twenty people at the reunion, there were plenty of people to talk to, and it was fun watching all the kids play together.  Lloyd and I cannot wait to see Flora really joining in on the fun and agmes when she's old enough, for now its nice to see her and Maisie playing together gently.  I received plenty of child-rearing advice from all of Lloyd's siblings and their spouses, not to mention my in-laws, which was irksome at times, but I knew their intentions were kind and sincere.  One evening, Faye asked me if Lloyd and I planned on having more children, or if we were just having Flora.  I told her  that we would be interested in adopting again, but that we didn't have any concrete plans to adopt any time soon.  Faye didn't ask anything else, but her question stuck with me for the rest of the week.

 

Lloyd, Flora and I finally returned home.  After putting Flora to bed one night, Lloyd brought up the idea of international adoption, which we had considered before adopting Lloyd.  We agreed that since it can be a two to four year process, we should put in a request at the adoption agency now.  The next day, I called our agent, Calliope Linnea Bennett , who told me the countries they were currently in contact with.  We talked about Flora, and she said that she would update us if any matches were found.  I hung up the phone feeling giddy about the prospect of having another child.

 

That weekend, Lloyd and I left Flora at home with my mother so that we could go out to dinner.  We hadn't had a real date night since Flora was born, so it was a refreshing evening for both of us.  We talked about what countries we wanted to adopt from, deciding that Vietnam, China and South Korea were our top choices.  We eventually decided that China was our first choice of country. Our neighbors, Elisabeth Lynn  and Diana Jess Yelims-Sedohr adopted their son, Halvar Kip (2), from China and could not have been happier with their choice, and Halvar is just the sweetest little boy. So we called Calliope the next day and told her that we were interested in adopting a child from China.

 

For the next few months, we had our home inspected and filled out countless forms.  During the summer, we decided to take a weekend trip to Hershey Park in Pennsylvania. Flora had a fun time getting hyped up on lots of sugar and then of course, the rides and other games. It was nice little trip.

 

The months pass, and we keep in touch with Calliope, who informs us that there are no suitable matches for us yet.  Although we are disappointed by this, we get into a happy and stable routine with Flora and rely on my mom's help less and less.  For her third birthday, Lloyd and I decided to throw a party for our daughter.  She asked for a Lion King themed party, since it's a family favorite and Flora adores The Lion Guard.  While shopping for party supplies, I received a call from Calliope who told me that there was a match for us!  I rushed home and called Lloyd, who hurried home as well.  We received a file from Calliope with pictures of seven month old twin girls.  We fell in love with them immediately.

 

Flora was excited about the news of having little sisters.  The day after her birthday party, Lloyd and I flew to Florida and dropped Flora off with Lloyd's parents, flew to China, We spent a whole week with the girls and we loved every minute that we spent with them and knew that they was the perfect match for our family.  They both had Black Hair and Almond Eyes. We were sad to part with them, but we gave them  kisses goodbye and told them that we would see them soon.  

 

Lloyd and I decorated our second spare bedroom, creating a beautiful nursery for our twins.  Finally, another month passed, and we left Flora with Faye, Lionel and their kids while we flew to China again, this time to bring our little darlings home for good.  We named them Iris Humphrey Vossen and Lily Arabella Vossen.

 

 

 

The Vossen Family

 

ME: Arabella Jamesina Vossen (nee Rundstrom) [36] [Black Hair & Brown Eyes] [Pediatrician]

LI: Lloyd Humphrey Vossen [33] [Brown Hair & Blue Eyes] [Business Executive]

 

DAD1: Flora Veronica Vossen [3] [Brown Hair & Green Eyes]

(Adopted Domestically; birth mother: Jessica Luna)

DAD2: Iris Humphrey Vossen  [1] [Black Hair & Almond Eyes]

(Adopted from China; twin sister of Lily)

DAD3: Lily Arabella Vossen [1] [Black Hair & Almond Eyes]

(Adopted from China; twin sister of Iris)

 

 

Arabella and Lloyd Vossen; with Flora, Iris & Lily

 

[Laugh-Dream-Love]

Your name is Freya Alexina Holst, you have black hair and blue eyes and you're 19 years old. You're a student at Yale university and you're pursuing a major in Political Science. Ever since you've come to college, you've always been focused on your studies, you've worked very hard to get into Yale and need to maintain a certain GPA to continue getting your scholarship money to enable you to continue, the second being you need to be able to get scholarships to go on and further your education.

 

However, today is the last day of your 1st year of undergrad and you've just taken your final exam, you're thrilled, and feel like you've passed all your classes with flying colors and you could not be more ecstatic. All you want to do now is sleep, maybe watch some netflix, but your roommate, James Cameron,  insists you accompany her to the party to make sure she gets home safe since she plans on drinking. You loathe the idea, but she did help you out studying for your final in economics. So, you accompany her to the party and watch her have a good time and hang out on the outskirts of the party.

 

Suddenly, a girl comes up to you. You dismiss her at first, but she makes a comment about your favourite tv show which kind of catches your interest. Vinny's got blonde hair and blue eyes and introduces themselves as Lavinia Frances Samson, they're 19 years old. You start talking to Vinny and find out about them, they're apparently legacies of the university, went to prep schools their whole life, have travelled the world with their bourgeois family and while that would usually make you feel a bit of a chip on your shoulder, for some reason, it doesn't with Vinny. You find them charming. You also find out that Vinny is majoring in Biochemistry and the way they speak about their major so passionately entices you. You talk for hours before your roommate stumbles over. Realizing you need to get her home, but not wanting the conversation with Vinny to end, you exchange numbers and promise to call them later. You leave with your roommate and head back to your dorm, feeling much happier than when you arrived at the party.

 

It's been ten years since the night of the party and you honestly cannot help but to look back fondly on it. It's the first night you met Vinny who has now become your wife. You've both graduated from not only your undergrad programs, but from your respective graduate programs and are each working in your dream jobs - social media manager, and research scientist. You and Vinny could not be happier right now. However, there does seem to be something missing. The pitter patter of little feet. So, you and Vinny decide to start trying for a family, you spend 1 year trying and failing to get pregnant, but nothing happens. No pregnancy.

 

You see a fertility doctor who unfortunately informs you that between the two of you there is apparently a previously undiagnosed case of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. The chance of you two having a biological child is next to near impossible. The first thought of it stuns you both, you go home with that knowledge and both discuss some options, but you mostly grieve your loss. Both you and Vinny have always wanted a big family, you as an only child and then Vinny comes from a big family with a slew of brothers and sisters. 
 

It takes you 4 months to finally broach the subject of what you two want to do next, stay childless or look into adoption. It's an easy discussion between you and you decide you want to look into adoption. The first thing you decide is you want to look into both international adoption and into domestic adoption. It takes you some time to find an agency to work with and then to get your home looked into and approved for viability. It's a longer process then expected, but a year later you've been set up by the agency and made an adoption book and just hoped that you would be matched with someone; then one day you were.

 

Your case worker informs you that you've been chosen by a young teen, Emily Sophia Atlas, who has fallen pregnant. She wants the adoption to be closed. While you feel sorry for the girl, an excitement does well inside of your chest. You and Vinny want this, you want to be parents. You meet with Emily and she comes to your house. You all talk and in the end, you sign the papers. You agree to help pay for the cost of her pregnancy from now on, from making sure her medical bills are paid, new maternity clothes are purchased and help her with getting good healthy food. Other than that there is minimal contact which works well for all parties. 

 

You find out at the six month mark that Emily is expecting a girl. Either sex would have been okay, but you and Vinny are just so thrilled. The first thing you both do is go to half a dozen baby stores and purchase all the things you have always wanted to buy. You spend hours after, well into the night and wee hours of the morning setting up a nursery. It looks so beautiful and you honestly cry. You never thought that first night after seeing the infertility doctor you would ever get to set up a nursery.

 

The rest of the pregnancy goes by so fast, you work through the whole situation by working extra hours and then well, it happens. Emily goes into labor. It's a quick one and you're there the whole time in the waiting room. Your little one is born perfect with brown hair and blue eyes weighing in at 7 pounds and 9 ounces and 23 inches long. Emily signs away her rights without ever seeing her. You feel incredible when you look down and just know Auden Wilhelmina Samson-Holst is coming home with you. Where they belong, and you and Vinny feel such joy as you strap them into their car seat to take Auden home.

 

It has been a year since you welcomed Auden into your family and both you and Vinny love being parents, while at times its very hard considering you both work demanding jobs and with you having been promoted up a position, but thanks to help from your mother, Barbara Mary Holst, you know Auden is always in good hands even if you and Vinny are busy with work.

 

However, later that week you, Vinny  and Auden attend her family's yearly reunion. You're staying with her parents, Rupert Henry Samson and Celia Jacqueline Samson, while you do so. You love hanging out with all of her siblings, Matilda Celia Kane, Cordelia Maude Ghost, Dorothea Mae Hubbard, Veronica Nell O'Deluga, Berenice Ruth Elkins, Humphrey Chester Samson, Clarissa Sybil Linus, Susannah Sylvia Small, and Millicent Ada Chillingsworth, their spouses and all your nieces and nephews as Vinny is the youngest child in her family. They're always talking to you guys and giving advice about child rearing, relationships, etc and while irksome at times you know it all comes from a good and loving place. Later, when speaking to Humphrey, they ask you if you plan to have anymore kids or if you guys just plan to have Auden. You offhandedly comment that you would like more kids, but are unsure when you and Vinny intend to look into further adoption and go back to talking about other things, but the thought does seem to stay with you a bit.

 

The night after the reunion and after coming home from work and putting Auden to bed, you and Vinny are reading in bed when Vinny brings back up the fact that you both still would like to adopt internationally and that that can take quite a bit of time. You agree with Vinny having known other people in the adoption community in online support groups who have waited years, you know you just got very lucky with Auden. You both agree to go to bed and place a call with your case worker and agency tomorrow about paper work considering the likely occurrence of a two to four year wait to be matched up with a child.

 

The next day on your lunch break you place a call to your agent, Bahia Lux Jones, and she agrees it would be good to start working through the papers since it could take some time. Bahia explains which countries they have current associations with and informs you that you and Vinny need to pick one to start the process. You chit chat a little more about how Auden is doing before hanging up and heading back to work that day, extremely excited.

 

That night you ask Vinny's oldest sibling and their spouse - Matilda and Frederick - to watch Auden so you and Vinny can decide on which country you want to adopt from. After leaving Auden you go out and have a nice dinner together for the first time in a while and savor it, making some small work talk before hitting to harder subjects. You discuss some of the places that intrigue you both, you make it down to your top three locations, India, China and Ukraine, eventually you end up deciding on India.

 

Later that night you and Vinny send an email off to your agent to get the ball rolling on the process. The next day you pick up Auden from Vinny's sibling and feel refreshed and excited about your decision. Over the next couple of months, both you and Vinny work through the paper work, have your home visits and then hit the dry spell you knew would hit, but you fill it with exciting things including your first family vacation with Auden.

 

It takes some time for you to decide, but you end up picking Disneyland Park, California. You and Vinny pick a less crowded week to take off, not around traditional holidays and then spend said week with your family making memories and taking a ton of photos.

 

Sadly, even after that you still haven't heard much back from your agent other then she's still looking to match you and Vinny with a child. You try not to feel disheartened by the time frame and continue to enjoy life as it is now. You get into a routine again with Vinny and Auden, and your monthly discussions with your case worker to check in until it's been about a year and a half since you put in the paper work and Auden is just a month away from turning three! You can't believe how big they've gotten.

 

While shopping for themed things for Auden's party, they're having a safari theme, you get a call from your agent. They've found a match! You ask agent if you can call them back in a minute as you're out and not at a computer to receive the file and they agree. You rush through check out and quickly call Vinny telling them they need to get home; you've been matched! You throw everything into the car and drive home and thankfully Vinny is there as well and you call back your agent who informs you that you've been matched with a one year old baby girl, and you couldn't be more thrilled. You speak with her for another hour before she sends the file and you open it up, look through pictures and feel your heart melt. You and Vinny browse through it a little more before leaving to go pick up Auden from a day with Vinny's parents.

 

You get home and Vinny makes dinner and you bring up having a younger sibling to Auden and they seem excited by the idea which eases some of your tension, and you call back your agent and talk through the process, you set up to go do a first visit in two months when you'll be off for Christmas break from work. You, Vinny, your mother and Auden fly off to Auden and meet your precious baby, they have black hair and brown eyes, for the first time, they're adorable and down right perfect and you fall in love with them, at the end of the week and a half when you have to say good, you can't imagine anything more painful, but your mother and Vinny help you get through it. You'll be returning for them soon enough.

 

As soon as your family gets home, you start to set up a nursery for your little one. You get Auden involved with painting and helping to set it all up and the next thing you know its been another month and you and Vinny travel back to India to go pick up your little one for good, to take home, and when you arrive, Vinny's whole family, your mother and Auden are there with all the food, gifts and babysitting offers you could ever want; of course what they're all eagerly awaiting is news your glad to give as you inform them of the names you've chosen for your newest addition, Lena Francine, is welcome joyfully into the Samson-Holst clan.

 

---

 

Me: Freya Alexina Samson-Holst (31) - Black hair, blue eyes, Social Media Manager

Her: Lavinia 'Vinny' Frances Samson-Holst (31) - Blonde hair, blue eyes, Research Scientist

 

Our daughter: Auden Wilhelmina Samson-Holst (3) - Brown hair, blue eyes

Our daughter: Lena Francine Samson-Holst (1) - Black hair, brown eyes

 

Freya and Vinny Samson-Holst with Auden and Lena

[MalloryMae]

Your name is Eva Isobel Jansson, you have red hair and brown eyes and you're 20 years old. You're a student at Yale University and you're pursuing a major in English. Ever since you've come to college, you've always been focused on your studies, you've worked very hard to get into Take and need to maintain a certain GPA to continue getting your scholarship money to enable you to continue, the second being you need to be able to get scholarships to go on and further your education.

 

However, today is the last day of your junior year of undergrad and you've just taken your final exam, you're thrilled, and feel like you've passed all your classes with flying colors and you could not be more ecstatic. All you want to do now is sleep, maybe watch some netflix, but your roommate, Leslie Schuyler Jens,  insists you accompany her to the party to make sure she gets home safe since she plans on drinking. You loathe the idea, but she did help you out studying for your final in Calculus. So, you accompany her to the party and watch her have a good time and hang out on the outskirts of the party.

 

Suddenly, a guy comes up to you. You dismiss him at first, but he comments about my favorite TV show which kind of catches your interest. He's got black hair and hazel eyes and introduces himself as Stellan Otto Reynders, he's 18 years old. You start talking to Stellan and find out about them, they're apparently legacies of the university, went to prep schools their whole life, have traveled the world with their bourgeois family and while that would usually make you feel a bit of a chip on your shoulder, for some reason, it doesn't with him. You find them charming. You also find out that Stellan is majoring in Biology and the way they speak about their major so passionately entices you. You talk for hours before your roommate stumbles over. Realizing you need to get her home, but not wanting the conversation with Stellan to end so you exchange numbers and promise to call them later. You leave with your roommate and head back to your dorm, feeling much happier than when you arrived at the party.


~


It's been ten years since the night of the party and you honestly cannot help but to look back fondly on it. It's the first night you met Stellan who has now become your husband. You've both graduated from not only your undergrad programs, but from your respective graduate school programs and are each working in your dream jobs - Editor and Biology Professor. You and Stellan could not be happier right now. However, there does seem to be something missing. The pitter patter of little feet. So, you and Stellan decide to start trying for a family, you spend 1 year trying and failing to get pregnant, but nothing happens. No pregnancy.

 

You see a fertility doctor who unfortunately informs you that between the two of you there is a low sperm count and apparently a previously undiagnosed case of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome between you. The chance of you two having a biological child together is next to near impossible. The first thought of it stuns you both, you go home with that knowledge and both discuss some options, but you mostly grieve your loss. Both you and Stellan have always wanted a big family, you as an only child and then Stellan comes from a big family with a slew of brothers and sisters. 
 

It takes you 4 months to finally broach the subject of what you two want to do next, stay childless or look into adoption. It's an easy discussion between us and we decide we want to look into adoption. The first thing we decide is we want to look into both international adoption and into domestic adoption. It takes us some time to find an agency to work with and then to get our home looked into and approved for viability. It's a longer process then expected, but a year later you've been set up by the agency and made an adoption book and just hoped that you would be matched with someone; then one day you were.

 

Your case worker informs you that you've been chosen by a young teen, Jennifer Sophia Holmes, who has fallen pregnant. She wants the adoption to be closed. While you feel sorry for the girl, an excitement does well inside of your chest. You and Stellan want this, you want to be parents. You meet with Jen and she comes to your house. You all talk and in the end, you sign the papers. You agree to help pay for the cost of her pregnancy from now on, from making sure her medical bills are paid, new maternity clothes are purchased and help her with getting good healthy food. Other than that there is minimal contact which works well for all parties. 

 

We find out at the six month mark that Jen is expecting a boy. Either sex would have been okay, but you and Stellan are just so thrilled. The first thing you both do is go to half a dozen baby stores and purchase all the things you have always wanted to buy. You spend hours after, well into the night and wee hours of the morning setting up a nursery. It looks so beautiful and you honestly cry. You never thought that first night after seeing the infertility doctor you would ever get to set up a nursery.

 

The rest of the pregnancy goes by so fast, I work through the whole situation by working extra hours and then well, it happens. Jen goes into labor. It's a quick one and we're there the whole time in the waiting room. Your little one is born perfect with red hair and hazel eyes weighing in at 7 pounds and 9 ounces and 23 inches long. Jen signs away her rights without ever seeing him. You feel incredible when you look down and just know Otto Felix Jansson-Reynders is coming home with you. Where they belong and you and Stellan feel such joy as you strap them into their car seat to take Otto home.


~


It has been a year since you welcomed Otto into your family and both you and Stellan love being parents, while at times its very hard considering you both work demanding jobs and with you having been promoted up a position to Senior Editor, but thanks to help from your mother, Sarah Patricia {nee Standon} Jansson, you know Otto is always in good hands even if you and Stellan are busy with work.

 

However, later that week you, Stellan and Otto attend his family's yearly reunion. You're staying with his parents, Florencia Gertrude {nee Sanbe} Reyners 'Flora' and Simon Atticus Reyners, while you do so. You love hanging out with all of his siblings, Rufus Humphrey Reyners, Dexter Judah Reyners, and Veronica Amity {nee Jansson} Kurra, their spouses, Tess Louisa {nee Burnwood} Reyners, Hazel Beatrix {nee Caskal} Reyners, and Oscar Frederick Kurra and all your nieces and nephews as Stellan is the youngest child in his family. They're always talking to you guys and giving advice about child rearing, relationships, etc and while irksome at times you know it all comes from a good and loving place. Later, when speaking to Dexter, they ask you if you plan to have anymore kids or if you guys just plan to have Otto. You offhandedly comment that you would like more kids, but are unsure when you and Stellan intend to look into further adoption and go back to talking about other things, but the thought does seem to stay with you a bit.

 
Stellan's Family

DW: Florencia 'Flora' Gertrude {nee Sanbe} Reyners
DH: Simon Atticus Reyners

DS: Rufus Humphrey Reyners
DS: Dexter Judah Reyners
DD: Veronica Amity {nee Reyners} Kurra
DS: Stellan Otto Reyners

Flora & Simon with Rufus, Dexter, Veronica, and Stellan.


DH: Rufus Humphrey Reyners
DW: Tess Louisa {nee Burnwood} Reyners

DD: Sloane Juliana Reyners
DS: Nathan Henry Reyners
DD: Thea Claire Reyners
DS: Forrest Levi Reyners
DS: Jasper Dashiell Reyners

Rufus & Tess with Sloane, Nathan, Thea, Forrest, and Jasper.


DH: Dexter Judah Reyners
DW: Hazel Beatrix {nee Caskal} Reyners

DS: Leo Sebastian Reyners
DS: Ezra Truman Reyners
DD: Zoe Violet Reyners
DD: Maya Juliet Reyners
DD: Bella Charlotte Reyners
DD: Lily Margaret Reyners
DS: Max Quentin Reyners
DS: Eli Julian Reyners

Dexter & Hazel with Leo, Ezra, Zoe, Maya, Bella, Lily, Max, and Eli.


DW: Veronica Amity {nee Reyners} Kurra
DH: Oscar Frederick Kurra

DS: Jackson Oscar Kurra
DS: Owen Frederick Kurra
DD: Grace Flora Kurra
DD: Amelia Eleanor Kurra
DS: Lucas Simon Kurra

Veronica & Oscar with Jackson, Owen, Grace, Amelia, and Lucas.


The night after the reunion and after coming home from work and putting Otto to bed, you and Stellan are reading in bed when he brings back up the fact that you both still would like to adopt internationally and that that can take quite a bit of time. You agree with him having known other people in the adoption community in online support groups who have waited years, you know you just got very lucky with Otto. You both agree to go to bed and place a call with your case worker and agency tomorrow about paper work considering the likely occurrence of a two to four year wait to be matched up with a child.

 

The next day on your lunch break you place a call to your agent, Koala Johnson, and she agrees it would be good to start working through the papers since it could take some time. Koala explains which countries they have current associations with and informs you that you and Stellan need to pick one to start the process. We chit chat a little more about how Otto is doing before hanging up and heading back to work that day, extremely excited.

 

That night you ask Stellan's oldest sibling and their spouse - Rufus and Tess - to watch Otto so you and Stellan can decide on which country you want to adopt from. After leaving Otto you go out and have a nice dinner together for the first time in awhile and savor it, making some small work talk before hitting to harder subjects. You discuss some of the places that intrigue you both, you make it down to your top three locations, Russia, Ethiopia and Portugal, eventually you end up deciding on Ethiopia.

 

Later that night you and Stellan send an email off to your agent to get the ball rolling on the process. The next day you pick up Otto from Stellan's sibling and feel refreshed and excited about your decision. Over the next couple of months, both you and Stellan work through the paper work, have your home visits and then hit the dry spell you knew would hit, but you fill it with exciting things including your first family vacation with Otto.

 

It takes some time for you to decide, but you end up picking Hershey Park in Pennsylvania. You and Stellan pick a less crowded week to take off, not around traditional holidays and then spend said week with your family making memories and taking a ton of photos.

 

Sadly, even after that you still haven't heard much back from your agent other then she's still looking to match you and Stellan with a child. You try not to feel disheartened by the time frame and continue to enjoy life as it is now. You get into a routine again with Stellan and Otto, and your monthly discussions with your case worker to check in until it's been about a year and a half since you put in the paper work and Otto is just a month away from turning three! You can't believe ho big they've gotten.

 

While shopping for themed thing for Otto's party, they're having a Super Heroes theme, you get a call from your agent. They've found a match! You ask agent if you can call them back in a minute as your out and not at a computer to recieve the file and they agree. You rush through check out and quickly call Stellan telling them they need to get home; you've been matched! You throw everything into the car and drive home and thankfully he is there as well and you call back your agent who informs you that you've been matched with a two year-old girl and you couldn't be more thrilled. You speak with her for another hour before she sends the file and you open it up, look through pictures and feel your heart melt. You and Stellan browse through it a little more before leaving to go pick up Otto from a day with Stellan's parents.

 

You get home and Stellan makes dinner and you bring up having a younger sibling to Otto and they seem excited by the idea which eases some of your tension and you call back your agent and talk through the process, you set up to go do a first visit in two months when you'll be off for Christmas break from work. You, Stellan, your mother and Otto fly off to Ethiopia and meet your precious baby, she has black hair and brown eyes, for the first time, she's adorable and down right perfect and you fall in love with her, at the end of the week and a half when you have to say goodbye, you can't imagine anything more painful, but your mother and Stellan help you get through it. You'll be returning for them soon enough.

 

As soon as your family gets home, you start to set up a nursery for your little one. You get Otto involved with painting and helping to set it all up and the next thing you know its been another month and you and Stellan travel back to Ethiopia to go pick up your little one for good, to take home, and when you arrive, Stellan's whole family, your mother and Otto are there with all the food, gifts and babysitting offers you could ever want; of course what they're all eagerly awaiting is news your glad to give as you inform them of the name you've chosen for your newest addition, Maggie Stella, are welcome joyfully into the Jansson-Reyners clan.


The Jansson-Reynders Family

DW: Eva Isobel Jansson [35] ~ red hair, brown eyes
DH: Stellan Otto Reynders [33] ~ black hair, hazel eyes

DAS: Otto Felix Jansson-Reynders [3] ~ red hair, hazel eyes
DAD: Maggie Stella Jansson-Reynders [2] ~ black hair, brown eyes

Eva & Stellan with Otto and Maggie.