OUR BIRTHMOMS

Elena with  C on her Wedding Day

Cody and S this past summer

The Cody Bears (before Cody was born)

Cody and Cody
Bear

Cody with S Celebrating his fist Birthday

A Mothers Hand (S, Cody, Lori)

Elena and Lil' Miss the Bear

Elena with C on her blessing day

S is Cody's Brith mother and C is Elena's Birth mother. I don't even know what to write here because these women are too amazing for words.  Through the years our relationships have developed into something more than we could have ever imagined.  From the first time we met each of them, we knew that it wouldn't be the last.  We also know that each birth mom is different and has different needs and wants.  We love that we have been able to create an intense level of trust and understanding so that we can all remain so close and yet still be able to move on with our individual lives.  Our children know and understand the important role that their Birth mother plays in their existence and that of our Eternal Family.  They also know how much they are loved by so many people --- not just our families, but their extended Birth Families.  We have enjoyed having several occasions where we have been able to see these extended family members again. Going into adoption, we had our fingers crossed that we would come away with a baby, we never dreamed that we would also come away with a best friend.  We have made a tradition of going to Build A Bear and making two bears, one for our child and one for their birth mother.  It has been fun to take pictures with the kids and their bears as they have grown and for them to know that they have something the same as their birth mother.




A letter to you from S (Cody's Birth Mother)

It seems like a lifetime ago I was in your shoes, sitting where you are right now; pregnant, scared and feeling so alone. But you’re not alone. Heavenly Father loves you more than you will ever know!

April 2004 I was sitting in my living room reading through dozens of profile letters and looking through pictures of couples hoping to adopt. I remember feeling so overwhelmed with the decision ahead of me. This decision will really affect my whole life. I need to have the spirit with more than ever right now. Every time I received another packet of adoption profiles I would have a prayer to have my heart open and my mind in tune with whatever I read and saw.

I found them, I know this is right. They are the ones! I couldn’t believe how calm I felt when I read the letter to the birthmother signed by Matt & Lori. It was like they were speaking right to me. It was perfect. They’re such a cute couple and look at what great parents they’d be. I was excited to share my good news with everyone; and I sure did. After notifying my family of my wonderful news, they had a family fast for me. I needed that confirmation firm in my heart to go on with the adoption. I remember sitting in sacrament meeting that Sunday singing the words to the song, ‘Lord, I would follow Thee’. There was one phrase in the song that caught me dead in my tracks enough for me to stop singing and start crying, “…finding strength beyond my own”. He was my strength. I needed to rely on that feeling from the Lord to guide me in this decision. I did completely and never once did I look back. Matt & Lori were constantly on my mind and I couldn’t picture anyone else raising my little boy. I got an announcement and a letter ready to send to them the next week.

Learning from our mistakes and going through trials makes us stronger people. I believe this experience for me was life changing; I’m such a stronger person than I have ever been before. I’m grateful for what I learned on that long journey that didn’t just stop after 9 months. I had a whole other family thinking about me and so thankful for the gift I had provided to such a deserving couple. The love, comfort and compassion openly given from Matt & Lori was amazing and precious. They have a special place in my heart, like I do in theirs. Even with a newborn to attend to, Lori was always so great about keeping in touch with me through letters and pictures; my gratitude for her is endless. More than 6 years later they’ve always been so concern with me and how I’m doing.

They really are my second family. I can talk to them about anything and appreciate the love they have for me. Our relationship has evolved over the years and I’m grateful for it now more than ever. They are there for me sometimes when it feels like no one else is. We have a strong friendship, mutual respect and most importantly eternal love.

I’m grateful for the opportunity I had to place my special little Cody into Lori’s loving arms. She is wonderful mother, and Matt is an amazing father. With the addition of little Elena, my love for their growing family has only gotten stronger.

They mean the world to me and I pray for them everyday. I’m grateful to the Lord for providing me with such an incredible opportunity to be a birth mom. That is a title I love and will always hold dear to me. I’m thankful for the knowledge that I have that Heavenly Father’s love is unconditional to all of His children. We are not perfect and never will be, but I believe the self-less love I’ve experienced is the closest I will ever come to it.

Love your friend,

S