Miracles Do Happen. . .

I want to start out this entry by thanking our wonderful support group of friends and family. As many of you know we have struggled to expand our family and have explored many options of fertility treatments and adoption. We have found through our trials and struggles that we have an amazing group of friends and family who have supported us, lent a shoulder to cry on, offered words of kindness and support (even if they weren't always met with the same in return), and actively helped us look for our child(ren). I, especially, often felt torn, emotional, and alone and it was through your continual and comforting friendship, as well as, the Lord's mercy and love for me that I have made it to where I am in my life as a wife, friend, sister, daughter, and mother. I know that my pain will never disappear, but it has provided me with a great opportunity to make friends, help others, and appreciate the roles of women in the church and motherhood. I am so grateful to all of you and the support you have offered to us, we appreciate you all and are happy to know that you are there for us and support us.

Our days of adoption and as "parents in waiting" have been put on hold for the time being. Miracles do happen through the tender mercies of the Lord!!!!! Brett and I finished our adoption papers and were approved as an adoptive couple through LDS family services in June and shortly after found out that I am pregnant and we are expecting our first child somewhere on or around February 22. As for our adoption, it has been put on an administrative hold, we will be offered the opportunity to update our paperwork every year and when our baby is a year old we can open our adoption again if we chose. Adoption is such a WONDERFUL process and even though we are not adopting right now and may or may not adopt in the future, I have gained such a testimony of the selflessness and blessing of adoption and of the wonderful and special spirits of birth parents (especially birth mothers). I can't explain to you my feelings toward adoption and birth parents, but I can tell you that if you are looking at adoption or know of a birth parent interested in adoption, it is worth it!! And LDS Family Services is a wonderful agency for both birth parents and adoptive couples to work with.

I am so grateful that the Lord has seen us worthy enough to bless our lives with a miracle. We were shocked to find out I was finally pregnant. We had prayed for years to be parents, I had received many priesthood blessing, and we had covenanted and worshiped with the Lord in hopes of our dreams to be parents coming true. I KNOW that the reason we are able to have this baby is because of the gospel and priesthood in our lives and the covenants we have made with the Lord. This child is truly a miracle!

Here are some pictures:

Baby Darrington 10 weeks

Mommy Darrington 15 weeks