Mommy Monday: Kailey’s Story
Each week, I’ll share the story of a mother. Not just any mother, but a mother that surpassed the odds, a mother that overcame, a mother that didn’t give up, a mother that believed that the Lord had plans for her family. These are the stories of mothers after infertility when her precious miracle entered her world. May these stories inspire you, give you hope, and encourage you to keep believing for your miracle.
I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THIS WEEK’S FEATURED MOMMY MONDAY. MEET KAILEY BIRKELAND. THIS IS HER STORY:
My heart and eyes saw the need for people to say yes to sweet children through the beautiful and broken gift of adoption while living in Malaysia in 2005. I came home asking everyone, including my parents, why adoption wasn’t part of their plan. I remember being shockingly passionate about the children that did not have a mama and daddy or a home of their own. Looking back, I know the Lord was igniting a fire deep deep down in my heart for orphans, adoption, and a community that had not taken shape in the natural.
While my husband and I were dating, the idea of adoption came up a few times, but we never seriously talked about it. It wasn’t until we were not dating anymore and he asked me to marry him {another story for another day} when I told him that I had two things I wanted to run by him first. I asked him if he would be okay to pursue adoption. He said that if we couldn’t “have our own children” then we would. And that was good enough for me.
I do not think I have ever shared this part of my heart, but I feel like it might be perfect for someone’s heart who is reading this. I can see how the Holy Spirit was preparing me for this journey even before I knew I was on this journey. I thought fear was leading the charge in my desire to get off of birth control. It wasn’t.
He was there. I just didn’t see Him yet.
I had peace about not using birth control even that is not very common, especially for newlyweds. {Can I just say that it’s okay to listen to the Holy Spirit even though it doesn’t look like what everyone else is doing?} I knew that I wasn’t supposed to be on birth control, plus it made me legit crazy.
Those first few months of marriage, I cried a lot, like a lot. My sweet husband was so loving and caring, but I know he had to wonder what he had gotten himself into. The intense longing to become a mommy immediately became all-consuming for me and we did not agree on when we should begin growing our family. This intense longing resembled the fire I mentioned earlier and He was there. I just didn’t see Him yet.
Every month, I would take a pregnancy test. I would wonder if this was the month. I would google all-of-the-things. I’m so tired… I must be…. I am so sick… I must be… Oh my gosh… my toes are tingling…I must be….
Before we knew it, we had been married for four years and those two pink lines never appeared. Those symptoms never came to be. A baby never grew in my belly. We began working with my doctor over the next two years taking steps to grow our family. We endured lots of testing, one surgery, procedures, crying, screaming, the throwing of things, and wondering why in the world there wasn’t a baby in my belly. He was there. I just didn’t see Him yet.
I decided 2013 was the year. The year a baby would be in my belly and I was going to make it happen. Three rounds of IUI and three clomid later, still there was no baby. By this point, I was sinking deeper and deeper in this hole of despair. The Lord used the only person that could confront me in this season. My Mom.
The conversation I had with my mom was probably the most pivotal moment in our journey. The Lord used her to speak truth and to speak straight to my heart. I had been blinded for so long that pregnancy was the goal and really all I wanted in life. It was time for the blinders to come off.
He was there and I can see Him now.
About a month later, my body had normalized from all of the medications and I made tons of changes. I could finally see and hear clearly. Realizing this was what the Lord intended this whole time was overwhelming in the best way possible.
In June of 2013, we were headed to a friend’s house and we began chatting about adoption. Three days later, I checked in with him about what the next steps were after our conversation. We were praying about adoption.
So we prayed.
The Lord was fanning the flame in my heart he ignited in 2005. I found myself on my knees praying for my husband. I knew this was what was next for us. I knew that Lord was going to make a way. I knew that the Holy Spirit would work and move on his heart. I knew that I needed to say nothing. Nothing. For three months, we did not discuss adoption at all. And in August 2013, Dru and I were laying in bed and he turned over and said, “I’m ready to start the adoption process. What’s next?”
I immediately began crying. Tears of joy and of excitement and praise to our faithful God who had moved mountains in my husband’s heart. The next day we began the application process. Four months later, on December 26, we were a waiting family.
We waited all of 2014 to be matched. We were never chosen.
He was there and I can see Him now.
In November, around Thanksgiving time. I was driving home and I saw a break in the clouds. It was dark and gloomy, but I could see where the darkness ended and light began.
The Lord spoke to my heart and said, “the end is near.” Tears filled my eyes and ran down my cheeks. I knew He was there and speaking truth that my heart so desperately needed. Not even a week later I received a message from a friend - “Hey! Do you guys have a baby yet?”
Three weeks later we were in the ultrasound room finding out if our baby was a girl or a boy. It was a girl, Evangelyn Rose. She was born May 6, 2015. She is the light of our lives and brings joy to us on the daily.
He was always there. In every single detail. Every single moment.
*****
The journey to adoption and through adoption lit a fire inside of Kailey’s heart for adoptive families. Fundraising was so much fun to her and she wanted to help others that were walking through that season.
That’s when she decided to change her blog into a fundraising platform!
Cheers to Plan A raises funds for a different adoptive family each month! Head on over to the Instagram @cheerstoaplana_adoption_ and check out what is happening!
