Birth Mom Sierra Sobyra
When I found out I was pregnant, I decided that adoption was the best option for my baby. I had to be selfless and think of what was right, not just what I wanted. I wasn’t financially stable (and truthfully, I’m still not), nor was I ready to raise a child. I chose an adoption agency, found a family in California, where I’m originally from, and even spoke on the phone with them.
On my birthday, one month before my due date, I learned that the family had backed out. Now, looking back, I’m glad they did because that’s how I found Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC) and my baby’s adoptive family.
Finding an Adoption Agency…Again
With so little time, I wasn’t sure what would happen next. Thankfully, I found CCC who immediately met with me and helped me choose the perfect family—Jeff and Kelly.
My relationship with Jeff and Kelly is great but also complex! Since we were all new to the adoption process, we had to figure out what worked for us. But from the day we met, we made sure to have good communication and understanding of what we wanted out of the adoption.
It means the world to me to get updates of my/our son as he grows and learns and reaches new milestones! Getting pictures and videos of him is so heartwarming and even cheers me up on a bad day. Seeing that he is happy makes me happy! I don’t know what I would’ve done without Jeff and Kelly. They have been such a blessing!
Adoptive Mom Kelly Skinner
After years of failed fertility treatments, we started to look at adoption agencies. Our neighbors at the time had used CCC for two adoptions. We spent time talking with them and decided to sign up for an informational evening about adoption at CCC. We heard the adoption stories of others, both birthmothers and adopting families, and knew we wanted to adopt. The evening was amazing. It was an emotional night of crying and laughter, but my heart felt so full afterwards.
We spent about a year on the adoption list. As in many adoptions, we had moments we felt like it would never happen. Just days after our annual review meeting with Tami, our CCC counselor, we got a call that Sierra was considering us and that the baby was due in less than a month.
Just two short weeks after finding out that she had chosen us, we were at the hospital waiting for our son to be born. We ended up being sent out of state to a NICU but luckily our CCC counselors helped guide us through the entire process. Both counselors who handled our adoption were professional, knowledgeable, and kind women. I cannot speak highly enough about them. They were amazing at handling the out of state NICU stay and the challenges of forming a positive, productive open adoption. We would not have the same solid relationship we have with the birth parents if both counselors had not assisted us on our journey.
Open Adoption
Adopting our son has been the biggest blessing of our lives. Every moment is an exciting first and it is amazing to watch him grow each day. Of course, we still have the less ideal moments of parenthood, but don’t we all. We just try to find humor in them later.
Our open adoption took some time to establish. Because things moved very quickly, we did not have a lot of time to discuss what it would look like. We learned that every family chooses a different route, and that open adoption can mean many different things. Not every adoption is the same. Some people wait months and others wait years. Some people visit birth parents monthly, some yearly and some never. Just like all relationships, there is an ebb and flow. There may be challenges and there will be joy. No matter what, it is one of the most beautiful relationships in the world! Birthparents are the most selfless people who are making the most difficult decision of their lives. I am constantly in awe of Sierra, my son’s birthmother and I thank God for her each and every day.
Learn More About Adoption
Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC) has over 100 years of experience supporting children and families in Virginia. To learn more about adoption and pregnancy support services, visit www.cccofva.org/adoption-services.
