Stork Central

An extremely young but mature teen contacted Abrazo about making an adoption plan for her coming baby, and with her parents' support, she perused profiles and selected a childless couple with whom she felt at home. That couple, graduates of our 15 Seconds in Partick, Arkansas orientation group of May, 2017 were more than happy to return to San Antonio on short notice, and as a result, this is sure to be one Christmas they will never (ever) forget, because it's going to be their first in Texas, their first as parents, and their first spent as a family of three. Merry Christmas, indeed!

Even the devastation of the recent hurricane could not distract this loving Houston mother from doing what she felt was best for her comng baby. She knew she could rebuild her home and continue to provide for the children already in her care, but she felt the new baby would need a new home with two parents able to provide for his every need. She found the family of her dreams in our Keep It Quiet (Tried Twice in the Morning) orientation class of August, 2017, and today, they gratefully added this precious newborn baby boy and his birthfamily to their forever family circle. Blessings, all!

It took a trio of angels to help our newest angel find her way to her new parents. One was a prospective birthmother last year who chose not to place, and two were Abrazo birthmothers who didn't know each other. But all three were instrumental in guiding their mutual friend, who was pregnant and unable to parent, to Abrazo. She knew she wanted the kind of life for her coming baby that she herself had never had. She knew she wanted for her child to have adoring, stable and devoted parents who could secure her future as she herself could not. And she found the family of her dreams in one childless couple from our 15 Seconds in Partick, Arkansas orientation group of May 2017. They are adorable. (Check!) And stable. (Check!) And devoted to being family to this precious new daughter of theirs (check!) and to her birthmama (bonus check!) We couldn't be more thankful for this baby girl, for all her parents, and for the three special angels who helped her find her way home for the holidays. Blessings, all!

Having come through our Keep It Quiet (Tried Twice in the Morning) orientation of 8/17, these newest new parents isn’t have much time to prepare, but fortunately, they came ready. They quickly matched with a beautiful expectant mom who fell in love with them (as they did with her) and as a result, the precious newborn son they now share will surely grow up knowing (and loving) the best of all of them. Blessings, all!

Lo que debe ser, siempre encontrará su camino. These againers from our Keep It Quiet: Tried Twice in the Morning orientation group of August, 2017 probably never imagined that they would be the first of their group to return to Texas to take placement just two and a half months later. (After all, the first child they adopted through Abrazo had come to them rather quickly, and you don't expect that kind of good fortune twice.) Plus, they had a specific gender requirement this go-round, and adoptive families can tell you the lecture they get from adoption agencies about how long the wait may be, when they arbitrarily elect to eliminate nearly half their placement possibilities by specifying that they will only accept a child of one certain gender. But they knew in their hearts they really, really wanted a girl this time, and they were willing to wait, and they're really good parents who have been really good about keeping their open adoption promises, so they sent in their profile and their homestudy update and hunkered down for a long, patient wait... ...Only to be chosen very quickly by a mother in her final trimester, who saw in them people she could trust, and the parents she wanted for her baby girl. So this weekend, the baby was born, and today, the paperwork was completed, and for the rest of her life, this tiny daughter they all love so will know she is precious and treasured by all. Blessings, everyone!

"Climb ev'ry mountain, ford every stream... follow every by-way, 'til you find your dream." -- Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein When they came to Abrazo by way of Colorado, our newest adoptive parents (from our 15 Seconds Width Partick, Arkansas orientation group of 5/17) could never have imagined the role their home state might eventually play in their adoption story. Yet for one hospitalized physics student who'd previously attended college in Colorado just to experience the landscape and snow, the thought of her beloved newborn daughter growing up amidst the Rocky Mountains with fun, active parents who enjoy sports as she does was nothing short of magical. And so it is that a couple who began the week with no idea that a return trip to Texas was in their immediate future are ending this week as the proud new parents of a beautiful baby girl... less than half a year after their adoption journey with Abrazo first began. We wish them every joy as they grow as a forever family, and we celebrate the precious child whose life has brought them all together in the most amazing of ways. Blessings, all!

They might never have guessed how drastically and how beautifully their lives would change, between the weekend of their orientation and Labor Day, but the newest new parents from our 15 Seconds Width Partick Arkansas (May 2017) are snuggling their newborn son already, and loving every minute of how their journey to parenthood turned out! Blessings, all.

We need to hear from any homestudy-ready families within Abrazo's program who may be interested in an Anglo-Caucasian baby boy due soon, who will have something called Left Heart Syndrome and possibly double valve intake and other related issues. This infant will likely be delivered early, and will need extended hospitalization and corrective surgeries; Abrazo mat be able to apply for a separate Medicaid policy for this child, to help offset medical costs. (The prospective birthparents are in agreement about the adoption plan and do not feel ready for openness at this time.) The case will qualify for Abrazo's special needs program fees; additional state subsidies outside of Texas may also be available. Contact Abrazo for further information if interested: 210-342-5683.

Please say a prayer for the mother-in-law of our staff member Dawn and the entire Gonzales family. Her husband Mike's mom appears to be nearing her final days and we ask God to be with her as she transitions to the Life Everlasting. We know their matriarch's life has been long and full, but these are surely bittersweet days for the family she will leave behind, so we want them to know that our thoughts and prayers are with them all.

It's a momentous day for our 15 Seconds Width Partick Arkansas orientation group of May 2017, as the entire group moves 1/8 of the way closer to completion, which will mean that the entire group then has their new children home. It's a momentous day for one very fortunate couple from that group, who have the distinction of being the first to take placement, and having that their entire case develop within a matter of three short weeks. It's a momentous day for one very courageous birthmother, who set aside her own needs and wants for love of her child. And it's a momentous day for one much-loved baby boy, who entered the world just two days ago and yet already has a fan club that numbers in the hundreds. May he always (always) love and respect the three parents who surround him with love today, and may he always feel confident in their love for each other, as well. Blessings, all!

Just as the Halloween treat buckets from the month in which last fall's orientation occurred are sometimes filled with surprises, so is the adoption process! The couple who left our Candy Cornholes (10/16) orientation dinner early to meet a prospective birthmom didn't end up taking that baby home with them (although another family did.) Yet a fortuitous connection through Abrazo's director's high school classmate led them to match with another mother, and now, as a result, they are the proud parents of another beautiful baby boy. They would never have found this case had things not happened the way they did, so we join them in celebrating this happily-ever-after ending.

Some of life's sweetest surprises are also the most unexpected ones, and this definitely describes one beloved Abrazo family's reaction to the news that their fourth child's birthmom was having another baby and wanted to place again. They'd thought their family was complete, until they learned that it wasn't, and we couldn't be happier that they said "yes!" Congratulations to the proud parents of our newest baby boy, his new big brother and beautiful big sisters! Blessings, all...

She's a hardworking and loving mom, but when she left her ex and took the kids to start anew, she didn't realize she was again expecting. She knew her own limits, and while there was plenty of love to go around, there was precious little of everything else. So like her own mama, she turned to adoption as an option. She chose a couple who reminded her of an aunt and uncle, graduates of our Candy Cornholes orientation of October, 2016, who had weathered a failed adoption plan just months ago-- and today, thanks to one selfless birthmom, they are the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl. Blessings, all! May your forever family blossom and flourish as the years go by.