On Cope’s first birthday I wanted to share part of his adoption story because we kept it a secret for so long. I say a part, because I am only one small part of his adoption story. There is cope’s birth mom’s part that I can’t begin to try to tell you, Cope’s birth dad, Cope’s birth family, Cope’s part of the story that is his to tell, many other sides to the adoption story, I’m just one small part & I think it’s fair that I share my part today on his first birthday. I almost hate pushing publish on this blog post because I could never ever truly explain all the emotions & feelings, but I can try & I hope it reads through my simple words. I truly hope this story gives hope to others & helps bring a new perspective to adoption….
Let’s start from the beginning..
In the fall of 2018 Jose and I felt a calling from God to pursue adoption. It actually happened at the Found Cottage Mercantile Market. We had been having the desire for adoption for a while, but while at the market we were off by ourselves working in separate location & at the end of the day we came back together & at the same time we asked each other, “did a million people approach you about adoption today?” And the answer we both said was YES. We laughed and said ok ok ok we get it God! We will look into adoption. And it was in that moment the most amount of peace I have ever felt filled my entire body.. I now knew what a calling from God was. It was overwhelmingly clear and I have never felt more sure about something in my entire life.
Shortly after that market we attended a class at a local adoption agency and took a leap of faith to announce that we wanted to adopt right here on the blog. That is what set our whole adoption story into motion…
Since it’s not all my story to tell, I will make this part short and sweet. Through the blog post & someone that new us randomly mentioning our desire to adopt… the word spread to Cope’s beautiful birth mom who was due in two months. TWO MONTHS. Actually a little less than two months, but who’s counting? Cope’s birth mom contacted us via text after the mutual person gave her our number. I will never forget jumping out of bed and screaming and then crying & then completely freaking out. She wanted to meet us… WHAT DOES THAT EVEN LOOK LIKE? Meeting a strong courageous generous birth mom who will potentially pick us to be her baby’s parents? We are two very imperfect people who are flawed and certainly have never done anything like this before. This was about to be the scariest interview because everything we have ever wanted hangs in the balance. Long story very short.. we met a few times in a coffee shop, & it instantly felt like we were family. I’m not sure if feelings were mutual, but her and her family instantly felt like fast friends and I was so comfortable around them. We got into the nitty gritty details and everything in between and found out that we were so similar from our hobbies to our families, to our beliefs… it was incredible.
After our second meeting Cope’s birth mom came over to our house, holy nerves again. Our home was in a state of remodel per usual and it wasn’t as perfect as I would have liked it to be to show her that we were capable of having a newborn in our home, but we sat in our front living room & that’s where she handed me ultrasound photo’s of Cope & asked Jose & I to be his parents. I cried and I was honestly in shock. Looking back I should have known when she asked to come over that that is what she was going to do, but I had no idea in the moment why she wanted to come over.. I just assumed she needed to see our home before approving us. But nope.. she asked us the best question we could have been asked. She chose us to be Cope’s parents. She could have chosen anyone to place Cope with, but she chose us. That is the day that our lives changed forever… well, the start of the change at least.
The next day we went into full panic mode. Why you ask? Well despite the obvious reasons that a wonderful woman just asked us to be parents to her beautiful baby boy she was about to deliver, we hadn’t signed with an agency yet & we had less than two months to do our home study & get approved to adopt. A home study process typically takes 3-6 months to complete & Cope was set to be born February 5th.. it was game time. We were able to get our home study expedited and worked 24/7 on the home study thankfully and we got everything complete in record time.
I want to add at this part of the story that through all of this I was blogging, chatting with you guys, & having to keep all of this secret throughout this whole story… it was so hard to keep a secret, but it was a must. Looking back at all the posts and stories I did during that time is crazy to think we had to hide him for the first month of his life.
Back to Cope’s adoption story…
Though we only knew about Cope two months in advance… the last two weeks seemed to drag on. Cope’s birth mom was so kind to invite us to go to her doctor appointments with her so that we could see him on an ultrasound & I felt so bonded to her & Cope through those doctor visits. I grew to love her so quickly. Way more quickly than I could have ever imagined. It was a love I’ve never felt before, but this woman was inviting us into her world so selflessly and inviting us into these private moments of hers. She was choosing us to parent this child she carried for 9 months. She took care of Cope better than any pregnant woman I had ever known before & she was so strong through it all. After weeks of waiting, & working, we even flew out on a work trip and got stranded in Colorado for a few days in a snow storm… the time came. The day came where she was being induced at the hospital & she was so gracious to invite us along in her hospital time. I can’t explain what a gift this was. She didn’t have to, but she allowed us in this private beautiful moment of hers.
We got the call on February 5th that she was induced and that we could head up to the hospital. So, we left the house for the last time just the two of us which felt weirdly scary and surreal… we were so nervous we couldn’t talk. We had no idea what the next few days looked like & we knew this hospital stay was going to be equal parts beautiful and hard.. but we had no idea just how beautiful or how hard.
When we got to the hospital the craziest thing happened.. you see, we didn’t tell ANYONE about this adoption except our parents, but as soon as we walked into the hospital we ran into a family member who thought we were there to visit my grandma who was there… nope, we quickly had to tell her that were were there to meet our baby. We made it up to Birth Mom’s room & there she was starting the labor process & instantly something happened that I didn’t expect. A strong feeling of guilt ran over me. Here was this woman going through the most painful process she would ever go through to birth a baby that we would be taking home… I just couldn’t stop thinking about how strong and courageous she was. Cope didn’t end up coming on February 5th and her labor was extended through the night. It was the hardest thing for me to watch this amazing woman in so much pain. I would have done anything in the world to take the pain away from her & put it on myself. I never knew the guilt that would come along with adoption, but it was really heavy on me in the hospital. That night Jose and I slept in the waiting room area and we got a couple hours of shut eye.. when we woke up the next morning we had no idea that in a couple hours we would be parents. Still thankful for that few hours of sleep that we got because we were going to need it.
I don’t know how or what to say about the next few hours… it was surreal. It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. Cope’s birth mom invited me to be in the room when she was giving birth & I can not tell you what that invitation meant to me. It was the highest honor and the best gift she could have given me. To be there when my son came into the world is something that I will treasure forever. We were just about to head down to lunch & Cope’s birth mom looked at everyone and said “I think I need to push” everyone was kind of in disbelief because the doctors didn’t think she was that far progressed & within 5 minutes she proved everyone right and we were all set up to help her push Cope into the world. Her mom was holding one of her legs & I held the other as she pushed. She was so strong & brave. I remember looking at her face and just admiring how strong and composed she was through all of the pain & pushing. She pushed for less than 15 minutes & there Cope was. He came out quiet without crying. The room was so peaceful and filled with “oohs & ahhs” as everyone commented how cute he was. There were tears all around. Not a dry eye in the room. Cope looked around the room as he was tended to & I had the honor of cutting the chord which was poetic in itself. I quickly took my top off so that I could do skin to skin with Cope which was also an amazing gift that Cope’s birth mom gave me. I cried as I held him in the rocker and he was so strong and quiet looking around the room. He honestly never cried until we left the hospital two days later… it was all so surreal. The hospital stay was a sacred time for us because we all hung out together in birth mom’s room during the day & at night Jose, Cope, & I would go to our own room and sleep. The hospital had a special room for adopting families who were not giving birth to stay in which was such a luxury and I’m so thankful to the hospital for providing that. & we repeated that until we left the hospital. It was better than I could have ever imagined an adoption stay at the hospital going… It was something I was so scared of, but in the end it was one of the most beautiful experiences I had ever had.
Leaving the hospital was rough to say the very least. I knew it would be for everyone. We had all been living in our own little world as a blizzard was going on outside. Birth mom’s family had been there in the hospital the whole time, but our family and friends were not at the hospital with us.. it was just Jose, Cope, & I with their amazing family who now felt like family after being in a small room for days together. It felt like we were in a little happy bubble and the reality of what was about to happen when we had to leave hadn’t crossed our minds. I hadn’t even checked my phone in days. Leaving meant we had to go out in the real world and say goodbye to each other. Again, this is only my side of the adoption story & I hope one day to share Cope’s birth mom’s experience because I think it is something that could change a lot of perspectives on adoption. But for me… leaving broke my heart and brought the reality of adoption to light. To hug Cope’s birth mom goodbye and see her pain & agony over leaving Cope in the hospital with us broke my heart into one thousand pieces. Tears, hugs, & a painful goodbye & there the three of us sat in the hospital ready to leave as a family & scared to go drive home in a snow storm with our new baby.
This was a footnote version of his adoption story. There were things I left out that were too personal, things that I left out because they are not mine to tell, things that I probably forgot because it was such a whirlwind… but this is Cope’s adoption story according to my brain tonight on his first birthday. One year after all of this happened. Jose and I looked at each other & said “How did we get here? We never thought we would have this moment to celebrate a one year old” as we sat with Cope on the floor tonight opening gifts… Cope is our rainbow after a very long storm of miscarriages and infertility. Adoption is beautiful, it’s raw, it’s life changing, it’s painful, but most of all it’s love. Cope has so much love that he will never know what to with it all. He is loved by so many and has such a tribe around him from birth parents, to birth family, to friends, to family, to us, his parents. Adoption is the greatest gift & we are so thankful for our Copeland Beau.
A little something I wrote my Copey today:
At this time on this day one year ago I just watched your beautiful birth mom deliver you into this world. It was a snowy day outside & she only pushed for 10 minutes & there you were. The second I looked at your face it was love that I had never known. I quickly undressed after I cut your chord & they laid you on my chest & you were mine. The fears I had blew away in that February winter storm the second I held you & I was your mother. It was always you. We sat here in this rocking chair for an hour while one of the strongest women I have ever met was tended to by the doctors & she selflessly gave me this time with you… one of my favorite moments of my whole life was given to me by your birth mom & I will never be able to say thank you enough to her for giving me that moment & you… my baby. My life changed forever one year ago today. It seems like yesterday yet a whole lifetime ago. After losing 9 of your siblings before you came.. holding you was the best gift I could ever receive. You are our bright rainbow after the longest darkest storm. You are the reason I believe that God has a plan, you are the reason I see God’s faithfulness, & you are the reason I will never lose hope. I love you Copeland Beau Galvan. Forever & Always. Happy Birthday baby boy. Forever my baby boy.
I started crying as soon as I read the part about Cope’s birth mom giving you the ultrasound pictures and asking you to be his parents. What a raw, emotional time it must have been. So happy how things have worked out for you guys. So deserved! He is a lucky boy to have parents like you and Jose. Happy birthday, Cope 🙂
This is one of the most heartfelt stories, and I Thank you for sharing as little Cope is such apart of your daily stories and we so enjoy seeing his cute, happy, smiling face! You are so Blessed!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Cope???????
You are such an incredible writer. I was right in that hospital room with you. You need to write a book with Cope’s birth mom. I loved reading this❤️
I cannot stop weeping as I read this tonight. Having just given birth to my third baby this year, I understand the pain and agony you describe about Cope’s birth mom as she said goodbye to him. That she invited you into the entire birth experience and that you were there for skin to skin in those very first moments. It’s all just beyond. I’ve never heard of an adoption story like yours and you’re so right, it’s beautiful and raw and everything in between but mostly love … from a thousand different angles it’s love. I rejoice with you and Jose today as you celebrate your first year with your precious son. I can’t begin to understand or know the reasons Cope’s birth mom chose adoption and fully respect the privacy of the whole situation, but I am amazed at how she welcomed you in to the process and at how respectfully and gratefully you and Jose lift her up whenever you speak of her and her decision to choose you both. I am moved to tears literally every time you write about his adoption and just truly so happy for you, while also feeling resonating with the rawness you speak of as well. Anyway, just want to send you love and happy birthday wishes tonight to your sweet boy. He’s got some incredible parents in you and Jose, and from the sounds of it a phenomenal extended family. You have certainly opened my eyes to a different side of adoption and I thank you for sharing so candidly. It’s a gift to anyone who chooses to read what you’ve written. With so much love, Carli.
This is so beautifully written Liz. Tears were rolling down my face for you and Jose and for the birth moms family. God bless you all and Copeland. He sure is one very loved and lucky boy.
Beautiful
Happy Birthday Cope
This is so beautiful Liz Marie ???. You are all so blessed. It’s plain to see how much Cope is loved. Such a special story. God bless the birth parents ?
I have a half sister that was forcibly taken from my Mum, through no fault of her own, and adopted out. They were just different times back then. We’ve never been able to find her, but my biggest wish is that she had a wonderful home and parents, like Cope does. He is surely blessed as well.
Much love, light and happiness to you and your gorgeous family. ???
I am crying reading this. It is so beautiful to hear his birth story from your side. It is so beautiful that you were able to have those precious moments with his birth mom. I just can’t stop crying.. My heart is bursting for you.
Thank you for sharing your heart. Hopefully it encourages other couples to give adoption a thought. So many kids out there that deserve a wonderful loving home like Cope has. HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY COPE! ??
This is a beautiful story that I’m glad you shared. What a precious gift he is to you and Jose. My daughter in law gave up a baby and we got to be a part of her adoption story. It was so painful and sad, I thought my heart would break. She was strong and brave as she handed over her baby. A little different than your story because she got to have her baby with her for 3 days. Either side is a beautiful story. She married my son 3 yrs later and has had 2 boys and it is a sweeter story now after adoption. I can’t believe what a miracle adoption is❤️
❤️ so much love. Thank you.
Happy birthday Cope!
I cried through your beautiful story. So happy for you all! The young birth mother was wise beyond her years to choose you & Jose.
I am 69 and was adopted at birth. I recently found out who my birthfather was and found 2 bio half brothers. I found my birthmother about 30 years ago..I was not looking for any of them..it just kind of happened..one due to Ancestry.com and the other thru a mistaken identity phone call 30 years ago on my bday. Anyway, my parents will always be my Mom and Dad who adopted me. I can remember them having a special dinner each year when I was 2 or 3 and trying to explain how they “got” me. When they realuzed that I finally understood, it really was never mentioned again. I didn’t tell my friends I was adopted, and now that I am open about it, many of them are shocked! I am glad it is much more open now as the only problem I have is filling out family history for doctors as I have no clue! Best of luck to you all..you will be a wonderful family❤
Liz. This is all very beautiful. I remember when I opened IG and your post appeared of you and your adorable baby boy. My prayers of you and Jose having a baby came true.
As I read your story I could see it all happening. I met you and Jose at Magnolia in September 2018. My son, Brad, (also a Marine) was with me. He and I first spoke to Jose then you walked over. It has been a blessing to get to know y’all a bit on IG.
I wish y’all the very best in everything. May God’s blessings follow you always. ☺️❤️??
This is the most amazing and beautiful stories. Thank you so much for sharing. Happy birthday Copeland. You are loved by some of the best people. Love y’all. ??????
So very precious. A leap of faith for all. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. God bless your little one and your family. God bless his birth parents and their families. Such a gift you all gave each other in the name of love for one sweet baby boy. ❤️
Oh my, what a beautiful & heartwarming story! ? So much love for that little babe.
As an adoptive mom myself I resonate with so many of these feelings. We too were chosen and adopted a beautiful baby girl after more than 10 years of heartache & infertility. While we were able to pick her up at the hospital when she was 2 days old we were not part of the pregnancy or birth. Her birth parents chose closed adoption and I totally respected that…but oh my I would have loved to witness her birth, hold her fresh little body and love on her at that moment. Also tell her birth mom & dad thank you and how much this meant to us in person as I know she was hurting. We also had less than 2 months to prepare and what an emotional whirlwind it was!
My beautiful baby girl is now 25 years old and the memories of first seeing her are still so fresh and emotional for me. What a blessing. ?
Happy 1st birthday to your sweet adorable precious Copeland. ? He has indeed been blessed in many ways. So many hearts loving him even before he was born. So happy for you…you’re amazing and such deserving parents!! Enjoy each and every moment!
So beautiful written and I am in tears. Happy birthday Cope ♥️
Happy Birthday Cope! Thank you Liz and Jose’ for sharing your story. My eyes are flowing with tears of happiness for you and your family. Such a beautiful story for such an incredibly beautiful family. God is so good and I also believe everything happens for a reason. It has been an honor being able to follow along your journey and watch Cope grow this past year. You can always see or hear all the love from your stories and photos. Thanks for sharing and God Bless your precious family and Copes birth mom. Xoxo
Julie
As an adopted person myself, your story really hits home with me. Thank you for sharing. My parents adopted me at 7 days old, back then things were different. I know that the waiting period is a very difficult time for the adoptive parents, the fear is not easy to describe. I’m so glad it all ended well for Cope. Xoxo
This tore me to pieces, a beautiful and incredible journey for you both and Cope. Copeland is a gift. He is loved by so many as you both are.
His birth mom is an incredible woman, I am just having a hard time putting all these emotions into words, I have this massive lump in my throat and tears rolling down my face. I am overwhelmed. God bless you all ? Valerie
I understood every feeling you expressed, Liz; our daughter is adopted. We’ve been in your shoes! Now, as an adult, she enjoys a wonderful relationship with her birth mom and her family.
Happy, happy birthday to that sweet bundle of boy!
Beautiful ❤️
Liz,
Thank you for sharing this story. It gives a whole new picture to us. Yep, God absolutely chose Cope for you guys. Enjoy your special boy, every minute!
Lela Mac
Whew, cue the tears!! Such a beautiful redemption story. Thank you for sharing it.
Good heavens Liz, now you have us all crying! ? What an incredible beautiful story.. God is SO good! What an incredible journey you’ve all had; And thank you for sharing it with us. Wishing sweet Cope a very blessed and happy birthday! ?
Thank you God for the answer to so many prayers. You always have a plan for us and sometimes it is difficult to understand or see when dealing with all the storms in life. You always provide, You always know what is best and YOU are so good ! Thank you for giving the birth mom and her family the strength and wisdom to sacrifice such in a way most of us will never know. Thank you for our wonderful, beautiful and sweet Copeland! Lord, you have blessed Jose and Liz with an abundance of love that they pour into their son. On his first birthday we thank you for this fabulous journey and ask that you continue to bless this family. Words are hard to find but you have gifted the Galvans with a forum and talents that they can use to share their story and your goodness. Happy Birthday Cope! Love you all so much!!! Aunt Kim
What a beautiful love story. Thank you for sharing. It fills my heart with joy to see how God orchestrated this entire adoption. He even allowed precious Cope to look like you guys! I got chills bumps several times reading this. I pray through your story, more families will choose adoption. We are all adopted into the family of God through his son Jesus. Blessings!
Beautiful story and a beautiful little boy you’ve got!! Your story brought tears to my eyes. Have fun in the coming years with him!!
God blessed you Liz Marie! You are so deserving of your angel Cope after all your heart endured prior to his birth. As an adoptee myself (and my husband is too) we are sooo grateful for adoption. Our adoptive parents loved us both as much as humanly possible when our birth parents couldn’t keep us. From their love, we have children we adore as well, pulling all our strength from our parents, both sets. There ARE happy endings and MANY more birthdays to celebrate! May God continue to bless the three of you???. With warm regards, Mary Loizzi
Dear Liz & Jose,
I can’t even imagine what your guys & the birth family went thru. What a beautiful story & beautiful outcome. I follow you daily and Cope brings me a lot to smiles.. God is soo GOOD!! My heart goes out to the birth mom & her family. I love the idea of you & the birth mom writing a book about adoption. It would be a best seller!! Meeting you , Jose & Cope is on my bucket list!! You & Jose have such a beautiful heart….& it shows in Cope. Much love to you guys & Happy Birthday to the beautiful Copeland.
Love, Joanne
Beautifully written Liz as I’m sitting here crying. What an emotional experience for all involved. My heart is so full of happiness for you and Jose and also so full of sadness for Cope’s birth mom and her family. What a beautiful and strong woman she must be! Thanks for sharing this amazing story with us. I love you and your sweet family ❤️
Happy Birthday beautiful Copeland Beau Galvan?
I’m a birth mother to a beautiful girl (who is now 16!) and this brought every moment of my experience back. Oh man, it’s like it just happened. The love never goes away for that sweet baby or the adoptive parents. Thank you bringing a positive light to adoption. It really is amazing ?
I couldn’t read this yesterday as I knew it was something I wanted to give complete attention to. You are an amazing woman and so is Cope’s birth mother. This story is so beautiful and shows that God truly gave you this gift. I wish I had words to express how touched I am by this story, and how I prayed for you wanting a child and miscarrying so many times. Let me just say that I know the peace that God gave you about adoption and I believe He rewarded your faithfulness with your beautiful and happy little one, Cope. I am crying right now- tears of happiness and joy for you. God’s blessings on the three of you and his birth Mom.
This is one of the most beautiful stories I have read. Thank you so very much for sharing this as I’m sure it wasn’t easy to write. I read some of your miscarriage stories and somehow I knew god was going to bless you guys. I cried like a baby reading this. If anyone deserves to be parents to Cope it’s you too. May god continue to bless your family.
This is the most beautiful story I have ever read. I cried from start to finish. You are both blessed and so is Cope. I was blessed with twins and even at 27 they will always be my babies. Enjoy him every day.
Thank you for sharing your side of the adoption story. Its the most beautiful adoption story I have ever heard. I remember when you were prayed over at Magnolia. Guess I was expecting God to work a miracle in another way for you. His ways are so much higher and so much more perfect for us than we can ever imagine. Still A-mazed at what He’s done.
Even through and in spite of the darkest of days your faith, as big as a grain of mustard seed, has triumphed.
It must be fantastic to feel that peace that comes over you when you accept God’s calling.
So looking forward to hearing the other sides of the story. Maybe we might even hear from Jose? All in due time. xxx
Just beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
God bless
Thank you Liz for sharing and Happy Birthday Cope, you precious gift from God!
I have a saying when something so extraordinarily, extravagantly, wonderful happens, & though it’s short…it’s the only thing I can see to type through my tears, & sums it all up…“only God”!
Congratulations, thanks for sharing, & glory to His holy name!!!
Happy Birthday Cope !!! What an amazing story and legacy this will be for you in your life !! You are an exceptionally blessed boy by all of your family, Daddy and Mommy AND by our Lord. Much love and happiness to you all ! xxoo
Merci infiniment pour cette confession…Je vous souhaite beaucoup de bonheur!
You know this story means the world to me. I never got to meet my birth mom. It was a closed adoption in my story, and 5 years ago when I finally decided to learn about my birth parents, I found out my birth mother had passed away at the young age of 42. I did, however, meet my birth father. It has been a blessing getting to know him. My mom and dad gave me the best life and I am forever grateful. I could go on and on… Please know how amazing you 2 are ❤️❤️?
What a sweet, precious story. God has already blessed so many. Cope is a blessed little boy and so are all those that love him. Happy Birthday to your little one!
What a wonderful story for you, Jose and baby Copeland. As I write we are waiting to hear a judge’s decision on whether or not we have new grandchildren. I know it won’t be easy on our kids, but their hearts are open and willing to take in multiple siblings- including two month old twins. I can’t imagine having an instant family like they possibly will, but they’re so well prepared for this that I have to think God has specifically chosen them as well. May God bless your new family.
This was such a touching story. I literally had tears the entire time I was reading every sentence. I could visualize every moment and aspect of the moment from choosing to adopt to bringing Cope home. Congratulations dear and Happy birthday Cope
Your story reminds me so much of when we adopted our daughter 6 years ago. Through every single step we could see God’s hand working out all of the obstacles in our path. The moment we met our daughter’s birth-mother we too had an instant connection and knew that we would always have a special bond. We were blessed to be in the delivery room too and my husband cut the cord. Those days in the hospital (which the staff treated us with such amazing hospitality and kindness) with all of us together were moments we will always treasure. However, like you said, the guilt you have when it’s time to go home it unexplainably terrible. I remember us walking to the elevator with our baby girl and I could hear her birth-mom wailing from her room. It was definitely one of the hardest moments of my life. My daughter is blessed to have an open adoption and gets to know the amazing woman who chose life for her. She gets to ask her questions that we can’t answer and to make their own special memories together. God bless you and your sweet family.
What a beautiful truth! A true testament to Gods power! You are blessed!!
Maybe it’s because I have a 5 months baby boy in my arms: I just cry almost all the time.
Thank you for sharing this love story in such a sensitive way.
All the hapiness for your baby.
There is so much emotion in the Story of Copeland Beau. Beautiful emotional love of the birth Mother, her emotional loving supportive family. The faith of a devoted couple longing to for a baby after the unbearable emotional loss of their babies, to becoming joyfully emotional with the blessing of their new son through this adoption. It makes my heart happy for you all.
I’M SO HAPPY FOR All Of YOU!!!!
I am an adopted child, now 50 years old. I just found my biological family last year. I cried when I read your adoption story, now knowing what my own birth mother went through. Adoptions were closed in those days, so for nearly 50 years, she had been carrying this weight around with her and was so relieved when I finally found her. It’s so wonderful that Cope’s birth mom has been so open and generous, sharing those incredible moments with you. I wish many blessings for your family for all the years to come!