They Had to Give Back Their Baby Boy

Did They Succeed?

Mark: A year and a half after we went through counseling, one of my best friends died unexpectedly. It was a tragedy that made me realize how precious, and short, life can be. Laura: The morning of the funeral, we received a call from the adoption agency. They had not removed us from their list of potential parents. To our surprise, they said they had a baby girl ready for us to adopt. Mark: The minute I took that call, I knew I wanted that child more than anything. Our therapist helped us talk about the decision without dredging up painful memories.

Laura: We knew that the mother could change her mind again -- but we felt so much stronger as a couple that we knew we had to take the risk. Laura and Mark waited patiently for two months until the adoption was final. To their delight, this time the process went without incident and the little girl they named Olivia was officially theirs. Laura: And then -- another miracle. When Olivia was 9 months old, I found out I was pregnant! Mark: Devon is 2, Olivia is 4, and now our family is really complete. Our life is crazy, with budgets and bills and runny noses, but when we look at these four little faces, we know we wouldn't trade a minute of it.