Hello there! We are Will and Chelsea! We truly are so grateful that you are choosing to learn more about us as hopeful parents. It means so much to us.
Our story began when we were introduced by mutual friends. Although Chelsea was under the impression that Will was reaching out about a conference that she was attending, she soon realized that Will was far more interested in her than any event! Because of the longer distance between us at the time, we got to know each other through Facebook, texting, and good ‘ole fashion letter writing. When we finally met in person, we talked for six hours straight at a restaurant! They kindly let us stay after closing while they cleaned up around us! Our next date? Same thing happened – different restaurant, same spark. Our love for one another continued to grow as we dated for the next two and half years until we were joyously engaged and married in the fall of 2014.
From the beginning, we dreamed of the day when we would become parents and build a big, loving family. Although we knew that we would like to have biological children, we had also talked about adopting while we were dating. We were thrilled to welcome our first son two and half years into marriage – and shocked (in the best way!) to find that we were expecting again just five months later. Our second son was born happy and healthy, but after his birth, Chelsea experienced medical complications that made future pregnancies too risky. From that point on, we began praying about adoption and how our family could grow.
Expectant mothers who choose to make an adoption plan may qualify for some level of financial assistance during their pregnancy. However, each person's situation and specific needs are different. Your adoption social worker can help you determine what level of assistance you qualify for and deserve. Many expectant mothers qualify for financial assistance to cover basic pregnancy and living expenses, including but not limited to - transportation reimbursement, utility assistance for phone, water, and electricity/gas, maternity clothing and supplements, etc.
It won't cost you anything. If you choose to place your baby for adoption, all of your medical and legal fees will be covered and you may be eligible for financial assistance with other pregnancy-related expenses.
Yes. Even if you don’t know the identity of the birth father, you can still choose to make an adoption plan. However, every adoption situation is different. The adoption social worker you’re assigned to will get to know you and your story first, and then guide you through the process accordingly.
You can make an adoption plan at any point in your pregnancy, even after the baby has been born. But, it's important to start the process as early in your pregnancy as possible. Connecting with those resources will allow you to gain access to important medical services, including prenatal care, to help ensure a healthy pregnancy.
One aspect of your adoption plan is the "Hospital Plan" an outline of how you'd like your hospital stay and delivery to go. You can craft this on your own or with the help of your adoption social worker. But everything is up to you. You’ll be able to choose who comes to the hospital with you, who is in the room with you during delivery, and how much time you’d like to spend with the baby before signing the final papers.
As part of your adoption plan, you'll determine whether or not you’d like to have an open or closed adoption or something in between. Open adoptions may include phone calls, messaging (via social media, email, or text), and/or periodic visits each year. Closed adoptions may include no contact at all or annual updates provided to the birth parent(s) by the adoptive family. Each post-adoption relationship is different and can vary based on what an expectant mother chooses in her adoption plan.
School has officially been back in session for six weeks now for our family! Being a homeschool family has its challenges, but oh, how rewarding it has been! And just because it’s called homeschool doesn’t mean school is always done at home! We’ve enjoyed hiking with backpacks to do our work at the park, by the river, or even at our local coffee shop. But our favorite place is just out on the deck! And we can't forget the snacks! Haddon and Hudson—now in 3rd and 2nd grade—have been great students so far this year, and it’s been so fun to see them grow in their learning. We started a new little tradition this year. Every school morning, we begin the day by writing one thing we’re grateful for on a small slip of paper. Then we place it in a cookie jar shaped like a house. We call it the Grateful House. Life isn’t always easy, and some days are really hard. But this has been a fun and meaningful way to reflect on the good in our lives and to build a habit of thankfulness. At the end of the school year, it will be such a joy...
We knew that we needed to fit one last mini-vacation into our summer before Chelsea and the boys started school, so we decided (per the boys' request), to take them to Michigan's Adventure for the first time. Much fun was had by all! Hudson, our adventurous and daring child, was of course so excited for the thrills of rollercoasters, and braved even the biggest ride! Surprisingly, our favorite part of the weekend didn’t come from Michigan’s Adventure, but from a new spot we spontaneously decided to visit the next day — Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo! We had an absolute blast seeing all the animals, enjoying delicious food and treats, and exploring everything the farm had to offer. We ended up spending nearly six hours there and all agreed that this place is going to be a new summer tradition. Sure, the weather was perfect, the food was amazing, and the farm and zoo were both impressive, and there are countless fun activities to choose from. But what we loved most was having a space to explore freely, to slow down and soak it all in, and to simply play with our kids at our own pace. God has given...
We just enjoyed our first Detroit Tigers game of the season with the boys! It was a beautiful day for baseball. What fun we had! As a teenager, I (Chelsea) became a huge Detroit Tigers fan and have so many great memories going to Tigers games with my family. It's so special to be able to make new memories at Tigers games with our kiddos! It was a day filled with lots of smiles, sweet treats, and cheering! We can't wait to add another fan to our lineup to make many more amazing memories with.