The Sweet Moments These Adoptive Parents Met Their Children for the First Time

"The first time we saw our baby girl at three days old. We waited in the lobby for what seemed like forever while they discharged her from the nursery. I'm so glad someone caught this moment!" —Casey Nicole

"We traveled around the world for the first moment I held Penelope Mei in my arms, but the journey was so much harder for her! My joy could not be contained but our sweet girl was so scared. More than two years later and don't worry, she loves her mama as much as mama loves her! Love her to China and back!!!"—Michelle Fulton

"When my sweet daughter Emma was placed in my arms on a hot August day in Texas five years ago it was love at first sight. I was so overcome with so many emotions..an instant and tremendous love for this tiny being, a complete sense of peace, and heartache for the strongest woman I know, Emma's birthmother, Renee, as she handed Emma to me and then took off her Mother's hospital bracelet and put it on my wrist. This picture will always capture all of those emotions, and every time I look at it I travel right back to that once-in-a-lifetime moment in time." —Kelley Parsons

"Daddy holding his baby girl for the first time. He was instantly smitten and she's gotten away with everything since."—Angee Colvin

"On April 12, 2013 at 10 a.m. we met our son for the first time. He was four months old. His foster mother put him in my arms and he buzzed like that's where he was meant to be!"—Amber Kephart

"The first time we met our son, he was living with his grandpa and it was two more days before he would come home with us. Our faces are full of nervous excitement and anticipation."—Kirsten Johanson

"My very first moment as a mama. 'As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen.' - Winnie-the-Pooh"—Sara Gomez

"We traveled to China twice to adopt our daughters. Our oldest was thrilled to finally meet her mei-mei, two years and one week after she first came home with us." —Lisa Milbrand

"This is the day our oldest son was born. His birthmom allowed us the honor of being in the delivery room. It was an amazing and humbling experience, there were such a strong mixture of emotions. Overwhelming love for our new son, and a sense of grief just as intense for his birthmom. See those pink cheeks, there were so many tears as we celebrated our happiest moment, coupled with the realization that his birthmom was experiencing one of her most difficult."—Jacob Wecker

"My first time holding her... I was in the nursery right after she was born. I got to witness her first bath and feed her for the first time in there."—Megan Hinson

"We got 'the call' from our adoption agency on Saturday night. A baby girl was born today and her birth mom wanted to meet us! Everything happened so fast. Two days later, with a sense of disbelief and overwhelming sense of hope, we met our daughter and her birth family (mom, grandmother and sister) at the hospital. We talked and prayed and hugged. It was surreal, and at times, it still feels like a dream." —Tonya Cummings

"We had gone through the process to become licensed foster/adoptive parents, so we knew that things could move quickly. But we didn't realize just how quickly our lives would actually change.

"It was the Monday before Thanksgiving. I was at work trying to wrap things up when I got a call at about 4:00pm from the foster/adoption agency. They had a baby that they needed to place. Were we interested? 'Why, yes,' I answered, but I needed to speak with my husband to confirm. 'When do you want to place her?' I asked. 'Tonight,' she said. So I frantically tried to get in touch with my husband. I finally reached him and he was equally in shock. I rushed home to get my older daughter from daycare and to let her know another child was on the way. Thankfully we had the crib set up. But I couldn't remember how to sterilize a bottle (how long does it boil?) so I googled that question. A few hours later, she arrived with the caseworker in a carseat with a diaper bag, and then we were a family of four. I remember thinking she was so little and looked a lot like my biological daughter as a baby. We also happened to be hosting Thanksgiving, so the next week was really a blur from lack of sleep and company." —Kim Kayiwa

"Meeting our daughter Elisabeth Grace right after she was born on September 21, 2016. We are so blessed to be her adoptive parents and so thankful to her amazing birth parents for allowing us to raise her."—Jessica Simmons

"Infertility brought us halfway around the world to a small farming town where we were handed a bouncing 17-pound baby girl!"—Jeanne Michelle

We were fortunate enough to be in the room when she was born. I was the first one to hold her, but we were so freaked out, we didn't get a picture until it was my husband's turn. I got to feed her first, though." —Heather Harris

"This was the moment we met our beautiful baby boy, Cruz, and became mommy and daddy in Bogota, Colombia." —Angie Reedy

It was a chilly, rainy September day in 1983 when our baby girl Carol Ann came into our hearts. We had waited four long years with the adoption agency Catholic Charities until one day the Sister called and said we have a baby girl for you. Soon after we were able to pick her up at the agency. She cried at first with us as we were unfamiliar to her—she had been in foster care three months while her teenage birth mother made the difficult decision to give her up. Once we got our baby home with all the family and friends waiting to meet her, she started smiling and became the happiest, sweetest baby. My Carol Ann is all grown up now with three little ones of her own. It has been my greatest joy to be her mom! Dreams can come true and mine did on that stormy day so many years ago! We have been truly blessed!" —Arlene Cwikla

"The moment we met Kyle for the very first time. After a long flight from Korea, Kyle was placed in our arms and hearts forever at JFK airport in NYC." —Tiffany VanAuker