My family is a lot like any other: husband and wife, a house in the ‘burbs, family dog, couple of kids in elementary school. However, our story has taken more than a few unexpected turns.
Our son Corin was conceived through IVF after several years of infertility. Our daughter, Eline (we call her Lina), born September 13, 2012, was conceived through embryo adoption. We learned after her birth that she has Down syndrome. At the age of 10, Corin was diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and autism. This blog chronicles our journey to our daughter, the diagnosis process for Corin, and our ongoing navigation of the real, messy, joyful life we lead.
This post begins the story of our embryo adoption journey, which unfolds chronologically from there. Lina’s birth story can be found in Part I and Part II. This post and a follow-up document our first in-person visit with Lina’s donor family. Corin’s story unfolds in posts about his ADHD and autism diagnoses.
My hope is that sharing our family’s experience will offer a helpful window into the realities of infertility, embryo adoption, and parenting two children with disabilities. But beyond that, I hope our story will serve as a source of encouragement to anyone facing unexpected challenges and seeking to find joy in an imperfect world. So much of our journey has been learning to see the beauty of what is, rather than wishing for something different. God has blessed us immeasurably, often through the incredible people He has put in our lives. May you, too, find peace and joy through all that life brings, and may you be as blessed through the kindness and generosity of the people around you.
A Dash of the Unexpected 
How do I sign up to get your blog posts? I would love to get it ! I am a cousin in law? Married to Richard.
Hi, Vicky!
Nice to hear from you. Hope you and Richard are well. I would love to have you following along here. From any page on my blog, there should be a button at the bottom right corner that says, “Follow.” If you click on that, it will allow you to enter your email address, and it should then email you each time I post a new entry. If you have any trouble, please let me know.
Would love to talk with you, Valerie! I will send you an email in the next couple days.
Hey Jolene,
I was googling Embryo adoption and home birth and found your blog. Imagine my surprise when I saw the tag Down Syndrome. We also live in the Nashville area! We have been blessed with 1 homegrown tomoato and 4 kiddos with Down Syndrome adopted from 2 Eastern European countries. We have battled infertility for almost 10 years since my oldest birth. We have just started researching embryo donation. I would love to get together with you, maybe at GiGi’s, I would really love to talk with someone who has gone through it! Thanks!
HI Jolene, I would love to be in contact with you about an awesome opportunity! Besides entering my email below, is there a way to send you a personal message. The opportunity involves World Down SYndrome Day (3:21) and Funky Socks 🙂
I have your email and will send you a message. Thanks for reaching out!