Hannah’s Adoption Story — After a Decade of Waiting, She Made Me a Mama

This is Hannah’s adoption story — the story of the little girl who made me a mama after a decade of waiting. She is my oldest, my first, the one who changed every single thing about our lives the day she came home. I have been wanting to tell this story for a long time, and today I finally did.

Ten years. That’s how long we waited to become parents. A decade of hoping, praying, waiting, and holding our breath. And then the call came about a teeny, tiny, little three-pound package — a baby girl who had been born six weeks early, and who needed a family.

Her birth family loved her so much, and they wanted to make sure they were okay with a couple of white people raising their baby before they said yes. They were careful with her in the most beautiful way — careful because they loved her. And when the Lord worked it all out and we were chosen to be Hannah’s parents, I became a mommy. Finally. After all that waiting.

She was so small. Three pounds of baby girl, all of her fitting in the palm of my hand. Six weeks early and perfect in every way that mattered.

Hannah was everything I couldn’t have dreamed of. Spunky. Sassy. Full of life and curiosity. Creative in that way that catches you off guard — always drawing, always making, always in the middle of a project. She was never a quiet child. She had a voice, and she has always used it, and I love her for it.

She has struggled with ADHD, and she has persevered through it in a way that absolutely blows me away. She does not quit. She does not give up. When something is hard, she works harder. That is who she has always been, and that is who she still is.

And this May, Lord willing, she will walk across the stage at Florida College and receive her bachelor’s degree. The little three-pound baby girl. A college graduate. I cannot even tell you what that does to my heart.

Hannah was the first. She made me a mother, and she paved the way for every child who came home to us after her. She has been the natural big sister from day one — she loves every single one of her siblings fiercely, and she watches out for them in a way that is instinctive and beautiful. She was born to be the oldest.

If you want to read more of our family’s adoption stories, Hannah’s little brother Jon has his own story worth reading — he came home with Down syndrome, a big surgery ahead, and the personality that has shaped our whole family. Each of our kids has a story, and every single one of them has made our home what it is.

I have waited a long time to tell Hannah’s story out loud. She made me a mama, and I will be thankful for her every day of my life.

More Family Stories from Our Table

• Jon’s Adoption Story — Down Syndrome, Big Surgery, and the Baby Who Changed Everything
• Jonathan Was Fighting for His Life While the Roof Came Off Tropicana Field
• Get to Know Me — Wife, Mom of 5, and Lover of All Things Food

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Hannah’s Adoption Story — About Stephanie Longstreth

Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, sourdough journey, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.