Moreno Baby
Donation protected
To the friends and family of these two bright lights,
Aaron and Brittany Moreno have been my best friends for a lot of years now. I always lose count, but it’s been a lot of years. They have been through every peak and valley of my adult life with me, and have been through a fair share of peaks and valleys of their own.
Over the past several years, many of those highest highs and lowest lows have revolved around their desire to grow their family by adoption. Some of you may not know how grueling the process almost always is. When Aaron and Brittany lived in Los Angeles a few years ago, they joined a company called Olive Crest. It was a foster-to-adopt program, and after countless classes, interviews, counseling sessions, home inspections, background checks, stacks of paperwork, character reference submissions, etc. they were finally approved. Not to mention all of the financial investment that came with each step they took to prepare their hearts and their home for a child in need. They began what would turn into a 3+ year waiting game.
A few calls came in during that year in LA. A couple of fostering placements fell through at the last minute, and one potential adoption scenario didn’t work out. Then in the fall of 2016, Aaron and Brittany were finally placed with their foster son and became parents for the first time. Their season with him was short, but critical for the baby. He ended up reunified with his biological dad, and they have stayed in contact with the family since.
There were a couple of calls following the reunification, but another placement didn’t happen so long as they remained in LA.
In May of 2017, Aaron and Brittany moved back home to Albuquerque. Their family plans were on hold as they gave themselves and each other time to let their hearts heal. In time, though, they began to work towards that dream of adoption again. Paper work transfers, more background checks, more counseling, more home inspections, more interviews, … more more more and again. Each step brought both redemption and pain.
Y’all, I’m giving you the Cliff Notes version here. Maybe one day Brittany will let me get detailed. Or maybe she’ll trust herself in her own beautiful way of communicating to get detailed herself.
But here’s where we are now.
Aaron and Brittany decided to go the private adoption route this time around. They’d love to foster again one day, but they long for permanence for their family, and they’re praying for their forever baby. They’ve completed every task that’s been required of them (again), and they just submitted their profile book. (It’s what the biological mom/dad look at when choosing a couple to adopt their baby). Their account is “live” and now! We wait. Yep, me too. I wait too. Because I’m in this with them. And I know a lot of you are too.
As I type, there’s a little girl in the NICU somewhere in Texas whose biological mother is *this* close to making likely the most difficult decision of her life by signing her rights away as her guardian. Which also means that Aaron and Brittany are *this* close to hopping on a plane to go meet her. And, still… the biological mother might not. She might opt to keep her daughter, in which case Aaron and Brittany will rejoice and pray for that little family likely forever. But this is the reality of where we are. They could get a placement call tomorrow or in three months. But a placement call IS coming. And I want to help make sure that Aaron and Brittany are prepared for it when the time comes.
Private adoption is $36,000.
*Agency fees, consulting fees, documentation preparation and authentication, home study fees, attorney fees pre and post placement, medical and living expenses for the birth mother, birth family counseling, travel expenses, court costs, and post-placement expenses.
Up to this point, through every process over the last 4 years, Aaron and Brittany have paid out of pocket by themselves. They’ve been happy to do so too, but at this stage, they agreed to be vulnerable again and let other people love on them if they choose to do so. Obviously, love doesn’t just come in the form of dollar signs, and they’ve felt the prayers and support of so many of you in so many ways.
But I’m gonna level with you and just say that in addition to prayer, they need financial help to bring their baby home. Whether it’s this little girl next week, or another baby boy or girl down the road a ways. I invite you to join the village it will take to raise the sweet Moreno baby. Please pray, please give, please stick around. We’ll update you on the progress of this endeavor, and we’re hopeful “our” baby will come home soon.
_____
To Aaron,
Thank you for your perseverance. Thank you for not giving up. Your energy, your adventurous spirit, your positive attitude. Those things are gifts. They’re not your identity, they’re not ALL of you and you’re allowed to be other things too, but they’re gifts when you use them. Thank you for growing. You’ve been through the Refiner’s Fire. Thank you for growing. You’re an amazing dad. I can’t wait to see you with your forever baby.
To Brittany,
Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for sticking out the hard stuff and clinging to the Lord when you could have easily stopped listening to His voice. Your steadfastness, your fervor, the way you love and serve others. Those things are gifts. They’re not your identity, they're not ALL of you and you’re allowed to be other things too, but they're gifts when you use them. Thank you for growing. You’re an amazing mom. I can’t wait to see you with your forever baby.
To you.
For every time someone asked when you were going to have kids.
For every time you wondered if the dream the Lord put in you was real.
Soon you’ll hold your baby and you’ll know why you waited.
_____
Family and friends,
Anything you would choose to give is a gift. Thank you. Please check back for updates. We’ll keep you in the know as this process continues.
Aaron and Brittany Moreno have been my best friends for a lot of years now. I always lose count, but it’s been a lot of years. They have been through every peak and valley of my adult life with me, and have been through a fair share of peaks and valleys of their own.
Over the past several years, many of those highest highs and lowest lows have revolved around their desire to grow their family by adoption. Some of you may not know how grueling the process almost always is. When Aaron and Brittany lived in Los Angeles a few years ago, they joined a company called Olive Crest. It was a foster-to-adopt program, and after countless classes, interviews, counseling sessions, home inspections, background checks, stacks of paperwork, character reference submissions, etc. they were finally approved. Not to mention all of the financial investment that came with each step they took to prepare their hearts and their home for a child in need. They began what would turn into a 3+ year waiting game.
A few calls came in during that year in LA. A couple of fostering placements fell through at the last minute, and one potential adoption scenario didn’t work out. Then in the fall of 2016, Aaron and Brittany were finally placed with their foster son and became parents for the first time. Their season with him was short, but critical for the baby. He ended up reunified with his biological dad, and they have stayed in contact with the family since.
There were a couple of calls following the reunification, but another placement didn’t happen so long as they remained in LA.
In May of 2017, Aaron and Brittany moved back home to Albuquerque. Their family plans were on hold as they gave themselves and each other time to let their hearts heal. In time, though, they began to work towards that dream of adoption again. Paper work transfers, more background checks, more counseling, more home inspections, more interviews, … more more more and again. Each step brought both redemption and pain.
Y’all, I’m giving you the Cliff Notes version here. Maybe one day Brittany will let me get detailed. Or maybe she’ll trust herself in her own beautiful way of communicating to get detailed herself.
But here’s where we are now.
Aaron and Brittany decided to go the private adoption route this time around. They’d love to foster again one day, but they long for permanence for their family, and they’re praying for their forever baby. They’ve completed every task that’s been required of them (again), and they just submitted their profile book. (It’s what the biological mom/dad look at when choosing a couple to adopt their baby). Their account is “live” and now! We wait. Yep, me too. I wait too. Because I’m in this with them. And I know a lot of you are too.
As I type, there’s a little girl in the NICU somewhere in Texas whose biological mother is *this* close to making likely the most difficult decision of her life by signing her rights away as her guardian. Which also means that Aaron and Brittany are *this* close to hopping on a plane to go meet her. And, still… the biological mother might not. She might opt to keep her daughter, in which case Aaron and Brittany will rejoice and pray for that little family likely forever. But this is the reality of where we are. They could get a placement call tomorrow or in three months. But a placement call IS coming. And I want to help make sure that Aaron and Brittany are prepared for it when the time comes.
Private adoption is $36,000.
*Agency fees, consulting fees, documentation preparation and authentication, home study fees, attorney fees pre and post placement, medical and living expenses for the birth mother, birth family counseling, travel expenses, court costs, and post-placement expenses.
Up to this point, through every process over the last 4 years, Aaron and Brittany have paid out of pocket by themselves. They’ve been happy to do so too, but at this stage, they agreed to be vulnerable again and let other people love on them if they choose to do so. Obviously, love doesn’t just come in the form of dollar signs, and they’ve felt the prayers and support of so many of you in so many ways.
But I’m gonna level with you and just say that in addition to prayer, they need financial help to bring their baby home. Whether it’s this little girl next week, or another baby boy or girl down the road a ways. I invite you to join the village it will take to raise the sweet Moreno baby. Please pray, please give, please stick around. We’ll update you on the progress of this endeavor, and we’re hopeful “our” baby will come home soon.
_____
To Aaron,
Thank you for your perseverance. Thank you for not giving up. Your energy, your adventurous spirit, your positive attitude. Those things are gifts. They’re not your identity, they’re not ALL of you and you’re allowed to be other things too, but they’re gifts when you use them. Thank you for growing. You’ve been through the Refiner’s Fire. Thank you for growing. You’re an amazing dad. I can’t wait to see you with your forever baby.
To Brittany,
Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for sticking out the hard stuff and clinging to the Lord when you could have easily stopped listening to His voice. Your steadfastness, your fervor, the way you love and serve others. Those things are gifts. They’re not your identity, they're not ALL of you and you’re allowed to be other things too, but they're gifts when you use them. Thank you for growing. You’re an amazing mom. I can’t wait to see you with your forever baby.
To you.
For every time someone asked when you were going to have kids.
For every time you wondered if the dream the Lord put in you was real.
Soon you’ll hold your baby and you’ll know why you waited.
_____
Family and friends,
Anything you would choose to give is a gift. Thank you. Please check back for updates. We’ll keep you in the know as this process continues.
Organizer and beneficiary
Bree Barela
Organizer
Albuquerque, NM
Brittany Moreno
Beneficiary