Spring is in full swing and we have another sweet mama for you to meet! Melissa is a friend of Parker Baby Co. and an awesome mama to 19 month old Abby. She is the Assistant Director of Development for mental and behavioral health on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, CO. Melissa helps connect individuals with their passions around mental health to make a difference in our community! She's a rockstar! ❤️


Favorites? 

Favorite mommy/maternity product: 
As a mom who did not birth her child, bonding was so incredibly important. I found loose, low cut tank tops and low cut sports bras to be helpful to place her right on my chest for skin to skin at any time. 

Favorite baby product: 
Parker Baby’s bath towels! They are so soft and large. Our little one is so long for her age and I never have to worry about keeping her covered with them. My other favorite product has been a baby tracking app. Sleep deprivation and sharing baby duties can be a challenge. This was helpful to keep us on the same page about feedings and diapers. 

Favorite way to have a little “me-time”:
Binge watching reality tv with something sweet after I put Abby to bed. Or enjoying coffee by myself! 

A couple more questions...

What activities are you most excited to do with your sweet little one this Spring and do you have any Easter Traditions?
My husband and I are so excited to take Abby to more parks, the pool and other fun activities. Last year she was still so small and not as interactive. Now she is an energetic toddler who loves exploring. For Easter we have always had an Easter egg hunt with family in my parents backyard. My parents set up extra props to make it fun. Due to Covid last year, we did not celebrate. We are excited to have that experience this year with her and think she will love it!  

What is the first thing you do when you put Abby down for sleep? 
Both my husband and I always do bed time routine together. Once we kiss her goodnight, we walk into our room to grab the monitor and lay on our bed for a few minutes to chat. It is a good time to connect one on one before getting up to tidy the house and prepare for the next day. 


Can you tell us a little about your adoption journey and how sweet Abby joined your family? 
Adoption is challenging and yet can also be a beautiful experience all in one. We started our journey in November 2017. We then finally were matched with Abby’s birth mother in May 2019. The “wait” is extremely difficult. Similar to those who struggle to conceive, it is an emotional rollercoaster.

The day we got the call that we were matched, I was leaving lunch with a friend. Our friendship was built through our commonality of battling cancer. My cancer journey led us to building our family through adoption, so the timing was perfect. Being with her in that moment and showing her that life continues to move forward despite the current challenges was so emotional.

We got the call at 3:00am on August 22nd that Abby was going to make her arrival. We quickly packed up and got on a plane to Nevada where the birth mother was living. We first met Abby when she was 9 hours old. I will never forget that first moment when we were standing in the hallway and a nurse rolled her bassinet down the hall and said “here she is”. Both my husband and I burst into tears. The hospital was full and we were unable to have a room or stay overnight.

On the third day, when termination of parental rights was signed, we left the hospital with sweet Abby. We spent a week in Las Vegas waiting to get cleared to travel home.  Six months later, we finalized our adoption and Abby officially became ours. 


Advice!
Take time to breathe and enjoy all the moments...even the hard ones. Tell yourself it is going to be hard all the time, so when it is not, you are pleasantly surprised. Lean on your support team for help. It really does take a village. But most importantly, normalize the conversation for the journey to motherhood. No matter your path to becoming a mom, there are similarities in each.