As I sit here and watch our new son sleeping, I marvel at how blessed my wife Linda and I are. We are full of joy and thanksgiving as we look back on the last year and reflect on how the Lord has touched our lives when he chose us to become Corey's parents through adoption.

We started out five years ago, a newly married couple looking forward to our life together and starting a family. After one year of unsuccessful attempts to conceive, we sought medical help. The diagnosis was infertility due to a congenital birth defect. I was born with Klinefelter's Syndrome, which is rare and affects one in 500 men.

Further medical treatment or adoption were the only options that were given in our attempt to become parents. We consulted with our pastor before we opted to seek further medical treatment. The treatment was not covered by insurance, which limited the length of time we could pursue it. After several attempts that failed, we were left emotionally wrought and financially devastated.

We sought the help of professional support groups, hoping they would link us to others dealing with infertility issues. The information, referrals, and contacts were invaluable, but never dealt with the spiritual issues of infertility. We relied on prayer to help us cope with the experiences we were having and the emotions we were feeling.

Although our church was a haven for us, we found it hard to cope when we saw other couples enjoying the blessings of parenthood. Baptisms, Mother's and Father's Days, even the children's services were difficult. Such occasions brought tears to our eyes. We felt alienated from our church friends, because they had children.

We knew if it was the Lord's will we would someday be parents. But it would be in God's time. If we would never become parents, God would find a way to use our love for children.

We began familiarizing ourselves with adoption agencies, their requirements and waiting periods. We investigated different agencies and found we might wait years before receiving a baby. Finally, we became involved in an adoption support group and learned about independent adoption.