Birthdays and Adpotion!

"It's My Birthday" Scott and I just love How I Met Your Mother!

Yes, it is indeed my birthday today and it has been a pretty relaxed. For Scott it has been the exact opposite. He's had school, work, more school, and now he's at work again. He is in the process of starting a new job (hopefully) and in the last two weeks of his current job. It's a pretty exciting time for him because the new job is at the dental lab right next to our home.

Okay hat was a pretty long tangent so now back to what I was saying earlier. Today I've been able to relax all day except for two short meetings and a yoga final I had to take. With all of this relaxing I took a nap and have had some time to think about my birthday. It is kind of interesting to think about it because yes it is a day for me to celebrate, but I think it is more of a day I should celebrate my birth mom.

I have a unique experience by being adopted and I think that makes me think about her more on my birthday than maybe others think about their mom on their birthday. My birth mom (Natalie) was a senior in high school when she had me. She got pregnant from a boy friend who she had been dating for a couple years and once he found out she was pregnant with me he dumped her. She had everything to lose by choosing to give birth to me. She sacrificed so much for me. She lost her boyfriend who she cared deeply about, lost some friends, was judged by others, and so many other things that I don't even know about. She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Later- Day Saints (LDS, Mormon) and with that comes the values that we (as members) need to refrain from having sexual relations before we are married. By her not following that value many people I'm sure judged her and her family. Life became very hard for her and it's not like you can hide being pregnant for too long.

I'm sure she was scared to tell her parents and just scared of the fact of being pregnant. I know I would have been. The embarrassment, anxiety, and hateful words from people who were your friends and people you loved would have just killed me. My birth mom did it though. She had the courage to not take the "easy way out" by getting an abortion and not telling anyone about it. She faced her consequence head on and did what was best for her baby, ME. She could have kept me herself and it would have been very difficult on her and she selflessly gave me up for adoption because she knew that she couldn't raise me. I'm not saying that every women should give up her baby for adoption because I have also seen the opposite where someone has kept their baby and it was the best thing she could have done. The baby has changed her life for the better and I am so proud of what she has become and the child she is raising.

I've had a unique situation with being adopted as well because I know my birth mom and talk to at least once every other month if not more. Natalie was even able to come to my wedding, which was incredible! I'm tell you this lady is a SAINT! How do I know her so well though? It's not normal for kids to know their birth mom let alone still talk to them like I do. I know her so well because my mom and my birth mom kept in great contact and talked every year on my birthday. I remember when I was younger always the curious little kid who sits behind the corner listening to their mom or dad talking to someone on the phone. I would sit and listen to them talk. It was like my mom was talking to her best friend. They never skipped a beat! My mom was always laughing and even sometimes would shed a few tears. Listening to their conversations made me more and more curious to talk to this person who gave birth to me.


I'll never forget the first time that I met her (that I could remember at least). I was 16 and so excited and nervous to met her. The first time I saw her I had to do a double take because I couldn't believe how much I looked like her. I mean I really looked like her! I have always been told I look like my mom (the one who raised me), but wow do I look exactly like my birth mom! There is no doubt she was the one who gave birth to me! We were even wearing the same colors when we met! It was crazy! I remember thinking how weird it was that I was actually talking to her face to face. It was funny the little things that we had in common and how we kind of talked the same. It was just fun! The only thing I didn't like about that experience was that she married an Asian man so I won't be able to see what my kids could possibly look like. Haha turns out now though that it may not matter because Hansen's have a very strong gene! ;-) 


I owe Natalie everything! This is not to say though that I don't owe my parents everything as well. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be the person who I am today. They raised me and gave me a reason for being. Natalie just gave me the body I needed in order to live on this earth. My parents are amazing people and they also deserve all of the credit for me to even know Natalie. If it wasn't for them being so open about the adoption, talking with Natalie yearly, and supporting me in my desire to meet her; I would have never been able to know her the way I do today.

So today, I want to say thank you to Natalie and everyone who is involved with adoption in one way or another. If you are a birth mom, parents who adopted children, siblings of adopted kids, you are adopted, support adoption, etc THANK YOU! Thank you Natalie!!! You make up a part of who I am today. Your courage and strength to have me at such a young age is something that I am truly grateful for and has made such a big impact on me. I'm so grateful I am able to know you and for your continued support throughout my whole life. I love you!