Couple adopting a 1-day-old baby girl finds the best way to honor birth mom

Love can happen at first sight, especially if you're a mother. The journey from conception to delivery is an emotional reinvention in itself, but nothing beats the moment you first lay eyes on your child. We can see something similar happen with the Bible educator and content creator, Victoria Lawson — going by the username @imvictorialawson on Instagram — who teared up at the first sight of her 1-day-old baby. The miracle that they'd spent days and nights filling out applications for had finally happened.

Victoria and her husband, songwriter Zac Lawson, are a young couple whose lives were beautifully colored by the hues of faith, belief, and music — the only thing missing, however, was a baby to share the love with. The couple began their adoption process months before they finally got to hold their little girl, whom they named Haven Nevaeh Lawson. “We named her Haven because that’s our prayer, that her life would be filled with safety, peace, and protection. That she’d always know she can find security not just in our arms, but in the arms of God,” wrote Victoria in the caption. Right after Haven's birth, she was placed in the NICU, and the couple were given 30 minutes to decide whether they wanted to adopt her. This began their 10-hour journey to bring their baby girl home.

When the couple arrived at the hospital and saw the tender soul, there was nothing that could stop them from breaking down. Victoria lent her hands to hold her daughter for the first time, and one of the nurses said, “She’s already cozy with you… She’s been having a rough morning, and that’s the calmest she’s been.” She also revealed the meaning of her baby’s middle name — Nevaeh is heaven spelled backwards: “We kept it to honor her bravery and the beautiful decision [her birth mom] made to choose life.” In another video ​of Victoria’s, she praised her: “She is brave. She made the courageous choice to give life, and then, unimaginably, to entrust that life to us. She gave everything of herself to make sure her daughter was safe and loved. We honor her for that every single day.”

This gives us a sneak peek into the sacrifices some mothers are making by being pro-life — they are choosing to birth their offspring, meanwhile also acknowledging their inability to raise them, and hence giving them away for adoption to a set of fit parents. According to research by Claire D. Liepmann and others, out of the 222 participants they studied, 13 were surrendered at an age estimated to be younger than 1 day. The study added that for parents who wish to surrender their children without the risk of abandonment, there are Safe Haven laws in every US state. This law encourages unwilling parents to leave their newborn or infant with a 'safe individual' in a hospital, fire station, or other safe areas, to avoid them being abandoned in hazardous locations where they may be harmed. Couples who choose this route gain immunity from prosecution.

After watching the wholesome video, viewers expressed their emotions in the comment section. @ethan.peang expressed, “I actually cried seeing this, what a beautiful moment,” while @lilithwhite2259 shared her story, “I was adopted at birth, I have the best parents ever. Thank you for sharing your story.” @lauramdoug highlighted, “‘She was having a rough morning and this is the calmest she’s been,’ sent me. That’s the Holy Spirit living in your mom and dad, baby girl! So beautiful, you guys, congratulations!” Finally, her husband @zaclawsonn wrote, “She loved you at first sight. Best mom in the whole world.”

You can follow Victoria Lawson (@imvictorialawson) on Instagram for more wholesome content.