10: Infertility, Adoption and Choosing Joy Despite Struggle (with Amanda Teixeira)

June 16, 2016

Amanda Teixeira talks about her painful journey with infertility, the peace she found through adoption, and how she is able to choose joy despite her struggles.

Nuggets of Wisdom from Amanda:

Amanda's Favorite Quote:

“Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.”

— St. Teresa of Avila

“It felt like infertility and trying to expand our family was consuming my every thought, it was consuming every day, it was just literally wearing me down and taking all the energy out of my life and out of our marriage.”
“It was hard not to place my identity in my infertility.”
“I was in a very dark, desperate, lonely place. It felt like all my dreams were just dead before me. And it felt like the life we dreamed about was just never going to happen.”
“We started turning our eyes toward adoption.”
“As soon as we started that adoption process, it felt like hope came back to us. Our energy was restored. It was something positive to look forward to. I had appointments to go to, I had things to do, I had room to get ready for the baby we would adopt someday. It changed everything from a dark and lonely place to a situation filled with hope and excitement and joy for us.”
“I’m thrilled for our daughter that she gets to experience that love from us and from her birth family as well.”
“After 3 years of struggling with infertility sometimes, I feel like I need to pinch myself. Because all I wanted to be was a mother. Today, when I wake up in the morning and hear Josie talking to herself in her crib, I’m just in awe. I think, ‘Is this really my life?’ And it’s just such an honor and a gift to be a mother to an amazing, joyful little 18-month-old. Parenthood has definitely had its challenges. Goodness, I didn’t really expect all the lack of sleep, but it has ultimately drawn our family a lot closer to one another. It really feels like we’re living a dream come true. It’s just an answered prayer for us.”
“When life gets crazy I make sure to have room every day for prayer and meditation. It makes things go smoother, puts everything in perspective, calms me down and my reactions down, and gives me the strength to continue pushing through.”

Some of Amanda's Favorite Things:

Personal habit: prayer and meditation (Amanda shares the details of what this looks like for her)
Easy meal: Amanda follows an autoimmune paleo diet so food prep is never easy, but Amanda likes marinated chicken with sweet potato and a side of roasted veggies. Also, her favorite smoothie recipe includes ½ banana, berries, 3-4 handfuls of spinach and kale, a splash of OJ. Mmmm!
Possession: Vitamix Blender
Book: Living Forward by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy (All about figuring out what you want your legacy to be in life, then designing your life today to set you up to leave that legacy. This book helps you become intentional about your time).
Bucket List Item: to run a half marathon with her husband because that’s something that he loves and she wants to love running so they can do that as a couple.
Happiest memory: Walk the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrim route from the base of France to the west coast of Spain with several friends while in college.

Amanda's Happiness Formula:

Sleeping, praying, exercising, eating right, spending time with friends and family, and participating in some type of adventure.

A Challenge from Amanda:

“Learn how to choose joy because it’s going to help you prevent the sufferings in your life from sinking you. When we all go through hard times and hard experiences, we do have a choice. There’s definitely going to be pain, but you can choose joy in the midst of suffering and not let that suffering wipe out your hope and overcome you.”

Resources:

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About jen

Jen Riday is a mom of 6 and life coach who loves to help women experience massive happiness as they let go of stress, sadness or other chronic emotions of negativity.