Sadie and Jarvis Sampson tried for years to have a baby, using every method they could think of. They eventually accepted that they might only ever be an aunt and uncle. Then, one day, they got a text that changed their lives completely.
The couple had been trying to get pregnant since they got married in January 2018, but when it didn’t happen on its own, they tried everything else.
“We used ovulation tests, took prenatal vitamins, tracked cycles with apps, and used fertility monitors,” the Houston mom told Love What Matters.
“We even tried advice from friends, family, and strangers. For 14 months, we tried, prayed, and waited. Month after month, it was always a negative pregnancy test. It seemed like we might need help to conceive, so we even talked to doctors about it.”
Doctors didn’t offer much help to the couple. They mostly told Sadie to lose weight to improve her chances of getting pregnant. With no other advice, she had gastric surgery and lost 28 pounds.
Sadie’s OBGYN was excited about the weight loss and praised her for it.
“She told me that if I wasn’t pregnant within six months, she would refer me to a fertility specialist because she couldn’t prescribe fertility medication herself,” Sadie said. “I was thrilled! We finally got a positive step forward, even if it wasn’t immediate. We were excited about the progress.”
Unfortunately, the couple didn’t get pregnant after Sadie lost the weight, and they felt like they were back where they started.
“I always felt like I was meant to be a mother,” Sadie said. “Even though my surgeon warned me that I’d be very fertile after the surgery, I still wasn’t getting pregnant. So, we gave up and accepted that we might just be aunt and uncle to our nieces and godparents to our goddaughters.”
Just when the couple had decided to stop trying to have a baby, Sadie got a text from a friend asking if they would think about fostering a baby from a couple she knew.
At first, the couple was hesitant because they were told by a caseworker to take care of the baby while the birth mom was getting treatment. They worried they might get too attached. But then, the situation changed.
“The birth mom has decided she wants you to adopt the baby instead,” the caseworker said.
Sadie remembered saying, “‘Holy crap!!’ out loud when she found out she was going to be a mom.
“We went from having no kids to possibly fostering one, to suddenly being told, ‘You’re going to be parents!’ I was still in shock as I listened to the caseworker. I hung up and called my husband, shouting, ‘Babe!! They want us to adopt the baby! We’re going to be parents!’ He said, ‘Wait! REALLY?! I thought they just wanted us to foster him!’ I told him, ‘Nope! They want us to be his mom and dad.’”
The couple spent the weekend trying to take in the shocking news and getting ready, just in case the birth mom changed her mind.
By Monday, they were not only told that the birth mom still wanted them to adopt the baby, but she also wanted to do an independent adoption and was ready to sign the papers that day.
Their baby boy was born at just 33 weeks, which is seven weeks early. He weighed 4 lbs. 5 oz. “He was so tiny, he literally fit in one of my husband’s hands,” Sadie wrote.
“He was wrapped in a white blanket with pink and blue stripes,” Sadie said. “He had a small tube coming out of his nose because he couldn’t eat on his own since he was born early. But he was so cute!!!”
The couple shared their news on social media and were encouraged to create a registry. They listed 72 items, and within just three days, 55 of them were already bought for them.
Ezra Lee’s adoption was finalized in October 2020, and the couple had adorable family photos taken, all wearing t-shirts that said, “Families don’t have to match.”
In 2021, Sadie and Jarvis became parents to twin girls, Journee and Destinee, through embryo donation. True to their family motto, “Families don’t have to match,” the Black couple now has three white children – a boy and two girls.
For anyone who might judge their beautiful family, they have just one response: their family is built on the strongest foundation ever – love.
What Your Typical Day Was Like During ‘The Golden Age’ Of Commercial Flying
Travel back in time to the 1950s through the 1970s, the heyday of aviation. Flying at the time was all about elegance and luxury. Imagine boarding an aircraft where every detail, including the seats and the outfits, is elegant and sophisticated. Every flight during this unique period in aviation history felt like a grand adventure.
A Grand Tour in the Sky: The Golden Era of Aviation
Travelers today have a plethora of alternatives when it comes to booking a flight, with multiple search engines accessible to help them discover the best deal. However, options were far more constrained and much more costly during the Golden Age of Air Travel. Consider the $138 price of a round-trip ticket from Chicago to Phoenix, as stated in a 1955 TWA brochure. This could appear like a fair offer at first glance. However, this non-cross-country trip would cost you roughly $1,200 in today’s currency after accounting for inflation.
Guillaume de Syon, a specialist in aviation history, clarifies the startling cost disparities of the Golden Age. “[Depending] on the route, flying was four to five times more expensive in the Golden Age,” he writes. Only the wealthiest people could afford to travel, especially abroad, because it was so expensive.
A Visual Feast: Exquisite Cuisine and Outstanding Service
Then, flying was much more casual. Talking about vintage flying, Keith Lovegrove is often reminded of how carefree it all was.”It resembled attending a cocktail party.” that seems absurd to say that now, but back then, having a shirt, tie, and jacket was standard,” Lovegrove says. You could bring anything on board, even shoebox-filled pet birds! There was far less stringent security, which allowed individuals to have more fun. “There was an incredible sense of freedom,” Lovegrove continues.
Pan Am: The Coolest King
Pan Am was one airline that truly jumped out. Working for them, according to Joan Policastro, was like flying with the stars. Policastro remembers, “My job with Pan Am was an adventure from the very day I started.” They featured cool lounges where travelers could linger out and offered fine food. It was the height of opulent travel.
Your Flight Attendant Was Required to Fulfill Several Onerous Requirements
In the heyday of air travel, flight attendants were held to exacting standards of etiquette and appearance in addition to providing flawless service. Air hostesses, as they were called, wore high heels, white gloves, and even corsets under their suits starting in the early 1950s.
Travelers had to adhere to strict guidelines about how they should look, which included restrictions on weight and hair length. Other requirements for female flight attendants included being single, gregarious, and adhering to “high moral standards.” As the 1960s wore mostly male customers, shorter skirts and even more exposing clothing became the norm. These onerous specifications are a reflection of the great importance that this generation has put on flight attendant appearance.
With nostalgia, I look back
People still grin when they recall the bygone era of flying, despite the passage of time. Reunions of former Pan Am employees are preserved through organizations like World Wings. Suzy Smith remarks, “Pan Am was a big cut above the rest.” People considered flying to be a true adventure and a way to feel like kings and queens back then.
In summary
Though the heyday of aviation may be passed, the memories endure. Flying at the time was all about luxury and enjoyment. Despite the fact that times have changed, we can still look back and recall the magic of bygone eras.
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