by Laura Falin posted in Life

Heather Avis, owner of the adorable and popular Instagram account macymakesmyday, always knew she wanted to be a mom. As an adult, she and her sister made plans to get pregnant at the same time, and talked about how close the cousins would be. She and her husband dreamed of their new baby and their new little family together. And, as so often happens, life didn't unfold the way she planned it.

Photo credit: Karen Marie
Heather tells her family's adoption story in her book The Lucky Few, beginning with an unusual and painful infection, a result of a dye test she underwent after she had trouble conceiving. The infection left her unable to have biological children, so she and her husband Josh began looking into adoption. Throughout the whole book, Heather and Josh make plans for their family...only to discover that almost every time they think they have the future figured out, God has something different in store.
They begin the adoption process picturing their new, perfect, healthy baby, and adopt their first child -- a new, perfect baby girl named Macyn who has Down syndrome, needs an oxygen concentrator, and must have heart surgery one month after she comes to live with them. Not in the plan.

Photo credit: Heather Avis
My favorite story, though, is when Heather and Josh discuss the relationship they'd like to have with Macyn's biological family. They settle on an exchange of cards, letters, and pictures...only to end up at a giant Armenian b...