Some couples take years to talk about kids. Michael and Andrew needed exactly two dates. From the moment they knew they had a future together, becoming parents wasn't a question of if — it was a question of how.

Their path to parenthood began with conversations about surrogacy, but life had other plans. After watching a close friend navigate foster care in Missouri, they found themselves drawn into a story that would change everything. That friend was fostering a child who would eventually become one of two biological siblings that Michael and Andrew are now raising as their own — with adoption papers officially signed in December 2025.

In this episode, we sit down with Michael and Andrew to talk openly about what the foster-to-adopt process actually looks like in the state of Missouri — the paperwork, the uncertainty, the emotional weight, and the overwhelming joy on the other side of it. They also give us a glimpse into what family life looks like today as things continue to unfold beautifully.

Follow Michael and Andrew on Instagram to watch their family grow: @mlavanier and @drewster23

Sometimes the road to building a family is anything but straight — and Melissa Torres knows that better than most. In this deeply moving episode, Melissa opens up about the winding, emotional, and at times heartbreaking journey she and her wife Vanessa have traveled to become the family of three they are today.

When Melissa and Vanessa first met, they both knew they had inner work ahead of them — but that awareness didn't slow down the pull they felt toward each other. What followed was a love story shaped by complexity, courage, and an unwillingness to give up.

In this episode, Melissa speaks candidly about:

• Growing up in a deeply religious community and the impact that had on her sense of self
• Being raised in a home with foster children and how that shaped her understanding of family
• Coming out later in life — and what it means to finally acknowledge your sexual identity to yourself
• The financial and emotional weight of navigating fertility treatments
• The frightening discovery of polyps and pre-cancerous cells, and what that meant for their path forward

This episode is a reminder that family creation is rarely a straight line — and that the potholes along the way don't have to mean the end of the road.

Follow Melissa: 📸 Instagram: @mel.kay.torres 🎵 TikTok: @torresivf

What do you do when your job takes you away from the little person who needs you most? If you're Cory Allen, you write them a book.

Cory has spent 25 years serving the public — in the military, as a police officer, and in the Secret Service, where he worked alongside Michelle Obama on her iconic Becoming book tour. But ask him what he's most proud of, and the answer has nothing to do with any of that. It's being a dad.

Cory and his husband are parents to an almost two-year-old son, with a daughter set to join their family this spring. When Cory's work began taking him away from home, he found himself wrestling with a question so many travelling parents know all too well: How do I make sure my child feels my love even when I'm not there?

The answer came to him mid-flight to Washington, D.C. He settled in and wrote Dada Takes A Trip — a children's book born from pure parental love, somewhere above the clouds.

In this episode, we sit down with Cory to talk about his remarkable career, the tender heart behind the badge, and how one flight changed his family forever.

In this episode, we cover:

• Cory's 25-year journey through the military, law enforcement, and the Secret Service
• What it was like working alongside Michelle Obama on the Becoming tour
• The challenge of travelling for work as a devoted and present dad
• How and why he wrote Dada Takes A Trip — and what he hopes it means to his son
• Growing their family: welcoming a daughter this spring

Resources & links:

• 📖 Get your copy of Dada Takes A Trip at your favourite local or large chain bookstore
• 🌐 Learn more about Cory: www.coryallenbooks.com
• 📱 Follow Cory on Instagram: @authorcoryallen

⚠️ Content note: This episode includes a frank, detailed discussion of childbirth and the postpartum recovery period. If graphic descriptions of the birthing process aren't something you're comfortable with, you may want to skip this one — and that's completely okay.

We're back with Emily and Sarah for Part Two of their family-building journey — and this episode is the one we've all been waiting for. The baby is here.

In today's conversation, Emily and Sarah share their birth story in their own words, together. They don't hold back. They speak honestly about the full arc of labour and delivery, the rawness of recovery, and what it truly feels like when the person you love most in the world becomes a parent alongside you.

This episode also touches on something rarely celebrated openly: the beautiful, practical reality of having two people in the same household who can breastfeed and nourish their baby. It's a unique and joyful dimension of their family that deserves its own moment in the spotlight.

And through it all — the hard parts and the breathtaking parts — what shines brightest is just how completely and wonderfully all-consuming new parenthood is.

In Part Two, we cover:

• The full birth story, told by both Sarah and Emily
• Labour, delivery, and the recovery journey — spoken about honestly and without filters
• The joy of shared feeding and what that's meant for their family
• The beautiful overwhelm of becoming parents

Missed Part One? Go back and listen to Emily and Sarah's fertility journey — from egg retrieval to the final days of pregnancy — before diving in here.

What does it really look like to build a family through fertility treatments — from the inside? In this deeply personal episode, we sit down with Emily and Sarah, a couple whose path to parenthood began just after their September 2024 wedding. Their story is one of hope, patience, and the kind of love that finds a way.

Our host has known Emily since she was a little girl, which makes this conversation all the more meaningful. After Emily's mom reached out about the couple's plans to start a family, what followed was a year of check-ins, conversations, and a front-row seat to one of life's most profound journeys.

In Part One, we cover:

• Life after egg retrieval and the emotional waiting period before the first transfer
• The moment they found out they were pregnant
• What the final stretch of pregnancy really felt like - including a frank conversation about Lactation Induction

Emily and Sarah chose to work with Pollin Fertility — a clinic our host wholeheartedly recommended — and their experience there is woven throughout the conversation.

Don't miss Part Two next week, when we get to hear the story of their baby's arrival.

Resources mentioned:

• Polin Fertility Clinic: www.pollinfertility.com

Let's be real — when you're dreaming of building your family and things aren't going the way you hoped, it doesn't matter how many times someone says "you're not alone in this." It doesn't matter that others have walked this road before you. The pain is yours. It's in your body. It's in your bones. And it is completely valid.

You grieve. You feel the loss. You feel like your body isn't on your side, like the system was built for literally everyone except you. And yeah — sometimes you just feel completely, utterly lost.

This week, Catherine and Ana are getting into all of it. They're talking about a program they've developed specifically for queer individuals and couples who are navigating the very real, very heavy emotions that can come with an unsuccessful journey toward creating the family they've been dreaming of. The program runs through Birthmark in Toronto, and honestly? It sounds like exactly the kind of affirming, community-centred support so many of us didn't know existed — but absolutely deserve.

This one is tender. This one is important. Come sit with us.

🔗 Resources mentioned in this episode: Symposium info & Family Building Canada: familybuildingcanada.com/symposium Birthmark LGBTQ+ programs: birthmarksupport.com/lgbtq Reach out directly: info@familybuildingcanada.com Instagram: @birthmarksupport

Ontario Arts Council: arts.on.ca | @ontarioartscouncil

Imagine wanting to give your eight-year-old child a sibling, only to discover that door after door slams in your face. For many prospective parents over a certain age—especially single ones—the path to surrogacy can feel like navigating a maze designed to keep you out.

This is the reality Oded faces. As a single parent by choice, he's encountered obstacle after obstacle in his quest to expand his family. Age restrictions? Check. Single parent status? Double check. It seems like every criterion works against him, every agency politely declining his application before even getting to know his story.

But here's where the journey takes an unexpected turn—halfway across the world in Armenia.

While many countries restrict surrogacy access based on marital status, age, or sexual orientation, Armenian surrogacy agencies have carved out a unique niche. They're willing to work with and support 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals who are building their families, offering hope where other doors have closed. There's just one requirement: you can't be married. For Oded, a proud single parent by choice, this isn't a barrier—it's finally a pathway forward.

Now, with determination and hope guiding him, Oded is looking toward a future where his family grows by one more. If everything goes according to plan, by this time next year, there will be a new baby bringing joy and chaos into their lives. It's a testament to persistence, the evolving landscape of family creation, and the unexpected places where dreams can still come true.

Summary

Oded, a single parent with an eight-year-old child, faces significant barriers in finding surrogacy agencies willing to work with him due to his age and single parent status. However, Armenian surrogacy agencies offer a solution by welcoming LGBTQ+ and single individuals—with the sole requirement being that clients aren't married. As a single parent by choice, Oded meets this criterion and is now on track to potentially welcome a second child within the next year, demonstrating how international surrogacy options are creating possibilities for non-traditional families.

Learn more about Oded's journey by following him on IG @dadlkg4surr

We are living in a time where headlines feel heavier than ever — rising hate, political division, threats to bodily autonomy, attacks on Queer and marginalized communities, and the quiet but persistent fear that nowhere is truly immune.

Even here in Canada, many of us feel the ripple effects of what is happening beyond our borders. The pain is real. The fear is real. And for parents and caregivers, the question becomes unavoidable: How do we raise emotionally safe, resilient children in a world that feels increasingly unsafe?

In this deeply honest and compassionate episode, we explore:

• What it means to parent through collective trauma and constant crisis

• The emotional toll of consuming relentless news cycles

• Why stepping away from the headlines may actually be a courageous act of protection — not avoidance

• How to stay informed without becoming emotionally flooded

• Practical ways to create safer emotional ecosystems inside our homes

• Supporting kids while also tending to our own nervous systems and mental health

This conversation isn’t about denial. It’s about discernment. It’s about protecting our capacity to show up as grounded, present caregivers — even when the world feels like it’s on fire.

If this episode stirs up difficult emotions or you find yourself struggling, you are not alone. Support exists. Consider connecting with:

• Postpartum Support International — postpartum.net

• Postpartum Support Canada — postpartum.org

Please reach out for help wherever you feel safest. Community care is real care.

As always, you and your family are being held in light and love.