Nadia Alvarado and Juan Diego Fernandez had a little girl, and, like the couple above, they’re paying for the privilege. But their adoption was much more of a surprise. “We were really shocked,” says Fernandez. “The first time we met our son, he was crying as we were taking him to the NICU. It was a horrible experience. But as he got older and better, we realized that the first year had been a blessing.” Alvarado, a Mexican, also had an unexpected new member in her life: her husband, a Mexican-American. The couple has been together for nine years. “He is the most amazing man I know,” says Alvarado. “The only time I’ve had to leave him is to take care of our daughter—and that was something I didn’t want to do.” She doesn’t mind that she can no longer afford a car, “but we’ve been blessed so much that we don’t need a car!” The couple has two older children, though they’re only now able to share one of them. And then there’s Darlene, now 8, who’s still in kindergarten. “We’ve had to give her up to keep a few more kids in the family,” says Alvarado. “We’re an American family; she’s just a child! It would be nice to have more time together.”