This Father's Day has a special score for Brandon Doman.
For that matter, this entire year has been a blur of change for him. He was a San Francisco 49ers quarterback, but then BYU hired him as quarterback coach. On top of that, he became a father for the third time — twice within months.
Brandon calls it "an amazing miracle for my family."
When Brandon and his wife, Alisha, married on June 29 six years ago, they hosted friends and family in the new press box at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Neither had any idea that their No. 1 priority, to become successful parents, would become the biggest trial in their young lives.
Take Brandon Doman, the star Skyline High quarterback who patiently waited his turn at BYU, who seemingly willed the Cougars to victories in LaVell Edwards' final game at Utah in 2000 and wins over the Utes, UNLV, New Mexico and Mississippi State in 2001. His faith has always been driven by his works.
But when it came to conceiving a child, Brandon and Alisha found it one blessing tough to come by. After three years, the couple decided to adopt through an agency. Soon, the Domans had a child, Sage — a blonde-haired, blue-eyed daughter with roots to the deep South. Sage came home one week before Doman was drafted by the 49ers in 2002.
"We don't know much about her background," Brandon said. "She was born in Alabama. We went through an agency and they are very careful how they handle it. As far as having a relationship with the birth parents, we do, but it's somewhat protected for them and us and Sage. We send them information and pictures and let them know how she's doing.
"We're pretty fortunate to have a 3-year-old daughter. She's been an absolute blessing.
"The thing about adoption is they do have unique backgrounds but they come in as an infant and mold their personalities to how you act and respond. It's been fun to see her be very similar to my wife, yet have her own attributes and personality and you kind of wonder how it's going to pan out because you don't really know."
The second time around, the Domans got more than they hoped for.
The summer of 2004, when Sage turned 2, Brandon and Alisha decided it was time to adopt another child. This time, they put the word out through friends and family instead of an agency and they came across someone Brandon calls "a sweet young" girl in an unfortunate situation in Utah. A second adoption was in process and a baby boy was on the way.
Then, while waiting for word from the 49ers last December on his playing status, former BYU teammate Gabe Reid told the Domans his father had a prospective mother in Samoa who they could work with and it would be arranged quickly once the baby came in the spring.
Brandon and Alisha knew the odds. Any adoption plan is 50-50, and many fall through, even at the last moment. They decided to look into the Samoan connection and sent word to get legal papers in order.
Then Reid called back. "Scratch that," he said. "That baby isn't available, but there is another one that was just born and is in my father's home. Do you want this boy?"
The Domans had a dilemma. Yes, they wanted the baby. But they had one in Utah who was due in a few months.
They went to the mother of their soon-to-arrive son and asked her opinion.
"She couldn't have been sweeter and more supportive," Brandon said. "She knew she was having a boy. She said if we could handle two babies at once, she'd love for her son to have a twin brother.
"So, we talked about it, prayed about it, felt right about it. I called back to the Reid family and told them we'd do it. Two weeks later, about the first of December, we were on a plane to American Samoa."
They met their son Isaac — or, as he's called in Samoan, Siaosi. They met the mother of the child and quickly finished the legal papers for the adoption. While there, they toured the island, got a feeling for his culture and background and met cousins, uncles and aunts so they'd know his roots.
On the way back from Somoa, the Domans and "Osi" stopped in Honolulu at 6 a.m. and had plans to see Alisha's cousin. But in the rental car, Brandon turned on the cell phone he'd had off for four days. Sure enough, the 49ers called him back on the roster. He canceled his flight to Salt Lake City and flew to San Francisco, while Alisha and Osi continued on to Salt Lake City after a three-hour layover.
Brandon remained with the 49ers through the end of the season, then returned home to Utah. The next day, their other son, Jace, was born.
He is three months younger than Osi — but, basically, the Domans have twins.
Is adoption the answer? For the Domans, yes. "We'll keep trying until our bodies don't function anymore," Brandon said.
"We are big proponents of adoption. We think it is an unbelievable opportunity for everyone involved from the birth parents all the way to us and kids. Not only is it a blessing for the kid and the adoptive parents, but it ends up being a blessing for the mom who is in a tough situation that she turns into a positive — a major blessing for all, even though there are sacrifices made by all."
So, after three years without children, the last three years of the Doman marriage have brought Sage, Osi and Jace, 36 months of parenthood of the intense kind.
"It's amazing. Two blue-eyed towheads and a Samoan," Brandon said.
Expenses for the two boys — because of connections — were significantly less than going through the agency for Sage.
"I'll never let her forget it," Brandon said. "I'll tease her forever that she is the most expensive."
Those who have twins understand the Doman household the past six months since the two boys came onboard.
"It has been one of the toughest things we've ever done," Brandon said. "My wife is holding up phenomenally. I'm unbelievably impressed with her and what she's done, but it is constant. She called her mom after a week and chewed her out. She said, 'You never told me it would be this hard. How come you faked it all this time?' "
Feeding time for the boys, on or off the same schedule, is what Brandon calls "kind of an adventure."
The Domans live in Lehi, 20 minutes from Alisha's mother and 20 minutes from Brandon's mom. Alisha's cousin comes in twice a week as a nanny and gives Alisha a break.
"We wouldn't trade them for the world," said the coach/father. "We were planning a vacation this summer and then we thought: 'Nope, can't do it. Not right now.' "
Not during a Doman parenthood expedition.
E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com