In honor of National Adoption Month I was tagged by Shanna to share 6 things about our adoption experience....
1. We were married for 3 years before deciding to pursure adoption. It wasn't a hard decision for us. Our caseworker was an angel and got us approved within one month of us meeting with her....it helped that I didn't have a job and could get the questions and letters to her ASAP! We waited 13 months before getting the call about Sophia. Towards the end of the wait we participated in the pilot program with Adoption.com. The agency was just testing out the internet to see how it would be an effective finding tool. We did get one inquiry on the morning we got the call about Sophia. Now the internet is a very effective tool for adoptive couples!
our first night together! Sophia was SO tiny...only 4lbs!2. Richard got the initial call from our caseworker about Sophia. She was 3 weeks old and had just been released from the hospital. We could pick her up the next week! He showed up at the school where I was a long-term sub and suprised me with balloons! That was a memorable day! The next week was very hard waiting and preparing to get on the plane! I would have gladly hopped on the plane that evening! We got to meet with Sophia's birthparents
for about 3 hours before they placed her in our arms.
the scrapbook page of when we went to the temple to have Sophia sealed to us...3. We were reluctant to start the adoption process again and for a while entertained the thought of having one child. Then we have a couple of friends who had either lost both of their parents or were an only child taking care of an aging parent. We didn't want Sophia to be in either of those situations so we took the hint from Heavenly Father and put in our papers...we really wanted to but just didnt' want to jump on the adoption roller coaster again. This time it took quite a bit longer with our paperwork but it didn't seem so long since we already had Sophia. We were approved in February '02. During the wait we sold our home, moved in an apartment, built our current home, moved into our house, and Richard took a trip to the Philippines. After he returned the next week we got the call about Nate.
4. Getting the kid's birth certificates were cool but I really loved getting their social security cards....it seemed real then!
5. My friend Heather was babysitting Nate before we adopted him. He was 10 1/2 months old when he was placed with us and had been in Heather's care for 2 months. It was a miracle how he was placed with us. His birthmother moved she and Nate across the country to Murfreesboro, TN to work at a Denny's. She felt so strongly that Heavenly Father was leading her there. She didn't know why but she just went. She had no desire to make an adoption plan at the time but through a series of events she realized it was best for Nate for her to make this tough decision. She is definately a hero to us!
6. There have been a couple of instinstences where I have looked into International Adoption. I have really wanted to adopt more but it just didn't seem to be like what was in the plan for us. We are content with our family of 4. I never "dreamed" about having a certain number of children so I am not disappointed with a small family.
this was our first night with our buddy Nate. He weighed 32 pounds and had some gorgeous hair! he also had pink eye but was so cute anyway!
If you are interested in reading an adoption story filled with miracles click here....I haven't read it all but what I did had me in awe!
3 comments:
I have so many wonderful memories about Sophia and Nate. You leaving me a note to meet you in the school parking lot, & then seeing that big bouquet of pink ballons. I was SOO excited for you!! Getting to hold that tiny baby girl the night you got home to LaGrange with her. Being in the temple with you when you were sealed as a family.....
Learning about Nate and then being there to meet him. Of course he wouldn't let anyone near him, but that didn't stop us from loving him too. It has been exciting to watch both Nate & Fia grow and change, & to be able to share in some of your extra special family times. I wish every child could be in such a loving family.
I remember Sophia's Temple sealing well. Do you remember what I forget to bring??? She was so tiny and cute!
yea Chris- when I was typing all that out I thought about finding you at the high school to tell you about Sophia and then you and your family being there when we got home with Fia! And I remember so well how Nate woudlnt' allow ANYONE to touch him....but that was OK too...sure made me feel loved:) Thanks for being such a huge support for me!
Granny-yea I still remember what you forgot! If you would have smiled in the pictures we all would know what you forgot!!
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