Our Second Adoption Story

1

As the saying goes, no two children are the same. And it is certainly true that no two adoption stories are the same. We waited four months when we welcomed our first daughter home. While it was a roller-coaster ride the entire time, it was (in retrospect) relatively quick.

Our second adoption story began in the summer of 2013. We contacted Hope Cottage, our adoption agency, to initiate the process again to bring home our second child. For the most part, the process was the same except we did not have to attend the Adoption Education Seminar again (it’s a one time deal) and our home study only needed an update (since our childhood/familial info, etc hadn’t changed). By October 1, 2013, we were officially a “waiting family.”

And wait we did. And wait. And wait. (Remember my pining?)

During that time, we were presented with four different possibilities, but for various reasons, none of those worked out for us. While the months passing with no news were difficult, the process and the waiting felt easier likely because of the experience I gained during our first adoption.

But then we hit the one-year mark. And my calm, “it’s-all-gonna-work-out-like-it-should” attitude evolved into “Help, God, I’m anxious. WHAT IF . . . ?”

My husband and I decided to wait six more months for a placement; if at that time, we did not have a wee one, then we would consider our family complete.

Just to be transparent, the next 45 days or so were emotionally difficult. I often felt like I was pushing through a bog, fighting to keep my mind on the here and now and not on the maybes and worst-case scenarios.

On November 14, our case worker called with a potential situation for us. We chose to have our profile books shown to the birth mother on the following Tuesday, which was the 18th. That Tuesday came and went with no call from the adoption agency. It was a struggle keeping my mind from hypothesizing what in the world was happening. Why hadn’t we received a call, an email?

_MG_3423On Wednesday, the 19th, while in the drive-thru line at Chick-fil-a, my case worker called my cell with plenty of answers and info. I learned that not only had the birth mother chosen us, but also that the baby girl had been born on Monday, the 17th! That was why we hadn’t heard any news.

SHE WAS OURS!!!!

**Excuse me one moment, I need to order. Yes, I’d like a four-piece kid’s meal with an apple juice to drink and a cobb salad.**

To honor a few requests from the birth mother and to allow for some legal issues to resolve, we waited until the week after Thanksgiving to meet our girl. Like with our first, placement occurred at the Hope Cottage offices.

Although the wait lasted 14 months (which is average for domestic infant adoption, by the way, but felt like an eternity to me), the wait was oh-so-worth it! Our little addition fits perfectly with our family.

So that’s our story, and we’re sticking to it.

1 COMMENT

  1. […] no longer in my twenties and whole-heartedly embracing middle age, I have two daughters. I have two daughters with dark skin. I have two daughters with dark skin who live in a culture that doesn’t accept, let alone […]

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here