“We got married at the ages of 16 and 20. I told my husband, ‘Never expect kids to be a part of our lives.’ Then a birth mom wanted to meet us. She already had the baby! We were in shock.”
‘I want you to adopt my baby.’ Do I have what it takes? As a kid, I was yelled at and left alone. I lost a desire for kids.’: Couple adopts siblings, ‘They are our gifts’
‘I was only 16. I brought my stuffed Eeyore for comfort, a child giving birth to another child. I wanted different for her.’: Mom shares open adoption story, ‘Our families are bound together’
“I saw how her life would look: a single mom constantly working, wishing to provide nicer things, and a little girl wondering why her father didn’t want to be around. Then, the veil lifted. Both myself and the birth parents could complete her life’s ‘puzzle.’”
‘The nurse came in and said, ‘Her new parents are ready for her.’ Only 15, I kissed her soft baby cheek, and placed her into the arms of her mama.’: Teen mom embarks on ‘beautiful’ open adoption journey, ‘I couldn’t have picked better parents’
“I hid my pregnancy for 7 months. I should’ve been picking the perfect dress for Winter Ball. Instead, I was writing a birth plan. Once my sobs slowed, I looked at her birth father and said, ‘Those are the people who will raise our baby girl.’ I wavered. I fought. I broke. But in the end, I knew what I needed to do.”
‘You can only adopt if you have a relationship with the birth parents.’ I got months of abusive texts. Dad was loud and rude.’: Couple adopt foster son after roller coaster, ‘I’d do it all again’
“NOTHING prepared me for family visits. I didn’t know how to deal with the abuse. I felt betrayed and manipulated. But I’d do it all again.”
‘Hold on to that dress for me.’ At this point, I was not having any more births. But I just knew.’: Mom saves dress for daughter’s adoption day, ‘It was worth the wait’
“My mother-in-law started to show me a bunch of little dresses she found. One of them caught my eye. ‘One day, I’ll have a daughter and she’s going to wear it.’ Then I got the call. ‘We have a birth mom, and she’s chosen you.’”
‘My parents had over 30 temporary placements and adopted 9 children. I struggled with my identity. I didn’t fit.’: Man thanks adoptive family, ‘I’m meant to do something important’
“He was sitting with my uncle. ‘We can give her a break and take care of him.’ Our home was chaos but in the best way.”
‘It’s funny, I see you becoming a mother to a baby, but not a newborn. He’ll have big, round, blue eyes.’: Single mom details attachment and adoption process from foster care
“I nearly fell right out of my seat when I saw my very first picture of Axel. A cherub, round face of a gorgeous 6-month-old, with the biggest blue eyes, stared right into my soul from the computer screen in that social worker’s office. I was floating on cloud 9, but she reminded me there are always risks involved with adopting from foster care.”
‘We walked through the door. His first word was, ‘DADDY!’ He lived his whole life in foster care. Weeks later, we found out we were pregnant!’: Bereaved mom adopts boy from foster care, births 3 sons
“The social worker asked, ‘What ethnicities are you open to?’ We sent Jonah a video of us, a stuffed animal, and a security blanket with our scent so it would be familiar. Every night, he slept with the stuffed animal and blanket. He watched our video, over and over and over again. We just ‘knew’ he was meant to be ours!”
‘We got an email titled ‘URGENT.’ The adoptive family changed their minds. They didn’t want him. ‘Would you be willing to adopt?’: Family of 5 adopt newborn from birth mother, start beautiful open adoption
“After a sleepless night with a full, aching heart, the phone I hated so much rang. Again, our social worker was on the line: ‘Look guys, I know you’ve been on an emotional rollercoaster this week, and I hate to bring up another question, but the birth mom called us today. She met with us, and she has changed her mind back. She’d like you guys to be Revere’s parents.’ I was shell shocked.”
‘I’ve told you I’m a virgin a million times!’ She slammed on the brakes. ‘We need to find an adoption agency.’: 16-year-old birth mom pursues open adoption, ‘He deserved better than me’
“They would take him home and raise him in all the ways I couldn’t. It all seemed to happen really quickly. This is when regret and doubt in my decision came crashing down on me. He is mine. He was mine for 40 hours.”
