Domestic Adoption
Open Adoption: An unbreakable bond
By Sarah:
I was 23 and already had one child when I found out I was pregnant again. I was in shock. I didn’t want to disappoint my family and friends, and I didn’t know how I was going to handle raising another baby.
During my first prenatal check up, the nurse practitioner gave me a pamphlet from Adoption Associates, Inc. to consider. I took the pamphlet home, and started to really consider adoption. I called AAI and after my first meeting, I felt confident I was making the right decision.
I wouldn’t change one thing about my experiences during the adoption process. My caseworker, Belinda, was encouraging, loving, and respectful of my feelings. Her support made me a stronger person. The most challenging thing I faced during this process was selecting the “perfect” family. Eventually, God led me to Eric and Carrie. From the first day we met, I knew I had made the right choice. Everything became much easier and I was able to develop a wonderful relationship with them during my pregnancy. Even during the rough times, when my emotions were all over the place, I had an unconditional peace that confirmed my decision was the right one.
I gave birth to a healthy baby girl. After holding her in my arms and saying a quick good-bye prayer, I invited Eric and Carrie into the room and handed them their new baby girl, Melissa Grace. That amazing feeling will stay with me for the rest of my life. I continued to feel peace in my decision and took joy in watching Eric and Carrie fall in love with their new daughter.
The day I left the hospital Eric and Carrie presented me with a scrapbook they had put together with a history of their family, our journey together during the pregnancy, and even photos from the hospital that they quickly added. We all cried together. Even though I had just made the biggest sacrifice, I knew Melissa would be loved, provided for, and raised the way I desired her to be. I have so much respect for them as Melissa’s parents, and I appreciate the incredible care they give to her. I truly believe that our bond will never be broken.
I am a very, very strong person today. My relationship with Eric and Carrie has not changed one bit. We are still as close as we were a year ago. My career is beginning to take off, I live in a new apartment, I attend a wonderful and supportive church, and my relationships with family and friends have become stronger. I feel happy with who I am.
Although some people may look down on me for the choice I made, the end result is amazing! I would do the same thing if I was faced with the choice all over again.
By Eric and Carrie:
After eight years of waiting for a child, the Lord blessed us with our beautiful baby girl, Melissa Grace, and an amazing relationship with her wonderful birth mother, Sarah. We feel truly blessed that God gave us the opportunity to build our family through adoption. The adoption process has afforded us numerous blessings we would have missed had we conceived a child.
During the early stages of our adoption process, we were hesitant about a truly open adoption. We hoped and prayed for a good relationship with the birth mother that selected us, and envisioned sending cards, pictures, letters, and maybe having some phone conversations. However, we are so happy now that we have an open adoption. Right from the start we fell in love with Sarah and have never felt anything but comfortable with her. When we met Sarah, she greeted us with hugs and her bright smile. We could have talked all afternoon. Sarah is a very warm, generous, and compassionate person. We couldn’t wait to see her again and get to know her better.
During the pregnancy, we met with Sarah several times. She came to our home, and it meant a lot to her to see where we live. We emailed and phoned, and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each other. We have common interests and philosophies. We have the commonality of Christian faith. Sarah’s incredibly strong faith is something we continue to admire.
Sarah invited us to attend one of her doctor appointments. Hearing the baby’s heartbeat was an awesome and totally unexpected experience. She wanted us to be a part of her pregnancy as much as possible. She shared the ultrasound pictures with us, kept us informed after each doctor appointment, and asked us to come to the hospital when she began labor. She asked us to come into her birthing room 30 minutes after she delivered, and asked us to begin caring for Melissa then. Sarah’s faith and strength enabled her to be that selfless and grant us those incredible opportunities!
We have grown very close. We miss each other when we aren’t in touch. We talk honestly about concerns, dreams, and our lives. We laugh a lot! We encourage each other and keep each other in our prayers. We have Sarah’s trust and blessing. Sarah openly refers to us as Melissa’s Mom and Dad when we talk with her. It is exciting to tell Sarah how Melissa is growing and developing. Sarah is so appreciative of that information. It is a privilege and honor to know Sarah so well and have on-going contact with her. We can tell Melissa all about her birthmom. We hope that they will continue to see each other from time to time. The on-going contact gives us the chance to ask Sarah any questions that come to our minds about her, her family, or health history, for example. Sarah has spent time with the three of us when Melissa was 3 months and 8 months old. We consider Sarah to be part of our family. We have a connection that cannot be broken, and we all felt that way the first day we met. Sarah is a remarkable woman and we are thankful that God orchestrated the crossing of our paths.
Our life is so much richer for all that we have experienced in our adoption process, and for knowing Sarah. She gave us the opportunity to be parents. How can you thank someone enough for granting that opportunity. God has blessed us through Sarah with the most precious gift imaginable, Melissa Grace.
More Information
For more information on how to plan adoption for your child, visit www.PlanAdoption.com or call 800.677.2367.
To learn how to adopt through our our domestic infant program, please call 616.667.0677.
