Question for adoptive moms

[joy at home]

I'd love to hear from you, (especially if you've had biological children first, then adopted children into your family as well... because that is our family dynamic)

How did you know that God was calling you to adopt?

Would you share your journey to adoption with me / us?

[StillJulie]

I have no personal experience.

I recently read Choosing to See by Mary Chapman. She talks quite a bit of adoption and how it fit into her family in there. That might be an interesting read for you.

[utkgrad101]

This may take a while, so I will leave the screen up and type through the day. :giggle:

When I was in high school I wanted 3 kids at that time. This guy I really really really freaked me out and 1 day says he wanted 5 kids. hahahah Cruel joke :giggle: But so I got married the 1st time and we didnt' have kids. I met current DH and he never wanted kids. I was okay with that so I thought. But anyway about a year earlier then that I felt that God was calling me to the mission field. I was ready and willing to pack up and move to China or Japan to be a ESL teacher. I was divorced so I couldn't be missionary through the North American Mission Board.

So back to meeting DH. I met and we got married. Still okay with not having kids then. I was 28 when we got married. So when I started to turn 30 my biological clock started ticking. There was a HUGE hole in my heart and it was because I didnt' have kids and I realized I wanted them.

I had my tubes tied about 2 years before that and we thought about going to Canada and having it reversed (exchange rate was cheaper). A very good friend of mine suggested we try adopting via the state of TN. So we started the foster classes under the assumption that we did not have to go through with it unless we wanted to. We took the classes and we got our first placement of a 12 yr old boy. We had wanted 5 and under since we had never had kids. DH got a job out of state and this boy needed a father figure worse then he needed a mother figure. He went to live in another county.

We got a call from a fellow foster parent about there being a 2 month old girl who was in the local children's hospital. She said she told them to call me. A few minutes later I get a call that would change my life forever.

We got DD when she was 2 months old. She was severly abused - 2 broke legs, 1 was broke in 2 places and 6 or 8 broken ribs. She also had previously healed injuries all under the age of 2 months. We get DD (she had a different name) and she was straight foster. Meaning it was a family pkacplacement they were aiming for at that time.

Fast Forward a few months later and they move it to adoption. It took FOREVER FOREVER FORVER for that to even happen. Probably a year or so. I was praying to God, "One way or the other Dear Lord. One way or the other!!" We FINALLY got word that we would be able to adopt. During the meantime we got DS who is full blooded sister of DD. He was only a year and 1/2 behind DD. So we finally get to adopt DD and abotu a year later we got to adopt DS.

We moved to Little Rock with DH's job and left being a 3rd full blooded sibling. I was at peace with it, and it was what God wanted us to do. 3rd child is with a family next county over.

I tell people it ook me 2 years to birth my children, not 9 months. Now that DS is ADHD diagnosed I know this is where God wants them. What if DS had stayed with bio family and with his problems? :dunno:

[Binny]

Dh and I got married and had kiddos before we were Christian. My spouse decided to take Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in 2001, and I did in 2005. We had 2 bio boys, one born in 93 and the other in 96. I had been interested in adoption since 2003.

In 2007, i felt God calling us to adopt. I found myself looking at adoption agencies online. I had approached DH a couple times over those years about adoption (even before I was a surrendered Christian), but he didnt feel it was the best time. I was looking on a site called atoptuskids, and I discovered whole families that needed adoption. There was one family of 5 siblings I kept coming back to.

Long story short (cause really this is a very long story), we went about the process, God sent us through many trials before we were matched with exactly who God had for us. We now have 2 bio sons and 2 adopted daughters (born in 96 and 98). God was with us each step and gave us lots of confirmation along the way. There is no doubt at all, based on several factors really ( I would be happy to give more detail if ya like but i dont wanna be too long winded), that these girls were meant for our family.

Feel free to ask any questions. It is a VERY long process.

Theresa

[Binny]

Sorry I meant in 2008, not 2007. Basically from the time we started the paperwork til the time the adoption was legal was 18 months. They say 18 months - 2 years for domestic out of state adoption is standard.

[joy2bmom]

Kinda late in replying - we're an adoptive family. No bio kids - we're infertile - so I guess that in itself was our sign that we were called to adopt. If you want more info or have specific questions I'd be happy to answer. :)