OT, Other Adoptive Dis Families?

[livndisney]

I don't want to hijack this thread but can someone PM or e-mail me more info on adoption. Search engines are so overwhelming.
We really want a daughter under the age of 5. We can't afford it right now but I'm a firm believer of prayer and if it's meant to be, I think it'll happen!

TIA!
xtina922001@yahoo.com

Just sent you an email-

Cindee

 

[NJtoATL]

My husband and I are in the process of adopting children. We are waiting with open arms for whatever God decides to bless us with.

We already decided that whenever the child/chidren arrive we go to Disney a month later.

Congratulations to all of you that have opened your hearts and homes to children that need love and a family.

God Bless!

 

[DawnM]

we couldn't afford to go to Disney any time after our adoption (or the year before!) We were determined to pay cash for our adoption from China.

So, January will be our first trip since October of 2005.

I am really excited to take Josiah and see the look on his face. He will be 4 in March, so he is at a perfect age to be enchanted by it all.

Dawn

 

[DawnM]

Ours was considered special needs as well. I hate that term. It is not what anyone in the US would consider special needs. He has had 2 surgeries and another this month! He was born with fused fingers and toes.

After this last surgery they insisted we take him in for occupational therapy. I said, "Fine, I will come once." The OT had him play with little objects and pick them up and transfer hands, etc....then said, "Wow, he has no problem with fine motor skills or dexterity." I felt like responding with, "Um, duh! He plays with little legos all day long and does just fine! That is what I have been trying to tell you!"

Anyway, he is just so very smart. Sometimes I wish I could just let his birth mother know how incredible he is and how smart he is and how well he is doing. I wonder if she thinks about him and wonders?

We can't imagine our lives without him.

Dawn

I have a 20 year old son born in Korea, came home 10-31-88!
And I have a 17 year old son born in The Phillipines, came home 3-15-91!

Both are special needs adoptions. They were born with a cleft lip and palate. Many surgeries later my oldes son is all done with surgery, and my youngest has one more surgery, I think. My youngest son weighed just 10 lbs. at one year old.

My oldest son is in his 3rd year of college, and my youngest son is a senior in high school.

They are doing very well. They both are great kids. I am very proud of both of them. We are certainly a family.

 

[darlak]

Three biological children; DS23, DD20 and DD13. Our oldest and firstborn was not born to us but came to us when she was 3 & 1/2. We got her first as a foster child and by the time her parent's parental rights were terminated and she was free for adoption, she was 8. In 1986 termination of parental rights (TPR) took so much longer than it does today, thanks to the Adoption and Safe Families Act.

She had been severely neglected by her birth mother and at the time she came into the state's custody, she was picked up by the police after she had been alone in her crib in a locked apartment for over 48 hours. She was taken to the hospital with a fever of 107 and diagnosed with meningitis. She has had a profound hearing loss since then. She was not quite three at that time. She went first to another foster mother who I swear, was evil. When I went to their home to visit her before she came to live with us, the foster mother scoffed and told me I was wasting my time when I sat down in the floor to talk to her. This woman said "She's not just deaf, you do know she's a retard, don't you?" I will always remember those words. These people had her for almost a year and had not even put hearing aids on her.

She's 29 now and married with 3 children of her own. Her birth mother has attempted to see her several times since she turned 18. I assured her that I was fine with it, but she has no desire to see her. The last time she tried to contact my daughter, she went to my son-in-law's place of work. I often disagree with my son-in-law on many points, but I did love him that day. Coworkers said that when she walked in and introduced herself as my DD's mother, he simply said "Lady, I don't know who you are, but my mother-in-law is a little short red-headed woman and you are not her."

I could not have predicted the path to parenthood my life took, but I wouldn't have changed a thing.

 

[Aliceacc]

I don't want to hijack this thread but can someone PM or e-mail me more info on adoption. Search engines are so overwhelming.
We really want a daughter under the age of 5. We can't afford it right now but I'm a firm believer of prayer and if it's meant to be, I think it'll happen!

TIA!
xtina922001@yahoo.com

I just sent you a PM

 

[Aliceacc]

Anyway, he is just so very smart. Sometimes I wish I could just let his birth mother know how incredible he is and how smart he is and how well he is doing. I wonder if she thinks about him and wonders?

We can't imagine our lives without him.

Dawn

When Brian was younger, I was great about corresponding with Korea. Every year, right around Mother's Day, I would send pictures and a letter detailing some of what he was up to. I figured that, should his foster mom or birth mom ever inquire, (and the rules there permit it) the letters would be at the agency. (I sent them to our agency in NY, and asked that someone translate and pass them on. I assume that they did.) Worst case scenario, someone would know that his adoption worked out well-- it might help others somehow.

Two other kids and 9 years later, I'm not nearly as good about it as I used to be. But you've inspired me. I'll send at least a Christmas card, and try to jot a few lines along with it.

Thanks for the reminder!!

 

[revrob]

I am glad to see so many of us out there! Is anyone considering another adoption? I keep thinking about it

Yes. In the very beginning stages of contemplation right now. We would go the same route as before. SO, we're stalking lists right now!

 

[DawnM]

In China it is illegal to abandon your baby, so there would never be the chance for her to inquire, but he did have a foster parent that he called Grandma. He lived with her and she loved him SO much! She cried and cried when I took him.

I have her address.

In China the foster parent isn't even supposed to meet the adoptive parent, but since I was the first to ever adopt from that region, they didn't know all the rules is my guess. She took a train for 22 hours to come with the orphanage director to help with him.

Dawn

When Brian was younger, I was great about corresponding with Korea. Every year, right around Mother's Day, I would send pictures and a letter detailing some of what he was up to. I figured that, should his foster mom or birth mom ever inquire, (and the rules there permit it) the letters would be at the agency. (I sent them to our agency in NY, and asked that someone translate and pass them on. I assume that they did.) Worst case scenario, someone would know that his adoption worked out well-- it might help others somehow.

Two other kids and 9 years later, I'm not nearly as good about it as I used to be. But you've inspired me. I'll send at least a Christmas card, and try to jot a few lines along with it.

Thanks for the reminder!!

 

[livndisney]

In China it is illegal to abandon your baby, so there would never be the chance for her to inquire, but he did have a foster parent that he called Grandma. He lived with her and she loved him SO much! She cried and cried when I took him.

I have her address.

In China the foster parent isn't even supposed to meet the adoptive parent, but since I was the first to ever adopt from that region, they didn't know all the rules is my guess. She took a train for 22 hours to come with the orphanage director to help with him.

Dawn

I have had contact with my daughter's foster family in China. I feel very strongly that they cared for her and had a right to know she was ok. Her foster mother loves her very much. She was her first foster child and took very good care of her.

 

[Tink561]

I have had contact with my daughter's foster family in China. I feel very strongly that they cared for her and had a right to know she was ok. Her foster mother loves her very much. She was her first foster child and took very good care of her.

I have a friend who just took her children back to China on a heritage trip. They were able to visit the foster family. I think it's great.

My daughter wasn't in foster care but we have an email contact for her SWI. We will send them an update at Christmas.

 

[bearpele]

We adopted our daughter from China in Jan. 2004 at 10.5 months. We are now in the long-g-g wait for another China Adoption. We could not imagine life without our daughter - we are truely blessed.

 

[cissy]

For all you adoptive parents out there, here is a good story I hope you will enjoy.

I am an adopted child (domestic, now 39 years old). At the time, open adoptions were unheard of as most women who gave up their children were made to feel ashamed of their pregnancies (remember this was the late 60's).

Anyway, I was raised in a wonderful, loving family. I have an adopted brother and he feels the same. My Mom is still my best friend. So, I have no "missing piece" of any family puzzle I need to fill.

But after I had my children, I was surprised to find myself wanting to meet my birth mother. I finally understood the enormous sacrifice she made. I could not imaging having to wonder about my child forever.

So, I contacted the social service office of the state I was born in and got a social worker to help me. Within six months she had found my birth mother. We wrote letters and then emailed each other for over a year. Then I wrote her that I wanted to meet. We did just last year.

She is wonderful and we are a lot alike. I am so glad I made the effort. We are good friends now and she is even coming to spend the Christmas Holiday with us. My girls know she is another Grandmother although they call her by her first name. And this year I met by biological father as well. He, too, is very kind and was open to a relationship with me and my family. They adored my girls!

Anyway, I know that not all the stories work out so well, but ours has. I feel blessed for having another person in my life who loves me and especially more people who love my children.

I think it is a wonderful thing that all of you have done to adopt these children. Bless you all!! And keep up those letters to the birth families. They probably mean more than you know.

 

[WDWfeelslikehome]

DW and I travelled to Russia to meet our DS in ealry Nov. Now we are home awaiting the phone call to book a plane to return for our court date (we were told average is now 3-4 months ), then the 10 day wait period, and then he can come Home. I enjoy reading all of these postings from adopitive parents and adoptees, and I look forward to the day that our family sleeps under the same roof.
Our best wishes to all.
All families are magical, adoptive families are extra magic hours.

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

We have 4 wonderful children that came to us thru adoption

Almost 9 yrs ago DS Jordan was adopted domestically at 24 days old. We had less than 5 days to get our home ready for our newest addition! His 1st trip to disney was at 18 months old. Just before we left for disney we contacted our adoption agency and told them to get the paperwork rolling for another adoption. We returned from disney on a Wed and the following Monday the adoption agency called us asking if we would consider an all Jamaican baby. The birth mom was in labor as we spoke and they only had 1 other family for her to pick from. UH like Yeah! We had requested bi racial to match our family. 18 day later DS Sam came home. When Sam turned 2 we headed to disney again. Again we had called our agency and told them to get the paperwork going. The day before we left for disney they called us and asked for our profile- They had something already in the works! After returning from disney we were told that whatever they had in the works fell thru. We were okay with that-- our baby will come in time. That time came in Feb 2003 when we were matched with a birth mom who was due in April. Our little dd- (princess as she is known in our castle!) came at the end of April. We were able to pick her up at the hospital at 2 days old!! Her 1st trip to disney was at 2 1/2 yrs old. It would have been earlier but It's A Small World was closed for rehab - Dh refused to visit unless it was open !! We considered our family complete. But since I love babies we became a foster family since Sept 06 for our adoption agency. In Aug 07 They called us 1 wk before leaving for Disney(3rd straight yr going) asking us to network and find a home for a baby in another foster home. They were having a hard time finding an african american or mixed race family to adopt him-- he was perfectly healthy. I joked we will take him. An hour later I was calling them asking them how much an adoption would cost us. 4 Days later we decided we would adopt him but we were leaving in a few days for disney. The other foster family offered to keep him while we went. I wanted him to come but a 1month old in Aug , Disney just didn't seem the right place for him to be. We picked him up the day after returning from disney. We are already planning our Annual Aug trip for 08 (loving being DVC mbrs). We can't wait to bring him to Disney. Our family just seems complete now- he was meant to be our baby.

My advice to anyone thinking about adoption is to go for it. Our children are the light of our lives. I can not even think about our familty with out them.

Oh the other piece of advice is to go to WDW- it always works for us when waiting for adoption.

 

[Subrbnmommy]

DW and I travelled to Russia to meet our DS in ealry Nov. Now we are home awaiting the phone call to book a plane to return for our court date (we were told average is now 3-4 months ), then the 10 day wait period, and then he can come Home. I enjoy reading all of these postings from adopitive parents and adoptees, and I look forward to the day that our family sleeps under the same roof.
Our best wishes to all.
All families are magical, adoptive families are extra magic hours.

I feel for you! I remember those weeks between trip 1 & trip 2, waiting for the phone call. Everyday we'd go to bed sad that we hadn't had "the Call". Only to wake up hopeful the next hoping that today wias going to be the day. We had to wait 6 weeks and our friends had to wait 8 weeks. Keep busy, makes the days go by faster.

I hope that you get your call soon!

 

[crazyforgoofy]

Our Bella is 9, she's been ours for 5 years and adopted for more than 2. She has very grown-up siblings (4 from Poppa, 4 from Momma). She's our joy. She came as a surprise gift to us when we had a WDW trip already scheduled. Her counselor told me "What better way to introduce her to her new life than a trip to the Magic?" So 3 weeks after her arrival she met Mickey and the gang. The trip was extra-magical - it was like the 'magic' was expecting a tiny 26 lb 4-1/2 year old. Belle chose her for her Christmas show at MVMCP and then took her all over Fantasyland to meet the other princesses, took her for a special carousel ride, gave her a special spot to watch the parade! Cast members treated her like gold.

She's the light of our lives and while we're a 'little older' than the parents of her friends we keep up just fine.

She and I leave tomorrow for a visit to 'the Magic' to commemorate our 1st visit and to spend time with my sister and her little boy. Our lives are blessed.

 

[Figment1964]

We have 4 boys, 3 of whom were adopted. Our oldest, 14, was adopted as a newborn and we brought him home at 5 days old. He was adopted through a private adoption agency. We have a bio son who is almost 10. About 3 years ago we felt that adoption was again an option and we had a, then, 7.5 year old boy join us (he's 10 now). Then 3 months later we had a 6 year old boy join our ranks (he's 8.5 now). These 2 guys were adopted through DHS.

All of our adopted kiddos have special needs that we weren't aware of when we adopted them. 2 of them have autism, one has reactive attachment disorder, 2 have sensory issues, throw in a little ADHD and a little Post Traumatic Stress and we're one big laugh-a-minute household!

I also grew up with an adopted brother and one of my closest friends (we've known each other since we were 11) was also adopted. I joke that adoption runs in our family!

 

[ecamc]

We've been blessed by adoption too!
We have a bio DS (20), a bio DS (17) and a beautiful DD (10) from India.
Our DD came home to us when she was 6 months old and made our family complete!

 

[KristinU]

Another adoptive mom checking in here! Our DS was born in South Korea and came home in July of 2004 when he was 6 months old. What a blessing adoption is! I thank God every day for my beautiful son and the choice his birthmom made.

DawnM - sending you a PM...we're heading down in January as well!