I received a tip about an available adoption situation today that I thought I would pass along to my blog readers. I wish we could adopt this little girl ourselves. I've been thinking about it all morning wondering if we might be able to afford it, but I'm afraid that the combination of two failed adoptions and the pregnancy and birth of our daughter have completely wiped us out financially. But hopefully I can help find this precious daughter of God the right family.
I've copied the important bits of the email below.
"A friend is trying to help place the baby of a Kansas teen mother with an adoptive family in Colorado. The baby is un-born, a little girl, and has Down's Syndrome. If you know of anyone who is pro-life and interested in providing this baby with a home and family, please let me or Maureen Cleary know. Thanks! Contact Information: Kelsha 303.478.3964 wellkeptsecret@hotmail.com"
I know it says they're looking for an adoptive family in Colorado, but I would still encourage all of you who might be interested to at least send an email anyway. You never know, perhaps the birth mother might consider placing in Utah.
Showing posts with label Adoption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adoption. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
If your family is hoping to adopt
I have begun a new section on my sidebar for those of you who are couples hoping to adopt. If you would like me to add you to the list, please feel free to leave a comment here or email me at maloneandbrittanyadopt@gmail.com. Hopefully we can be of some help in your journey to your child!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Devastation
First of all, I just want to say that this is not an invitation for anyone to bash me and my husband or even our former birthmom, J. If that is your intention after reading this post, please have the decency to restrain yourself. This is simply an opportunity for Malone and I to inform our family, friends, and acquaintances of what is happening.
Now on to the hard stuff. I won't include all the details because, frankly, that would be kind of pointless. So here it is in all its ugliness:
J has decided not to place with us. She has not decided to keep the baby, but will be placing her with another family instead. Why? Well, that's the million dollar question. Malone and I are still confused about that ourselves. When we asked J why, her reply was (and I quote) "I don't feel that it's fair that you guys have everything and I'm getting nothing." There were a number of other things that were said to us, but they all tied back to the perception she has that we have things that she doesn't have.
Right now Malone and I are feeling that we've had the rug pulled out from under us. We feel confused, betrayed, used, lonely, hurt, frustrated, angry, etc... We don't know how to begin to overcome all of this loss... again. It's hard to believe or understand that in just four years we have had to cope with infertility, the death of our son, the failed adoption of Jaida, and the failed adoption of the baby we planned to name Bryleigh. But although this is excruciatingly painful and tremendously difficult, we will learn to move on. We are sort of becoming experts in coping with these kinds of things.
Although we are feeling very hurt, we are not hateful towards J and we don't want any of you to be either. There are issues (some of which are medical) that we have no control over. That doesn't excuse some behavior, but it does help us understand a little bit.
For now we are sort of just retreating to each other. We are giving ourselves permission to grieve privately. We aren't ready to face a lot of questioning. It's enough to know that you are all praying for us and thinking of us.
My guess is that some of you are thinking, "Well, can J change her mind?" Yes, she can change her mind. But at this point we feel that our best course of action is to move forward under the assumption that her decision is permanent. It makes it easier to move on that way. And we are allowing ourselves to celebrate the baby that I'm expecting. The fact that I'm pregnant does not take away the feelings of loss that we are experiencing, but it does give us hope. We are choosing to focus on the hope rather than the loss.
Now on to the hard stuff. I won't include all the details because, frankly, that would be kind of pointless. So here it is in all its ugliness:
J has decided not to place with us. She has not decided to keep the baby, but will be placing her with another family instead. Why? Well, that's the million dollar question. Malone and I are still confused about that ourselves. When we asked J why, her reply was (and I quote) "I don't feel that it's fair that you guys have everything and I'm getting nothing." There were a number of other things that were said to us, but they all tied back to the perception she has that we have things that she doesn't have.
Right now Malone and I are feeling that we've had the rug pulled out from under us. We feel confused, betrayed, used, lonely, hurt, frustrated, angry, etc... We don't know how to begin to overcome all of this loss... again. It's hard to believe or understand that in just four years we have had to cope with infertility, the death of our son, the failed adoption of Jaida, and the failed adoption of the baby we planned to name Bryleigh. But although this is excruciatingly painful and tremendously difficult, we will learn to move on. We are sort of becoming experts in coping with these kinds of things.
Although we are feeling very hurt, we are not hateful towards J and we don't want any of you to be either. There are issues (some of which are medical) that we have no control over. That doesn't excuse some behavior, but it does help us understand a little bit.
For now we are sort of just retreating to each other. We are giving ourselves permission to grieve privately. We aren't ready to face a lot of questioning. It's enough to know that you are all praying for us and thinking of us.
My guess is that some of you are thinking, "Well, can J change her mind?" Yes, she can change her mind. But at this point we feel that our best course of action is to move forward under the assumption that her decision is permanent. It makes it easier to move on that way. And we are allowing ourselves to celebrate the baby that I'm expecting. The fact that I'm pregnant does not take away the feelings of loss that we are experiencing, but it does give us hope. We are choosing to focus on the hope rather than the loss.
Friday, December 4, 2009
29 and 22
Day 293 Waiting for our miracle babies
Finally it's FRIDAY!!! Thank goodness! It has been a super long week. Today our birthmom, J, is at 29 weeks, and I am at 22 weeks. We are SO excited that this is J's last week in the 20's! She only has 8 more weeks until she's considered "full-term." That's right, only about 2 more months! I can't tell you how excited and anxious Malone and I are getting. As soon as Christmas is over we will be packing all the decorations and putting the boxes into the storage unit. Then we'll pull out all the boxes of baby stuff and get the nursery ready. I can't WAIT! Some of the things in those boxes have been waiting for a very very long time to be used. It's hard to believe that our little girl is really almost here.
As for me, I have been feeling anxious lately. Soon I will be 23 weeks along. When I was pregnant with Gavin, it was at 23 weeks 3 days that I went into the hospital and the doctor discovered that my cervix had failed. Getting close to that point is making me incredibly nervous. I am so excited to have made it this far however. Every time I feel the baby kicking I just want to cry because I never thought I would get to experience that feeling again. And I am super excited to go to my ultrasound appointment on Tuesday! Hopefully this time the baby will cooperate and let us see if we need to plan for a boy or a girl!
Finally it's FRIDAY!!! Thank goodness! It has been a super long week. Today our birthmom, J, is at 29 weeks, and I am at 22 weeks. We are SO excited that this is J's last week in the 20's! She only has 8 more weeks until she's considered "full-term." That's right, only about 2 more months! I can't tell you how excited and anxious Malone and I are getting. As soon as Christmas is over we will be packing all the decorations and putting the boxes into the storage unit. Then we'll pull out all the boxes of baby stuff and get the nursery ready. I can't WAIT! Some of the things in those boxes have been waiting for a very very long time to be used. It's hard to believe that our little girl is really almost here.
As for me, I have been feeling anxious lately. Soon I will be 23 weeks along. When I was pregnant with Gavin, it was at 23 weeks 3 days that I went into the hospital and the doctor discovered that my cervix had failed. Getting close to that point is making me incredibly nervous. I am so excited to have made it this far however. Every time I feel the baby kicking I just want to cry because I never thought I would get to experience that feeling again. And I am super excited to go to my ultrasound appointment on Tuesday! Hopefully this time the baby will cooperate and let us see if we need to plan for a boy or a girl!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Featured
Day 292 Waiting for our miracle babies
Today I am excited because I get to feature our great friends, Rey and Dianna, who are hoping to adopt. We have gotten to know them over the past year at our "Couples In Waiting" group that we attend for FSA. And I can personally attest that they are AMAZING and will be AWESOME parents. One of the things I really respect about this couple is that even through their failed adoption this summer, they have always put their adoption journey in God's hands. They've been through some rough times, and we have been praying that their miracle baby will come to them soon. Anyhow, I am privileged to introduce to you, Rey and Dianna.
"We married at the LDS Salt Lake Temple, have been very happy together and hope to be forever. When we were married we wanted to start our family. However things have not turned out as we planned. Life's path has taken us the route of adoption. Even though adoption was not our original plan, we are very excited and are waiting for our first baby to come!" To view their profile with LDSFS click here. To view their adoption blog click here. To learn more about their story, view their family blog here. And while you're visiting their family blog be sure to check out the most ADORABLE little booties that Dianna makes! They are absolutely gorgeous. And the best thing is that she will sell a pair to you and the proceeds will help them to pay for their adoption!
If you are a hopeful adoptive family and would like to be featured on my blog, you can contact me at maloneandbrittanyadopt@gmail.com. Include a photo, a way to contact you, a link to your online profile/blog, and a short paragraph about your family. I will ask my contacts to spread the word for you. The only thing I ask in return is that you be sure to let your waiting friends know about this opportunity so that I can spread the word for them too.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Featured
Day 288 Waiting for our miracle babies
Well, today is the last day of November which is National Adoption Month. I haven't been especially good about posting about adoption every day this month, but I have made an effort amidst the craziness that is my life. But I do want to do one more feature this month. So, please let me introduce Ryan, Helen, and Emily.
"We are excited to add to our family again through the miracle of adoption. Ryan is a patent attorney, Helen is a stay-at-home mom, and Emily is our adorable two-year-old daughter whom we adopted at birth. We adore her birth parents and enjoy an open relationship with them. We are ready to do it all again! We hope to adopt through LDS Family Services. You can read our Dear Birth Parent letter by clicking here. Please contact us with any questions you have by emailing us at ryanandhelenldsfs@hotmail.com." You can view Ryan and Helen's profile on the LDSFS website by clicking here.
Since it has been so fun spotlighting hopeful couples this month, I have decided to make it a permanent feature on my blog! So, if you are a hopeful adoptive family, send me your information. Include a photo, a way to contact you, a link to your online profile/blog, and a short paragraph about your family. You can send this information to me at maloneandbrittanyadopt@gmail.com. I will ask my contacts to spread the word for you. The only thing I ask in return is that you be sure to let your waiting friends know about this opportunity so that I can spread the word for them too.
Friday, November 27, 2009
28 and 21
Day 285 Waiting for our miracle babies
Today marks a big milestone in our birthmom, J's, pregnancy. She is now 28 weeks! To all of you, that might sound like just another week. But, to us it's special. Why? Well, when we were in the hospital with Gavin, a Neonatologist told us that 28 weeks is sort of "a magic number." If a baby is delivered any time after (roughly) the 28 week mark, the baby almost always survives and will be able to live a normal life without permanent ramifications to their health. So, when I was in the hospital with Gavin, I dreamed of what it would be like to make it to 28 weeks. It feels good to know that J has made it that far.
As for me, I am now celebrating week 21! Sometimes it feels like I'm just slowly plodding along, but I am so thankful today that I am this far. And, we had a very BIG exciting moment this week! Malone and I were lying in bed getting ready to fall asleep, and Malone had his hand on my belly. All of a sudden, the baby gives the biggest kick yet and Malone could FEEL the baby kicking against his hand! I cried and we thanked Heavenly Father for the millionth time that He is performing these amazing miracles in our life.
Today marks a big milestone in our birthmom, J's, pregnancy. She is now 28 weeks! To all of you, that might sound like just another week. But, to us it's special. Why? Well, when we were in the hospital with Gavin, a Neonatologist told us that 28 weeks is sort of "a magic number." If a baby is delivered any time after (roughly) the 28 week mark, the baby almost always survives and will be able to live a normal life without permanent ramifications to their health. So, when I was in the hospital with Gavin, I dreamed of what it would be like to make it to 28 weeks. It feels good to know that J has made it that far.
As for me, I am now celebrating week 21! Sometimes it feels like I'm just slowly plodding along, but I am so thankful today that I am this far. And, we had a very BIG exciting moment this week! Malone and I were lying in bed getting ready to fall asleep, and Malone had his hand on my belly. All of a sudden, the baby gives the biggest kick yet and Malone could FEEL the baby kicking against his hand! I cried and we thanked Heavenly Father for the millionth time that He is performing these amazing miracles in our life.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Featured
Day 280 Waiting for our miracle babies
Our second featured couple this month is Josh and Savannah. I could tell you a little about these two as I have met them personally and think they're pretty amazing, but I can't say it as well as Savannah can. The following is her story:
I married my high school sweetheart in 2001. For a few months we tried a few forms of birth control. After about a year, we decided we would let nature take its course. If we had babies, that would be great, but we wouldn't stress if they didn't come. Fast forward 6 years and we are still childless. We started to realize that something could be wrong. Long story short, we discovered that I have PCOS and hubs had a zero sperm count.
One night, Josh was driving home from work and he heard a commercial for Hallmark Cards. It talked about a lady finding a card for a unique situation... her friend had just adopted. At that moment he knew that we were meant to adopt. I think that helped prepare us for his test results that came back a few days later. We should have been devastated that we couldn't get pregnant, most couples are. It was heartbreaking, but we knew it wasn't over for us. We could still be parents.
We started our adoption paperwork through LDS Family Services in May of 2007 and we have now been approved to adopt for 18 months. That's the same as the length of two pregnancies... Why the long wait? I'm really not sure. We went into the idea of adoption knowing that we needed to find our child, not just any child. We know that Heaven has a child picked out for us and that we need to find each other. But this is something we can't do alone. Adoptions in general have a better chance of happening if the adoptive couple actively looks for their birth mom. That means we need your help. Please pass our information along to anyone you know who might be interested in placing a child for adoption.
We think adoption is a wonderful thing and we can't wait for our family to grow through this miracle. You can learn more about our family on our adoption blog HERE.
If you are a couple hoping to adopt and would like to be featured on my blog please email me at maloneandbrittanyadopt@gmail.com.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Featured
Day 275 Waiting for our miracle babies
As posted earlier this month, I would like to feature some couples who are still in the "finding" stages of their adoption. Along those lines, I would like to introduce to you...
Kevin and Christa
They are a family of four hoping to add one more! Kevin(36) is a Mechanical Engineer, and Christa (34) is a stay at home mom. They live in Pennsylvania. Kevin and Christa would like prospective birth families to know that they are a fun loving Christian family. They are both college educated and strive to give their children every opportunity to succeed in life. They provide loving discipline and structure, along with lots of fun. They believe that no other success in life can compensate for failure in the home. Kevin and Christa are working through LDS Family Services. If you would like more information about them, including a way to contact them, please visit there website HERE.
As posted earlier this month, I would like to feature some couples who are still in the "finding" stages of their adoption. Along those lines, I would like to introduce to you...
Kevin and Christa
They are a family of four hoping to add one more! Kevin(36) is a Mechanical Engineer, and Christa (34) is a stay at home mom. They live in Pennsylvania. Kevin and Christa would like prospective birth families to know that they are a fun loving Christian family. They are both college educated and strive to give their children every opportunity to succeed in life. They provide loving discipline and structure, along with lots of fun. They believe that no other success in life can compensate for failure in the home. Kevin and Christa are working through LDS Family Services. If you would like more information about them, including a way to contact them, please visit there website HERE.
If you would like to be featured on my blog this month, please email me at maloneandbrittanyadopt@gmail.com. If there is enough interest generated in this, then I am considering making this a permanent feature on my blog.
Friday, November 13, 2009
And... 19
Day 271 Waiting for our miracle babies
So this week was fun. We had our birthmom, J, come up and visit us overnight. It was totally casual. It felt like when I was 13 and had sleepovers with my best friends! So this picture of her isn't at exactly 26 weeks, but it was taken at about 25 and a half weeks, so I figure we can round up.
So this week was fun. We had our birthmom, J, come up and visit us overnight. It was totally casual. It felt like when I was 13 and had sleepovers with my best friends! So this picture of her isn't at exactly 26 weeks, but it was taken at about 25 and a half weeks, so I figure we can round up.
Also during this week, I finally broke down and bought some maternity jeans. Until this week I had been just making due with my regular pants, but they were getting tigher... and tighter... and tighter... It was so uncomfortable, I just couldn't handle it anymore! So I dragged my best friend Cessi down to the mall and found these MAGIC stretchy pants! They are AWESOME! And seriously, they should sell these babies to women as "period pants!" You know, for your bloated days. While at the store, I made Cessi strap on their pillow belly that they have for women to use while trying on clothes. It was so hilarious, but I think the sales lady might have thought we were insane.
Anyway, here are the pics for your viewing pleasure... J at 26 weeks, me at 19 weeks, and Cessi at... uh... some? weeks?
Monday, November 9, 2009
Ummm...
Day 267 Waiting for our miracle babies
As you all know, adoption is incredibly expensive. And I'm sure you can all guess that my pregnancies are also incredibly expensive. Combined, it creates somewhat of a financial crunch. We're not complaining, obviously any expense is worth it. But we are really trying hard not to go into debt for any of it. So, we have been saving as much as possible, we have done a fundraiser garage sale, and we have added a paypal button on our blog for donations. It hasn't been successful enough though. So, we are going to make and sell the little rocking chairs that we make. You can see pictures of them in this post. Our dilemma is that we really don't know how much to sell them for. Malone estimates that it costs us somewhere between $20-$25 in materials to make each one. Then I hand paint each one and customize it for the person it's going to. So, how much do you all think we could sell them for?
As you all know, adoption is incredibly expensive. And I'm sure you can all guess that my pregnancies are also incredibly expensive. Combined, it creates somewhat of a financial crunch. We're not complaining, obviously any expense is worth it. But we are really trying hard not to go into debt for any of it. So, we have been saving as much as possible, we have done a fundraiser garage sale, and we have added a paypal button on our blog for donations. It hasn't been successful enough though. So, we are going to make and sell the little rocking chairs that we make. You can see pictures of them in this post. Our dilemma is that we really don't know how much to sell them for. Malone estimates that it costs us somewhere between $20-$25 in materials to make each one. Then I hand paint each one and customize it for the person it's going to. So, how much do you all think we could sell them for?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
For starters
Day 262 Waiting for our miracle babies
One thing I would like to do this month to help spread the word about adoption is feature waiting couples. What better way to promote adoption than to try to help connect families? So, if you are a waiting family, send me your information. Include a photo, a way to contact you, a link to your online profile, and a short paragraph about your family. You can send this information to me at maloneandbrittanyadopt@gmail.com. I will ask my contacts to spread the word for you too. The only thing I ask in return is that you be sure to let your waiting friends know about this opportunity so that I can spread the word for them too.
One thing I would like to do this month to help spread the word about adoption is feature waiting couples. What better way to promote adoption than to try to help connect families? So, if you are a waiting family, send me your information. Include a photo, a way to contact you, a link to your online profile, and a short paragraph about your family. You can send this information to me at maloneandbrittanyadopt@gmail.com. I will ask my contacts to spread the word for you too. The only thing I ask in return is that you be sure to let your waiting friends know about this opportunity so that I can spread the word for them too.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Somethings brewing...
Day 261 Waiting for our miracle babies
What many of you don't know is that November is national adoption month. It's a chance for all of us to educate others about the miracle of adoption. With that in mind, I have decided that I want to do something special on my blog throughout the month to do my part. I'm not sure yet exactly what I'm going to do, but stay tuned. I have some ideas brewing in this brain of mine...
What many of you don't know is that November is national adoption month. It's a chance for all of us to educate others about the miracle of adoption. With that in mind, I have decided that I want to do something special on my blog throughout the month to do my part. I'm not sure yet exactly what I'm going to do, but stay tuned. I have some ideas brewing in this brain of mine...
Monday, October 19, 2009
Bet you never saw this coming...
Day 246 Waiting for our miracle babies
So, many of you have been asking what the surgery was for. I have to admit, I purposely didn't answer because we were waiting to see the outcome. But after months of keeping this secret, we can finally share with the whole world that I am...
PREGNANT
Yes, you read that right! I am expecting! My due date is April 9, 2010. Today my surgery was a cervical cerclage. It was necessary because of my prior history with Incompetent Cervix. Everything went well. Although we aren't out of the woods yet as far as risks are concerned, we passed a major hurdle today. So long as the bleeding slows down and I don't get an infection, things will most likely be ok. In fact, one doctor told us that so long as complications don't happen, the chances of the cerclage failing are only about 1%.
This pregnancy is such a miracle, it was completely unplanned and unexpected. When I was pregnant with Gavin, doctor's told us it was a "statistical fluke." AKA according to them, it never should have happened. Then after Gavin was born we were specifically told we would never be able to conceive again without major medical intervention. I guess this just goes to show that doctors should take into consideration God's influence.
So here's the somewhat condensed story. Don't worry, I won't get too graphic! Remember back in July when we were called to go to North Carolina to adopt a baby girl? Well, that call came at 4:30 in the morning and we packed in a frenzied hurry. In the frenzy we managed to forget to pack the... birth control. So all told I managed to miss about a week of my pills. (A little side note here... I don't actually take the pills as a contraceptive. In fact, my body has always served quite well as its very own contraceptive. The pills are actually used to manage my PCOS, or poly cystic ovarian syndrome. Without them I have incredibly screwed up cycles.) Anyway, unbeknownst to us, a whole week of missed birth control can really screw up your whole month's cycle and you can ovulate. Apparently that's what happened to us. I actually ovulated for the first time in probably 2 1/2 years. And it was just our luck that this one time, we managed to conceive. I guess even though the adoption of Jaida failed, there really was a reason we needed to go to North Carolina!
It was only a short time after our birthmom, J, selected us that we found out about my pregnancy. Of course we were floored. I can't even tell you how much we both cried. We have been so terrified that we will lose this baby the way we lost Gavin. But we called our caseworker with LDS Family Services right away. Charity told us that because J had already selected us, we could move forward with the adoption plan. Of course that's what we wanted, but we knew it was J's decision. We were strongly prompted to talk to her about it as soon as possible so that she could make her decision before becoming too emotionally tied to us. We were just so afraid to hurt her. Telling her about my pregnancy was very hard. We explained to her what our desires were, and then told her we loved her and would understand if she needed to choose another couple. We even told her that we knew of some really great people if she wanted some suggestions. She asked for some time to think about it, and we agreed to give her all the time she needed.
Later that day J asked us to drive down to see her. We were so nervous. But when we picked her up we felt an overwhelming sense of peace. She directed us to a park and we sat down on a bench. She told us that after she was able to get past the shock of our announcement, she was able to think about it clearly. She told us the most important thing about adoption is that the baby goes to the right parents. Then J told us that she felt from the very beginning that we were the right ones and that my pregnancy didn't change that. I think that was one of those moments that just drew us so much closer to her. She is a truly amazing woman. It was interesting though, she did say that if we had waited to tell her, she probably would not have made the same decision. We are so grateful we followed that prompting we had.
So, the long and short of it is that we are expecting two babies!!! The doctor plans to remove the cerclage at 36 weeks and expects that at that point I will have the baby. That puts us around mid March. So that means these two babies could be born as little as 3 weeks apart! So basically that means.... TWINS. We couldn't be more thrilled and are so thankful that God has provided this opportunity to us.
We will find out this baby's gender in about 4 weeks. Oh, and I felt the baby move for the first time last night.
Monday, October 12, 2009
A Great Weekend
Day 239 Waiting for our baby through the miracle of adoption
This past weekend was so fun! Our birth mom, J, and our birth father, T, came up to visit us. On Saturday they drove up together and we took them out to eat at our favorite pizza place here in town. After dinner, T went home. We're still working on building a relationship with him, but so far, we have gotten to be on pretty friendly terms. Hopefully things will go well and we can open up this adoption a bit more with him. Anyway, after dinner, we took J to our house and gave her the "grand tour." We sat and talked for a while and she showed me pictures of her two other children she has placed for adoption. They are SO CUTE!
Then we took her out to one of the local corn mazes/haunted hollows. We go every year, and thought it would be a fun tradition to share with her. Garth, Laura, Ashley, and Jesse came along with us and we had a ton of fun. We listened to a storyteller, ate kettle corn, launched gourds with a giant slingshot, took a wagon ride, rode a train, jumped in a giant pile of hay, went down a VERY slow slide, and walked through the blackout maze. J and I had so much fun walking through the blackout maze arm in arm trying not to crash into walls! It's been a long time since I laughed that hard. To top it off, we walked through the haunted hollow and corn maze. After that we were pretty well exhausted, so we headed home. We chatted for a while and then crashed for the night.
The next morning we all dragged ourselves out of bed and J came with us to church. Then we went home, ate lunch, and the real fun began. While J was here she wanted to meet the family. So by the end of Sunday, J had met my mom and all but three of my eight siblings and their families. She also got the chance to meet a couple of our family friends and my grandparents. I was a bit worried that we might overwhelm her since our family is big and noisy, but she liked everyone.
We are SO blessed that such an amazing woman selected us to place her baby with. And we are SO lucky that she lives only a few hours from us so we get to see her often. We're already looking forward to our next visit with her!
In other news, we are going to be extremely busy and stressed over the next couple of weeks with some different things. Next Monday especially is going to be a difficult day, so we are asking for prayers on our behalf.
This past weekend was so fun! Our birth mom, J, and our birth father, T, came up to visit us. On Saturday they drove up together and we took them out to eat at our favorite pizza place here in town. After dinner, T went home. We're still working on building a relationship with him, but so far, we have gotten to be on pretty friendly terms. Hopefully things will go well and we can open up this adoption a bit more with him. Anyway, after dinner, we took J to our house and gave her the "grand tour." We sat and talked for a while and she showed me pictures of her two other children she has placed for adoption. They are SO CUTE!
Then we took her out to one of the local corn mazes/haunted hollows. We go every year, and thought it would be a fun tradition to share with her. Garth, Laura, Ashley, and Jesse came along with us and we had a ton of fun. We listened to a storyteller, ate kettle corn, launched gourds with a giant slingshot, took a wagon ride, rode a train, jumped in a giant pile of hay, went down a VERY slow slide, and walked through the blackout maze. J and I had so much fun walking through the blackout maze arm in arm trying not to crash into walls! It's been a long time since I laughed that hard. To top it off, we walked through the haunted hollow and corn maze. After that we were pretty well exhausted, so we headed home. We chatted for a while and then crashed for the night.
The next morning we all dragged ourselves out of bed and J came with us to church. Then we went home, ate lunch, and the real fun began. While J was here she wanted to meet the family. So by the end of Sunday, J had met my mom and all but three of my eight siblings and their families. She also got the chance to meet a couple of our family friends and my grandparents. I was a bit worried that we might overwhelm her since our family is big and noisy, but she liked everyone.
We are SO blessed that such an amazing woman selected us to place her baby with. And we are SO lucky that she lives only a few hours from us so we get to see her often. We're already looking forward to our next visit with her!
In other news, we are going to be extremely busy and stressed over the next couple of weeks with some different things. Next Monday especially is going to be a difficult day, so we are asking for prayers on our behalf.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Drum Roll Please...
Day 233 Waiting for our baby through the miracle of adoption
Today was an awesome day. We had our ultrasound with our birth mom, J, and we also met our birth father, T, for the first time! It was so exciting, I can hardly contain myself.
So, I will try to describe for you how the ultrasound went.
First, the nurse called us all back. You could tell she was sort of surprised to have all four of us back there. But, to her credit, she took it all in stride and didn't even flinch when J explained that we are adopting her baby. There was an awkward moment at that point where Jeena had to expose her belly and... yeah... while we all averted our eyes. But then, the ultrasound tech said, "there's your baby!" We looked up and there on the giant screen was the most precious little baby. The nurse showed us the baby's profile, hands, feet, organs, etc... I was nearly speechless the whole time and trying not to embarrass myself by sobbing like a 3 year old girl. Then the nurse asked us if we wanted to know whether the baby was a boy or a girl. All four of us just about shouted at her: OF COURSE!!!
So the nurse pulls up the most perfect little shot of the baby's teeny tiny heiny. Of course, the baby was completely obedient and didn't even hide for a second. And the nurse said...
"I have never seen a more clear, perfect shot of a GIRL! 100%!"
Today was an awesome day. We had our ultrasound with our birth mom, J, and we also met our birth father, T, for the first time! It was so exciting, I can hardly contain myself.
So, I will try to describe for you how the ultrasound went.
First, the nurse called us all back. You could tell she was sort of surprised to have all four of us back there. But, to her credit, she took it all in stride and didn't even flinch when J explained that we are adopting her baby. There was an awkward moment at that point where Jeena had to expose her belly and... yeah... while we all averted our eyes. But then, the ultrasound tech said, "there's your baby!" We looked up and there on the giant screen was the most precious little baby. The nurse showed us the baby's profile, hands, feet, organs, etc... I was nearly speechless the whole time and trying not to embarrass myself by sobbing like a 3 year old girl. Then the nurse asked us if we wanted to know whether the baby was a boy or a girl. All four of us just about shouted at her: OF COURSE!!!
So the nurse pulls up the most perfect little shot of the baby's teeny tiny heiny. Of course, the baby was completely obedient and didn't even hide for a second. And the nurse said...
"I have never seen a more clear, perfect shot of a GIRL! 100%!"
Friday, September 25, 2009
Update
Day 222 Waiting for our baby through the miracle of adoption
Today was a great day! We went and spent the evening with our birthmom J! We had dinner and then went up the canyon to take some fun pictures. J got a new puppy named Molly and she is so adorable! Also, she gave me permission to share a picture of her cute little belly! So here J is at 19 weeks. Only one more week and then we'll be halfway through this pregnancy and we'll get to find out the baby's gender! We're so excited!!! Anyway, for your viewing pleasure...
Today was a great day! We went and spent the evening with our birthmom J! We had dinner and then went up the canyon to take some fun pictures. J got a new puppy named Molly and she is so adorable! Also, she gave me permission to share a picture of her cute little belly! So here J is at 19 weeks. Only one more week and then we'll be halfway through this pregnancy and we'll get to find out the baby's gender! We're so excited!!! Anyway, for your viewing pleasure...
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
A Modern Day Miracle
Day 212 Waiting for our baby through the miracle of adoption
Miracles do happen. Our birth father signed all of his legal paperwork today. He did it in the presence of our birth mother, her caseworker, and a notary. In the state where we live, he has no opportunity to change his mind now that the papers are signed.
I would be lying if I told you that I'm not relieved. It feels like a small burden has been lifted from our shoulders. But, at the same time, we feel a sadness knowing how difficult it must be for him today. We will continue to pray for him every day just as we have for the past year since we started this adoption process. We are so thankful for him regardless of some of the poor decisions he has made. We respect the great leap of faith he has taken in trusting us to follow through on our word. We hope he knows that we really meant what we said when we promised him some openness in this adoption.
Today we are eternally thankful to a man named T, and that he made such a courageous decision.
Miracles do happen. Our birth father signed all of his legal paperwork today. He did it in the presence of our birth mother, her caseworker, and a notary. In the state where we live, he has no opportunity to change his mind now that the papers are signed.
I would be lying if I told you that I'm not relieved. It feels like a small burden has been lifted from our shoulders. But, at the same time, we feel a sadness knowing how difficult it must be for him today. We will continue to pray for him every day just as we have for the past year since we started this adoption process. We are so thankful for him regardless of some of the poor decisions he has made. We respect the great leap of faith he has taken in trusting us to follow through on our word. We hope he knows that we really meant what we said when we promised him some openness in this adoption.
Today we are eternally thankful to a man named T, and that he made such a courageous decision.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Adoption is a roller coaster
Day 211 Waiting for our baby through the miracle of adoption
So... in case you didn't know this already...
The entire process of adopting is a roller coaster. It's full of ups, and unfortunately, it's also full of downs. Today we seem to be experiencing another down.
We received a call from our birthmom, J, this morning. Our birthfather, T, called J this morning to tell her that he has decided not to sign the adoption papers. He has done a lot of flip-flopping in the past, so we are not giving up on things yet. The caseworkers are trying to get a hold of him to try and talk things through.
We are hopeful, but prepared for the worst. We are experienced enough in adoption to understand that sometimes things just don't work out the way we want. But today we are praying for a miracle. We hope you will all pray with us.
So... in case you didn't know this already...
The entire process of adopting is a roller coaster. It's full of ups, and unfortunately, it's also full of downs. Today we seem to be experiencing another down.
We received a call from our birthmom, J, this morning. Our birthfather, T, called J this morning to tell her that he has decided not to sign the adoption papers. He has done a lot of flip-flopping in the past, so we are not giving up on things yet. The caseworkers are trying to get a hold of him to try and talk things through.
We are hopeful, but prepared for the worst. We are experienced enough in adoption to understand that sometimes things just don't work out the way we want. But today we are praying for a miracle. We hope you will all pray with us.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Are you a waiting family? Then you NEED this information
Day 207 Waiting for our baby through the miracle of adoption
Are you a family that is waiting to adopt a child? How long have you been waiting? I bet it feels like forever. So I'm going to say the "scary words" that a lot of adoptive couples avoid-
Special Needs Adoption
My question for all of you is, "why?" Why are you reluctant to adopt a child with special needs? Every day, I am thankful that I get to work with adults with disabilities. They are some of my closest friends, and very dear to my heart. And YES, some of these adults have SEVERE disabilities. But that doesn't matter. I love them love them love them!
Now, I know what some of you are thinking. You're thinking- "Well, she doesn't have room to talk. She hasn't adopted a special needs child, and she's matched with a birthmom who is expecting a healthy infant." So, please know that Malone and I were considered VERY seriously for at least four different special needs situations. We tried our dangdest (yep, I really just used that word) to bring one of those babies into our family, and we were extremely disappointed when each situation fell through. Heavenly Father just had another plan for us. For now.
Now, on to the meat of this conversation... Today I saw pictures of four absolutely precious brand new babies. These babies are waiting for their forever families. So this is my challenge. For just a moment, lay aside all of your "requirements" for the baby you want to adopt. Open your mind completely. Now, go take a look at these adorable children. I dare you not to fall in love. Click HERE to check out Christopher, Johnny, Ryan, and Sarah with Spence-Chapin adoption services. If you are worried about finances, just toss that thought away. This adoption agency is VERY affordable. I will warn you that they are difficult to get a hold of though.
Now, I have shown you four amazing opportunities. But keep your mind open for a moment longer, and let me introduce you to one of the greatest resources out there for waiting families.
Not long ago, we attended the National Families Supporting Adoption Conference in Layton, Utah. It was FANTASTIC. Every class was extremely informative, but there was one class that really stuck. It was taught by a woman who has adopted a number of special needs children internationally. And she has done so incurring very little expense. She has recently begun a sort of matching service where she connects waiting families with waiting infants who have special needs. These disabilities range from mild to severe. The best part? Her services are FREE. Let me just say that again... FREE! Did you catch on to that? Let me emphasize that one more time... FREE. What in the adoption world is FREE? NOTHING. You're crazy if you don't take advantage of this opportunity.
Anyway, in the class she said that in just a short time she had already placed lots of babies with families, and had to send away TEN little babies because she couldn't find enough families. We were shocked. When we got home from the conference, we signed up for her service right away. Ironically, just shortly after we finished all of the paperwork for her, we were selected by our birthmom, J, through LDS Family Services. BUT, right after our paperwork was completed, we received tips about FIVE different babies that were immediately available for adoption. Some of these babies had very severe disabilities. Some had only minor problems. Had J not matched with us right before that, we definitely would have said yes to at least one of those babies. I am not exaggerating when I say that after signing up with this service, you could potentially be parents within the next month. That's how badly they need families.
So, do I have you chomping at the bit? I hope so. Click HERE to visit her website and read more about her services. After all, just reading about it doesn't obligate you. So give it a go.
Now, I know this is getting long, but let me give you one more incentive. Go and sign up with this service. Then, if you receive information about a child with a disability that you are unfamiliar with or have questions about, I want you to CONTACT ME. Although I am not a total expert on disabilities, I am very familiar with many of these disabilities. If it is a disability that I work with, I will tell you EXACTLY what it is like to work with a person on a day-to-day basis with that disability. I will also be able to provide informational resources about that specific disability.
Now, why would I do this? The answer is simple. I'm willing to do this because I think most of you are either completely uninformed about specific disabilities OR you have been given misinformation. And it makes me sad that you are rejecting opportunities based on that. I have been asked before which disability I find easiest to work with. My answer? Downs Syndrome. Does that surprise you? I know it surprised the person I was talking to. This is just one example of a disability that is WIDELY misunderstood. I could go on forever with more examples, but I'll stop. (FOR NOW) However, I will leave this open invitation- if you have questions ASK ME. I'm not afraid to answer questions openly and honestly. If there is a disability that is VERY difficult, I will tell you. If there is a disability that is VERY expensive, I will tell you. Email me at maloneandbrittanyadopt@gmail.com. My only request is that you pray, and ask God to help you open your mind and heart to the possibility of adopting one of his special children. After all, they need love too.
Are you a family that is waiting to adopt a child? How long have you been waiting? I bet it feels like forever. So I'm going to say the "scary words" that a lot of adoptive couples avoid-
Special Needs Adoption
My question for all of you is, "why?" Why are you reluctant to adopt a child with special needs? Every day, I am thankful that I get to work with adults with disabilities. They are some of my closest friends, and very dear to my heart. And YES, some of these adults have SEVERE disabilities. But that doesn't matter. I love them love them love them!
Now, I know what some of you are thinking. You're thinking- "Well, she doesn't have room to talk. She hasn't adopted a special needs child, and she's matched with a birthmom who is expecting a healthy infant." So, please know that Malone and I were considered VERY seriously for at least four different special needs situations. We tried our dangdest (yep, I really just used that word) to bring one of those babies into our family, and we were extremely disappointed when each situation fell through. Heavenly Father just had another plan for us. For now.
Now, on to the meat of this conversation... Today I saw pictures of four absolutely precious brand new babies. These babies are waiting for their forever families. So this is my challenge. For just a moment, lay aside all of your "requirements" for the baby you want to adopt. Open your mind completely. Now, go take a look at these adorable children. I dare you not to fall in love. Click HERE to check out Christopher, Johnny, Ryan, and Sarah with Spence-Chapin adoption services. If you are worried about finances, just toss that thought away. This adoption agency is VERY affordable. I will warn you that they are difficult to get a hold of though.
Now, I have shown you four amazing opportunities. But keep your mind open for a moment longer, and let me introduce you to one of the greatest resources out there for waiting families.
Not long ago, we attended the National Families Supporting Adoption Conference in Layton, Utah. It was FANTASTIC. Every class was extremely informative, but there was one class that really stuck. It was taught by a woman who has adopted a number of special needs children internationally. And she has done so incurring very little expense. She has recently begun a sort of matching service where she connects waiting families with waiting infants who have special needs. These disabilities range from mild to severe. The best part? Her services are FREE. Let me just say that again... FREE! Did you catch on to that? Let me emphasize that one more time... FREE. What in the adoption world is FREE? NOTHING. You're crazy if you don't take advantage of this opportunity.
Anyway, in the class she said that in just a short time she had already placed lots of babies with families, and had to send away TEN little babies because she couldn't find enough families. We were shocked. When we got home from the conference, we signed up for her service right away. Ironically, just shortly after we finished all of the paperwork for her, we were selected by our birthmom, J, through LDS Family Services. BUT, right after our paperwork was completed, we received tips about FIVE different babies that were immediately available for adoption. Some of these babies had very severe disabilities. Some had only minor problems. Had J not matched with us right before that, we definitely would have said yes to at least one of those babies. I am not exaggerating when I say that after signing up with this service, you could potentially be parents within the next month. That's how badly they need families.
So, do I have you chomping at the bit? I hope so. Click HERE to visit her website and read more about her services. After all, just reading about it doesn't obligate you. So give it a go.
Now, I know this is getting long, but let me give you one more incentive. Go and sign up with this service. Then, if you receive information about a child with a disability that you are unfamiliar with or have questions about, I want you to CONTACT ME. Although I am not a total expert on disabilities, I am very familiar with many of these disabilities. If it is a disability that I work with, I will tell you EXACTLY what it is like to work with a person on a day-to-day basis with that disability. I will also be able to provide informational resources about that specific disability.
Now, why would I do this? The answer is simple. I'm willing to do this because I think most of you are either completely uninformed about specific disabilities OR you have been given misinformation. And it makes me sad that you are rejecting opportunities based on that. I have been asked before which disability I find easiest to work with. My answer? Downs Syndrome. Does that surprise you? I know it surprised the person I was talking to. This is just one example of a disability that is WIDELY misunderstood. I could go on forever with more examples, but I'll stop. (FOR NOW) However, I will leave this open invitation- if you have questions ASK ME. I'm not afraid to answer questions openly and honestly. If there is a disability that is VERY difficult, I will tell you. If there is a disability that is VERY expensive, I will tell you. Email me at maloneandbrittanyadopt@gmail.com. My only request is that you pray, and ask God to help you open your mind and heart to the possibility of adopting one of his special children. After all, they need love too.
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About Me
- Malone and Brittany
- About us? Where can I begin? Our little family has been through more ups and downs than can be described here. It has been a roller coaster since day one. Join us as we continue on our crazy ride.
