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Everything You Should Include on Your Adoption Profile
Want to build the perfect adoption profile. I have compiled all the best tips advice for creating an amazing profile!
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Alexander’s Story- Part 3 : Finding his Birth Mom
Most of my personal stories that I share here have happened in the past, so it’s really fun for me to tell you about Alexander’s story because it is happening in the present! We have had a few developments in his story since the last post about his court finalization. As you know, we are BIG fans of open adoptions, and are thankful everyday for the relationship we have with Jonathan’s birth mom. She only lives a few hours away from us so it is easy to plan a few visits every year along with emailing and texting. Alexander’s birth mom lives in the Marshall Islands. We have never met…
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Jonathan’s Story – Part 1 : Meeting a Birth Mom for the First Time
I’m not sure which day I officially became a mom. Was it the day Jonathan was born? Was it the day his birth mom signed the adoption papers? Or was it the day Jeron and I brought our precious baby boy home? Which ever one it is, there was a long road that led up to that day. I had some health problems that resulted in a surgery that I almost didn’t survive, we went through a year of trying to get pregnant the “normal” way, followed by a year of infertility tests. But the story of how we became Jonathan’s parents begins with a phone call from the doctor,…
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Short History of World Adoption Day
Happy World Adoption Day everyone! As you know, adoption is something very near and dear to my heart. It is through adoption that Jeron and I were able to have children. And they are the best two boys ever! Not a day goes by that I don’t think about adoption and the blessing and miracle it has been in my life. So today we celebrate with everyone else in the world who has been touched by adoption. We adopted our first son in August 2014 and have celebrated World Adoption Day every year since then. So, I have always assumed that it was a well-known, well established, celebration that…
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Alexander’s Story – Part 2 – Adoption Finalization
Oh, Happy Day! On September 18, 2018 we went to court to finalize the adoption of Alexander! For reasons I can’t even explain, I was extremely nervous to appear in court and speak to the judge. I am pretty shy by nature, but I don’t remember being so nervous when we went for Jonathan’s finalization. But nervous or not, it was a beautiful experience and a beautiful day! We had so much support from family and friends. I am so grateful to each and every person who came with us. The judge even commented that he loved seeing so many family members present. That warmed my heart soooooo much! I…
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Why I Named my Blog The Whispering Leaf
I often get asked why I named a blog about adoption The Whispering Leaf. So today I thought I would share some of my deepest feeling about adoption, and why I felt the name The Whispering Leaf was so perfect. But first let me ask you some questions. “Do you feel the need to whisper when talking about adoption?” and if so, “Why?” For us, it all began with the adoption of our first son, Jonathan. The minute people learned that we had adopted a baby, they wanted to share how adoption had touched their life. Some of these people I had known for a long time, while others were…
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Everything You Need to Know About “Gotcha Day”
“Gotcha” is a word I have never liked for a few simple reasons – I don’t like the way it sounds coming out of my mouth AND I don’t like the way my mouth has to move in order to say it! The more I hear it or say it, the worse it gets. Have any of you ever had a word like that? I used to have a similar reaction to the word “scrumptious.” My Grandma always used the word “scrumptious” to describe every meal.. and it drove me crazy! Now that she has passed on, I don’t mind hearing it, because it makes me think of her. But…
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Pros and Cons of Open Adoption
If you are considering adoption, one of the first things that you will need to start thinking about is if you would like an open or a closed adoption. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept of an open vs. closed adoption, let me explain. In an open adoption, the adoptive parents and the birth parents have traded personal information and have the option of contacting one another. There are various degrees of openness. Emails, pictures, social media, texting, calling, and visits can all be factors that are included in openness. The birth and adoptive parents usually meet before the birth/placement of the baby. In a closed…
