Adoption Thread

[BrightSpot]

DS, thanks for your post. Turns out the mother has decided to keep the baby (a girl, due in December) after all.
I'm disppointed but not surprised. Better to find out now than later when we're more invested.

 

[pennquaker09]

I am popping up really quick to share my Charlie with you all! I know it's been a long time, and I am sorry. This little man is usually by my side as soon as he gets up in the morning.


He calls her, "my Kayla." They are BFFs.

 

[zoebartlett]

Charlie and Kayla are adorable, Penn! It's good to see you!

 

[dcgator]

Penn - They are both precious! What a beautiful little family you have

 

[ImperfectGirl]

Hi everyone!

It's hard to believe that I started this thread over 3 years ago! Time sure does fly. After getting back in touch with Deb, she encouraged me to come back and say hello and offer and update. As many of you will remember, my husband and I adopted our daughter after a trying year of failed adoptions and worry. Well my little girl turned 2 on Jan. 2 and is just so much fun! She talks so much and so well, it's surprised us. She's 40th percentile for height and weight and we just discovered a heart murmur, but hopefully it's nothing. She LOVES to read and sing and is just so active. She keeps me busy for sure! We live in northern CA now and I love it! Gorgeous weather, close to the Bay and I'm now working at a University which is fantastic! Life really couldn't be better.

Regarding Avery's birth family, we don't really hear from them anymore. The last time we spoke was when we went to visit after her 1st birthday. I've send a few photos and well wishes around holidays but I don't receive a response. Maybe they are just moving on with life...

I'm so sorry I've been away so long and I fully intend to post more regularly. I want to go back and read this entire thread again to catch up on anyone new in this process.

Of course, I had to include a couple photos of my munchkin. These 2 photos really just sum up her personality!

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I'm so glad you posted an update! I check on this thread often and I'm so happy life has been lovely!

 

[JGator]

IG, great to hear from you. I have wondered how you and Avery were doing. I'm glad she is doing well, and she is absolutely beautiful and radiant!

 

[Loves Vintage]

IG - I too am very happy to read your update! And, to see photos of your happy little girl! Thank you for coming back to post an update. I have wondered about you many times!!

 

[lliang_chi]

IG A is just *beautiful*. I'm so happy you posted with an update, but I knew your sweet angel was likely keeping you too busy to check in (also a good thing).

 

[Bella_mezzo]

IG So happy to see this update and how big Avery has gotten!!!!!!!! Where has the time gone? She is adorable and it sounds like your family is loving CA!

B is 5 now (crazy!!!) and we are expecting a surprise baby around Valentines Day. I've had a tough pregnancy, but we are thrilled to welcome this little miracle into our family...

 

[AGBF]

I used to check this thread at least once a day, then for the longest time nobody posted to it. When I came to see it today, knowing that IG had posted to it, I saw that I had missed an entire year of postings! I had not even seen Avery's last baby picture! I really don't know such a thing can happen...but did it did.

pennquaker, thank you for posting your photos. It is great to see your children growing up. And they are adorable!

Bella-congratulaions on the pregnancy!

IG-Avery looks like the happiest child! It is wonderful to see her beaming in every photo. What a gift you have been to her!

BrightSpot-Hang in there! It will work out for you!

BTW, Whitney (my daughter) had mitral valve prolapse as a child and it actually completely resolved by the time she was 21! I didn't know such a thing was even possible! No one knew she had MVP until she was worked up for Marfan's Syndrome. When they did an echo to see if she had Marfan's, they found the MVP. She was then followed every few years by a pediatric cardiologist. The last echo showed she had no more MVP!

Hugs,
Deb/AGBF

 

[ImperfectGirl]

Asscherhalo, JGator, LovesVintage and LC - Thank you! Thank you for even thinking of us. We are just so fortunate to have the opportunity to raise such a wonderful little girl.

Bella - Wow!!! 5?!?! Seriously, where does the time go? Post a picture if you can...I'd love to see his little face! And congrats on your pregnancy. Goodness, so much has happened. I'm so happy for you and DH. Do you know the gender? Any names picked out?

Deb - Always good talking to you ma'am! I've got some catching up to do on this thread as well. I'm so glad to hear that your daughter's heart issue resolved itself. That is truly the best outcome. I'm inclined to believe this murmur is nothing but DH is a little more worrisome. His cardiologist discovered a ASD in his heart at age 32. He had the hole closed right away and immediately experienced an improvement in cardiovascular endurance. Avery's appointment is later this month, so we'll see.

 

[AGBF]

Asscherhalo, JGator, LovesVintage and LC - Thank you! Thank you for even thinking of us. We are just so fortunate to have the opportunity to raise such a wonderful little girl.

Bella - Wow!!! 5?!?! Seriously, where does the time go? Post a picture if you can...I'd love to see his little face! And congrats on your pregnancy. Goodness, so much has happened. I'm so happy for you and DH. Do you know the gender? Any names picked out?

Deb - Always good talking to you ma'am! I've got some catching up to do on this thread as well. I'm so glad to hear that your daughter's heart issue resolved itself. That is truly the best outcome. I'm inclined to believe this murmur is nothing but DH is a little more worrisome. His cardiologist discovered a ASD in his heart at age 32. He had the hole closed right away and immediately experienced an improvement in cardiovascular endurance. Avery's appointment is later this month, so we'll see.

It's such a treat to see you posting again, IG!!! Just to come here and see that you have visited again is wonderful!

Hugs,
Deb

 

[dcgator]

IG - How wonderful to see you back here I am so happy that everything is going so well with you and the family. I must say that you have an absolutely BEAUTIFUL little girl, and she looks like such a happy one too! I hope everything turns out ok healthwise and she "grows out" of the heart murmur, which they can do. I look forward to getting more updates from you, but until then, enjoy your lovely daughter and take care!

 

[AGBF]

IG So happy to see this update and how big Avery has gotten!!!!!!!! Where has the time gone? She is adorable and it sounds like your family is loving CA!

B is 5 now (crazy!!!) and we are expecting a surprise baby around Valentines Day. I've had a tough pregnancy, but we are thrilled to welcome this little miracle into our family...

I am sorry that your pregnancy has been tough, Bella. I hope that the delivery will not be. Will you post a picture of B and your new baby in this thread once the baby is born? Those of us who follow this thread would love to follow the story of your family and it is easier to do so in this, intimate thread than by searching other, huge threads to find you!

I wish you all the best in the coming weeks.

Hugs,
Deb

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Here are two quick pics of B--I know I am biased, but he has the most incredible eyes/eyelashes!!!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Hi Deb, Here are a few more of Elias who arrived early

 

[BrightSpot]

Bella!!!!!! Your boys are so beautiful. Congratulations on your lovely family. I'm over the moon for you.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Oh my goodness! I haven't checked in here in months!!!

Penn!!! Love seeing Charlie and have wondered how you were doing! How are the twins???

IG...so glad Avery is doing so well and that life is good for your family! Thanks for the precious picture!

Bella!!! Your baby came early! Congratulations! What a wonderful blessing to now have two adorable boys!

Brightspot...I hope you have some good leads this year on a possible adoption!

 

[ImperfectGirl]

Bella!!! Oh my goodness, B has gotten so big! What a handsome boy, he is! And Elias, what a doll. You are so blessed! I know you are the proudest mama alive.

 

[hippi_pixi]

wow i've just spent hours reading this thread like a good book i just couldn't put it down or step away. so many highs and lows. ImperfectGirl my heart was breaking for you. Luckily its now midnight for me because I have cried all my makeup off.

When you second adoption fell through and there was mention that you didn't know if you could go through it again I felt so much physical pain, i opened a page to see all your posts to get a clue of the ending and found you'd posted last in a mommy thread i couldn't contain my joy and started skipping through the thread looking for your posts looking for good news

I'm so happy for you and how things turned out. have you considered adding to the family? would you adopt again?

 

[ImperfectGirl]

Hi hippi_pixie! Your comment made me go back and read some of my old posts. While most of the pain of that year is a distant memory, rereading it really brought it all back to the surface and I found crying myself all over again. We have talked extensively about expanding our family because if we were going to expand, my preference is for the children to be close in age. We've decided not to though. One and done for us! Adoption is difficult, expensive, and such a roller coaster and I don't know that I can or want to go through that all-consuming process again. And we like what life looks like with just the 3 of us.

My daughter is such an amazing little girl and I'm so thankful for every tear I cried in an effort to find her.

 

[hippi_pixi]

I could imagine the joy you now have that was a result of what you went through, helps to block out the pain that you went through to get here if that makes sense.

After reading your story I am so happy for you and glad you are happy as a family of three and don't need to do it all over again. Your daughter looks like such a sweet little thing. And your newborn pics are gorgeous!

In one of your posts you said that the birth mother 'changed her mind' after the birth. hopefully she makes the most of the opportunity to enjoy the rest of her childhood and make the most of life. If so I'm sure she will look back and now that the outcome was the best for everyone involved. It's only natural for someone so young to think emotionally instead of logically after such a big experience. It's probably best to have little to no contact now although she might check back in when shes older

And Avery is a lovely name

 

[AGBF]

Finding another thread in this forum (on foster care and adoption) reminded me that I had not read this thread in a long time. I don't think I even posted about Elias. I am wondering, now, if I ever saw his picture. He was a gorgeous baby. He must be two years old now! (Bella, if you ever return here, please post your sons' current photos.) When I came to read it today, I was shocked at how long it had been since anyone posted in it. It made me wonder if there is another, newer thread where people who want to adopt are getting advice and support or if that is, currently, an unmet need on Pricescope. Would someone who knows let me know here? And if the need is being met, would you please post a link to the thread where discussions on adoption are currently taking place? Otherwise, I would like to make this thread available for those discussions.

Thank you!

Deb/AGBF