#NationalAdoptionAwareness Month. R is for #Reasons for #Relinquishment “What were the reasons you gave up your daughter for adoption rather than being a parent?” Plain and simple answer: I did not give up my daughter, I chose to create an adoption plan for her as that was the best option at that time in my life. This is a common question that my family members and I are asked when people find out that I chose to place rather than…
#NationalAdoptionAwareness Month. Q is for #Quick How does the word Quick relate to adoption? Individuals who are in the adoption world wish and hope that the process of #planning, #waiting, #choosing and #laboring are all things that will be quick and painless. But #adoption is something that is NOT quick for many individuals. Prospective Adoptive parents are told once their home study has been approved to have a bedroom/nursery ready because they will never know when they will get…
#NationalAdoptionAwareness Month. P is for #Photograph “Look at this photograph…Every time I do it makes me laugh…How did our eyes get so red? And what the hell is on Joey’s head?” – lyrics from Nickleback “Photograph” Over the years, may music bands have written or performed songs that speak about photos and some of those songs are my favorites. Such as Photograph by Nickleback. I can relate to the song, with looking at old photos and laughing at the different…
#NationalAdoptionAwareness Month. O is for #Open Adoption & Family Services Open Adoption & Family Services (OAFS) is the agency that I chose to work with for placement of Lil Miss. OAFS is in Portland, Oregon but has locations in Eugene, Seattle and was the first agency in Oregon to offer fully open adoptions back in the mid-1980s. I chose to work with OAFS because of how they treated me with the first contact I ever made with them. The counselor…
#NationalAdoptionAwareness Month. N is for #New When it comes to being a birthparent, I have always had some anxiety when it came to meeting new people who do not know my adoption journey. I mean, what do you say when someone asks if you have kids? This is something I have always struggled with and have responded different ways. Sometimes I will say, “Yes, I do and she is <enter age>.” I then try to move the conversation to something…
#NationalAdoptionAwareness Month. M is for #Mentoring After the placement of Lil Miss, I became very involved with Birthmom Buds. One area of Birthmom Buds that I became actively involved in was their Pre/Post Placement Mentoring. Over the years I have mentored a number women who were considering adoption. I was there to answer questions, validate feelings, and to support these women. It is important for women who are considering an adoption plan to have the positive support from others. There…
#NationalAdoptionAwareness Month. L is for #Lil-Miss Lil Miss is a nickname that I used while I was pregnant. I didn’t want to use a formal name while pregnant due to 1) not knowing what her name would be and 2) not wanting to get too attached. Lil Miss has just stuck and to keep her real name off social media I typically will still use Lil Miss. How did I come up with this nickname?? It is difficult to remember…
#NationalAdoptionAwareness Month. K is for #Kaylee While I was pregnant, the name of the baby was something that her parents and I spoke about. My only request was that either my first name or middle name was part of her name. We had talked about having Lil Miss and I share middle names, Rae. First names that were talked about were Katelynn, Karlee, and Hailee. When she was born, I looked at her mom and said, “Well mom, what is…
#NationalAdoptionAwareness Month. K is for #Kinds of Adoption When a birthmother is beginning her placement journey, she is first asked what type of adoption is she looking for, as there are different types of adoptions. The three most common are Open Adoption, Semi-Open, and Closed. Open adoption is when the birthmother choses the future parents of her child and can receive pictures, phone calls, facetime, emails, and visitations with the placed child. Semi-Open Adoptions are adoptions where the birthmother has…
#NationalAdoptionAwareness Month. J is for #January. January, the first month of the Gregorian Calendar, it is a new start of the year and some see it as a new chapter in their lives. January for me can be different every year as Lil Miss was born on the last day of the month. I have noticed over the past couple of years, I tend to be extra sensitive and moody during January. I add vitamin B into my morning routine…