**Sorry this is over a week late, but Noah and I have been fighting colds for over a week now**
I thought when the day would come it would be no big deal, I mean really the hard stuff was over, and things were not going to be any different. Then it hit me Wednesday night as I was getting our clothes ready for the following day. I am not sure really what it was, the realization that something I have dreamed of my entire life was going to become a reality. I have known since I was 12 years old that it was going to be pretty much impossible for me to have a child. Then at 22 that became even more real. Then my thought's went to Noah's birth mother, does she know that tomorrow is even happening? I know this is what she wanted I am not saying that, but is still my thoughts kept drifting to her.
We were up early and on the road the following day to Pittsburgh for our hearing to take place. I was crying the minute we left the driveway, thank God my dad was driving. All the tears and years of heartache are coming to an end in just a few short hours. I know that Noah has been with us for 7 months, and he has been our son that long so it shouldn't be any big deal. But it is! We get to the office and visit with the social worker for a few minutes, before the call comes. We were lucky enough not to have to go back to Vegas for the hearing we were able to do it over the phone. The call lasted less that 10 minutes but it changed our life forever. It was a very emotional 10 minutes and hearing the judge say that Noah was legally OUR child my heart burst with joy. Knowing that NO ONE can ever come and take him means so much to us.
So one asked me when they found out things were over, so this means your adoption journey is over right? I didn't know how to answer that, I guess in some ways yes it is and in other's not even close. So this step in adoption is over and we move on to the next. Figuring out our relationship with Noah's birth mother and thing's down the road with Noah when he is old enough to ask questions.
I would love to say we will do it again, but I don't know if that will happen. Adoption is expensive and a long preocess and lets be honest money and age is not on our side. But if it is in God plan then I will not question it because I look at my son and see his work.
So I will continue to blog about Noah and other things at this point! Here are some pictures from our day!
Love,
Joe, Melinda and Noah
[gallery orderby="rand"]
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Roundtable #40
The Open Adoption Roundtable is a series of occasional writing prompts about open adoption. It’s designed to showcase of the diversity of thought and experience in the open adoption community. You don’t need to be listed at Open Adoption Bloggers to participate or even be in a traditional open adoption. If you’re thinking about openness in adoption, you have a place at the table. The prompts are meant to be starting points–please feel free to adapt or expand on them.
Write a response at your blog–linking back here so your readers can browse other participating blogs–and share your post in the comments here. Using a previously published post is fine; I’d appreciate it if you’d add a link back to the roundtable. If you don’t blog, you can always leave your thoughts directly in the comments.
What were your reasons for choosing open adoption? (Or, for adoptees, what are your reasons for continuing to invest in your relationships with your first family?)
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I have never wrote for any of the roundtable topics before but I felt drawn to this one for some reason.
To say open adoption was something we wanted from the get go would be a lie to be honest. We started to adoption process 2 years ago with the mind-set that we wanted a closed adoption we wanted no parts in an open adoption at all. I think what made us start off as wanting a closed adoption was starting this process in the foster care end of things. We took the classes thinking that is what we wanted to do. We left feeling all birth mothers were bad people. They lied, did drugs, took advantage of people. What else was a person to think, right. Over time and much thought and prayer my mind slowly changed. Well maybe a letter and pictures once in a while won't be so bad. Then it was ok well maybe a visit every so often would be ok too. It was a slow process coming to that decision to say the least, and I can't say there was just 1 thing that made us decide that. It was just the realization that this woman is giving us an amazing gift. The gift of a child, us being able to have a family, the gift of a life, what is the big deal about letters and pictures and visits. I have to admit part of it was for selfish reasons. God forbid something happens down the road, those birth parents will be our link to the medical history we need and maybe even worse, organs or other things. I know that sounds really bad and it sounds even worse as I type it out but it is the truth and I can't help it.
Then our son's birth mother got in touch with us and my outlook changed even more. We spend months building a relationship with her, getting to know her. Growing to love her. It became so much more than about a girl, or woman, who was going to give us her baby. She was a woman who needed someone who would be there for her no matter what. I remember being in the hospital after Noah was born and her telling me something and when I asked why she didn't tell me before she said remember how you told me you were afraid I would like you once I saw you and met you, well I was afraid if you know EVERYTHING you would change your mind. I wanted you to meet Noah and love him before I could tell you so you wouldn't change your mind. It was in the very moment that I knew that I would never go back on my word and I would always have an openess with her. And it wasn't for any of the reasons I listed above because the pretty much don't matter in this situation. I also saw the demons she fought everyday in her life, see she herself was adopted and it was a full closed adoption. (That is all the more I will say about her story, it is her's to tell). But I never wanted Noah to have the questions down the road and no one to answer them. Someday he is going to want to look at her and see his own eyes looking back, just like I can look at my father and see my eyes looking back. Or little things he does now I often wonder where does he get that. I am lucky enough to be able to ask that and find out.
Yes I will be honest it had been a hard road, alot of ups and downs. But I think we are getting to a better place in our relationship, or at least I am hoping we are. For the first time since Noah was placed with us we got an honest heartfelt letter from her and so did Noah (for when he is old enough to read and understand). Her heart hurts right now and that is ok it is allowed to and it will for a long time. She was a parent doing the best she could and she made a decision that most of us could never make if we were in those shoes. She is a human with feelings and I am not going to just write her off.
Write a response at your blog–linking back here so your readers can browse other participating blogs–and share your post in the comments here. Using a previously published post is fine; I’d appreciate it if you’d add a link back to the roundtable. If you don’t blog, you can always leave your thoughts directly in the comments.
What were your reasons for choosing open adoption? (Or, for adoptees, what are your reasons for continuing to invest in your relationships with your first family?)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have never wrote for any of the roundtable topics before but I felt drawn to this one for some reason.
To say open adoption was something we wanted from the get go would be a lie to be honest. We started to adoption process 2 years ago with the mind-set that we wanted a closed adoption we wanted no parts in an open adoption at all. I think what made us start off as wanting a closed adoption was starting this process in the foster care end of things. We took the classes thinking that is what we wanted to do. We left feeling all birth mothers were bad people. They lied, did drugs, took advantage of people. What else was a person to think, right. Over time and much thought and prayer my mind slowly changed. Well maybe a letter and pictures once in a while won't be so bad. Then it was ok well maybe a visit every so often would be ok too. It was a slow process coming to that decision to say the least, and I can't say there was just 1 thing that made us decide that. It was just the realization that this woman is giving us an amazing gift. The gift of a child, us being able to have a family, the gift of a life, what is the big deal about letters and pictures and visits. I have to admit part of it was for selfish reasons. God forbid something happens down the road, those birth parents will be our link to the medical history we need and maybe even worse, organs or other things. I know that sounds really bad and it sounds even worse as I type it out but it is the truth and I can't help it.
Then our son's birth mother got in touch with us and my outlook changed even more. We spend months building a relationship with her, getting to know her. Growing to love her. It became so much more than about a girl, or woman, who was going to give us her baby. She was a woman who needed someone who would be there for her no matter what. I remember being in the hospital after Noah was born and her telling me something and when I asked why she didn't tell me before she said remember how you told me you were afraid I would like you once I saw you and met you, well I was afraid if you know EVERYTHING you would change your mind. I wanted you to meet Noah and love him before I could tell you so you wouldn't change your mind. It was in the very moment that I knew that I would never go back on my word and I would always have an openess with her. And it wasn't for any of the reasons I listed above because the pretty much don't matter in this situation. I also saw the demons she fought everyday in her life, see she herself was adopted and it was a full closed adoption. (That is all the more I will say about her story, it is her's to tell). But I never wanted Noah to have the questions down the road and no one to answer them. Someday he is going to want to look at her and see his own eyes looking back, just like I can look at my father and see my eyes looking back. Or little things he does now I often wonder where does he get that. I am lucky enough to be able to ask that and find out.
Yes I will be honest it had been a hard road, alot of ups and downs. But I think we are getting to a better place in our relationship, or at least I am hoping we are. For the first time since Noah was placed with us we got an honest heartfelt letter from her and so did Noah (for when he is old enough to read and understand). Her heart hurts right now and that is ok it is allowed to and it will for a long time. She was a parent doing the best she could and she made a decision that most of us could never make if we were in those shoes. She is a human with feelings and I am not going to just write her off.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
While he sleeps...
I try to squeeze so much into that time and for some reason the blog always gets put off and I am sorry. Our house has been getting used to new schedule and alot of one parent time with Noah due to work schedules.
Noah has grown alot in the past few weeks. He is eating everything and everything you give him and yells when you don't give it to him fast enough. From our 4 month check up to our 6 month check up he gained 4 lbs. which was a little bit of a shock but also a happy site since he wasn't really gaining a ton of weight with the spitting up so much and everything. That has seemed to slow down a great deal now which makes mommy and daddy happy. He is sitting up on his own, when he chooses to that is. He gets up like he is going to crawl but just rocks and rocks and then gives up. So I do think he will be crawling very soon. He is "talking" away when you let him and loves to laugh at the dogs. The dogs look at him like he is nuts which just makes him laugh more and harder.
He has become quick a pappy's boy over the past few months, especially since my mom started to watch him for us. I think all 3 of them are going to be lost come October when Noah starts going to daycare and not Grammy and pappy's house.
Each day my heart grows with the love I have for him. I didn't think it was possible to love him more than the day he was born and I am proved wrong each day. Being a mom is everything and more than I ever thought possible. I told my mom a few weeks ago I wasn't really living before Noah came into my life and the only thing I EVER wanted was to be a mother. That has happened now and when the time goes I can die a happy woman.
Enjoy the new photos of Noah.
Love Melinda
[slideshow]
Noah has grown alot in the past few weeks. He is eating everything and everything you give him and yells when you don't give it to him fast enough. From our 4 month check up to our 6 month check up he gained 4 lbs. which was a little bit of a shock but also a happy site since he wasn't really gaining a ton of weight with the spitting up so much and everything. That has seemed to slow down a great deal now which makes mommy and daddy happy. He is sitting up on his own, when he chooses to that is. He gets up like he is going to crawl but just rocks and rocks and then gives up. So I do think he will be crawling very soon. He is "talking" away when you let him and loves to laugh at the dogs. The dogs look at him like he is nuts which just makes him laugh more and harder.
He has become quick a pappy's boy over the past few months, especially since my mom started to watch him for us. I think all 3 of them are going to be lost come October when Noah starts going to daycare and not Grammy and pappy's house.
Each day my heart grows with the love I have for him. I didn't think it was possible to love him more than the day he was born and I am proved wrong each day. Being a mom is everything and more than I ever thought possible. I told my mom a few weeks ago I wasn't really living before Noah came into my life and the only thing I EVER wanted was to be a mother. That has happened now and when the time goes I can die a happy woman.
Enjoy the new photos of Noah.
Love Melinda
[slideshow]
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