Adoption Series 2014 -More of Our Story- National Adoption Day

Today is National Adoption Day 2014.  Today I wanted to share more of our story in celebration.  I hope you enjoy it and I hope through this adoption series you have found new insight you may not have had before.  Thank you for joining us.


When I began the process of compiling stories and information I made my way to a blue box. Although this box is just a plastic container from Walmart it holds a lot of information for my youngest daughter.  Paperwork, court documents, photos, and a handwritten journal from long before she was even a twinkle in our eyes.  

Opening that box brought back a rush of feelings to me.  The photo from the hospital of her and her birth information, the dark curly hair, and chubby cheeks.  It took me back to a time when there was so much uncertainty and the only things I could hold on to was her Daddy's hand and our faith.  Together, him and I made that journey.  Together, we bonded with the gift of life God chose for us to parent.  Together, we will do our best to raise her.

I took my journal and her first scrapbook from the box, I knew I would need them near me as I wrote this series.  To help inspire, remember, guide me back down our path of adoption.
My original post about our adoption can be found  by reading Did you know .  I decided I couldn't break it up and that I wanted to write something different in this series.  So if you would like the full story, be sure to check it out.  

Reflecting back on our adoption my view is different than it was six plus years ago, heck even two years ago.  When I was in the process of adoption, the waiting, I thought it was the worst thing ever.  Guess what, it wasn't.  Waiting on the birth mother to sign and getting approval from both states, now that was hard!  But all that fades, it doesn't matter, it all worked out in the end.  We traveled home with our daughter, and began living the life we were suppose to with three girls in our home.  

Our flight home to Kansas. PV 's first airplane ride!

I want to let you know it had been 15 years since I had an infant in my care 24 hours day 7 days a week.  That's a long time, and so I felt as if I was a brand new mother again.  My husband had no children  prior to PV and wasn't around children much before marrying me. We were in our 30's and 40's but we could have passed as new parents in our 20's! :)  PV had colic, it hit every night about 7:00, and seemed to last for years. Honestly, this was the worst of our transition into parenthood.  We survived and are better people for it, maybe looking more like our true ages, but better people anyway.

One of the things that was amazing to us is that so many people would comment how PV looked like my middle daughter Kassidy.  Their baby pictures were similar and they both have brown hair and brown eyes.  To this day, I find myself giggling at how much they are alike in ways other than just physical attributes. 

Most of our friends and family knew we were adopting and had been chosen to become PV's parents.  But there is that rare occasion, out in public, or someone that may not know us well, and they comment how much she looks like me.  I smile, and sometimes I explain she is adopted and sometimes I do not.  Either way, she is my child and I am her Mother. 

One of my favorite photos of us taken by my oldest daughter.

The love, support, and prayers we received during the entire adoption process was more than we could have ever asked for.  When we returned home the inside of our home was decorated in pink balloons and streamers with a basket of goodies.  We were given two baby showers and the child didn't want for anything for sometime. Beautiful quilts were made for her and visitors quickly arrived to hold the newest member of our family. I can't express in words well enough, we are still grateful to this day.

We don't talk about adoption on a daily basis, but PV knows she is adopted.  She knows that she can come to us and ask questions, and that we will be honest.  Milton and I show her the photo albums, and I tell her the story of when we first met her.  How I watched her Daddy fall in love with her right before my very eyes.  One of THE most beautiful things I have ever witnessed.  

As she gets older there will be wonder and there will be questions.  There will probably be some painful moments as well, but as her parents we will do our best to be honest and love her the best we know how.

Here is where I'd like to say that just as I forgot the pain of natural childbirth with my two older daughters when they were laid upon my chest for the first time, I forgot the hardest moments of adoption, when I met my youngest daughter for the first time.  Nothing can replace her place in my heart.  As I always tell her, "I'm so very glad God chose ME to be your Mommy." 

Over six years later.  

Thanks for stopping by!
Julie