This guest post is by Kathy Rau, an adoptive parent. 

Whether you are new to the adoption world or have experience with adoption, the process can set you into a whirlwind of emotions: joy, fear, excitement, anticipation, worry, stress and pure giddiness!

But in the end holding your new child makes it all seem long forgotten.

I am an adoptive mom of four beautiful children. Each and every one of my adoptions was uniquely different.

The final outcome, however, was the same: a family!

I want to share my process with you in hopes that you can walk away with a little more insight into the potential of adopting.

My husband and I made the decision to adopt after learning we were not able to conceive on our own.

I can remember the excitement that followed our decision.

However, once the decision to adopt was made we had so many more decisions ahead of us.

The most important was our adoption plan. Continue reading →

This guest post is by Paige Knipfer, an adoptive mother.  

The day I met my daughter and her birth mother was one of the happiest and saddest days of my life.

When that day came it didn’t seem real. It felt like an out-of-body experience.

I know that many people frame an adoption placement as being “picture perfect.” But to do so distorts the reality of what it really is.

As an adoptive parent, you want to be in the moment as much as you can. But you also want to guard your heart for fear that the birth mother will change her mind.

You rarely hear about the emotional rollercoaster you undergo or how mentally draining the process can be—in addition to dealing with all of the challenges that every new parent faces.

Adoption is not for the faint of heart. Continue reading →

This guest post is by Rachel Garlinghouse, an adoptive parent and author.

I see it often.  Social media posts from parents who are new to adoption asking what books to read to their kids, how to answer their child’s questions, how to answer strangers’ questions (when asked in front of the kids), and how to explain adoption to children.

These are certainly common things to wrestle with.  As a mom of three children who came to me by adoption, I certainly understand the struggle.

There have been moments where I wish I had a pause button so I could have the perfect answers.

There is something we can prepare in advance, a right thing to say that is just waiting for the right time.

Affirming our children is incredibly important, especially when there are misconstrued and negative stereotypes surrounding adoption.

Whether you are tucking your child in to bed, driving to gymnastics practice, or enjoying a visit to the park, there’s always an opportunity to affirm your child.

Here are  five affirmation suggestions to help you get started. Continue reading →

This guest post is by Brian Esser, an adoptive father and attorney.

A lot of potential clients tell me they are starting their adoption journey in the New Year.

It makes sense.  A new year is full of hope and promise; it’s a milestone and brings a sense of time passing.

And with the stress and hectic pace of the holidays over, you can take on an endeavor like adoption. And starting your adoption journey is a big endeavor. 

If you get overwhelmed at the beginning, you’re not alone. I feel it helps to break the process down into more manageable pieces. 

Here are a few adoption resolutions you can make for 2016. Continue reading →