A few years after marrying the man of my dreams, I was surprised to once again feel like an insecure single woman, willing the phone to ring.
“Picture of Love”
In the photos our agency sent, I saw a serious little boy growing up without a mother. Halfway around the world, I waited and longed for the day when I could fill that role.
“Everything Counts”
When you’re waiting to adopt, you count each day that passes. But how should I count my daughter-to-be, who is already a part of me?
“Why Tae Kwon Do?”
So far, each step I have taken into my future daughter’s world has taught me nearly as much about myself as it has about her culture.
“My Adoption (And Bunko) Support Group”
My Bunko buddies were the ones who were there for me when I suddenly got “the call.”
“What We Couldn’t Learn Before Adopting”
My wife and I learned a lot from reading, but there were some things not discussed in the books we read. So from one father to another, from one parent to another, here’s my notebook of thoughts after our adoption.
“To Those Still Waiting”
Our “adoption journey” was not an easy one. No, our road was bumpy and dark and full of unmarked turns that were gently referred to by our social workers as failed matches or changes of heart. With every disappointment we endured, I struggled with what I call the both/and—holding two conflicting feelings at once.
“Wait Gain: How We Dealt with a Wait That Kept Growing”
Waiting can be brutal, but there are some benefits. Take it from someone who endured 30 months before she got to hold her son.
“The Rocking Chair”
A white rocking chair helped us through many sleepless nights during the wait, and through many happy memories after we brought our son home.
Getting the Emotional Support You Want and Need
Open communication can help create positive relationships with family and friends.
How Should We Deal with Unsupportive Relatives?
How do you respond to family members who say they don’t understand why you’re adopting? Members of AdoptiveFamiliesCircle share their advice.
“An Expectant-Adoptive Mom”
While I was waiting to be matched, I tried to step out of the shoes of “adoptive mom” and into the shoes of “birth mom.”
“Waiting for Joseph”
During the process to adopt from the foster system, we faced a series of delays. But, at the end, we found a love that was worth the wait.
“Collecting Children’s Books Carried Me Through the Wait”
How did I fill my time during the wait? By filling a bookcase for our child-to-be.
“Gardening Through the Adoption Wait”
After my dream of a family through adoption had been planted, it grew in the warm soil of my backyard.
Ask AF: Encouraging a Reluctant Spouse
Answers to your parenting questions.
“What to Expect When You’re Not Expecting”
Without sonograms, morning sickness, and kicking, you have to find the joy in your own “moments” as you wait to adopt.
“My Hands-On Wait”
I wasn’t going to just wait around during the wait. Instead, I filled the time with networking, decorating the baby’s nursery, and more.
“First Paperwork, Then Spring Rolls”
Food has always drawn my family together. While I wait for my daughter, I’ll begin reaching out to her in the best way I know — through cooking.
Celebrating the Holidays While You Wait
It’s tough to wait another year, especially during the holiday season. Here are some strategies that will help you until your child arrives.