Misconception

My title makes me laugh.

Ok, I guess I better explain myself or at least explain the baby counter. We are ADOPTING and we are so excited that we can't stand it!! I really wish that everyone had the opportunity to adopt. It is the most amazing experience and to get to adopt a second time is a miracle and a blessing. The baby's due date is Feb. 20th and it's a BOY! I can't believe it 3 boys, how fun is that. I've been thinking of Ashley and Melissa L. and Peggy P. and Natalie J. and Melinda H. and all you others with 3 boys or more and I get so excited.

We found out the day after Graham's baptism, Oct. 11, that we had another one on the way. We already knew the birth mother so that makes this whole experience so different and wonderful! She invited me to go to the ultra sound with her the next day and I was overwhelmed with gratitude! We had so much fun at the ultra sound and were able to talk and laugh and hug. It was amazing. I kept it a secret that it was a boy all day and our birth mom came over that night for FHE (family home evening) and told the boys it was a boy and we all watched the ultra sound together. She even brought a cake that said, "It's a boy". It was the most memorable and meaningful FHE.

I've volunteered to help teach about adoption in the school health classes. So I've learned a lot more about adoption and want to pass it on here on the blog so that we can all be more educated about adoption.

lAdoption is the legal transfer of parental rights from one person to another person or couple. Adoptive parents have the same rights and responsibilities as parents whose children are born to them. (Like naming them, etc.)

Closed vs. Open Adoption

lClosed– No contact, birth mother may not even meet the adoptive family or look at profiles (scrapbook pages).

lSemi-open– Meet with adoptive parents prior to placement. Exchange letters and pictures through the agency.

lOpen– Exchange personal information, visits between birth parents and adoptive parents.

Positive Adoption Language

Give up child/putting child up for adoption = Placing a child

Giving up makes it sound like you are just walking away with no effort or thought. Placing indicates that you are putting the child into someone else's arms.

Keeping = Parenting

A girl isn't choosing between keeping or giving away her child. She's choosing between placing her child with another family or parenting that child herself.

Real parent = Birth parent/biological parent

There are more terms but these are the ones I hear used incorrect most often.

Here's a list of people you might have heard of who are adopted.

Charles Dickens, Faith Hill, Halle Berry, Mark Twain, Jesse Jackson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Pres. Clinton, Nat King Cole, Nancy Reagan, Moses.

Adoption Statistics
Of women age 15-44 who experience an unplanned pregnancy…

l12 % will marry and parent the child

l37% will be single parents

l50% will miscarry or abort the child

l1% will place the child for adoption.

For those of you who made it all the way to the end of the post thanks for reading and pass along the info so we are all better educated.

So, that's the reason for the baby counter. Fun huh!