Day #2 of Adoption Classes!

Today is probably one of the best days Shaileen and myself had as a couple in a very long time. We have been waiting for these classes for a long time to be offered. We have always wondered what it would be like to have an open adoption and before today we had an idea what it was but it is so much more and so much deeper. One of the first things we had this morning is a Adult Adoptee panel where the talked and there was a question and answer session. It was so nice to hear the position of where each of them stood. Almost everyone of the individuals on this panel did not have much if any contact with their birth parents because open adoption hadn't really been an option back then. The main point that they wanted to make was they wanted us to make sure we as adoptive parents kept whatever promises we said we would promise. Each of them wished that they had at least some knowledge of who they are and where they came from. The part of the classes that really hit both Shaileen and I was the Birth Parent Panel. My sister has adopted and we have seen the relationship between my nephew and his birth mother but it has never been a first person experience for us. We learned that birth parents are probably some of the strongest people that you will ever meet. They love their biological children and can't be promised things and not have adoptive parents not follow through. I can't even imagine being a mother and birthing a child and shortly there after you were promised to see the child and all ties were broken off. Shaileen and I vowed at this seminar that we would only make promises that we are able to keep. We have learned that it is healthy for the child to grow up knowing who their birth parents are. When we adopt the birth parents will be come adopted into our family forever as well as permanent members. We truly have a love for each and every birth mother out there and continually pray for them to have strength and peace. We are so excited to be able to meet the child that is meant for our family and look forward to the searching phase of this adoption process. We appreciate everyone's continued support and especially our close family. We love all of you!

DAY #2

Just walking out of the adoption classes with our book, salad and a yummy cupcake!