Reach For The Stars School: Adoption Story

So with international adoption in the news for such a bad reason these days people who have had a good experience with adoption are blogging about it today. The hope is to show both the US and Russian governments that although there are unfortunate endings to some adoption stories most stories are truly wonderful.

Our family came to adoption after my second pregnancy went as badly as it could and produce a wonderful little boy at the end. Todd and I had always wanted 4 children so we were thrilled when we found out we were having twins in the fall of 1999 (well as thrilled as one can be when in complete shock). On April 3, 2000 our wonderful twin girls (Morgan and Shannen) were born several weeks early but healthy and happy. They kept us busy for quite some time....I miss my sleep even now when they are 10.

When the girls were 3 we started to talk about having another child and in the fall of 2003 we found out we were expecting again (just one this time....should be easy...right). Around 18 weeks into my pregnancy I discovered that this was going to be a tough pregnancy....the baby had very little amniotic fluid and in addition I developed a condition called Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP) (for more info on this awful condition that is dangerous for baby and hellish for mom see: http://www.itchymoms.com/ ). After a long, emotionally exhausting pregnancy our son Collin was born on May 11, 2004. My OB cried in the operating room because Collin was healthy and asked me to please find a new doctor if I wanted more kiddos. With a high likely hood of the ICP returning with another pregnancy we decided to pursue adoption.

We had a lot of questions....how do you start, what do you do, will we make it through the wait....will we love him as much as our other kids? We had a great agency who gave us guidance and lots of answers. We decided to pursue an adoption in Guatemala. We completed paperwork....and more paperwork.....and yet a little more paperwork and we were matched with a child. I know that life works out the way it is supposed to but sometimes it is too hard to see that when you are living it....3 days before Christmas (the day before Tristan was born) we lost our first referral....we were devastated. We took some time and waited and talked and cried....and finally accepted Tristan's referral at the end of January. Then we waited more........In May of 2005 we touched down in Guatemala and held our little boy for the first time. He was beautiful and sweet (oh and the question about if we would love him as much as his brother and sisters flew right out the window). It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life to place him back in his foster mother's arms and go home. For the next 6 months (yes 6 MONTHS) we waited, and cried, and begged, and waited, and got kicked out of courts, and got back into courts....we got signatures, and waited for visas, and called our senators, and waited.....and finally on December 7, 2006 we had Tristan in our arms again.

He came home with us a few days later to many hugs, and tears, and smiles from family and friends....where he is loved every day....even when he hides my glass candle holder (broken.....after it was "just held....I promise") in his room (gotta love the 4 year old :) )....we could not imagine our life without him in it. Here are some pictures of our little man...