Our Open Adoption

Many people have asked us about our choice to do an open adoption. The idea of an open adoption is relatively new, and we are glad that we have been able to approach the arrival of David with the understanding that an open adoption brings. Some of the key key things unique to an open adoption are:

1--David will know from the very beginning that he is adopted and who his birth mother is. We will keep a relationship with the birth mother that will allow us to communicate with her, send her pictures, and she will be aware of how David is growing and progressing.
2--This openness will allow us to teach David about Heavenly Father's plan for him. We believe that God creates families. And he has created ours by sending David to our family through his birth mother. We hope that this knowledge will help David to learn more about all the people that love him, as well as a knowledge that the heavens know his name and helped him to arrive in our family in this unique way.
3--The openness has also allowed us to get to know our birth mother over the last few months. We have spoken to her on a weekly basis since she made the decision to place her baby with us. All of this communication has helped us to have a basis for our love for her. We would have still felt love for any birth mother that blessed our family with a child, but coming to know her heart has made that love sweeter.
4--The open adoption has also allowed us the opportunity to be with our son from the moment of birth. Thanks to the generosity of the birth mother, we were invited to the delivery (and miraculously made it in time from Alaska!). Sam was able to cut the umbilical cord and I had the second wristband so we could spend time with David while we were still in the hospital and allow the birth mother to rest.
5--Through the openness of this adoption, we have also been able to meet many people that love our birth mother and the life she has brought into the world. We have spent a lot of time with her family this last week. We have also been able to meet friends from her home town, and they have showered David with rememberances of more people that love him. We truly feel blessed to have all of these people interested in the well-being of our son.
6--Last, but certainly not least, our open adoption has allowed us to develop a level of trust that has surprised us. We came to trust our birth mother that she was going to carry through with the decision to place her baby in our family. We also came to trust her that she was making a huge effort to give our baby a healthy start to life in the way she took care of herself during the pregnancy. And now she is trusting us that we will keep her in touch with our family and share with her the joy David brings to our life.