The Legacy of a Child in Open Adoption

Once there were two expectant mothers.

One carried and cared for you beneath her beating heart

She became your Birthmother.

The other carried the hope of you within her.

She became your Mom.

As the days passed, and you grew bigger and stronger,

Your Birthmother knew that she could not give you all you needed after your birth.

Meanwhile, your Mom was ready and waiting for you.

One day your Birthmom and your Mom found each other.
They looked into each other’s eyes and saw a friend.

Your Birthmom saw the life your Mom could give you.

Your Mom saw how much your Birthmom loved and cared for you.
They decided that what you needed was both kinds of love in your life.

So now you have two families,

One by birth, the other by adoption.
And you have a home where you can get:

your questions answered,

your boo boos bandaged,

your heartaches soothed,

And much needed hugs.

And a place where you can find:

answers to your questions,

your image in the mirror,

a part of yourself,

And much needed hugs.

Two different kinds of families

Two different kinds of love
Both a part of you.

© Copyright 1999 Brenda Romanchik - R-Squared Press

Nursery News

I'm putting it in black and white on my blog! I can't believe it! In twelve short weeks, our little girl is due. Our hearts are full and we are so excited. Our lives have been blessed by meeting our sweet birthmother. I just love her and am cherishing every moment of the pregnancy spending time with her! There is always caution in your heart because a decision can be changed in the blink of an eye and you won't see it coming. I know I may be setting myself up for heartache but I just feel that I can't get the full experience of a new baby coming into my life if I don't jump in with both feet and just let it happen. If this sweet little girl is meant to be ours, it will happen and if she is not, God will change hearts and situations. Easier said than done, I know, but that's just the way it is and God will guide us through it. Me, I'm a jump in with both feet kind of girl and those that know me well know I can't or won't hold back. I try but I just can't, especially where a baby is concerned!

I finished putting the nursery together a couple of weekends ago. Except for a few artistic touches that my sweet friend Jaime is working on, it's finished. I'm SO pleased - it's SO me! READY? HERE IT IS.........................

Here is the beautiful crib I found on Craig's List (and the seller ended up being about ten blocks from my house). The crib, dresser and changing table was $250.00!!! Can you believe it? I found the cutest little Pottery Barn STAR quilt clips and they will be arriving any day now so I'll be hanging the quilt over the crib. CUTENESS!!!!!
These are the cute little denim valances I found at GOODWILL, yep, Goodwill. I added a rusty star garland for interest and to keep the theme that runs throughout the house. I found the green board on the Easter aisle at Hobby Lobby and added a "Sweet Dreams" rub-on transfer and a little ribbon. How fun!
This chandelier is my absolute favorite part of the nursery. My parents rescued this fixture from a burned house they were remodeling when I was in third grade! Mom & Dad refinished it back then and it was used in our dining room but has been in storage for about twenty years. When I started looking for lighting solutions, I knew I wanted a chandelier. We dug out the old cream and country blue chandelier, sanded off the reminants of little red and blue flowers, sanded and scraped the rust off of the metal, washed it down, and threw on some of my favorite apple green paint. A few decorative touches later...voila shabby turns magical!!!

I'll point out the simplest element in the room, but for me brings tears to my eyes. Do you see the calendar hanging in the corner? It's a Mother Goose Baby's First Year Calendar. I bought that calendar in 1995 during our first year of marriage when I so desperately wanted a baby. I have protected that calendar and carried it from house to house, moved it to Tennessee and back, and now it is hanging on a wall in our baby's nursery. I can't wait to fill each and every page!

I can't wait to sit and rock our baby. I sit here at night and just dream and look forward to the first day I sit here with a sweet little bundle of joy. My brother and sister-in-law gave me this great rocker. It perfectly matches the furniture and is SO comfortable. I found the cute little shabby rug at Target and it's perfect, has all the colors we are using (with a little hint of pink thrown in).

Well, that's it. The big news in print and a tour of the nursery. Keep us in your prayers and wish us luck!

Dear Birthmother Letter

Dear Birthmother,

Thank you for considering our family in the adoption of your child. This has to be the hardest and most important decision you will ever have to make. We hope that after viewing our story you will see that we are a family overflowing with love. We welcome any questions you may have about us, our home, and our lives.

We have been happily married for fourteen years. We share our home with our spoiled rotten dog, Mystic’s Princess Layla (she doesn’t know she’s a dog). We live in a family-oriented community with nearby parks and a wonderful backyard to run and play in. We have many friends and family members with children just waiting for us to add one to the fun family activities.

Blake is thirty-seven years old and has recently embarked on a path as a full-time college student, majoring in Forensic Science, and is looking forward to a rewarding and exciting career as a real life “CSI”. He has a great sense of humor and a kind, caring heart. Blake is an avid Dallas Cowboy fan, loves football in general and enjoys watching basketball, baseball, college softball and golf, and he still enjoys listening to music and playing video games to unwind.

Deborah is thirty-six years old, and enjoys a career as an office manager and legal assistant with a small law firm in Sherman. She also likes to let her hair down and “bling” it up as a Premier Designs jewelry consultant. Deborah loves to make people laugh, has a smile the size of Texas, and enjoys doing for others. Her hobbies include cooking, decorating her home and shopping with her dearest friend, her mother.

As a family, we love to laugh and spend time with each other. We enjoy spending time with our family and friends, cooking out, playing games, or just watching movies. The baby we adopt will have loving grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. There are also plenty of friends ready to love the baby we adopt. Our new child will grow up surrounded by the love and support that is so important to any child.

We feel very fortunate to be able to build our family through adoption. We cannot wait to share our love, kindness, patience, nurturing, opportunities, and education with our first child. To us, this is what parenting and family is all about.

The special person who blesses us with such a miraculous gift will always hold a special place in our hearts and prayers. Forever, that person will remain a part of “our” child and us. The child will always know that he or she has birthparents that love and care for them and will never forget them.