The Adoption Adventure

When we've told people we're adopting, we've gotten many reactions. Most of them being positive, but nonetheless they all have the "have you gone insane?" undertone to them. Just to answer the question: No, we haven't gone insane. (Or if we have, we don't know it yet and probably don't want to find out!) Seriously, though, we have begun the process of adding one more to our family. How did we get to this point? That's a long story...........



I am adopted. Not that all adopted people do or must adopt their own children, but I've always had a feeling that at some point in my life God wanted me to adopt. I can't explain it, but I've just known. After getting married, the adoption factor was still there, although having biological children took top priority.



Looking back now, I can see God's hand even in the circumstances and timing of having my three children. My first delivery was rather difficult and scary and resulted in an emergency c-section. Son #1 came into this world and had to have help breathing for a while. Because of this experience, I chose for son #2 to be delivered by c-section as well. And because of the two previous sections, son #3 was also a c-section.



Now, I know at this point many people would say "But my aunt's, cousin's, best friend's, sister had EIGHT c-sections with no problems."



However, after conferring with my doctor at the time, we both thought that 3 c-sections was enough major surgery and that with each pregnancy after this one, there would be increased risk. A risk we chose not to take.



Here's where adoption stepped in. Along with the adoption desire, from the time I had my 1st child, God placed in me a deep desire for a daughter. Not just the kind of "all women want a daughter" desire, but a deep longing that could only come from my Creator. Knowing that this would not happen biologically, I began to put all the pieces together- having only sons, three c-sections- and asked God if a daughter was to come through adoption. I was convinced that God was leading us in this direction.



The problem was going to be convincing my husband of that. But that was God's job wasn't it?