Our children's birthmoms

This sunflower bloomed in our yard this week- AJ said it was smiling!

A couple months ago I wrote the stories of how we adopted PD, DJ, SJ, and AJ, (click their name if you want to read them) but I didn't write much about someone very important in each of those stories, their birthmoms.  Our children's birthmoms have my respect and admiration, because they made a very, very difficult and selfless decision when they chose adoption for their children.  Our children's birthmoms loved their babies dearly, but they chose adoption for them because they knew they could not give their child the life they wanted for them.  They did what was best for their child, even though it was at great cost to them personally.  They were not looking for the easy way out, if they had wanted that, they would have chosen abortion.  They were not doing what sounded like the most fun, if they had, they would have parented their child. 

When I think back to those days when we were so happy to be receiving our child that we had waited and prayed so long for, our children's birthmoms were filled with sorrow at that same moment.  I remember hugging them as we cried together, telling them we would always love their child.  Adoption is such a mixture of joy and pain...

And now, we keep in contact with each of them, but some of our adoptions are more open than others.  Some of our birthmoms know our last name and address and everything, and some wanted a more semi-open adoption, so we just send letters and pictures through the adoption agency.  I send pictures and a letter about twice a year to each birthmom, letting them see how the kids are doing and how big they're getting.  We hear from them sometimes too, and the kids treasure the pictures and letters they have received.  Openness in adoption is not something to be feared.  It has given our kids peace of mind to know some information about where they come from.

DJ, SJ, PD, and AJ by their "mine" they built in the dirt pile

I am so thankful that our children's birthmoms chose life for their babies!  They are very brave women.