Kenny, Jane and Maya
Kenny and Jane sent us their adoption story after they adopted their daughter Maya in 2009. One of the most striking things about their adoption journey is the attitude that they took toward the tasks that sometimes seem menial or tedious. Here’s what I mean:
“After making initial contact with American Adoptions and sending in the preliminary application, the paperwork part of our adoption journey began. We were able to work with our local social worker to complete our home study. She visited us in our home three times to interview us and check out our house. We had to fill out a long form about ourselves and our parenting styles. Kenny and I enjoyed doing this as it brought us closer and prompted us to discuss what kind of parents we hoped to be. We also had to fill out piles of paperwork regarding our finances, background checks, employment history, etc. Though this was daunting and overwhelming at times, American Adoptions in addition to our social worker guided us along each step of the way. Being a very organized person, I loved how American Adoptions provided us with a manual and checklist to help us ensure everything got done.
“As the paperwork was being completed, Kenny and I were also working on our profile. This profile is a group of pictures and text that is shown to birth parents to introduce them to Kenny and I to see if we would be the right pick to parent their child. Kenny and I both joked about how this seemed like making a Match.com page. We enjoyed taking pictures of ourselves and the people and things we loved. Addressing the questions provided by American Adoptions for the text portion of our profile was a great exercise for us as well. Again, it helped us examine ourselves, our relationship, and our thoughts and dreams about parenting. It is a process I recommend for all future parents,” Jane writes.
Baby Maya
Jane and Kenny’s ability to enjoy the pre-activation process carried into the next stage of their adoption process when they received an adoption opportunity just three weeks later. They didn’t know if they were going to get a boy or a girl but didn’t let this bother them. They busied themselves preparing a nursery and buying essentials till they learned more.
On December 15th, Baby Maya was born in Virginia. Kenny and Jane were on their way when the received the call that they were having a little girl. Again showing their easy-going attitude, they nervously met Maya’s birth mother at the hospital and discovered that it felt like meeting family.
“We were able to fly back to the Midwest on Christmas Day, and again, God blessed us with a smooth flight and a sleeping baby who was not fazed at all by flying. We were greeted at the airport by Kenny’s family and shared with them the best Christmas present we had ever received, our daughter Maya,” Jane writes.
As Jane writes, “What really sold me [on American Adoptions] were the adoption stories I read from other adoptive parents and even birth parents. I found myself crying at the amazing experiences and new families that were brought together by American Adoptions.”
To find more adoption stories like Jane and Kenny’s, check out our Adoptive Family Testimonials.
