November is National Adoption Month and a time to celebrate the unique way families grow via the miracle of adoption. Each adoption story is unique and woven together in a special way.
Follow me on Instagram as I share our adoption stories (we have three).
DAY ONE – FACT Nearly 102,000 children that are currently available for adoption from the foster care system in the United States simply need a parent! Not a perfect parent, but a parent perfect for them! More than 30 percent (31,000) of these foster kids are between the ages of 11 and 17.
DAY 2 – INTRODUCTIONS DAY 3 – THOUGHTS BEFORE ADOPTION You can read more of my infertility struggle.
THOUGHTS BEFORE #ADOPTION: I struggled through #infertility & attending a #babyshower could send me into a tailspin of sadness. It was strange how I could feel happy for the #momtobe but feel this longing ache deep inside wondering if I would ever have the joy of holding a #baby that would someday call me mom. It got to a point where I just didn’t attend #babyshowers. But that was before I was a #fostadopt parent. #knittogetherbyadoption #infertilitysucks A photo posted by Penelope Webster (@foster2forever) on
DAY 4 – THOUGHTS AFTER ADOPTION
DAY 5 – OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVES The perspective of others can sometimes be insensitive and other times downright hurtful. My family just didn’t understand the importance of our son’s adoption. I was elated on our adoption day but still felt intense grief due to my mother’s rejection.
OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVES: #knittogetherbyadoption By the time the #adoption of our youngest son was finalized, LilBit had been in our family for nearly two years. Through hospitalizations, surgeries, court hearings, & investigations – he nearly left us many times. Others didn’t see how important & special #adoptionday was for us. I was heartbroken that my family didn’t want to be a part of our celebration on #NationalAdoptionDay four years ago. This is how that #grief affected me: http://bit.ly/18yB9ul A photo posted by Penelope Webster (@foster2forever) on
DAY 6 – HOW WE MET We have 3 sons each through the miracle of adoption. Our oldest son was adopted via a private adoption, yet the youngest two sons were adopted via foster care. You can download the full story of our youngest son’s adoption.
DAY 7 – OTHER HOMES Our middle son, JD, was placed in another foster home before he joined our family.
OTHER HOMES: Our middle son was first placed into #fostercare into a home at #FortHood; however, news of #deployment caused this family to make the hard choice to move this 8-month-old baby. JD was there only a few days before he joined our family on March 4, 2008. I think about how miraculous it was for him to be moved to our home 2 counties away. But God knew what he was doing for him to become my son! #knittogetherbyadoption A photo posted by Penelope Webster (@foster2forever) on
DAY 8 – WHAT MAKES ME SMILE – WORLD ADOPTION DAY
#WorldAdoptionDay! These #boys make me #smile when I think how #blessed I am to have been #chosen to be their mom! #knittogetherbyadoption A photo posted by Penelope Webster (@foster2forever) on
DAY 10 CULTIVATING BIRTHFAMILY CULTURE We don’t celebrate our son’s Mexican culture to the same extent as our American culture.
CULTIVATING CULTURE: http://bit.ly/QUsRpG Our youngest #son was born in #Mexico. Through our #adoption process, we were met with criticism because we weren’t #Hispanic. #Mexican culture became a reason to remove LilBit from our #adoptive home. We eventually prevailed to keep him in our family (with the birth mother’s help). We do want our Mexican child to be proud of his first culture; however, he is now our American son & we will celebrate that! #knittogetherbyadoption A photo posted by Penelope Webster (@foster2forever) on
