So my aunts comment about having an overactive maternal drive, wasn’t exactly something we were unaware of. Unfortunately or fortunately, as it turned out infertility runs in my family and I was barely in my 20s when I hit an early menopause just like my mother had after I was born when she was 24. We consulted doctors and tried lots of different medical approaches, and then we entered a pet shop with a little trifolds on the counter that said November is adoption month. Greg‘s mom and both her siblings and my cousin and my younger brother were all adopted and we realized we were very open to that idea. It took almost 2 years of meetings and driving 90 miles away to get through the preadopt process. We won’t want that we wouldn’t have hardly any chance of getting a newborn but because of my experience with a brother with down syndrome and with teaching special ed classes, and the fact that both of us were teachers, we knew that we were uniquely qualified to raise special needs children. We were willing to take on bigger groups if they needed to place siblings. To prepare for that we had at home inspected and attended classes, and qualified to be foster parents.
In August 1992 We got our first and as it turned out, only foster child, an 11-year-old girl, whose birthday was one day after my own. Shortly after she moved in with us, she began sixth grade. Our families loved her and she traveled with us to Wyoming twice and I think overall we had a very positive impact on her. I hope so. She definitely left her mark in our hearts. While she was living with us, we got the unexpected call that a birth mother had chosen us if we were interested in a newborn, and when I asked when she was due, they said two weeks ago. For nearly 10 years, I’d been praying for a baby, then, for two years, not knowing if the child I would someday adopt, was one or several already born or still to be born. I had been praying for that child. Suddenly we were driving that familiar 90 miles to pick up a 14 hour old newborn boy. His birth mother placed them into my arms and said, “Here, honey meet your mom and dad.”
And when I took him in for his 6 month checkup, I found out I didn’t have breast cancer, but the Dr. said, “think positive”
So 18 days after our first son’s first birthday, our younger son was delivered by emergency c-section and the family was complete. My aunt again chimed in with her opinion, “so when you prayed for a baby, you forgot to turn off the faucet once your prayer was answered.”
April 16 this year he turned 31 at the home of his 32 year old brother.
What a wonderful story Dixie. I’m sure you were amazing adoptive parents & to be chosen especially was very special. As often happens you adopt & then have one of your own….they must have been great company for each other.
