Category Archives: Uncategorized

We always thought we would adopt siblings. Together, from the beginning. After a lengthy and turbulent journey, I thought I wouldn’t be able to face doing it again. That I wouldn’t be able to find the strength. Again. In essence, I guess I thought it would be better to get it “over and done with”Continue reading “Double Love – adopting siblings”

Adoption is complex. Situations rarely straightforward. One thing that struck me throughout our adoption journey was just how much was outside of our control. Often our future lay firmly in the hands of people we’d never met. Decisions made from words in lengthy reports. Strangers at panel who could make or break our dreams. AnotherContinue reading “Adopting Birth Siblings”

One of the big questions you face when adopting is when to tell people. It’s really hard. You may have waited years for this moment. Been on a rocky road to becoming parents. So want to shout from the roof tops that it’s finally going to happen. But there are many hoops to go through.Continue reading “Sharing Adoption News”

It’s tricky for me to find the right words when talking about our foster carers. To express my gratitude. Someone once said to me “without them there’s no us” – I guess this pretty much sums it up. They looked after and loved our children until we were able to take over. Until the starsContinue reading “Fostering – more than just a job”

The moment has finally arrived. The moment you feel you’ve waited your whole life for. Despite all the training and support, you somehow feel totally unprepared. It’s time to meet your child. Perhaps more than one. Your son. Your daughter. It’s time for introductions to start. This stage is planned with precision. The child’s welfareContinue reading “Time To Meet At Last”

When we applied to adopt, it never occurred to me we might have a face to face relationship with our children’s birth mothers. During assessments, only limited discussions around this took place. We were always open to letterbox contact. Welcomed this. But when it came to direct contact, this wasn’t something that sat comfortably withContinue reading “Face to Face Contact with Birth Mother”

Add title When we adopted for the second time, we carefully worked through the best way to introduce the concept that a new baby would be arriving. Luckily, our eldest already had the foundations of what this meant. They knew the word adoption, and in an age appropriate way, understood what it meant. Although IContinue reading “Adopting with a Birth Child”

I have a “love-hate” relationship with social media. I was very late to the party, only joining when I turned 40! I thought it was going to be fantastic. Keeping up to date with people when time and distance get in the way. Finding people that I’d lost touch with. Reconnecting. Connecting. Often it isContinue reading “Social Media and Me”

“Coming Home Day”. What an incredible moment for everybody involved. But you do need a seriously big supply of tissues. We were desperate to have our little one home; however, we were mindful this could be the last time we were all together. At least for a very long time. It is not always possible,Continue reading “Coming Home”

So, all the boxes had been ticked. The day had finally come to meet. Quite frankly, I was a total mess. In a whirl of mixed emotions. Not sure if I was coming or going. I had that peculiar butterfly feeling in my stomach – like I was about to sit an exam. Introductions beginContinue reading “Introductions”