Category Archives: Uncategorized

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”

A meeting with the foster carer was arranged. I hadn’t positioned in my mind how significant this would be. We sat there staring at the women who had cared for our little one as if they were her own. Knowing that they would never be. Knowing that one day they’d care for them no more.Continue reading “Meeting the Foster Carer”

Christmas with adopted children – is it any different? Christmas is literally just around the corner. The countdown nearly over. Advent calendar doors nearly all opened. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. Truly magical. But is it any different for adoptive families? Surely, it’s the same. Christmas is all about theContinue reading “Christmas as an adoptive mum”

Below are the words of a fellow adoptive mum. My “adoption buddy”. I count myself very lucky to have her in my life. She is strong and passionate. Patient and inspiring. My role model. The love she has for her children is unwavering. I often say to her that I couldn’t survive without her…and it’sContinue reading “A Mothers Love”

And then, only about two weeks after approval confirmation, it happened – the call. A possible link. A potential match. A child to make me a mum. My husband a dad. And yep I totally freaked out! You see, we had been thrown a huge curve ball. We’d actually been approved for siblings. From the outsetContinue reading “The Match”

Once we had the official approval, we got on with the real preparations. Collating pictures of ourselves and our immediate family for memory and transition books and aids. There are some fantastic resources out there. Toys, teddies and books that can record your voice messages. We did a video for our second child. I walkedContinue reading “Time to Prepare”

All prospective adopters attend an approval panel where a group of carefully selected people, all with experience and expertise in adoption, decide if you should be recommended to adopt. Unfortunately, proposed panel dates often get “bumped”. Sometimes at very short notice. Sometimes even on the day. This frustratingly happened to us. Even more frustratingly it was dueContinue reading “Approval Panel”

I’m often asked –“how long did it take?” Obviously, this differs case by case. From the time I picked up the phone to our little one coming home, was 12 months. Not long at all. Not really that different to a pregnancy. But at the time, going through all these stages, it often felt like anContinue reading “The Waiting Game”