Choosing the Right Photo.

We are searching to find the perfect photo to show the potential birth mom. It will be her first impression of us, so we feel a great importance in choosing the exact, right one that best represents us. We love taking pictures but the thing is we don't take many with us together unless, it's the kind you hold your arm out and get just your heads in. Or they’re outside and we have sunglasses on. (Which has been suggested not to send.) We have some nice ones though. We’ve narrowed it down and have to decide. We may even take some new ones this weekend when our friends Eric & Ellie come over. She is a great photographer. Just get some casual ones in our beautiful backyard. Then they will for sure be recent. Maybe we’ll even post our top choices and get your opinions!

How she chooses us goes sort of like this. After much time and counseling with her own Social Worker she comes to the decision of adoption. In her third trimester, she is presented with information packets and a photo of potential parents that match what she is looking for what her situation is. She might have certain things she needs for her baby, looks, religions, location, qualities, living arrangements, family situation. She might want a single mom or dad, same sex couple. She might want parents with children already, or with pets, or who like singing or all sorts of things! And if she knows her baby is a girl or boy that will determine also. Adopting couples list what their particular wants are also and the best paired will be matched. Sort of like an on-line dating match up.

The birth mom will then narrow it down to 3 or 4 top choices and then from those few she is given more information. Maybe a photo album, their “Dear Birth Mom” letters (we have to write that ourselves, which will be for another post, I’m sure). A video. Anything they choose to create to best represent them and basically sell them as the best parents for her child (or children). Then a meeting or phone call would be arranged. We as adoptive parents also have a choice to agree to or deny a birth mom if for some reason we don’t feel a connection or this is the not right baby for us. We are provided extensive background history & medical records on her and her family and the birth father, if he is known.

See, like I’ve said. It’s a long process. And it will all start with the photo and our faces looking at the birth mom in order to make that first connection. That’s why we have to choose the right one! We know there are many other people out there wanting to adopt just as much as we do and they’re going through all the same steps we are. It may seem like a competition, but it’s not at all.

We trust and have faith that the perfect child who is meant for us is coming at the perfect time. We just want the photo to really represent who we are as a couple. You can’t tell what great parents we’ll be by a photo. It’s another time to just allow our hearts to be open, in order to connect to her heart.

Peace & light,
Angie