Mommy Note

Here is yet another reason why I didn't want people to know my kids are adopted. Because adopted mommies don't get included in "Mommy Surveys". We aren't included because people don't want to hurt our feelings. But when we find out about it, it just brings up all of these feelings we have to live with. I love my kids and they each have great adoption stories. I don't regret that. I do miss some of the other stuff.

But I am a writer. And good at editing.

Here is my online editing debut...

Here you go mommies - a different kind of survey for a change - it's all about your first born! Just copy and paste it in a new note for yourself!

Let's see how much you remember!

1. Was your 1st adoption fast or slow?

FAST! We thought it would take 6 months to a year of waiting, but within 3 weeks of turning in our book, we were parents.

2. Were you signed with an attorney, private agency, foreign agency, or state agency?

Yes! LOL!! We were signed with DHS, Cherokee Nation, had contact with a private attorney, but it was a private agency that made it happen first.

3. What were your reactions?

Scared.

4. Was abortion an option for your birth mom?

No. She never wanted to abort. She was going to parent until she learned about open adoption.

5. How old were you? How old was your birth mom?

I was 33. She was 16.

6. How did you find out you were chosen?

Cell phone call from the Birth Mom.

7. Who did you tell first?

My husband who was in the car next to me. Then J's parents.

8. Did you want to find out the sex of the baby?

J did - he wanted to decorate!!

9. Due Date?

May 2nd. He came 10 days early!

10. Was it a closed, open, or semi-open adoption?

Open. Doesn't get much more open.

11. Did you meet the birth mom before or after the birth?

Met her about 2 weeks before the birth.

12. Did you breast feed or attempt to breast feed?

Tried but I had to go back to work for 4 days after his birth and that put an end to that. I feel l lost some valuable bonding time. I did have a friend who had too much breast milk give us her surplus for at least a month. God bless her!

13. What was your first child's sex?

Boy

14. Did you wish you had the opposite sex of what you were getting?

No I wanted all boys. I didn't know what to do with a girl. J would have loved a girl but was happy with a boy, too.

15. Did the birth mom have any input in naming the baby?

We let her give options for the middle name.

We chose 1 out of the 3 she gave.

16. Did you have a baby shower?

Yes. 3. After the birth.

17. Were the baby showers a surprise?

I knew. Work. Family. Sunday School.

18. Were there any complications with the pregnancy?

She got pre eclampsia at her last doctor's app't. She was taken to a labor & delivery room where she was strapped to monitors. We thought we were going to have a baby on our lunch hour!

19. Where was your baby born?

Hospital in Tulsa

20. How many hours did birth mom labor?

18 hours total if you count the part where she didn't realize she was in labor. 12 hours from the time her water broke. It would have been shorter, but the epidural slowed down the contractions.

21. Who drove you to the hospital?

My husband

22. Who was in the labor and delivery room?

Birth Mom, her house mom, me, my husband, my mom-in-law, doula, some nurses, Dr. Meyers. I cut the umbilical cord.

23. Was it natural or c-section?

Natural.

24. Did you give your birth mom a gift?

Birth Mother Bracelet made by Kathy Short.

27. How much did your child weigh?

6 lbs 12 oz

28. When was your child actually born?

A perfect Sunday in March at 2:10 pm

30. When did you hold your child for the first time?

2:12 pm the day he was born.

31. When was the adoption finalized?

December of same year.

32. How old is your first born today?

He is 6 years old.