Worth the Wait

Adoption can be unpredictable. Look no further than how certain adoptive families are chosen relatively quickly by birth mothers, while others have a lengthy wait.

Eric and Elizabeth waited 22 months to be chosen by a birth mother. During the wait, they wondered if they weren’t properly representing their family in their adoptive family profile, or if their APQ wasn’t flexible enough. In actuality, Eric and Elizabeth were a very typical family in regards to their APQ and family profile, so what was it? Why weren’t they being chosen?

Eric and Elizabeth would say it was because baby Rose hadn’t been born yet. This is their adoption story:

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After years of attempting fertility treatments and waiting to receive an opportunity with a birth mother, Eric and Elizabeth found themselves in a counselor’s office. They were beginning to wonder if their 7-year-old son Henry would grow up as an only child.

The counselor was in a similar position herself. She had a son who was in high school, but she was also unable to have any more children. The counselor reflected her own situation to Eric and Elizabeth’s and spoke about all of the benefits of being an only child, to the point where the couple began to accept it.

Even though Eric, Elizabeth and Henry really wanted a baby, they thought that maybe their family was complete at three members. They would still be happy, but they wondered if they would be as happy without another child who would one day call Henry “big brother.”

In their next session, the counselor mentioned that Elizabeth looked more at ease since they last met. “Why?” she asked.

“Because you understand what we are going through, and nobody else really does,” Elizabeth replied.

Little did Eric and Elizabeth know at the time, their one-year wait had just begun but it would all be worth it.

Please click the following to continue reading Eric, Elizabeth, Henry and Rose’s adoption story.