By Carly Thompson
Jayden is our oldest son and was also our first adoption. We were kind of scared of open adoption at first—scared that it would feel like we were babysitting.
When it came down to it, we decided we were open to navigating it with our birth families. I’m so thankful we took that opportunity. The more people to love J is a win.
His birth mother, Mama J, took a huge chance on us to adopt her baby boy. She had told the agency we worked with as soon as she saw our picture that we were supposed to be his family. What we didn’t know is that we would ALL become one family.
We didn’t just adopt Jayden into our family, we gained all of his family and five older siblings. Our most fun trips are when we take each of our kids to their home state and visit their birth family.
For National Adoption Awareness Month, I thought it would be fitting if I asked Jennifer how she felt about open adoption and this is what she shared:
From Mama J…
I had to make the biggest decision I ever had to make in my whole life, which was giving my beautiful baby boy up for adoption.
I’m glad I made the decision to have an open adoption. It means I know what’s going on with him, I can see pictures of him, I can talk to him if he wants to talk about anything, and I’m always available for anyone who wants to talk from the family.
I love each and every one of them very very much…the love I have for my adoption family is very unexplainable, but I’m glad that I made the decision that I made for my baby’s life (well I should say our baby’s life).
Trust that you will be sad in the beginning, but after you sit down and think about it you be glad you made the decision to place.
To anyone listening or reading this just know your baby will still have that mother’s spot in their heart & that love is still available to you. Trust that I’ve been there too.
I love you all. Blessings upon each and everyone of you. Stay safe.
Carly is an RG Adoption Consultant and adoptive mama to 6 little ones. You can read her full bio here.