Continued from Part One...

Two months after our daughter was born, we decided to adopt from Africa. My husband told people in casual conversation. We quickly chose to adopt from Ethiopia and picked our agency. Everyone knew we were adopting well before we received referrals for our new children. With our older son and daughter, we picked them off of a video of waiting children. We showed the video to anyone who would watch it. For our little baby boy, we received photos... more

How do you tell your loved ones and friends that you are adopting a child? Do you wait until you have a referral and a photo to share? Do you tell people as soon as you sign up with an agency? Before you sign up with an agency? Do you just tell them, as if it is a casual thing? Or do you make a big deal out of it—maybe take your parents to dinner and spill the beans; or invite everyone over for a party and have a cake that says, “We’re Adopting!” on it? I am sure that it varies from person to person, and from adoption to adoption. It probably... more