OCTOBER unites eight families

Adoption placements were falling into place throughout October.  Eight more babies were united with their mom and dad in October.  Four were expecting their baby's birth; four received a surprise phone call about a baby ready to meet them.  Two families found their own birth mother, while the other six were matched through profiles.  Seven of the babies were born in Michigan and one was born out of state.  Four babies went home with their family through temporary placement and four were cared for in host care before joining their families.  Each experience unique; all of them a fall blessing!

Be Our Guest

If difficult or unusual legal circumstances warrant host care to be a part of your adoption journey, you can rest assured that your little one is embraced in love and spoiled with undivided attention from one of AAI's host couples.  We have a small group of dedicated couples who find it an honor to care for these little ones in their licensed foster home until the day they join your home forever.  Because they realize these little ones are already secured in your hearts and the bonding has begun, they welcome you to visit, take pictures and call throughout the day to "check in."  As has been the experience of most every AAI family who has had the privilege of crossing paths with our host families, we're quite certain that you will make new friends and find even more to appreciate about the process than what you first imagined.  So leave your fear at their doorstep and embrace host care!

From one of our host moms:

"Babies are my passion.  I have loved babies since I was a very young girl.  God has given me the opportunity to be a host mother for 32 years, providing care to 254 babies.  My husband and I have lots of love to share and lots of time to share it!  Each baby gets our total, undivided attention.  There is nothing better than cuddling, rocking and caring for a new baby.  I also love to dress them up with my collection of baby clothes and accessories to go with them.  Much love goes into the care of our little ones."

Meeting the adoptive families and spending time with them in our home has been a wonderful experience.  In some cases, we have become casual friends, although that is not expected from us.  We enjoy emails and pictures from some to keep us updated on "our babies".  We have even attended many baptisms and birthday parties.  How special is that!"

September

Adoption Associates, Inc. placed four babies into loving homes this month.  

We welcomed 12 new birth mothers into a counseling relationship.

Four waiting families were linked to birth mothers in September.

Children's Book on Adoption

The Mulberry Bird is the story of the love for her baby that led a birth mother to make difficult decisions for herself and her child. The message conveyed is that an adoption plan is made with a lot thinking and a whole lot of LOVE.  This book provides a gentle, non-threatening way for parents to help children talk about their feelings and thoughts about being adopted.  It is recommended that the book be shared with the adoptee's friends, siblings, and cousins.  Recommended for ages 5-12 

All In A Day's Work

Today was a flurry of activity for our birth mother caseworkers:

- one new birth mother appointment

- one birth mother chose a waiting family

- two babies were born (both linked to families)

- one birth mother relinquished her rights in court

- one adoptive family signed their adoptive petitions

On Blogging and Openness

One of our prospective adoptive parents had a gift for sharing her heart through blogging and an immense desire to become a mother.  Put the two together and that is how they were introduced to their son's birth mother.  Heart Cries, Rebekah's blog, is full of heart felt sentiments on infertility, deciding to adopt, meeting their son's birth mother through the blog world and the open adoption they now have. Most of all, you will read Rebekah's honesty and raw feelings... the ups and the downs.  If you are wondering how openness in adoption could work or if you're curious about why blogging is such a useful tool for waiting adoptive families, then you should check out:  rebekahpinchback.blogspot.com/.  You don't want to miss this story!

August Plans

Nine babies joined their adoptive families in the month of August after their birth mothers lovingly followed through with their plans for adoption.  Some of these birth mothers had adoption planning in place early in their pregnancy and worked with one of AAI's pregnancy caseworkers for several weeks, selecting a family through agency profiles.  A few others crossed paths with the adoptive couple and then came to AAI to request help in facilitating their adoption plan.  One of our August birth mothers was courageous enough to recognize after just giving birth that adoption was the best plan for her baby even though she had no plans in place.  She placed her little one through the Safe Delivery of Newborns law with one of our waiting families.  Profile matches, networking and gift babies were all a part of August plans.