The Beginning....

It's official ... We are proud to share with you that we have made the decision to become parents through international adoption! If all goes as planned, we will be a family of 3 (or 4) about this time next year! We have decided to adopt from Kazakhstan!
Adoption is unfamiliar territory for some of our friends and family, as it was for us when we started, so this process might seem strange or scary to some. We have learned so much in the past few months about the process, what to expect, what not to expect, risks, rewards, etc. At this point, we feel like we could write a book!! It is very different in ways, but it is very similar in others, and of course, there are a lot of questions. It’s not always a perfect process or easy, but we do know that it will be an amazing journey full of more love than you can imagine.
Many people ask, "Why not adopt domestically?" We chose international adoption after a great deal of research. Private domestic adoptions have changed a lot in the past 10-20 years, generally becoming more open – meaning that the birthparents are often involved, or at least in occasional contact with the child for the rest of his/her life. This can work out great, but it’s certainly more of an emotional risk. You never know if or when your childs birth mother will decide to "take him/her back". We’ve spoken to many parents who have adopted from both avenues, and we have determined that international seems less risky, which is exactly why it has grown so much in popularity.