
The pain and discomfort are certainly not physical. Lamaze classes and doctor’s appointments are substituted for psychological evaluations and the collecting of paperwork, background checks, and social worker visits. A trip to labor and delivery room is replaced with a trip to another country. And, instead of hospital ID bracelets, your passport is glued to your side at all times. However, every emotion of pregnancy is there. Instead of hearing the baby’s heartbeat for the first time, your own heart flutters as you receive the letter stating your paperwork is approved. The million trips to the bathroom are replaced with a million trips to the post office, notary public, and bank.
But once that little one (or older one) is with you, the world that was once filled with paperwork and waiting dissolves away as every ounce of your being focuses on the new person in your life.
I have been honored and blessed to be able to be a part of an adoption journey. People are sincerely interested and curious about how we were united with our Daniel. Had I given birth in the traditional sense, I would not have the opportunities to talk to so many people about adoption nor would I have been able to see so many friends and family provide us with the kind of love and support I never knew possible.
“I guess the point truly is no matter how our families have come to be, there is always a struggle, hurdles to get over, the unexpected, the down right scary, and the anticipation of what is to come,” says Lisa. Experiencing life with Daniel from the moment of his referral photo to today as a two-year-old has made it all worthwhile.
--Lisa Rost, CT
The Rost Family: Bruce, Lisa and Daniel
Home from Colombia November 9, 2005