Share Your Story: Announcing Your AdoptionWe asked our Reader Panel: Outside of your immediate family, who was the first person you told about your decision to adopt, and how did you tell them?
Ongoing support
My closest friend at work was an incredible source of strength to me throughout the adoption process. She is someone whom I can always turn to for support, and she gets just as excited as I do when I receive a potential birthmother call. I couldn't have not told her first!
Kenna
As the saying goes…
I hosted a dinner for my 10 closest girlfriends. As everyone arrived, I gave each a piece of red thread. They thought it was odd, but then one spotted a printout of the saying: "An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet…" hanging on my refrigerator. Soon after, I announced our plan to adopt a daughter from China. The rest of the evening was full of jubilant congratulations—and thousands of questions.
Catherine Rice
Like family
One day at work, I walked over to my friend's office. After discussing some work-related matters, I nonchalantly told Jackie that I planned on adopting a five-year-old, then anxiously waited for her response. She was absolutely ecstatic. She wrote me a wonderful reference and has since become my daughter's beloved "aunt."
Robin
Couldn't wait to share
After not sharing our infertility struggles, we were very excited to tell family and friends that we were starting our family through open adoption. We sent an e-mail to all of them to shout out our great news, and, almost immediately, we began receiving excited, supportive responses. Those who are already parents have opened their closets to us, getting us started with baby items that their kids have outgrown.
Lisa & Tim
With Two memorable gifts
Each time we adopted, my aunts have been the first ones to know. The first time, we gave them a present at a family reunion. They unwrapped it to find an old shoe—for all the times they put their feet in their mouths giving us grief about having only two children. The second time, we decorated sugar cookies with the words "It's a Girl" written in icing and delivered them to their houses. It was a fun way to celebrate.
Catherine Yoder Back To Home Page ©2013 Adoptive Families. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. | 
Comments
Love to read your stories of how you shared. When we decided to do our second adoption, this time through China, we gave out fortune cookies to our family & friends when it came time for dessert---they could not believe it! They were ecstatic & excited---almost as much as we are!
Posted by: Janet at 9:18am Mar 26
I don't remember who was first to know that we were persuing the adoption. But most likely it was some of our missionary friends whom we traveled with, some of whom are also adoptive parents. We are a blended family of 5 grown children plus the adopted daughter. We did create an "adoption" card Which simply said: "We are three again" on a photo of us near a landmark tree at the orphanage.
Posted by: Jim and Sue Ryland at 9:23am Mar 26
We had been married 24 years so it was with great joy that we told our family on Father's day that we were going to adopt. For many weeks I had been discussing different ideas for our 25th wedding anniversary trip with friends at work. One morning as I sat with them I told them we had finally decided where we would go for our 25th anniversary trip! They were quite shocked and surprised when I announced we would be going to China to adopt!
Posted by: Ruth at 9:23am Mar 26
We had 24 hours notice that we were going to be parents after years of trying and waiting. Our son had already been born prematurely and we flew across the country to be with him in NICU. He was 3.10 lbs. The first person we told was my Mom. She was sitting on the "john" at the hair salon. She asked what I was doing in SC and I replied, "picking up your grandchild". She was nearly 80 at the time and I was 46 so it took awhile for the statement to register. We had never mentioned our desire for children to anyone. When she screamed, the salon staff thought something horrible had happened. She flew right down to SC the next day to be with us. We named our son after my Dad who died when I was 24. Our son is now 4 and or daughter is 16 mos.
Posted by: lisa king at 12:45pm Mar 26
When we decided to adopt we told our sons first and the youngest who is 3, said I want 2 brothers, so we knew we were ok there. The oldest one 23 was a little surprised, but we assured him he'd still be #1. The we told our parents and siblings and they were all excited, some surprised, but EXCITED! I am waiting to send off our DOssier to Colombia, before we tell our friends and make a big announcment and that should be next week and I can't wait to share it with my moms clubs.
Posted by: kelly at 9:00pm Mar 27
We decided to adopt after 10 years of marriage and 2 years of trying to conceive by IVF. Adopting our daughter from Russia was the best decision we ever made. She was 6 months at the time now 5 years old. She is the joy of our lives. We are now awaiting a referral from Thailand for #2. We are so excited to extend our family! We have been waiting for a year now, keeping our fingers crossed that one of these days we will receive a phone call. Adoption is such a beautiful experience, I cant say enough about it! We are so blessed!
Posted by: Janine at 9:34pm Mar 29
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