Beth on being adopted as an infant

Today's adoption story comes from my dear friend, Beth.  Beth and I met about 6 or so years ago online.  She has been an awesome friend and I have loved getting to know her.  She lives in East Texas and owns her own business.  She's the momma to several little doggies (I just love seeing pics of them!) and has done a wonderful job of helping her dad raise her younger brother.  Beth is a very inspirational young woman!  Thank you, Beth, for sharing with us.

Adoption has always been something very special to me, since I was adopted as a baby.  To try and put it simply, my aunt & uncle adopted me from my aunt's older sister, and became my parents.  It was not an easy process though, adoption never is.

I was born early on a snowy morning in late December to a woman who was wonderful but into some habits that were not.  She was older and already a mom to two grown children:  a daughter that would become pregnant with her oldest 6 months after her mother realized she was pregnant, and a son.  I could have been terminated, but thankfully my birth mother did not believe in that.  She gave birth to me, and my family being the close one that it was was all there.  My future mother held me not knowing that one day she would become "Mom" to me.  My birth mother took me home, where ever home was at the time.  At one time after I was born I believe her home was with her older sister, another aunt of my maternal grandparents family.  I was loved and cared for, but my birth mother knew that she could not continue to care for me as I should be cared for.  Five months after I was born she gave me to the state of Texas to be placed for adoption.  From there I believe she moved on to another place to live, and went about her life as best as she could.

Little did she know, her younger sister & her husband had already been trying to get pregnant for about 4 years now, without any luck.  When the news came through the family grapevine that the older sister had given up her newest daughter for adoption, my future parents knew what they wanted to do.
They started the process with the state, filled out the paperwork, passed all kinds of tests and background checks.  They were allowed supervised visits with me in a secure facility every 2-3 weeks for only 30 minutes at a time.  They were fighting the State of Texas for custody, so they had to have a lawyer to help with the proceedings.  An ad was even put in the local paper to let my birth father know I was up for adoption, and he could put a stop to it if he wanted.  No one ever came forward.  I don't know who my birth father is.  Honestly, he was probably the kind of guy who didn't even know he got someone pregnant, and that's ok.  The process took months though, and my family stayed strong with lots of support and prayers, as well as completing family reference letters.  My maternal grandparents & extended family were really excited about the idea of me staying "in the family".

My future parents were not the only ones applying to adopt me.  My foster parents who had several other children wanted to adopt me as well.  There was one time that my future parents got to visit me in the foster parents' home, and after that my foster family decided not to try and adopt me.

The time came for the house inspection visit, and my future mother was nervous.  My future parents owned their own house, and everything was very clean and well cared for, but not new.  They also had three dogs, and that caused extra worry.  The anxiety of maybe not being the perfect parents didn't get to them though.  They aced that inspection!  Turns out the inspector was very similar to my future mother, and she loved dogs as well.

Three long months after becoming a ward of the state, my future parents officially became my legal parents-- the only people I'd ever consider parents.  My future parents and I were late to our court proceedings because I had to be changed first.  I think that made a good impression on the judge.  In the courtroom the day it became official the judge said to my parents with a smile, "Now you know you can't bring her back."  Haha!  After all the hard work, stress and prayers they had just been through, they never wanted to consider the possibility of giving me back!

I was probably four years old when my mother told me I was adopted.  It did not stress me out a bit.  In fact since that day I've been proud to be adopted, and not ashamed to tell anyone about it.  I am blessed and very thankful that I was adopted within my family.  I grew up under a watchful eye because my birth mother would make kidnapping threats while under the influence.  Aside from that I grew up hearing the good stories about her, and I know what qualities & talents that I have that are from her.  I've always been the "weird" one in my family because I like different things, and that's ok because I'm adopted.  Unlike some other adopted children, I never wondered about why I am the way I am.  I don't have this need to find my birth parents because I met my birth mother before she died.

I wish it was my mom writing this story.  She's no longer with me, so I'm relying on stories she and other family members told me.  My dad, who doesn't talk about things like this unless you ask him, was glad to fill in the details.  The adoption process took place in 3 months, but the love I have for them will last a lifetime.