infant adoption Archives - Adoption Agency Florida

Categories : Adopting a child, Adoption webinar

Tags : adoption webinar, adoption webinars, domestic infant adoption, I want to adopt a baby, infant adoption

“We knew that there was a child meant for us!”

Posted by Adoption Agency Florida

· February 18, 2019

Brandon and Megan with their cherished daughter, Ariana The blessing in reading adoption stories is that you can really learn a lot from them. This especially holds true when you’re hearing from adoptive couples who have adopted recently.

Florida adoptive couple Brandon and Megan were blessed to adopt a baby girl through Lifetime just last year. In this family’s story, we hear from Megan about how they decided adoption was the way they’d build their family and their experience with becoming parents together through an open adoption.

You’ll learn valuable tips about how to cope with the adoption wait, as well as how to educate your family and friends about the beauty of open adoption! Now a forever family, adoptive mom Megan shares their beautiful story in this special guest blog post!

Megan gazes lovingly at her daughter “When I think of adoption it is with mixed emotions, the most overpowering one being love. We have been blessed by the adoption journey and by our daughter. However, I can also remember a time not so long ago that adoption was bittersweet and only wishful thinking. We had known we wanted to adopt long before the infertility issues began.

Once we were told that we would not be able to have children, adoption became more real. Throughout the process, there were fears, yet there was always hope. We knew that there was a child meant for us. Now, we can’t imagine our life without adoption and the greatest gift we’ve ever known: our daughter, Ariana.

Our adoption journey was relatively short. We spoke with Lifetime in August, and by March we were blessed with our daughter. During the process, I underwent a hysterectomy, and my husband and I endured a lot of grief during that time.

For me, adoption was something to hold onto, and I kept the faith that we would be parents. The waiting period was difficult, but my husband and I kept busy. We went on vacation for his birthday the month before we were matched. We focused on enjoying every moment before it would no longer be just the two of us.

Brandon with Ariana When we shared with our family and friends that we were going to adopt, they were both excited and nervous. Many people were skeptical of our decision, and we received a lot of questions about cost and age and the process.

One hesitation that people had was regarding an open adoption. Although we had researched the topic and felt comfortable, I think it made our family uneasy. We would get questions like, “How can you have a relationship with the birth family?” and “What if the birth mother wants her child back?” So we would educate them.

We were set in our decision that this was the right path and felt strongly that open adoption would be best for our child and us. We wanted that relationship, and now that we have it, we’re so thankful that we stuck to our guns. Once people realized how passionate and confident we were in the process, they were more enthusiastic and supportive.

We continue to speak with Ariana’s birth mother every month. For Christmas, she mailed Ariana a gift, and we sent something in turn. We love having an open relationship with her. She is uncomfortable with visits at this time. But she knows that if she changes her mind in the future, we are open to visits. We are so glad that our daughter will grow up knowing her birth mother and how much love we all have for her!”

Lifetime would love to help you adopt a baby, too!

Start your open adoption journey today by completing Lifetime’s free application to adopt.

Categories : Adoption story

Tags : adoption story, domestic infant adoption, infant adoption, newborn adoption, Open adoption, what is open adoption like?

“I Praise God for Women Who Choose Adoption”

Posted by Adoption Agency Florida

· November 19, 2018

This guest post was written by a Lifetime adoptive mother who adopted a baby girl last year, along with her husband.

"I praise God for women who choose adoption" shares an adoptive mother “It’s National Adoption Month. I’ve had a lot on my mind. And I’ve tried to do my due diligence at reading/listening to all members of the domestic private adoption triad. Here’s what I’ve learned…

The adoptee doesn’t want to be told to be thankful. She lives with a label she can’t hide from and a shadow of what the unknown could have been like.

Birth mom doesn’t want to be told what a selfless and sacrificial decision she made. She may live with guilt and grief, and despise the adoptive parents because she feels like a doormat. Only getting contact to check off the box of what they owe her…

We haven’t heard from our birth mom since our daughter was six weeks old. I can’t help but wonder how she is. I send her a lengthy email every two months, update pictures in a Google share folder, and send text pictures randomly. No response. I gave her permission to tell me to be more frequent, or less frequent – but no response. I miss her. I care about her. I wish I knew how to help her.

Our daughter is great! She loves her family, and we love her. This is a journey, and in 10 years there will be much more to say about how she is – how she has come to accept her heritage. My prayer for her is that adoption would not define her, that she wouldn’t let it be her sole identity. But rather, through this experience she would become an advocate for families. An advocate for children.

My husband is a pastor. We work with a lot of children and adolescents. There are so many difficult situations our kids are dealing with – living in. Step parents are cruel, moms are in jail, dads and boyfriends are abusive, and children beg for food, I could go on. This is really difficult to say without sounding judgmental, or proud – so please hear this carefully. 18 years is a long time for a child to live in turmoil. When I think about our daughter’s birth family, the writing on the wall tells me she would have been living among unstable and non-committal relationships. Her birth mom found herself in a very sticky situation, bless her heart. I have full forgiveness and mercy for her. And for our daughter’s sake, I’m so thankful she chose adoption. I’m not sure what her motives were. Whether she realizes it or not, she saved our daughter from a slew of messy and quite possibly abusive relationships. She gave her stability and full acceptance. She’s no longer an accident, a mistake, an ex-girlfriend’s other child, a half-sister, or a girlfriend’s daughter. This is an identity she does not have to live with! And I am so THANKFUL for her sake. She is a daughter, a sister. No strings attached.

This is also difficult to say, because I don’t want to exclude single adoptive moms – or cast judgement on single parents. I simply want to say, that on top of what I’ve already said about the gift our daughter’s birth mom gave her, she gave her a DAD. Had she stayed with her birth family, in 15 years she may have been saying to her pastor, like many have said to us in tears, ‘I don’t have a dad.’ They call mom’s boyfriend dad, but he’s not their dad and next month he could be gone. Their siblings’ dad babysits them, but he’s not their dad, and everyone knows it. Our daughter has a dad, and he’s not going anywhere.

The gospel has incredible healing power. And I believe God changes lives. I would 100% support a single woman with an unplanned pregnancy who wanted to parent, because I believe God can turn our mess into something beautiful. He is the God of restoration. But the road isn’t easy. Quoting the title of an excellent book, the Christian life is “a long obedience in the same direction.” Although this next part grieves me, I’ve also learned to accept that not every birth mom is ready for the long obedience that will transform her mess into a beautiful story. And so I praise God for those birth moms who choose adoption. And I also praise God for bringing the gospel to me, for cleaning up my own mess and equipping me to be a part of someone else’s story – my daughter’s story. It’s an overwhelming privilege. I pray I am faithful to the task.”

Would you like to discover the amazing blessing of infant adoption?
Take the first step today by filling out
Lifetime’s free application to adopt!

Categories : Adoption story

Tags : adoption story, infant adoption, National Adoption Awareness Month, National Adoption Month, Open adoption

“Open Adoption is Amazing! We’re Thankful to Be a Part of It!”

Posted by Adoption Agency Florida

· July 9, 2018

Here at our adoption agency in Florida, we love to share updates from our adoptive couples who are experiencing the joys of open adoption! Today, we’re sharing a sweet open adoption update from Jesse and Alicia, a young adoptive couple living in Colorado. Earlier this year, we wrote about their thankfulness to God for writing their beautiful adoption story. And last summer, we blogged to congratulate them on their adoption!

A year ago, Jesse and Alicia wrote, “We’re so thankful to have found Lifetime. You all have been there every step of the way. Struggling with infertility for so long leaves you vulnerable and it is difficult to imagine that you may never become a parent. God led us to Lifetime because He knew this perfect little girl would be waiting for us and that everyone at Lifetime would be here every step of the way! Every phone call, every webinar, and every prayer helped us become stronger and prepared us for parenthood.”

Here’s the most recent update from Jesse and Alicia, who created their family through a Lifetime open adoption:

Brynlee having fun in Disneyland “We have been reflecting on our journey a lot lately. On Mother’s Day I couldn’t think of anything I would rather do than to spend time with the woman who made me a mom! We met with Brynlee’s birth parents and visited the aquarium downtown! I love that we are in the same state because we can visit each other often. Brynlee loved seeing the fish and she soaked up all the hugs and play time.

Watching them interact was such an amazing feeling. It showed us again, just how amazing open adoption really is and how thankful we are to be a part of it.

After struggling with infertility for so long and hiding from this day every year, it was nice to have someone to celebrate it with and I feel like it was part of my healing process.

When we were saying our, ‘see you later,’ they gave me flowers and I just about lost it! I was amazed at how strong and selfless this gesture was. I was so honored! I think about them and pray for them every single day! I pray they are safe and that they are content with the decision they made and this gave me the reassurance I have been needing. They are doing well and they know their daughter is cared for and loved so much!

Can you believe Brynlee is 1 year old!?? Time is flying incredibly fast and we are enjoying every second! We are learning so much as she is blossoming into a beautiful, independent toddler. I take full advantage of when she wants to sit on my lap or be held to fall asleep. We celebrated Brynlee turning 1 by having a birthday party with family and friends. We also took her to Disneyland and spent some time on the beach, she LOVES being in the water.

We are eternally grateful for being chosen to raise Brynlee and for all the amazing people we have met along the way.”

If you’re ready to see how Lifetime’s Adoption Agency could help build your family, please apply today! You can click here to take the first step towards becoming a Lifetime family.

Categories : adoption update, Open adoption

Tags : adopt a baby, adopting a baby, adoption agency in Florida, adoption match, adoption success, adoption wait, domestic adoption, domestic infant adoption, Florida adoption agency, infant adoption, newly adopted, Open adoption, recent adoption matches

Is it Possible to Adopt Twins?

Posted by Adoption Agency Florida

· May 28, 2018

Keith and Thirza were blessed to adopt twins! Many hopeful adoptive couples ask “is it possible to adopt twins?” The short answer is “yes”! Lifetime adoptive couple Keith and Thirza from Florida just adopted newborn twin girls!

We feel blessed to be able to share about their journey to adopting newborn twins! Please pray for all involved in this precious adoption story, especially the twins’ birth mom for her loving choice.

If you’re in the middle of your adoption wait, hearing stories like Keith and Thirza’s will give you inspiration and hope!

These happy new parents share:

“We’re adjusting to our new life as parents and we’re loving every minute of it! We learned about their birth mom from a friend approximately two years to the day our journey began (this includes the three and a half months before we signed with Lifetime.) As we posed for this photo, we couldn’t help to feel that waiting two years wasn’t enough to prepare us for when they arrived!

I [Thirza] personally struggled with the wait. Had we not been matched by the end of our contract with Lifetime, we had planned on ending our journey. But Natalie called me and spoke words that I really needed to hear. Then, we learned about the twins’ birth mom on a Sunday and flew out to be with her the following Saturday, as she was induced. The twins were born that day at 1:55 am and 2:08 am. The two-year wait came down to six days!

Kyla and Trinity were born at 35 weeks so they were kept in NICU. The staff at the hospital was nothing short of tremendous. We weren’t the adoptive parents, we were THE parents. They were extremely respectful of us and very protective of us once birth mom signed the surrender papers. Some of the nurses offered to help us at the airport once we were ICPC cleared. The entire experience at the hospital was great!

This photo is of their first night in their bassinets at home! It’s been a whirlwind of visitors, packages and two very generous baby showers. We have been blessed beyond our wildest dreams with not one, but two beautiful baby girls. Lifetime kept us going when we were ready to give up and we’re so happy that Natalie called when she did!

We want to thank you for all of the work that you do to prepare adoptive parents. From the monthly webinars and update reports to the one-on-one individual attention you provide when it comes to profiles and websites, everything you all had done for us was truly appreciated and are sincerely thankful!”

As Keith and Thirza’s story shows, it is possible to adopt twins here at Lifetime. But if you’re only open to adopting twins, it will increase your wait time significantly. That’s because out of every 100 adoptions, Lifetime has around two to three newborn twin adoptions, on average, per year. You can learn more about adopting twins in our blog post, “How Long Does It Take to Adopt Twins?”

Take the first step in your journey towards infant adoption today, simply by filling out Lifetime’s free online application to adopt!

Categories : Adopting a child, adoption update, Newly Adopted Babies

Tags : adopting twins, domestic adoption, how long does it take to adopt twins?, infant adoption, is twin adoption possible?, twin adoption, twin adoptions

“Thank you for helping us on the journey to parenthood. We love Lifetime!”

Posted by Adoption Agency Florida

· May 7, 2018

Lifetime’s adoption agency in Florida loves it when we get to share updates from our adoptive couples who have experienced the joy of infant adoption! Today, we’re sharing a sweet updated from Chris and Carrie, a young adoptive couple living in Kentucky. Earlier this year, we wrote about their exciting news of being blessed to adopt a baby boy!

Back in January, Chris and Carrie shared with us: “The whole process was just absolutely amazing! Colton’s birth parents are angels. They allowed us to be present for the entire process. We were in the room for his birth and the four of us spent an hour and a half together before we went to separate rooms. Colton’s birth mother was able to hold him as well!”

Here’s the most recent email from Chris and Carrie, who created their family with the help of the Lifetime adoption agency:

Hi Tiffany,

Here are some photos of us and sweet Colton. We are beyond grateful that we get to raise Colton. He is the most amazing gift! We are so thankful for his birth parents, we love them dearly.

Colton is almost five months, he loves to coo, smile, suck on his hands and laugh. We are trying to enjoy every moment with him.

We just finished our last post placement visit and hope to finalize within the next month. Words cannot accurately express the joy and life he has brought to our family. Thank you for helping us along this journey to parenthood, we love Lifetime!

And check out this short video about their experience with the Lifetime adoption agency!

If you’d like to read more adoption stories like this one, please visit our “Recent Adoptions & Matches” page. Our adoption staff updates this page all the time, so you’ll want to keep visiting the page to see new baby photos and stories!

If you’re ready to see how Lifetime’s Adoption Agency could help build your family, please apply today! You can click here to take the first step towards becoming a Lifetime family.

Adoption Opportunities at Our Adoption Agency in Florida

Posted by Adoption Agency Florida

· April 16, 2018

· 1 Comment

Learn about our adoption agency in Florida's available adoption opportunities! When you’re thinking about infant adoption to grow your family, it’s normal to wonder about the babies available for adoption. In the adoption world, you may hear terms like “adoption opportunities” and “adoption situations.” Keep reading to find out if our adoption agency in Florida would be a good fit for your family!

It’s important to research domestic adoption before you dive in! Part of that research means finding out more about an adoption professional’s available adoption opportunities. When you’re seeking a newborn adoption, you’ll come across web pages which have info on birth mothers seeking adoptive families for their baby. Reading about them and about their available adoption opportunity will help you decide if the adoption professional’s right for you! Below, we’ve included info on just three of the many birth mothers that Lifetime Adoption Agency is working with right now:

We’re searching for an adoptive family to adopt a Caucasian six-month-old baby boy. His birth mother is struggling to provide for her son and is hopeful to find a loving, financially stable couple who currently have adopted children. She works full time but is having a hard time providing the things he needs and she feels he deserves a better life. There was no substance use during her pregnancy and she reports he is healthy. She would like an open adoption to include visits.

This adoption agency in Florida is also looking for adoptive parents for an African American/Hawaiian baby due next month. The birth mother is looking for a Christian family, one that can provide whatever her baby needs. She is currently parenting a 1-year-old and feels it would be too difficult to financially provide for both. She would like a semi-open adoption with no visits (just letters and photos) for updates. She is focused on getting her life on track, taking care of her daughter, and pursuing a career in the medical field. She has had regular prenatal care and has not reported any substance use during her pregnancy.

Finally, we’re seeking a loving, financially secure Caucasian couple to adopt a baby due in September (gender is unknown). The birth mother is seeking a couple who will provide her child with a wonderful life full of fun and adventure. She would prefer that the couple have parenting experience. Some cigarette use stated but no other health issues, she shares. Assistance with pregnancy-related expenses will be appreciated. Contact desired after placement will be letters, pictures, and the option of a visit once a year. She does have medical insurance and will be starting her prenatal care soon..

To view our adoption agency in Florida’s complete list of Adoption Agency Florida’s adoption situations, click here.

The first step to take if you’d like to adopt a baby with our adoption agency in Florida is to complete Lifetime’s
FREE online application to adopt.

1 Comment

Categories : adoption situations, babies for adoption

Tags : adopting baby at birth, adoption situations, agency adoption situations, babies for adoption, birth parents seeking adoptive families, can i adopt a newborn baby, infant adoption

Your Florida Adoption Agency Was There Every Step of the Way!

Posted by Adoption Agency Florida

· April 9, 2018

Lifetime’s adoption agency in Florida loves it when we get to share updates from our adoptive couples who have been blessed by infant adoption! Today, we’re sharing a sweet one from Joe and Megan, a young adoptive couple living in New Jersey. In their adoption video, they shared: “We cannot wait to welcome this baby into our family and cherish them forever!”

Here’s a heartwarming email from Joe and Megan, another adoptive couple who built their family with the help of our Florida adoption agency!

“From the beginning, I felt at ease with Lifetime. Our journey started with Kim, who was so knowledgeable and made us feel so welcomed. We then spoke with Linda and Natalie and we knew we had met the perfect team. All our questions and concerns were answered in a timely manner.

Natalie was always able to make me feel better on days I never thought this would happen. And then we got *the call* from Chrissy and our lives changed in the greatest way! Also, I cannot forget Tiffany, who stepped in during an important time in our match process.

We can never thank Lifetime enough for bringing us such great joy. You all are amazing and we are beyond thankful for all the work you do. Thank you for being there every step of the way!”

Want to read more touching adoption stories like this one? Just visit our “Recent Adoptions & Matches” page. We add to this page every week, so keep visiting to see cute baby photos and stories!

If you’re ready to see how Lifetime’s Florida Adoption Agency could help build your family, please apply today! You can click here to take the first step towards becoming a Lifetime family.

We Love Lifetime With All Our Hearts…Thank You!

Posted by Adoption Agency Florida

· March 26, 2018

Lifetime’s adoption agency in Florida loves it when we get to share updates from our adoptive couples who have been blessed by infant adoption! Today, we’re sharing a sweet one from Luke and Lindsay, a young adoptive couple living in Illinois. They adopted their son, Lincoln, through Lifetime last year. Last May they emailed us, “We truly can’t believe he’s here…it still feels like a dream! So thankful to you all at Lifetime and to God for this journey!”

Here’s a recent email Luke and Lindsay, another adoptive couple who’s expanded their family with the help of our Florida adoption agency!

Luke and Lindsay rave about Lifetime

Hello! It’s hard to believe Lincoln is already a year old. I wanted to send an email thanking you all again for all the support, love, encouragement and clarity in the chaos happening this time last year!

The year has just flown by…we still can’t believe how much this little boy has overcome and accomplished. He is into everything, loves to belly laugh, and is best friends with Hannah. The first thing they do when waking up is to find each other and share hugs in the morning. She refers to him as her “little buddy Win-con.”

We never imagined how beautiful our story would unfold. We tried so many years to have children…never in a million years did we see being blessed with two amazing babies in 3 years. God is so good!

We also exchange such sweet text messages with Lincoln’s birth mom. We text around holidays and send her photos every other month or two. Its been such a sweet connection, being able to share his accomplishments and adorable smiles.

We love Lifetime with all our hearts…thank you again!

Forever grateful,
Luke and Lindsay

Want to read more touching adoption stories like this one? Just visit our “Recent Adoptions & Matches” page. We add to this page every week, so keep visiting to see cute baby photos and stories!

If you’re ready to see how Lifetime’s Florida Adoption Agency could help build your family, please apply today! You can click here to take the first step towards becoming a Lifetime family.

Tags : adopt a baby, adopting a baby, adoption match, adoption success, adoption wait, domestic adoption, domestic infant adoption, infant adoption, newly adopted, Open adoption, recent adoption matches

Check Out This Review of Our Adoption Agency in Florida!

Posted by Adoption Agency Florida

· March 19, 2018

Lifetime’s adoption agency in Florida loves to share reviews from our adoptive couples! Today, we’re sharing a sweet comment from Brandon and Terra, a Wisconsin couple who are still in their adoption wait. Just last month, we wrote about their short and sweet adoption video, which they created to share how excited they are to adopt a baby.

Terra recently emailed her Adoption Coordinator, Natalie:

“Hi! We wanted to write and say how thankful we are for Lifetime. We were on a flight yesterday speaking to a couple that recently adopted and it was not a pleasant experience. That truly hurt my heart as this should be a happy time. The agency they used did not provide half of what we get with Lifetime, especially the webinars.

When we were talking about our experience thus far, the couple was blown away by the above and beyond service you all provide your families. I felt it was only fair to share. We are thankful every day that God brought us to you all!”

If you’re ready to see how Lifetime’s Florida Adoption Agency could help build your family, please apply today! You can click here to take the first step towards becoming a Lifetime family.