Anna and Marie’s Adoption Success Story: An LGBTQ Journey 

There is something magical about adoption. Be that the way a family comes together or just the journey itself. There are so many amazing adoption journeys out there that it’s impossible to capture them all. Like everything in life, there are always going to be some ups and downs on the journey. Be it not meeting the right birth mother on the first try or having to be patient. 

That doesn’t mean that there aren’t success stories, though. At Adoption Choices of Nevada, do our best to make sure your adoption process is as smooth as possible for everyone involved. To give you an example, we want to share Anna and Marie’s journey and how it became their adoption success story. 

Anna and Marie’s Start

Anna and Marie can recall from the first time they met, they were meant to be together. It began as friendship, blossomed into love. Then, later, marriage. Marie jokes that it was just like the movies. Girl meets girl, girl falls in love with girl, then girl and girl get married. 

At first, there wasn’t really a plan to have children. They had their four-legged fur baby to take care of and decided that was all they needed for now. But then, a few years later, they sat down and started to seriously consider growing their family. Adoption Choices of Nevada had the privilege of gaining insight into their adoption journey. 

Anna and Marie’s Journey

TK: Was adoption always your first option in the choice to grow your family?

A&M: That’s actually a funny story. No, it wasn’t our first choice. It was on the table, but we wanted to try and have our own child first. The hardest part was figuring out who was going to be the one to carry our child. That fell on Anna. It was a rough road. For anyone who knows the process, there are many fertility treatments to be done. It was a rough time in our lives, because it seemed like no matter what we did, nothing worked out. 

That was when adoption basically fell into our lap. It was the only option left, but the best thing to happen to us.  A whole new world opened up. One without treatments and needles, and a greater chance at  having that baby we were dreaming about. 

TK: Can you tell me about the process of adoption from your point of view?

A&M: Of course. The start was finding the agency that worked best for us and our needs. After that, it was a matter of filling out paperwork and applying, which, from our view, was one of the most nerve-racking moments. You fill out the application and then you wait. Once you are approved, you aren’t in the clear just yet. Something that they don’t tell you is that when you decide to adopt,  you have to then do classes. We took 30 hours of classes to start this journey. We thought we were done with school, but, as it turns out, we had a lot to learn. Now looking back, we wouldn’t change a thing.  

The home study was something we can laugh about now. It was so stressful at first, though. You have this idea that you have to be perfect. Well, as we found out, perfect isn’t an option. It’s a long process, but the agency walks you through everything. We learned so much during this time. It was all worth it. 

One of the last steps was setting up our profile, which potential birth mothers would see and help them decide if we are right for her or not. It was really intimidating. It was like applying for a job without knowing what the job was. You really have to sell yourself, but also make sure it is authentic.

After that, you wait.

TK: What were you feeling after going through the process? What would you say to people who are waiting? 

A&M: Waiting was the hardest part. There’s too much time for worry. Doubt. What if no birth mother likes us? What if we never get matched up? Yeah,waiting is enough to drive you crazy. 

If we could offer any advice to parents waiting it would be simple. While it may feel like you are waiting forever, the truth is it can all change in a day. Be prepared to get a call saying you were matched to someone. After that, hold on. It all happened so fast. Like being on a rollercoaster. Before you know it, you have your child and you realize waiting was worth it. 

Anna and Marie’s Adoption Success Story

Anna and Marie now have a beautiful son. While the road was long and a little bumpy, they are one of many success stories out there. Love is love and, no matter what at the end of the day, they are a family. Being part of the LGBTQ+ family doesn’t make things any different. 

If you have any questions about the adoption process and how you can have your adoption success story, feel free to contact us. 

Adoption Choices of Nevada has been providing adoption and surrogacy services across Nevada since 2012. For information specific to Las Vegas, please visit our sister site Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Las Vegas. For information specific to Reno, please visit our sister site Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Reno. You can also call us to speak to someone now.
Contact Us 24/7: 855-940-4673 (Toll-Free) | 702-474-4673 (Las Vegas) | 775-825-4673 (Reno) | 775-738-4673 (Elko) | 775-884-4673 (Carson City).

Meet the Author: Tia Kitchens is a college graduate with a B.S in Psychology from Capella University who has always had a passion for three things: animals, writing, and mac ‘n cheese. Two of these three are things she has based her work around. Animals are a big impact on her life due to her love for helping others through difficult situations. Through her studies, she has found the human-animal bond is strong enough to help others. This, paired with her writing, helps her record her findings and teach others through her words.

Her goal is to make a change in the world with her words and end up on someone’s inspiration Pinterest board! Being a key quote on someone’s Pinterest board it shows her words have a huge impact on people. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but if that picture is just words it surely means more that way! To learn more about her, follow her on Twitter and Instagram!

Sources: 

Thornton, D. (2019, August 02). Adopting a Baby: What are the First Steps? Retrieved July 01, 2020, from https://www.adoptionchoicesofnevada.org/adopting-a-baby-first-steps/