This page isn't really about my gripes anymore, I am telling you the story of my daughter's adoption, but I had no where else to put it, so here it is.

Well, it just so happens that my daughter was born on January 6, 1999, a whole seven days late. She weighed 7 lbs 7 ozs, and was 20 1/2 inches long. Now, for anyone who knows this story I'm sorry to be repeating it, but I feel I need to get this message out there, even if only one person sees it.

Okay, for those of you who don't know, my daughter was adopted by a wonderful couple two weeks and a day after she was born. I know there are a lot of people out there who don't believe in adoption, and unfortunately, my fiancee's mom is one of them. But, the message I am trying to get out there is that adoption is a wonderful process that is not only good for a mother who can't handle keeping her child for whatever reason, but it is a blessing to the couple who adopt, and it's the best thing for a child in a lot of circumstances. I know that my daughter will have the best life she can possibly have, she'll get all the attention and love and material items she needs to be happy. She won't know what it's like to be on welfare, what it's like to be raised by baby-sitters, or what it's like to not have enough money to buy better things. She won't ever go hungry, she'll never have to live in a run down, over-priced apartment, and, on top of all that, she'll know that I loved her enough to give her a better life, even though I will miss her and doubt myself for the rest of my life. If I ever get into a mood where I think I regret this descision, all I have to do is think about how much better her life will be now, and it makes it worth all the tears. I know I will never forget her, but I do know that as I grow older and get my life together, I will realize this was the best thing for everyone involved, and the pain will lessen. It will take time, it's almost like a grieving period, only because she's gone, but it's so much better because now everyone is happy. I know I keep going on and on about this, but I think adoption is a wonderful choice that people don't look at too much anymore. Teenage girls, people who really can't afford to have children, and people in similar situations are keeping their children, even if it isn't the best thing for the baby. If more people would look at adoption as an option, I think there would be a lot more happy people out there. Not only would the birth parent(s) be able to finally get their problems worked out, but they would know that their child is being taken care of and loved by a wonderful family, who more often than not, can't have children of their own. I personally got to meet my daughter's adoptive family, and it was the best thing I could have ever done. To see their faces light up and the tears of joy they had when they first saw their new baby, it made everything worth while. I know that they cannot have children, but when I am actually ready for one, I can. As they looked down at my daughter, I could see they loved her almost, if not as much, as I do. To them, my daughter was a gift from God, a blessing, and they don't care what she looks like, where she's from, who her birth parents are, they will love her as their own for the rest of their lives, and that right there is all the assurance I needed to know that I was doing the right thing. I had already named my baby, because I did have her myself for two weeks before I finally made my descision, but they changed her name. I found out through the lawyer what they named her and cried. They had named her Faith. I cried because that's what they had to have for so many years of trying to have children and failing, and what they had to have when they started looking to adopt, and what I have to have every day to assure myself that I made the right choice. Faith.

Here are some links to adoption sites on the internet. Please, take the time to tell someone you know about adopotion, if you think they may be interested. There are always wonderful families out there waiting for a child.

Yahoo's list of 73 families waiting to adopt

Yahoo's list of many adoption agencies

Yahoo's list of 18 families waiting to adopt through open adoption

Large adoption photolisting, includes children available for international adoption through agencies worldwide

Remember, there are always families waiting to adopt. In addition to these lists above, you can call your local adoption agency, or one in your area for information.

That's all for now, stop by often if you like what you read, because I love to voice my opinions!