Stalking for Baby

Warning: This blog post will include an immediate action item for its readers.

We've done Facebook, email, blog, crowdfunding, and now...

MAIL!

Guess what folder my most recent "Address.doc" was in my computer?

Guess.

Hint:

It was in the "wedding planning" folder. 

So that means I haven't sent letters out for some 5 years, a testament to my annual attempt (aka failure) to send out a Christmas card. It is also a testament to my part in Generation-EndofUPS.

Want to know how you can help us bring a baby home through adoption AND help save the United States Postal Service?:

(uh oh, she's going to ask you to do something...)

Help us share our story! 

options include...

Level 3 Sharing Ninja: Mail

Do you know anyone who might be interested in receiving a letter about how to help a baby be adopted? Message me to arrange some sort of letter mailing scenario (ie. I send the letter to them, I send you the letter to give to them, I email you the pdf to print and hand out...etc.) FB message me or let me know in the comments below to arrange.

Level 2 Sharing Ninja: Email

If you prefer the technology types of sharing - once again: FB message me or comment below for the email text we have been sending out.

OR

Level 1 Sharing Ninja: Share a link:

Fundraising Page

The Garcia Family Wee E-Book

July 25th Next Chapter Bash (Chicago Area, IL)

August 15th, Fundraiser (Burton, MI)

Please just take a quick moment now to help us out!

So Close/So Thankful

We are ALMOST at the 50% mark of our fundraising (=$7,500). Could you help us get the rest of the way there today? We are just so close!!!

SO CLOSE!!!!! 

It feels like all those pictures above...except for maybe the one in the middle.

And thank you, THANK YOU to our 56+ backers who have helped us get this far. And here they are, sans last names for some balance between appreciation and privacy:

Nicole

David

Derek

Kathryn

James

Cecelia

Jim

Leslie

Christian

Valentino

Yolanda

Robin

Mike

Salvador

Nino

Carmel

James

Becky

Vickie

Rebecca

Paul

Bret

Lila

Daniel

Craig

Katie

Maura

Ed

Claire

Mark

Kevin

Jorda

Myrna

Janice

Chris

Stephanie

Elisabeth

Wahied

Geneva

David

Patrick

Nathaniel

Amy

Sue

Shannon

Brandon

Robin

Alyssa

Cathryn

Jared

Bethany

Pete

Edward

Bernie

Gina

And then here come the additional thanks for other types of support...

THANK YOU to everyone who has shared our Facebook posts, emails, and blog - we have had an outstanding number of shares and the blog shows we have had nearly 900 views. Crazy!

And thank you to my main editors:

Mom - for editing all the things.

Stephanie - for editing and helping finesse the wee e-book.

And, I can't even begin to thank Sue for all her help with planning this fundraiser and particularly with helping me to clarify my message.

It has taken a lot of time and encouragement for us to work up the nerve to publicize our request for money to fund this adoption - and Sue has helped me to be more clear about exactly what we need, which is really awkward to say, but, it really is, just, we need money. If you ever find one of my messages too wishy washy and unclear, blame me; if you ever find one of my messages too forward - blame Sue. Sue, you are the best. Did I mention: thank you?!

And - of course - thank you to my aunts Rhonda and Monica and Grandma Marlene and everyone helping them to put on the MI fundraiser.

I am sure I have forgotten 50 or more specific people that should also be thanked in this post... please forgive me!

And then, consider us and HOW CLOSE WE ARE to 50% and how the panda below inspires you to help us get over the metaphorical rail!

Would you Be Part of the Story?

Have you seen our wee e-book yet? It is less than 200 words long (the equivalent of less than 1/2 a page) so it is a quick read. Very wee. Very shareable (hint, hint).

I created it a few weeks ago, shared it around social media, and then forgot to post it on the blog.

So let's just pretend it is new. Here we go:

ANNOUNCING THE GARCIA FAMILY WEE E-BOOK!!!!!

How to "be part of the story" (aka support the adoption of a child into our family):

1. Donate.
2. Celebrate: In Illinois or in Michigan.

Thank you so much for considering being part of our story!

The Door Is OPEN! Open Adoption. OpenSaysAdoption.

Hey all! We are hoping to raise most of the the $30,000 needed for the initial costs of adoption by July 25th. Donations can be made quick and easy online at our fundraising site. We really appreciate your considering to support us - we truly cannot do it without you!

So last week I made a post addressing the question of "When's the Baby Due?" in which I gave the rough schedule of the adoption process and then established myself as a potential competitor with Merriam-Webster with my near straight up adoption glossary. 

One of the terms that I introduced was "open adoption" which I followed up with a note that I would write a blog post to more fully explain what that term means.

Then I attempted to make a blog post about open adoption and couldn't think of a catchy title. So I opted for quantity over quality and just gave the post 3 crappy titles. Let's hope this post lives up to its quantity title.

And so, here we are.

The concept of "Open Adoption" may be very new to many people, (it was to us!) and it can also initially sound scary (it did to us!). What open adoption means is that the adoptive parents and biological parents get to meet both before and after the adoption placement. It means that, in the most ideal situation where everyone involved is comfortable with it, there might be a continued relationship through letters, phone calls, even possibly visits after the child has been placed in our family.

Psychologists, researchers, social workers (etc.) have all found that a child who is adopted tends to feel more whole and healthier if they know more about their biological parents. I have some completely incidental evidence from adopted friends that would agree with that. Biological parents are also more whole and healthier if they are able to have, at the least, the basic knowledge of the well-being of the child they gave for adoption. There are also a bunch of additional advantages to open adoption that I am going to straight up lift from Cradle website and post here:

Open adoption benefits for the child:

• A clearer sense of identity
• Understanding they are loved by their birth family and why they chose adoption
• Ready access to information about their medical and social history
• Access to biological siblings, if there are any

Open adoption benefits for adoptive parents:

• Knowledge that birthparents chose adoption freely and willingly
• A feeling of entitlement and being personally entrusted to raise the child
• Dissolution of fantasies about birthparents or fear of the unknown
• Greater ability to answer the child's questions about his or her origins
• Ongoing access to birthhparents' medical and social histories

Open adoption benefits for birthparents:

• An opportunity to personally answer their birth child's questions about his or her adoption
• Reassurance of knowing the child is safe and thriving.

To clarify - it does not mean that there is "co-parenting" going on. It simply means that if given the chance, we would be happy to have the child know where s/he came from and not have some sort of "mysterious" part of his or her past for which no one has an explanation.

So, cool. There you are.

And in case you forgot since it was all the way at the beginning of this post - we could really use your help to get started with the process! $

Love, The Garcias