Hi Jessica (that's my daughter's name, too!)
I am Miriam, currently living in Israel. I have one bio-daughter from my first marriage. I was very young when I got married (a bit over 18) and my daughter was born a year later.
I didn't even "HAVE" to get married.
I had a difficult pregnancy and lots of bed-rest time. Later, I had two tubal pregnancies, 3 miscarriages, and even later, with my second husband helping me through, after 13 IVF cycles two more miscarriages. In other words, when it comes to fertility issues, I've been around the block a few times.
DH and I both had always wanted to adopt. When my daughter was a baby, I watched a program on older children needing homes and it touched my heart. He had a couple of friends that adopted and also had bio-children, and he had a friend in foster care, when he was growing up.
We planned on bio children as well as adopting. While I was going through the treatments, my older son, who is now going on 6 was placed with us. He came home at age 7 1/2 months. The little one came along after my last IVF treatment, when I finally decided that I had enough. I had my last miscarriage in April and he came home in September, in time for the High Holydays, all of 7 weeks old. He is 2 now.
My older son is of Russian origin, totally Ashkenazi in looks with medium blonde hair, fair skin and amazing blue eyes.
My younger son is Ethiopian/Iraqi and has a milk chocolate colored skin I could just eat him up. That coupled with big black eyes and beautiful curls..
There is a 21 year difference between my daughter and my older son, and 25 years between her and the baby.
We've never had any negative feedback from others. Maybe some ignorant, if well meaning questions when people try to figure out how we have a chocolate and a vanilla child.
Questions? Fire away!!! Either here or PM.
Hag Sameach!
May you have a Sweet New Year!