Congratulations on your good fortune on finding a hopeful forever child!
Dh and I adopted our daughter from a distant relative in May of 2002and since it was an independant adoption, we first contacted a family attorney. They assured us that they could indeed handle our case, but the cost of it seemed pretty high since we had done most of the leg work ourselves. Long story short, we called an agency and they were alot more informative. I really believe that in the long run we paid less and had a great support group in the agency that we used. They helped us find a social worker to do our home study and they were in constant touch with us throughout the birth and even called us several times in the weeks after bringing our daughter home.
I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but there is a great tax credit for families that adopt that should cover the expenses of the whole process.
It is good to see that you are aware that she may change her mind. I think that is the most nagging fear of all hopeful Aparents. Our bmom stayed with us for the last 6 months of her pregnancy and I know there were alot of times she had second thoughts. I can tell you there were alot of private tears shed because of "The Decision". When the papers were signed, I finally felt relief.
Most of all, I want to tell you that even if this situation does not work out, you will bring your child home. Don't lose hope. I thought I would never hold my own baby in my arms and adoption has changed my life and made my life worth living. Our little girl is the most precious thing I have ever laid eyes on....I know that I could not love her more if I had given birth to her.
If you need someone to talk to, don't hesitate to contact me.
my email is
jbandwb@sbcglobal.net
Wendy