[snaps]

As our DD approaches the big 1 year mark we are starting to think about adoption again. My question is this for other people who have adopted more than once - when did you adopt? How far apart are your kids in age? Was it any easier to adopt the second time emotionally? Did it take longer to get matched? Something else for us to consider is our age. We aren't getting any younger especially after 3 miscarriages and the time it took for our first adoption. Sorry for all the questions - feel free to answer any that you choose.

[StorkWatcher]

I don't have any answers really. Just wanted to say that now our baby is also one. If it were up to me, I'd get "back on the list" in about 6 months.

But we're not discussing this subject in our household at this time. Hubby feels we have enough on our plate at the moment and need to recover financially from the first one and give him some alone time for a while.

I have also wondered just how long we'll have to wait. I don't remember how much longer the quoted wait time was for couples who already had children as opposed to childless couples. I suppose it's just a matter a birthmom choosing us because she wants her child to have a big brother, and they might not be able to provide an average wait time.....

It's also a little overwhelming to think we might possibly match in a few weeks, rather than months or over a year. You can't really gauge the spacing easily, can you?

[mommamarci]

If money did not matter, we would start the process again when Cameron turned one. Maybe push it back to 18 months. However, he will be 18 months old before we get any of our tax check for adoption expenses because we will not finalize until after the first of the year. So, we will probably not be able to adopt until he is about 2 1/2 at the earliest.

Before I realized we would have trouble TTC, I always said I wanted four. I would start trying for the second when the first turned one, wait a few years and space the next two the same way. My sisters and I were all 4 years apart and I thought it was too much.

[HappyTwinsMom]

We debated long and hard about pursuing another adoption, starting when our girls were about seven months old. It was really difficult for us because we knew the wait would likely be longer (our agency said probably two years) and we were still adjusting to having twins.

We went back and forth on it so many times, I'm sure our agency director thought we were a little crazy. We did actually put our names on the waiting list at one point...then pulled ourselves off. It's just been within the past year or so (the girls are five now) that we decided for certain we wouldn't be adopting again. We truly feel our family is complete at this point.

However, that being said, we are in the process of becoming licensed foster parents. I feel strongly about providing care for children who need it, but I'm not seeking to add more children permanently. Of course, God does have a sense of humor...so adoption could still crop up at some point in time. I'm trying to stay open-minded!

[Bug-n-Bears-Mommy]

Our boys are 2 1/2 months apart. Their adoptions were finalized just about 6 months to the day apart. It has been like having twins...and I have LOVED every minute of it. Especially watching the incredible bond they have formed with each other.

[HBV]

Our coordinator was up at my office the other day (we are working on the CC fundraiser) and asked me if we were ready again. I am just not sure I want to do it. I love our son SO much, and I like being a mom, but it's hard.

I am 43, and my energy level isn't what it used to be. I cannot get a picture in my head of us with more than H just yet. Our adoption was expensive because of the Native American problems, and we won't get a tax credit. I spent 2 months crying every single day because we weren't sure if the tribe was going to disrupt the placement, and I frankly cannot imagine coordinating 2 more sets of birthparents on top of what we have now.

I just don't know if I want to get back on the roller coaster.

[redbonec]

Sometimes I think about this too.
We have always planned to adopt more children, and still do, don't know how many, but right now I am enjoying the time with just us. Our agency will let us reapply to wait again when our daughter turns a year old. Will we be ready again at that time? I don't know.
As far as your specific questions--I could answer from the experience of my sister in law and her husband. With their second adoption, they waited 2 years. This was with a transfer to a different agency. Their first child was 2 years old when they went back to wait again, so he was 4 years old when they adopted their second child.

[rastachris]

Our first two are 14 months 28 days apart. Our son came home from Haiti at just under a year old and our daughter was adopted domestically just three months later. We went from no kids at home to having two kids within three months. We recently adopted again and our new daughter is two weeks old today (16 minutes ago to be exact =)). It took us almost a year to get matched this time but she was worth the wait. I think that we had two children and adopted transracially may have impacted the length of our wait. FWIW, I am 37 and my DH just turned 48 - he's part spring chicken.

Good luck and God bless!

[intladoptionblog]

We adopted Sam at 13 weeks in 2003 and thought at the time he would be our one and only. The possiblity of a local adoption made us rethink, and when that fell through we went back to Cambodia for Cj. They are 2.5 years apart and love each other to bits. It was a VERY good idea.
As for age, I wouldn't worry about that. I sure don't. I was 51 when Sam came home and 53 with Cj.
The kids are now almost 4 (next month) and 18 months...and I'm 55. (My dh will be 40 in a few weeks.) Pretty darned perfect, if you ask me!

[musemoon]

My kiddo is 8 months and my agency has just cleared me to accept another fost/adopt. I told them I was not going to pursue it till my kiddo was 2. They told me that would be fine :-) They look forward to my coming back. As I am a fost/adopt of transracial drug exposed babies, my first wait was 2 months, they don't anitcipate my next wait to be more than a year. I am planning for a year as I did with my first, but am sure....it will be shorter. That's why I'm waiting until my kiddo is at least 2. I am a single mommie and can't do two little ity bitty's at the same time.

Also I want to enjoy vacations without DCF clearances for awhile tee hee.