melissamerritt

Rhonda, Enjoy this weekend! I had so much fun at our orientation. I am not ready to adopt again, but I am jealous of everyone that attends a Parent's of Tomorrow weekend. You will have loads of fun and meet lots of new people that are in the same boat as you and your husband. Have a great time and keep us posted!!!! Melissa

Marthaj, Don't you let your age,which is still young, hold you back if you think you would like to adopt another child! We had a couple from the Dream Team 2 to adopt over the age of 50. If you are interested in adopting again do it so that you won't have any regrets later in life. Just my thoughts, Melissa

Lisa, Your grandfather,mother and aunt will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Laura, I used to feel the same way that you now feel, but once I attended Abrazo Parents of Tomorrow weekend my thoughts on open adoption totally changed. I learned during that weekend that my husband and I would need our future birthparents. I have to admit I was still a little nervous about the role our birthparents might play in our lifes until I finally talked to our daughters birthmom & dad. Once I talked to them, I realized what a wonderful support system my husband and I could forever be a part of. Our daughter's birthmom calls me whenever she needs someone to listen to her, and I do the same to her. I can't imagine what my life was like before Grace Ann came along or her wonderful birthmother. They are no longer our daughter's birthfamily, they are just our family. Her birthmother and I have become best friends, which is very hard to explain to the general public. I couldn't have understood it before Abrazo came along. They do such a wonderful job of educating future adoptive parents. I know that I have just rambled on, but I hope I may have helped you understand open adoption in some way. Warmest Wishes, Melissa

Please pray for our birthmother's brother. He was hit by a car last night while he was walking home. He is doing better than the doctors expected, but he and the family still need lots of prayers. Thanks, Melissa

Veronica, My husband and I felt the same way you do during the Summer of 2002. We had been with Abrazo for a few months and had not spoken to any birthmoms. We thought no bithmom was going to ever pick us, but come to find out our daughter's birthparents already had our profile they just had not called Abrazo yet. So for three months we felt rejected, but all along we were kinda picked by our wonderful birthparents and just didn't know it!! It will happen for you also!!

Congratulations cgrace on your new little one! I'm sure he is a cutie!!! Warmest Wishes, Melissa P.S. The cats will learn to love your new little guy, ours did!

Congratulations to the happy Mommy and Daddy!!! Enjoy every minute they grow way too fast!!!!

Zinnia, Welcome! You have found the right place to vent and share your thoughts! I too am a teacher and I received the cruelest comments about adoption from my fellow teachers. Some of them still say things, but you know what, I don't really care anymore because at the end of the day I can look at my beautiful baby girl and know that adoption does work. Best of luck on your journey, Melissa

I'm so glad you sent your inquiry in to Abrazo. They are the best!!! We began our home study the month before we went to orientation that way all we had to do after it was our profile and doctor visits. As soon as you get all of that done, you get to start speaking to birthfamilies. We went to orientation last May and we spoke to our birthfamily in Aug. By the way we sent in our inquiry about 2-3 weeks before orientation. Hopefully I'll see you in June, I along with my husband and daughter will get the chance to speak at that orientation. Now get busy taking pictures of you and your husband!!!!!!! Best of Luck Melissa Merritt

We kinda had a reverse. Our birthmom is close to my age late 20's, but our birthdad is very close to my parents age. I was worried at first that we would have nothing in common with the birthdad, but it does help that he does not act his age. He is so much fun to be around that I forget that he is almost the same age as my Dad. It is nice to talk with him when we are not joking around because he has "been there and done that." On a side note, when my parents came to Texas after Grace Ann was born, we went to birthparents house for dinner and my Dad and birthdad got along wonderfully.

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been waiting alllllllll day for this post!!!!!!!I'm so thrilled for my fellow Dream Team 2002 families. A year ago I never would have thought that it would be possible for all of us to be parents by now,but a very wise lady told us not if but when. I'm so excited for this newest member of our group and can't wait to visit with him and his PROUD family in June!!!!Give him a hug and a kiss from his Tennessee friends!!!! Love, Melissa & Grace Ann

Congrats to our fellow Dream Team!!!!!! Can't wait to hear who it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Enjoy every moment! Love, Melissa

My husband and I had heard about Abrazo for a year before we finally decided to take the plunge and it was the best thing that we ever did!!! We sent papers(& money) to another agency in our state, but somehow they informed us five months later that they lost our paperwork, but somehow they did not lose our money.(I'm not bitter or anything) We knew a girl in our city who adopted a baby from Abrazo within 3 months of orientation. I just refused to believe that it could happen that quick for us, so we kept putting it off until this past May. We went to the May 2002 orientation and heard about how fast it took some couples to place with a baby. I, of course, still refuse to believe that I would have a baby within a year of that first meeting. As I am writing this I'm looking a beatiful picture of my little peanut princess, counting the minutes until I get off of work!! Had it not been for the WONDERFUL staff at Abrazo and the reputation that follows them, it would just be an ordinary Friday night at the Merritt household!