It's a Boy!

Congrats. My sister is doing similar right now. She has been fostering on and off for a few years but is going for full adoption on a pair of brothers, 6 and 4. The kicker is her oldest graduated college on Saturday. 

My bad joke is she got tired of renting and is looking to own. 

Congratulations, it is awesome that you and your wife are able to share your love with those two beautiful kids. Enjoy every minute of it, they grow up fast. Great pic too.

Just saw this, awsome!

Congratulations John!!!

Congrats to both of you! Sounds like a win-win!

Someone draw a Venn diagram with "John is good people" and "John is insane" and the overlap has those two beautiful kids in it. 

Thank you for sharing this-I'm sitting here smiling because it makes me so happy. 

In reply to MrJoshua :

You fully deserve that smile!

Please be sure to share with Mrs Joshua.

just knowing people like you are out there, IT HELPS ME.  

Congrats! You'll be fine, you're young at heart and don't look a day over 45

Congrats John!

GameboyRMH said:

Congrats! You'll be fine, you're young at heart and don't look a day over 45

My best friends favorite line when talking to someone who he really doesn't like, when they complain that they're feeling old or slow or whatever (happens a lot when you work in a physical environment: "Don't worry, you don't look a day over [5 years older than they actually are]"

Congratulations!!!

Congratulations, sir.  A girl and a boy...they don't make any other kinds, so you got the matched set.  

Edit: I'll be 41 in July, my daughter is turning 4 the month before and my son is 15 months old.  The best possible outcome is that the kids help keep you young.  

In reply to volvoclearinghouse :

a friend that is a comedian/musican say's he has 3 kids.  one of each. 

I'm glad you're able to give him a home, even better that he has a sister that's really his. More people need to do it  

Congratulations. 

John. You and your wife are very special people. Congratulations and also thank you. The world needs more like you two. 

Congrats John!

Mrs. ShawneeCreek may have to take you up on that private discussion later, perhaps at this year's Challenge. Adoption has been on our minds for a while. We'd love to hear your experiences and pick your brain.

In reply to ShawneeCreek :

I do plan to be at this years Challenge.   Be sure to read Mr. Joshua's words in the linked thread in my first post here.  It has a lot of wisdom.  No need to  wait all the way until Oct.  If you want more, sooner, I could do any time.  

Coming to the "acceptance and reality" that adoption is the right choice for you is a personal journey.  If the Mrs. Shawnee would like some direct conversation with the Mrs Welsh, that can be easy too (but not attending The Challenge.)  I offer that because the perspectives will be different.  

To tie this all back to you, my kids are from the Findlay area or generally your own former back yard. 

I can be reached directly at:   jwelsh02...yahoo...

Dude. Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuude...  You are awesome.  Can't wait to swap child-mayhem stories when we see each other again.

Congrats!

Absolutly beautiful! And I mean both your actions and the boy.

It is the best day of his life, he just doesn't know it yet.

Congrats! Wishing your entire family happiness, and more good times than bad.

I think it is time for a GRM update and some more internet over-share.  Some of you knew this might happen and for others it will be a surprise.  My motivation for this posting is that I have been writing a lot here on GRM about minivan/SUV shopping.  A lot of people know that I will need space for two kid car seats.  In those threads I didn't want to just drop the bomb that now I will only need seating for one kid.  

Yeah, 2 weeks before Thanksgiving (2 months ago), the court hearing was final and our little guy went back to his birth parents 100%.  

This was not a surprise to us.  The process was gradual and we always knew this could be the outcome.  The way this works with Children Protection Services (CPS) is that if the birth-parents can get their act together then they can get their kid back.   It was easy for us to bet against their ability to get their act together...but, they have.  This gives us the net result of 2 better adults.  I guess that is a good thing.  The birth parents have always had visitation with him.  At first this was just  2 hours, supervised by CPS people.  This then grew to all day, then over nights, then weekends and, for the last 9 weeks they had him for 4 days out of 7.  

Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, all of this is a huge mixed bag of emotions.  It seems cruel to say but one of those emotions is also relief.  Taking him on was a big burden but wrapped with joy also.  On the bright side, he still remains Jane's half brother.  We still maintain a relationship with the birth parents and we still have the ability to see him going forward.  

We think Jane understands but again, it is all complex.  He was with us from 4 months old to 22 months old but all that while, Jane saw him go to visitation every week up to and including him not being here for 4 days at a time.  As a 4-5 yr old, Jane was happy to not have to share with him.  As he grew older and walking/talking she was less happy with him taking her toys or messing with her stuff.  But, she was also happy to have him around.  Again, complex.  

The week before he left, we did a photo session and some of those pics made it onto our Christmas card this year.  

Thanks in advance for your well wishes.  

Just to clear the air....no, I do not think he will be coming back.  You see, though he has the same birth mom as Jane, he does not have the same father.  We are admittedly not the biggest fans of this father and to make things more complex, Abby is pregnant again via this same guy.  Yeah!!!  So, going forward, if there comes a time where this little guy needs support from CPS again, he will have a full blood sibling who needs that support too.  We agree that it will be best for those two kids to stay together but we have the heart felt resolve that we are not the right people to take on him and another with the other being even younger. 

Yeah, did I mention it's all complex!  

Thanks again

jwelsh02...yahoo...

John, so much going through my heart right now reading this. I really don't know what to say, other than I'm glad the adults are getting their lives back together and I'm glad that you and yours are mature, reasonable people who have provided love, stability, and support to those in need.