Jill & Brady’s Adoption Journey
Adoption is a journey. In these features, we give hopeful adoptive families the space to share what they’ve learned, what they’ve struggled with, and what keeps them going. We’re so happy to introduce you to Jill & Brady.
Tell us about yourself and how you made your way to PairTree?
Jill & Brady are a couple who hope to adopt a child into our family. We currently do not have any other children and are excited to welcome a child into a family in which the child knows, undoubtedly, they belong. We are on PairTree to connect to birth parents and let them know more about what we can offer them and a future child.
Jill works as a school psychologist and Brady works as a veteran’s benefits coordinator. We have been married for 6 years and live in an urban area in Kansas.
What has surprised you about this process – good and/or bad?
We are surprised about how hard it is to wait! We know that a wonderful birth parent will match with us soon, and we are just so excited to get to know them. We want to support the birth parent as they are also on the adoption journey.
What do you think is misunderstood about adoption?
Brady thinks what is most misunderstood about adoption is that a child is not wanted by the birth parents. There is a lot of assumption of the word “adoption” and some negative language. Instead, we believe that birth parents want the child to have a life they may not be able to provide in their current situation. To us, that shows how much is really wanted for the child by their birth parents.
Who are your biggest supporters? Who can you always turn to?
We both have great relationships with our parents. They are who we can always count on for support and advice. Both of our families are generous with their time, talents, and treasures. Brady’s parents, Mark and Cheryl, live in a small town about two hours away from them. Mark looks forward to giving his grandchild a tour of his semi-truck he uses to haul grain and fertilizer around the state. Cheryl makes meatballs, cookies, and cheese plates for the family to take tailgating to football games. They are working on checking off items on a wish list for the nursery at our house. Jill’s parents, Tim and Sandy, live about an hour away. Tim often makes trips over to our house to fix a fence, redo some plumbing, or help build a shed. He is patient while he teaches us how to do that task so we may be able to handle it next time. Sandy, a nurse turned nursing instructor, is always the first call when we need to know how much medication to take or how to treat an injury. They have helped paint our nursery!
Do you have a favorite quote or mantra?
Jill’s favorite mantra is “this too shall pass”. During good times, it helps me remember to be present in the moment and enjoy all the aspects of the opportunity. During bad times, it helps me push through to brighter days.
How often do you cry? (Seriously…)
We don’t cry too often – maybe once a month each. We both talk about our feelings a lot, so that helps things not get too bottled up. But we also aren’t afraid to be sad or frustrated if that is how we are feeling.
What you are most proud of – so far – in this process?
We are proud of how much our family and friends have come together to support us in this process. Both sets of our parents have already claimed things they want to buy for the nursery. Our friends have been talking about our families getting together. Co-workers have been making plans for future adoption leaves. Everyone is so excited to be part of this journey!
What scares you the most about this process — and why?
We are scared that our child may struggle with not knowing their genetic roots. We want to work with birth parents to determine what time of future relationship works best for everyone. However, we do hope that birth parents will help us learn about the child’s biological connections to share with them.
If you had a magic wand, what would you like to change most about this process?
If we had a magic wand, it would lessen the time to meet birth parents and our future child. However, we know many parents in all types of birth situations cannot wait to meet their little one. Our anticipation is similar!
Click here to learn more about Jill & Brady. They’d love to hear from you!
