Happy Families

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MEET THE WEEDS

Hi, we are the Weeds. We used to be 2 but now we are 4. One morning in February of 2003 I woke up and realized it was time to end the painful routine of fertility treatments and procedures. It took all of about 3 minutes of signing on to an international adoption website with pictures of waiting children to know what we were meant to do.

On February 24th, 2003 our journey began. We met with Swartz Adoptions and started the path towards fulfilling our dream of having a family. Although the paperwork seemed neverending in just 7 short months we were on a plane on our way to Shymkent, Kazakhstan to meet our children.

Before we left I had read and researched everything I could to make sure we were prepared. In a book I read I remembered the writer repeating the phrase that adoption is not for the weak at heart. Our trip definitely proved this statement. It takes very patient, courageous and determined people to make a journey across the world to complete your family. Our trip was somewhat difficult and eventful, but I look back now and know that everything happens for a reason. We have a beautiful son Tristen Michail, 3 ½, and a beautiful daughter Teagan Anastasia, 1 ½.

Those first days together at the orphanage were just incredible. I take the time often to look at the pictures from our trip and they always bring tears to my eyes. The people we met in Kazakhstan became a part of our family, too. We have kept in contact with many of them and will make sure our children will always have a tie to their culture. We have come so far in just 6 short months of bringing these children into our family. They are now healthy, happy and extremely affectionate children. I can’t imagine a day without them. Thank you Swartz Adoption and especially Dawn our adoption coordinator for helping make our dreams come true.

MEET THE FOWLERS

Adoption, what it means to me…an opportunity to have a family that was not possible for my husband and I.

We have a beautiful daughter, which we graciously received after trying in-vitro. Once my daughter was a year old, we decided that we would like to have another child. After several failed attempts with in-vitro, adoption was just the next natural step to take in our lives. And boy, what a blessing this has been to us.

We adopted a boy and a girl from Russia June 24th, 2002. We went there with open minds and knew that in our hearts our experience would all work out.

Swartz Adoptions Attorneys prepared my husband and I with what to look for with the children that we would see there. We did some research to make sure we knew as much as we could before going over there.

I remember when we were in the director's office at the orphanage in Krasnodar and they brought out this little girl full of energy and enthusiasm (14 months old and weighting 11 lbs.). As soon as I saw her, I knew we were taking her home before they even put her in my arms. At that point I did not even know about her medical history. She was so full of smiles and just wanted someone to pay attention to her. The second child that they brought out to us was our son (22 months and 15 lbs.). He was so quiet and scared. He did not talk to us at all. My husband said to me, he is a healthy boy and needs a home. I agreed. How could someone not want to take him home? He just wanted to be loved. We chose not to see any more children. We knew that this girl and boy were meant to be a part of our family.

Our children have made a tremendous amount of transition and strides since they have been home. They both are doing wonderful. Just think, they had to learn to walk, talk, speak English and live a whole new lifestyle in such a short period of time. I cannot believe the drive they have to want to strive in life.

Our family is complete, we have three wonderful teenagers from my husband's first marriage and three toddlers (They are all within one year in age). Would I like to adopt again? Yes, I would love to. Look at my family, they are wonderful!

Nicholas and Erin, April 2002

Nick - Adopted at 2 years
Nick - Also born in Krasnodar Russia - Our son. When my husband and I first saw him, he was wearing a girl's outfit with pink tights. I thought "Oh my gosh, is that a boy or a girl?" I did not want to sound rude but I had to ask. Yes, that toddler was a boy. He was so quiet and scared. I remember the director telling my husband and I several times, he is a healthy boy, a good boy and never bad.

What I saw in Nick was a lonely boy who did not know or understand anything that was going on. I saw the "potential" in him when my husband and I were able to spend time with him. At first he would not smile. He did not know what it was like to be happy. But my husband and I were able to break down that brick wall just within a couple of hours. I saw his happiness, he wanted more, he wanted love and he wanted a family. We were his family. Yes, Nick is a very healthy boy. He loves being loved.

Nicholas 2004

Nick has been with us since June 2002. We have seen him grow so much in such a short time frame. We adopted Nick when he was 2 and weighed barely 16 lbs. Since that time, he has doubled his weight, learned English, and learned how to laugh, play with his siblings, love someone and want to do better in life.

Nick is our son. My husband and I are so grateful to have had the opportunity of him coming into our lives.

Erin - Adopted at 15 months
Erin - Born in Krasnodar Russia; daughter to two loving parents. What did I see in her? What was it that said, "That is my daughter?" Erin's eyes were so full of life and her body would not hold still. The director's assistant brought her in the room and I stood up and thought to myself "She is going home no matter what." How could I think this and not know anything about her? I held her with tears of joy in my eyes. She was so beautiful and so tiny. She was so happy and did not even now that the odds were against her where she was living. I told my husband that I wanted to adopt her. He could see it in my eyes that she was the right daughter for us.

Erin 2004

We listened to the translator telling us about her medical history. In my heart it didn't matter if anything was wrong. If we could fix it, GREAT!!! If we couldn't, that was fine and we would deal with it. Erin was in great health. But one thing I did learn while being at the orphanage was that the children did not receive enough food due to the hard economic times the orphanage was facing. Erin mostly ate bread, very little meat and once in a while some fruit. She was wearing 3 months clothing at 15 months.

A child comes into ones lives for a reason. One would think that my husband and I came into Erin's world and gave her a life. But the truth is, Erin came into my world and gave me life. She is what makes me happy. Once we brought Erin home, she flourished and has grown so much. She is now my little big girl. You would not have guessed this was the same girl a year and a half ago.

Tim & Sharon Fowler
February 2004

MEET THE PARDYS

Hello, we are the Pardy family. We decided to share our story on this "Happy Families" web page because we are even more than a "happy family." There are no words we could use to describe just how happy and fortunate we are to have had such a great adoption agency and a wonderful birth mother, both of whom have enriched our lives forever! We adopted a wonderful daughter, Tatiana Sheridan Pardy, on September 21, 2000.

Both my husband and I always wanted to have a child and turned to adoption to make this a reality. Chris Swartz and his staff assisted us all the way as we made two trips to Russia to adopt our child from the Krasnodar Region. When the agency itself was not present in Russia, their Russian facilitators were there to assist us every stop of the way. We were definitely a little apprehensive at first about traveling to Russia, especially when I (Sherry) decided to go without my husband for the first trip due to his work schedule. This apprehension turned into some of the fondest lifetime memories one could ever have. Thank goodness for video cameras. Every time we watch the videos of that special day we went to adopt Tatiana from the orphanage, we shed tears of joy and so do all of our family and friends in the room.

We adopted Tatiana when she was 8 months old. Tatiana is now 4 years old. She is doing wonderfully and every day we think about just how lucky we are that we have her in our family. We cannot imagine life without this little girl in it. She often says to Dan or I, just out of the blue, "I love you so much!" This just reinforces the mutual need we have for each other in our lives. When a child calls you "mom" and "dad" for the first time you know then that no matter how this child came to you, this is your child to love and take care of forever. This is the best feeling in the world and Dan and I are currently looking to adopt again through Swartz Adoption Agency and just turn this "happy family" into an even "happier family!"

Dan, Sherry, and Tatiana Pardy

MEET THE DAVIDSONS

Bob and I thought we were complete with just the two of us and our cat. Now that we have Alexis, we look back and say we were missing so much and realize what a boring, unfulfilled life we had! I never want to be childless again. Alexis is our life!

You must be ready for the work involved in adopting a child. You will have to work hard, but it is definitely worth it. Your child may be underweight with no hair and seem very sad when you first meet him/her, but bring him or her home, add some love and food and watch your beautiful child bloom!!

Alexis started out as a baby rosebud and now she is an American beauty rose. We predict a great future for her. She is beautiful and smart but most of all full of love.

I recommend you use Swartz Adoption Agency. Our adoption of Alexis was smooth. We have friends who used a different agency and it was a bumpy nightmare that cost them a lot more money than they planned. If it were not for the Swartz Adoption Agency workers both here in the USA and in Russia, we would not have our beautiful daughter. There are no words to explain how indebted we feel to all of the people who worked with us from Swartz Adoption Agency.

God Bless
Robert, Susan and Alexis Davidson

MEET THE ADAMS

What wonderful gifts Swartz Adoptions gave to us. After three years of trying to have a family, and one year of failed infertility treatments, adoption was the natural choice. My first contact was by phone, with some simple questions. I expected to leave a message and maybe get an answer in a week or two. I was happily mistaken as Chris got on the phone right away and thoughtfully and carefully answered all my questions. My husband and I had an appointment within a week of that first call.

My husband and I opted for open adoption. There could be no greater gift than that of giving a child a loving home. In our hearts we knew that we could provide the birthmother with contact with the child she loved so dearly, and he could benefit from the love of all of us. After the birthmother chose us from our portfolio, a meeting was set up to meet her. Talk about nervous!! By the time the meeting was half over, we were all feeling much more at ease, and we went home with an ultrasound picture of our little boy. You cannot imagine the excitement, then when accompanying her to the doctor to hear his heartbeat, what an amazing experience.

In the meantime of waiting to be chosen by a birthmother, we were able to start the process of adopting our daughter through the foster care system. Although Swartz Adoptions did not facilitate the adoption, having a home study and all the other paperwork in order expedited the process.

Maddie moved in to our home and two weeks later we got the call. I don't think we could have traveled much faster to the hospital after hearing that Jake was born. Two children in two weeks- what a miracle! We continue to have contact via e-mail and periodic visits with Jake's birthmother. Our family is now complete. We would highly recommend Swartz Adoptions to anyone interested in adoption, whether you are looking to complete your family or a birthmother looking for a loving home for your child. The expert staff treated us as if we were part of their family.