Part 1 of 5

My featured guest this week is Melodie Fleming, an adoptive mom of two and co-author of The Dance of Restoration: Rebuilding Marriage After Infidelity (AMG 2005).

In this Q & A with Melodie, we’ll learn about her adoption story and about her book. Today, we’ll focus on the adoption on her two children.

Tell us about your first adoption
Our son, who is now 7, came to us through a private adoption. A mutual friend, who knew a college student who was seeking adoptive parents for her unborn child, introduced her to us.

What was your most memorable moment during the adoption process?
We were honored to meet our son’s birth mother several times during her pregnancy. Once she even grabbed my hand and held it to her abdomen so that I could feel him roll and kick. My eyes sting every time I remember that moment. We were at the hospital when he was born and saw him minutes after his birth. He came home a few days later, and I have been in love ever since.

Do you have an open adoption?
Our son’s birth mother is now married to a fine man. She recently completed an advanced degree and has begun a prestigious career. We are proud of her and love her very much. We have a semi-open adoption in which we stay in touch with each other and exchange gifts.

How did your second adoption differ from your first?
We traveled to China to place our arms around our daughter. She was 13 months old at the time. She is now three and loves Elmo and everything princess. Of course, we are overjoyed to be a part of the royal family. Unless God intervenes with a miracle, we will never meet her birth mother. But we pray for her often and hope to meet her in Heaven.