Depends on the laws in your state, but in Alabama with an open adoption, there is plenty of low cost alternatives. Mostly, you'd need the background check, the home study and lawyer/court fees. So around $5000.

From the day I paid the attorney and he began the process til the day we got the call that the adoption was final was 7 months. However, we spent most of that dealing with the termination of rights. We were married under 2 years - way under - we retained the attorney after 8 months of marriage. Their bio dad was in no way shape or form interested in being their dad, and once he completely disappeared it made no sense to us to wait. Altho, like you, I am sure if he knew signing over his rights was an option he'd have broken his neck to do it. All he wanted was out of child support payments. He had a child before we met and skipped out on those child support payments for 8 years - until the bio mom passed away and the balance was written off and he was off the hook. It's really sad. Men that go around making children they have no intention of raising or taking care of. Kudos to your hubby for being a REAL dad!!

Congradulations Karen. We adopted 2 sons.....now 24 and 20 and then I had a baby boy of my own who is now 15 !! CONGRATULATIONS !!! I don't know if you have any other children or not but I can truely tell you that if you do happen to come up pregnant in the future that you will feel no differance in the children. GOD has truely blessed you and your precious daughter too. God bless you ~~~~~ Vivian

Congratulations!! This is, indeed, very exciting news!!! Question for you, I am also in NC and wondered what the process is for a step-parent adoption in NC? Do we need an attorney, home study? Also, what was the cost involved? My husband wants to adopt my daughter (he's the only father she's ever known and she's almost 7), we've been married for almost 4 years. Thanks for any info you can share and, again, CONGRATULATIONS to you all! Myra

Ok here are my thoughts as an adoptee and an adoptive mommy AND a much broker homosapian from fertility treatments after trying to conceive for 5 years........(we spent a TON). I always knew we would adopt, I have always wanted to be a mom and didnt care how my baby got here just so long as she did. We did IUI's IVF and TONS of drug treatments....finally we decided what are we spending this money on especially when the end result is ALWAYS going to be a "POSITIVE-or a yes" and not a "Negative" from fertility treatments. It gets really old hearing that this or that didnt work. You start to feel like a failure. So congrats to you for deciding early on to not continue with drug therapy..its REALLY draining on a relationship! My thoughts on your pregnancy and persuing adoption..I say GO for it if you think you can deal with two babies! GOOD FOR YOU! But, please note that some birth mothers will be looking for families that dont have kids at home...and want to place their babies in homes where their child will be numero uno-just keep that in mind. I am not saying all will be like that, some might think its great that their child will be placed into a home with a sibling so soon. If you decide you want to wait to adopt, you can get your case worker to do updates on your home study, I dont know how long they are good in California but in Texas where I am, they are good for 6 months before they need to be redone. With the updated homestudies, when you are ready to adopt you have it all there and ready to go and you dont have to pay to have it done again (just a thought). Keep us updated. I am interested in you now girl! Alisa 08/23/05 lap rny 58lbs gone for good reunited adoptee and PROUD mommy to a baby genius ;)