There is a lot to be done before you bring your baby home, and that goes beyond the adoption process. While you’re waiting for your child to arrive, there are some preparations you will want to make in your home, as well. Taking time to do them now will help ease your transition into having a child (or another child) at home.
The Baby’s Room
You will want a crib, changing table, garbage can, shelving, and maybe a rocking chair or recliner – not to mention all the adorable décor! There are a lot of choices when it comes to baby equipment, so start your shopping and decorating early – it may take longer than you think. If you want the baby to sleep with you for awhile, there are co-sleepers that attach to your bed to give you the opportunity to stay close while keeping the child safe, as well.
Stock Up
You will want a healthy supply of diapers, wipes, and formula, but don’t go overboard. Keep in mind you don’t know exactly how big the baby will be or how fast he or she will grow. If you get too many newborn diapers, for example, you might be left with a lot of extras if he or she grows out of them quickly.
Consider setting up a diaper subscription or repeat order with Amazon or another retailer so you don’t have to worry about running out. This way you also don’t have to find room to store boxes upon boxes of products. These subscriptions can easily be changed as you realize your baby needs a new size or more (or fewer) diapers each month.
Prepare for Guests
If you know you will have family and other visitors coming over to meet the baby, make sure your guest bedroom and bathroom are ready, and stock up on any extra snacks and drinks to avoid last-minute trips to the grocery store. You will want to spend as much time as possible with your new bundle of joy.
Meal Time
Being a good parent means taking care of yourself too! You will probably be short on sleep during the first few months, but you don’t need to be short on nutrition as well. Feed yourself well by preparing a freezer full of meals in advance. There are websites and recipe books devoted to this kind of meal prep, so start cooking!
Make soups and casseroles that can easily be frozen in a freezer bag and heated in a slow cooker when you are ready to eat. Be sure to carefully label each item so you don’t have any surprises. Also, keep a supply of fruit, hummus, veggies, and nuts on hand so you can snack in a healthy way too, to keep your energy up throughout the day.
Safety First
Though it will be a few months before your baby is walking around and potentially bumping her head on coffee tables, those months will go by more quickly than you might think. If you have time now, you might as well start baby-proofing your home:
- Cover all outlets.
- Install latches on all low drawers and cupboards. Make sure all cleaning products, medicines, and other poisonous or dangerous items are in latched or locked cupboards.
- If something can fit through a toilet paper roll, it presents a choking hazard. Put those small items out of reach.
- Place padding or bumpers on the hard edges of tables and chairs.
- Use safety gates at the stairs.
- Check your window treatments. The cords on draperies and blinds can be dangerous for children. If possible, replace corded window coverings with safer options; you can read more about window covering safety here.
- Make sure your windows are locked or that they can’t be opened more than a couple of inches.
- Keep emergency phone numbers handy and stock your first aid kit.
It is hard to think of everything before the baby arrives, but every step you take gives you one less thing to think about after he or she is home with you, allowing you to focus more attention on your newest family member. If you have any questions about preparing your home for the baby as you move through the adoption process, please contact us. If you are just starting the adoption journey, we’re here for that as well! The sooner you get started, the sooner your family can grow. Get started here!
Brittany is the Office Manager and Paralegal for Adoption Choices of Colorado. Brittany is the newest member of the Adoption Choices family and has loved every minute of it! Brittany first became involved in adoption while working at an adoption agency in Utah. She started as a child care provider to the birth mothers, worked up to birth mother helper and lastly worked as Administrative Assistant, answering phones, having constant communication with adoptive families, maintaining the adoptive family files and running a monthly adoptive family training. Brittany traveled all over for adoptions in different states and would be there to support both sides during this amazing experience. It was through working at the Utah adoption agency that Brittany discovered her love for adoption and legal work. Her career path had been decided, Brittany moved to Colorado in 2010 to go back to school to become a Paralegal. At Adoption Choices of Colorado, she does all of the filing for adoptive parents and birth parents, preparing documents and supporting the staff with any task given to her. She is in daily contact with families, and loves helping each and every one of them on their journeys through adoption. Each day is different and that is the biggest thing that she loves about adoption. There is always something new and a challenge to overcome. Brittany sees the true meaning in adoption and the real “why” in the work that is done with adoption agencies. Seeing an adoptive family with their baby is the best feeling, knowing that a dream came true for that family! In her free time Brittany enjoys each moment with her husband and 2 daughters. Brittany also enjoys camping, hiking, vacationing, baking and reading.
Patience Bramlett, a University of Southern Mississippi news editorial graduate, is a seasoned and award-winning freelance writer. She is also a passionate reader, whose only wish is to live life without fear of the unknown. Her motivation and inspiration to live her best life stems from the words of John Lennon:
Virginia Frank is an adoption attorney accredited since 1991 with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Frank is a leader in the field of private adoption and has completed over 4,000 adoptions in her career. Ms. Frank has a law degree from Oklahoma City University and a BA in both Political Science and Communications from the University of Oklahoma.
Christy has been with Adoption Choices of Colorado for 13 years, since opening the doors in 2002! Christy has a true passion for what she does and her true love is working with and helping each birth parent. Whether she is up all night on the phone talking with them, taking them to doctors appointments, out for their favorite treat, providing counseling or at the hospital during labor and delivery, Christy is very involved every step of the way. She has a contagious laugh and a spunky personality that our birth moms all can bond with and relate to. As an adoptive parent herself, adoption holds a very special place in her heart and she can relate on every level with both birth parents and adoptive parents. In her free time Christy loves spending time with her daughter, gardening, baking and taking vacations with her family. Christy is an excellent leader for our team at Adoption Choices of Colorado and is truly one of a kind!! As Executive Director, Christy spends time with the staff, birth parents and adoptive families in order to ensure that the agency is running smoothly. She has placed a huge emphasis on community outreach and programs for birth parents. Christy loves the opportunity to lead the agency into a brighter future.
Her passion for adoption was sparked when she adopted her two sons through private, domestic adoption. She has been working in adoption for over twenty-three years and it has always been her desire to give back to the process that created her family. In her work Brenda counsels birth parents and provides support and guidance to adoptive parents. For the past thirteen years, she has also worked as a contractor in international adoption, including assistance with the COA (Council on Accreditation) Hague accreditation for two agencies. She is an innovative advocate for her clients and encourages them to truly participate in and take charge of the life event of adoption, a process that will profoundly affect them. It is her belief that in an atmosphere of honesty, respect, and support, it is possible to experience the process with realistic expectations about the challenges and joys of adoption. Brenda is an adoption educator and trainer and works as a confidential intermediary for the Colorado courts, locating and contacting sought-after relatives (birth parents, adoptees, and birth siblings). She has served on the Boards of Directors for several local adoption agencies and volunteers her time to Gift of Adoption. A Colorado native, she is an avid runner, loves doing yoga, enjoys reading, and creates jewelry. Brenda resides in Golden, Colorado, with her husband, her two sons, and Carmen the labradoodle.
Stephanie joined the Adoption Choices family in 2014 as the Child Placement Supervisor. Her love for adoption began in first grade when she made friends with twins adopted from Vietnam. Her heart grew strong over the years for adopted children and ultimately led her to graduate school where she continued her focus to her dream of working in the adoption field. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2001. Over the past 15 years, Stephanie has worked as a pregnancy counselor and as an adoptive parent counselor for foster care, international adoption and domestic adoption, writing hundreds of home studies for families, and helping build their forever families. Stephanie is married and has three boys ages 12, 9, and 5. Together with her family she enjoys riding bike, playing games, watching her three sons compete in their various sporting and musical activities and go on vacations.
Catherine A. Madsen, joined the Adoption Choices family as legal counsel in 2013. Catherine is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Agency, training and updating staff on developments in adoption law and legislation, and program development. Catherine
Amber Klein started her career in the marketing and advertising world and quickly learned all about various types of communication, how to talk to people and how to effectively market any business. But she always knew that she wanted more. In 2016, she started to feel as though she wanted to give back in some way in her career and marketing wasn’t fulfilling that need for her. After a well-timed stint at jury duty (which she found fascinating and was actually disappointed to not be placed on the jury), she knew that she’d found the industry she wanted to be in and embarked in an intensive paralegal certificate program. Upon completion of the program, she started working at Adoption Choices of Colorado as office manager and paralegal. At Adoption Choices, she does all of the filing for adoptive parents and birth parents, preparing documents and supporting the staff with a variety of tasks. She’s so thrilled to have found a place where she can combine use her education and love of law to help better the world one family at a time. In her free time, Amber enjoys spending time with her family and friends, attending concerts, reading, experiencing her native Colorado backyard and running agility with her dog, Kirra.
Brandy joined the Adoption Choices family in 2017. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor and has experience providing counseling and advocacy to birth mothers, adoptive parents, and children and families in the foster care system.
Cassidie has been with Adoption Choices since 2015, she has her bachelors in Interdisciplinary Affairs with concentrations in both Sociology and Business Management. Cassidie has additional training in Victim Advocacy, foster care and has been working in women’s services for over 10 years. Cassidie has always had a heart for adoption and it was her career dream to work in adoption. She started off doing volunteer work for advocacy programs, adoption organizations and worked in High Risk Maternal Fetal Medicine through the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Cassidie is also blessed to have personally experienced an adoption of her own in 2012, completing her family of five! Cassidie loves what she does as a case worker from initial phone calls, meetings, doctor appointments, interaction with the adoptive families to delivery and counseling. Cassidie has a passion for those in need and strives to help make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She is a firm believer in being kind, compassionate and open minded in all situations. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, there’s no place for judgment. A kind word or compliment can go a long way!” The bittersweet moments in adoption reminds Cassidie each and every time, why she loves what she does!
Liv obtained her undergraduate degree in pre law from American University in Washington, DC,(1994) and completed an MA in Counseling at Adams University (2001). Qualifying her as the only specialist in the Four Corners region, Liv obtained a Master Clinician endorsement in Prenatal and Postpartum Mood Disorders from the Postpartum Stress Center. Liv is also a volunteer for Postpartum Support International. Liv’s unique work supports families with anxiety and depression after the birth of a child, fertility issues, loss of a child, NICU trauma and adoption/foster care. Liv has also worked with Pediatric Partners of the Southwest as a member of the Integrated Behavioral Health Team. In addition to seeing clients in her private practice, since 2004, Liv has provided a variety of adoption services in the Four Corners area in Southwest Colorado. This includes: adoption home studies, post placement services, foster parent counseling, relinquishment counseling and birth parent support.