"I am a former journalist who spent about 20 years powering through a great, fun career, but in the last five years or so got really concerned that I had not found Mr. Right, and feeling it was very unfair that, unlike a man, my childbearing window of opportunity was closing fast.

Luckily, I was not wedded to producing my own biological child except that it was a lot simpler to do so -- no fingerprinting, social worker visits, home study needed. So I explored freezing my eggs until Mr. Right came along (expensive and low odds of success) and getting pregnant on my own (too late for me, biologically, it turned out). In an effort part altruistic, part money-saving (college will be very expensive in 18 years, don't you know!) I looked into foster adoption, but surprising conflicts of interest arose related to volunteer work I was doing.

So I embarked on open adoption, indicating that I would love a child of any race. By all accounts I was one of the hugely lucky ones. I finished all my paperwork in the spring, and by October I had one "match," which fell through in a mess of distrust over money issues (I spent a bundle). But a month later I had a second match, which turned out to be the birth mom of my daughter, who is now three.

I am blissfully in love with her and only wish I had the bandwidth to adopt a sibling for her. Still looking for Mr. Right, and hoping to meet a single dad with room in his heart and home for a complete package deal."