COEUR d'ALENE - Coeur d'Alene couple Nikki and Brian Longwell braced themselves for possible heartache as they set out to adopt a child late last year.

Couples seeking to adopt have so little control. What if the birth mother changed her mind? What if they are never selected by birth parents to receive a child? How long will they have to wait for the next member of their family?

"That just didn't happen," said Nikki Longwell, 28.

They adopted their son, Tayler, six months ago, through the agency Idaho Youth Ranch, in Coeur d'Alene. The birth mother handed the Longwells the boy just minutes after he was born.

"It's not as far out of reach as you might think," Nikki Longwell said.

The exchange from mother to mother was hard to believe at first, they said.

"Are they really going to let us take this baby home?" she recalled thinking. The Longwells already have a 6-year-old daughter, Halle.

The couple said the process was easier than they thought, and took only months.

They are maintaining an open relationship with the birth mother because they think it will be best for Tayler.

"Openness is in the best interest of the child," said Donna Euler, director of adoption and foster care services at Idaho Youth Ranch, in Coeur d'Alene.

November is National Adoption Month.

On Nov. 9, the agency will be hosting a information meeting, "Adoption Options: Helping You Decide."

A panel of adoptive families will be available to answer questions about: Special needs adoption, foster parenting, trans-racial adoption, international adoption, healthy infant adoption, and birth-parent services.

The meeting will be from 6-8 p.m., at Kootenai Medical Center.

A critical component of a successful adoption is getting the birth mother counseling before and after the placement, Euler said.

And it's also important for the adoptive parents to receive education and support, she said.

"That way both sides are well served," Euler said.

All those services can be provided by Idaho Youth Ranch, which has been operating since 1986.

The Longwells shared their adoption story hoping it might break down some people's negative perceptions about adoption. They want people to know the process can work out well for all parties.

"Keep an open mind," said Brian Longwell, 29.

The couple decided to begin the adoption process in November of last year after struggling to grow their family.

They lost their first child at 22 weeks.

Halle eventually was born, but spent six months in a neonatal intensive care unit with health problems.

For medical reasons, having a second child wasn't an option.

But the desire to have more children and a bigger family still was there.

They tried foster parenting for children up to 3 years old.

But it was hard letting the kids go back home after staying with them.

The temporary nature of foster care wasn't going to work for them.

"It was just not right for us at that time," Nikki said.

But having made it through those struggles, and seen what Tayler has added to their family, the Longwells now are considering another adoption.

The best part of the adoption, so far, has been the interaction between Tayler and Halle, the couple said.

"I have enjoyed it so much more than I ever could have imagined," Nikki said.

Halle has been very protective of her new brother, they said.

They didn't know it before the adoption, but Halle really needed a sibling.

"I didn't realize how much she desired that," Nikki said.