Katherine Heigl always knew she wanted to be a mom.
Growing up with an adopted older sister influenced the actress' decision to adopt a child of her own.
"Josh [Kelley] and I started talking about [adoption] before we were even engaged," the 33-year-old One for the Money star told Scholastic Parent & Child's February issue. "My sister Meg is Korean, and my parents adopted her three years before I was born. I wanted my own family to resemble the one I came from, so I always knew I wanted to adopt from Korea."
Indeed, Heigl and her musician hubby, 31, adopted their daughter Naleigh, now 3, from Korea. But Naleigh won't be an only child forever.
"We have talked about having biological children as well, but we decided to adopt first," Heigl explained. "I just wanted to be a mom. So however we did that, it's fine with me. I'd like to adopt again."
Heigl said Kelley "had to learn" to embrace the idea of adoption. "But he was so gracious and accepting."
In fact, Naleigh "felt really comfortable with Josh and they bonded quickly," Heigl told Scholastic Parent & Child. "It was harder for me. Our social worker told us that it's pretty typical for kids to react differently to their new mother. It was a struggle for me because all I wanted to do was bond with her. But it takes time for a child to trust this new situation and to trust you. My advice is don't be discouraged. The reward is so great."
As for what kind of kids Heigl and Kelley hope to raise? "We both have families who believe in character integrity and morality," she said. "Not to be overindulged, to be respectful of parents. We feel strongly about these things, especially because of the industries we're in. We'll have to work a little bit harder to keep Naleigh grounded and to make sure she understands how blessed she is — how blessed we all are."
