Saturday, March 26, 2011

More...

With our first social work visit complete I feel more charged then ever that this is exactly what we should be doing. 

Our next step is to pick out a placing agency.  Sounds easy right?  Do we pick the agency in Mississippi that has a 30 day legal risk period, or the one in Georgia that has only a one to two month waiting period, or one of many from Utah.  So many things to explore and review and PRAY about. 

I meet with the Social Worker again on Monday.  More paperwork, more longing, more waiting, more praying, more...

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Hurry up and wait!!!

That has become and will be our family agenda for the next year or so.  We are completely finished with the 80 + pages of paperwork including two pictures drawn by our kids of the house, our family, and the new baby (and in Tyler's picture a dead turkey in the oven as he describes it).  Now we wait for the home study too begin (Friday!!).  Then we wait...then we put together our book for perspective birth parents...then we wait.  Then we wait for the baby to be born...then we wait.  Then we wait for the parental rights termination waiting period...then we wait for the finalization of the adoption.  Then we breathe!

I look at babies in a longing kind of way now, wondering what our new baby will look like.  Will they be a cat napper or a sleeper?  Will they have hair at birth, or blue eyes, or curls?  Only time will tell.  The only thing that's for sure is that the love is already there and I look forward to the day I can pick up our precious baby and they scrunch up their little feet and snuggle in....that's the stuff dreams are made of. 

Friday, March 11, 2011

Who Knew?

I enjoy paperwork...even those silly computer surveys. But I never imagined what a gift all this paperwork would be.  Filling out the 18 page biography last night gave me the opportunity to brag about my family and to truly think about the what makes our family so great. From what makes everyone mad... to how everyone shows affection...to what does our family have to offer a child. 

Another unexpected benefit from this adoption has been to see my husband as the strong father that he is.  His eloquent and emotion filled responses to questions and emails have been a joy to read and a side I don't often have the opportunity to see.  

Who knew so early in the process that we would be receiving such blessings already.  I know that this process will be an emotion filled experience, but for now I will relish in the joys it brings.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Next Step

I am so anxious to get this process started that the meeting last night was kind of a let down. I want the home study NOW!!  But I'll patiently (or not so patiently :) wait.  We printed off the 28 page application, 2 - 18 page parent questionnaires, and 2- children questionnaires.  I love paperwork so this should be fun. 

The part that overwhelms me the most... our life book.  Now, I'm a scrapbooker and I should love something like this...right?  The idea of a laundry list of topics to put together creatively and beautifully to be given to the birth mother is a daunting task.  So is putting together a eloquently written letter describing why she should pick us is equally as scary...BUT...if that is what it takes to bring our baby home then so be it. 
It's a small inconvenience for such a gift from God!!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

The Journey Begins

If you didn't know before reading this let me share... our family has decided to adopt!!!!  I'm so excited and relieved to be able to share it with the world.  This decision has been two years in the making.  God does things in his time, not ours and this is no more evident then now. 

We have no idea how this will work or how we'll afford it or how it will all fall into place but through God's will and grace, our prayers to become five will become a reality. 

Our baby awaits. We have done our homework and have a chosen an agency.  Tomorrow we will meet with them and begin our journey. 

Our boys are excited to have another sibling but I'm sure the reality of the process and the waiting are beyond their grasp...to be honest they're beyond my grasp.  I know it will all be worth it!

I guess all there is left to say is...Let the journey begin!!