What we need....a new agency!

The past few months David and I have been reviewing and researching possible new adoption agencies. Now don't get me wrong I don't feel Harmony (our current agency) has done anything wrong, but they are a small small agency. Last year they placed only 1 infant and the most they have ever placed in a year is 6. Of course they only have approximately 10 waiting families, so you have to factor that in as well. But I don't like not knowing anything. We have only heard from them once and that was because I initiated contact. I already feel out of the loop and not hearing from them makes it harder.

So I narrowed it down between Bethany Christian Services (local office in Knoxville) and Adoption Center of Choice in Utah.

We began filling out paperwork for Bethany and let me tell you the stack of stuff we filled out over an inch thick. Plus we were going to have to redo the home study, medical stuff, and fingerprints. Not horrible, but time consuming and costly. I still didn't feel that comfortable about something and I don't know what. But they were coming to speak at Rotary this month, so that was a sign.

On an online group I am a member of a gentleman named Dave (who doesn't love a Dave?) worked for ACC as an outreach specialist (high risk, minority babies with rapidly approaching due dates). We had talked some in general and I had him send me applications for his agency. We wouldn't work with him, but another domestic adoption specialist. He promptly sent me the materials I needed, and we were able to use the home study we have and all other records. Still an agency I can't see, in UT, and that large amount of money...a little unsure.

Then comes Lindsey...my angel for the month of November! She is friends with Margo (my lovely tall blonde friend with great hair, cool husband, and adorable little boy). I had met Lindsey before and knew she had adopted. Well Margo gave me her number so I could call her. She was the one person I needed most at that time and even right now. She not only has adopted but knows what it is like to undergo fertility treatments that didn't work and the feelings only an infertile and adoptive parent can feel. We talked for a while and she highly recommended the agency she used, raved about them, how great they were, yada yada yada...well guess which agency she used? Adoption Center of Choice! Goosebumps is all I can say.

I trashed my Bethany stuff and went to work on a new profile book for ACC. I know this is the right move for us!

ACC places approximately 1 baby per day, and averages 6 or so caucasian infants a month. Pretty good. They advertise nationally, but most birth moms deliver in Utah. So we hopefully will one day soon be flying to UT and flying home with a 7-10 day old infant!!!!

Updates to come....

It's National Adoption Month!

You take the good and you take the bad...take them both and there you have...the facts of life.

The road to adoption really is one that is long, lonely, stressful and emotional. Actually you can probably use every possible adjective to describe it. We are making some changes that I will post about later once we know if the change is possible, but other than that we just sit and wait.

And really waiting is so passive. I want to be able to control something or help speed the process up. I do know that God has a plan for us and we are unable to see it, but man he could help a girl's sanity out by showing a sign or something!

Nothing has changed really no info from our agency or lawyer (who really we don't expect to hear anything from), and nothing really with our birth mother letters or blogs. But we remain positive and hopeful (well most days!). Adoption seems to be becoming more mainstream, or maybe I just have a vested interest in adoption now so I see it.

There is a great show on We that is called Adoption Stories. I encourage anyone to watch that show, it totally explains and shows how powerful open adoption is. I have also met someone at the gym, and in our chit chat working out with our trainer, she told me that their son they adopted at birth. Well my jaw just about dropped and I told her we were in the waiting game to adopt. She is great, gave me her number to call when I need to talk to someone who understand infertility and adoption. It was a renewed hope so to speak.

We are staying pretty active doing sprint triathlons and 5k races. But the reality is we are beyong ready to become parents. The holidays are coming up and this could potentially be our 3rd holiday season of not being parents when we so want to be. That is hard I am not going to lie. Part of me wants to just retreat and spend time with David, and we still may.

This journey, which could end sooner rather than later, is one that I know has made us such a strong couple and has tested all that we are. I can't wait to look back at the journey and know it was so worth it. And it will be worth it!

Adoption Myths

Since I really have nothing extremely interesting to post I thought I would write a little on adoption myths. There are a lot of them, and before we started this journey I must admit I believe a couple of them. Adoption is a world unexplored for most, knowing the ins and outs or positive adoption language is a lot to expect from friends and family. So education is key! Here is my attempt to educate!

Myth 1: Domestic adoption of an infant doesn't is impossible now.
There are approximately 20,000 infants adopted domestically per year, and yes this is much lower than in years past for a variety of reasons. One is teenage and unwed mothers are more widely accepted in today's society, and they parent their children. Actually more babies are adopted domestically than internationally. International adoption gets more attention because 1) celebrities are doing it and 2) it is usually more outwardly obvious (ie Chinese adoption).

Myth 2: Looooong waits and high costs
Ok so this myth can be true to some extent. The average wait upon completion of a home study is less than 2 years. Now this isn't nearly as long as the wait for international adoptions, but when you are like us and have been waiting for your baby for 3 years now (less than 6 months for adoption) an extra day seems like an eternity! Most domestic adoptions can be completed for less than 15,000, and you get a tax credit of almost 12,000 to help with the expenses. The tax credit isn't immediate you start to use it the year you finalize and you can't always use it in one year. Please remember that what your adoption costs is not the same as buying a baby!!!! You are paying legal fees, agency fees, occasional living expenses, medical fees, travel fees, etc. Again I have seen agencies post situations of fees are over 40,000. Great if you are just loaded, but that route seems like buying a baby to me.

Myth 3: Horrible birth parents
This is probably the myth that bothers me the most. Most birth mothers are making the most selfless decision anyone could ever make, and I respect them beyond words. They also cannot reclaim the child once parental rights have been terminated, and especially after the adoption has been finalized. The adoptive parents become the parents and nothing can change that. In TN the birth mother cannot relinquish her rights until 4 days after the birth and then has 10 days to change her mind. While for us those 2 weeks will be very long, it is very rare for an adoption to be contested or for the birth family to claim coercion. So while it will be an agonizing 2 weeks, we will be at peace once we pass that 14th day.

Myth 4: Two sets of parents, isn't open adoption confusing?
First and foremost the adoptive parents are the parents. Contact with the birth family is something that is relatively new to the adoption world. Some are scared at the prospect of the birth family being in a child's life, but the child knows who mommy and daddy are. They are the ones who take care of them when they are sick, bathe them, fix boo boos, teach them to ride a bike, etc. But a birth family is important; they gave life to this precious child, they are the genetic link, and they are people who love this child. Open adoption dispels myths and insecurities that adoptees can have about their birth family.

Myth 5: All birth moms are teenagers
While this may have been true 30 years ago....today it is just not true. Most birth moms are over the age of 18 and generally already parent 1 child. They are force to make a decision that is best for the baby they are carrying, the child they are raising, and themselves. Teenage pregnancy is almost normal now, and families work together to help the teenager parent her child. And just another note, all birth moms aren't alcoholics or on drugs either.

Myth 6: The troubled adolescent adoptee
This is horrible. A lot of people assume that adoptees are emotionally and developmentally troubled. Recent research actually shows the opposite, adoptees have a better self-image and are better adjusted than their peers! Also of note is that adoptees have such a strong attachment to their families, so being blood related doesn't make the bond stronger!

Myth 7: Don't tell children they were adopted until they are older
Seriously lying to children is best for them? Obviously a baby doesn't know what adoption is and really neither does a 3 year old, but telling their adoption story over and over helps them to begin to understand. Their are numerous ways to talk about adoption to children from infancy to adulthood. Google it, you'll see. I read a story someone had written about their preschool-aged daughter telling her friends about her "doption story." She might not have a true grasp of what it all means, but she is proud of it! How awesome is that?

Myth 8: Your baby is so lucky to have you.
To make this a fact, we are so lucky to have this baby. There is a line longer than the lines at Wal-Mart at Christmas for any baby placed for adoption. So we are the lucky ones when our baby's birth family chooses us for the greatest gift possible!

I could probably write tons more, but these are the most common ones I here/see.

3 years and counting...

Apparently I am being stalked by pregnant women and newborn babies. I am sure that every infertile and/or waiting adoptive parent thinks this at some point, and I have most definately thought it before. Our great friends just had their first little girl last week, another set of friends just announced they are 12 weeks along with their 2nd, a co-worker is due in just a few month, and every person I know on facebook is either expecting or just had a baby! Plus how many celebrities are sporting bumps? Is it me or can the whole world procreate but us?

A pregnancy and new baby are joyous times and I am so happy for all of my friends. I hope that none have to go through the experiences that we have!

At the same time I will go ahead and admit, I am jealous as all get out. This month marks 3 years since we started "trying." Granted if we had gotten pregnant that first month I would have possibly had a baby in my arms crossing the stage to get my doctorate and only would have been working for less than a year. So not optimal financially, but then again 3 IVFs and adoption are optimal finacially. That means we could have possibly had a 27 month old right now! That is so hard to wrap my head around.

My appreciation for children, parenthood, and life in general has vastly grown. I can promise this, I will never complain about a fussy baby, changing diapers, lack of sleep, laundry, or any of those precious things. Because to me they are all wonderful, cherished experiences. I cannot wait to have those experiences!!!

On the adoption front we are trying to be a little more proactive in finding potential birth families. We shall see how that pans out. Next week will be our 5 month mark of being on the books with our agency.

Personally we are winding down our travels of summer thankfully, and I am itching to get some things done around the house! I started working with a personal trainer again, and love that feeling of being forced to really push myself. David is starting P90X on Sunday, and he is very excited about that. We are going to do a triathlon for our 5 year anniversary in October.

Alright time to get on the road to see one of those babies that has been stalking me!

Literally one step closer to being a mom!

This past Saturday I completed my first sprint triathlon (250m swim, 20k bike, 5k run). People have been asking me, "Why did you decide to do this?" The answer is the training for it was/is a great distracter while waiting to adopt. Each run I did I would tell myself I was "one step closer to meeting my baby." What a great motivator!

At the race there were lots of moms that competed, and one literally had her 6week old there to support her! Could it be that the next one I complete, my little one might be there supporting me? Or next year when I go back to this one, will I be a mommy? Also I think it is a pretty cool accomplishment to complete a triathlon, and I am always thinking of ways to be a good role model for our future children!

It is funny to think, but a triathlon is sort of like labor. You prepare for it, think about it, but it still sneaks up on you. You can imagine what it might be like, but the day of you are terrified. At the beginning of the race I wanted to quit (ugh the swim was chaos), but when it was over I was ready to sign up for the next one.

David was such a great supporter, and I know I couldn't have done it without him by my side. And I am excited he is going to do the next one with me!

Dreams

i had a dream that died last year.
a dream of little babies that looked like dave and me.
a dream of being a co-creator of life.
a dream of feeling life grow within me.
a dream of surprising our family and friends with the blessed news.
a dream of getting flowers in the hospital.
a dream of hearing the heartbeat.
a dream of dave and i alone in the hospital room with an hours old baby in our arms.
a dream of the little ankle bracelet with my name and baby's name on it.
a dream of maternity clothes.
a dream of taking pictures each month to show how much bigger the baby had gotten in my tummy.
a dream of counting down the days.
a dream of having a baby when i wanted to have one.
but...
there is no biological possibility of that happening.
our house is infertile
that news is really a gift.
there is no wondering if this month is the month. there is no lingering or wilting hope. there are no questions or unexplained infertility. there isn't a fraction of a percentage of a chance that it could happen. i realize that i am blessed in that area and there are many who still hang onto that.

for us, it was easy to grieve, deal with it, close up that chapter an move on. don't get me wrong. there are still some days where i am reminded, the occasional dagger and then i realize,

"oh yes. there is my old friend infertility back again. i know you."
those days after the "bad" news were hard.
(that's the understatement of the year!)
we prayed and we poured out our hearts.

i cried and cried and cried ...because the dream had died.
those prayers were answered.
and we were blessed with a miracle.
the miracle of understanding and accepting.
the miracle of the hope that is adoption.
the miracle of feeling the power of the sealing power seared into my soul.
the miracle of peace.
and i was blessed with a new dream.
a new dream that i daydream about in the car everyday ...still.
the dream of hearing the words, "i chose you to be his/her family."
the new dream of babies, my babies.
new dreams that are as dear to me now as the old ones were. new dreams that make tears streak my cheeks. good dreams.

I adapted this from an amazining person, mrs. r and her amazing blog.

This is so true and really spoke to me today!

Thanks mrs. r!

"If you build it they will come"

Funny how a line from a movie can spur things along.

We bought our crib and a dresser/hutch combo as a present after we completed our home study. It sat in boxes in the nursery for months (well 3 to be precise) with the door shut. Before that I had purchased the most gorgeous bedding that will work for boy or girl. It is apple green, black and white and is the most luxurious baby bedding I have ever seen (I really love it can you tell?). Again locked away in the room we don't mention.

Yesterday I decided enough was enough, and I wanted to put it all together. So my hubby and I did. Taking pictures of the proud dad to be putting the crib together was great and he was so excited. It looks really wonderful and I can't wait to accessorize, but that will have to wait until we know if we will be the proud parents of a little boy or girl.

Just wanted to share. It feels really good to have that room started. I was getting kind of depressed and I guess that helped me feel productive! Just need to get matched and put a baby in there!

So here's to hoping, if you build it they will come!

Happy 4th of July!

It is hard to believe that it is already the 4th of July (well technically the 2nd). This year has flown by faster than any before. We are having some friends over for a cookout and then walking to a huge fireworks display just about .2mi from our house. We could see them outside on our patio except for all of the trees! Then I plan on just sitting by the pool and getting a few workouts in!

Dave and I both are doing our first triathlon in August. My sister and good friend Dawn are doing it with us. So my life consists of going to the gym, out for a run, swimming, and biking! I really love it!

With it being Independence Day I just want to thank all of our service men and women for all of their work! Without them who knows where this country would be!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th!

Current Events

Currently there are a few things going on in our life...no AC, a wedding, and a triathlon.

The no AC thing will hopefully be remeadied this weekend and we will be the proud new owners of a new heatpump. So exciting (please insert sarcasm here)!

Lori (my best friend from childhood/cousin-in-law) is getting married this weekend at my dad's house. We are currently in stress mode and praying for good weather! She is going to be a beautiful bride that is for sure and I am so happy for her. It is going to be a lot of work for us too, because Dave and I will be acting as caregivers of the house. My dad's house is an old civil war house on the National Historic Register. I consider it his 3rd child! Plus I am the matron-of-honor, and will of course be doting on the bride all day!

I decided to try out a sprint triathlon. A little scary, but I am really excited about it. I bought my nose plug and swim goggles last night in order to prepare for the swim portion of the race. Dave has to change my mountain bike tired to road slicks, not that it will make a huge difference in time! It is going to be a challenge for sure, but my goal is to just finish.

This blog will sort of turn into more of a life blog until we have some adoption things to post. Our life is pretty boring, thankfully, so who knows what you (well this is assuming people read this and that is a huge assumption) might find when you check back.

It has been awhile

I haven't "blogged" in a few weeks, but I guess there hasn't been any real news to blog. It seems like we have been waiting forever, but in reality it has only been about 6 weeks. Seems like an eternity.

We have had several tiny little leads. Which is very positive because both have come from friends/family.

We have been going non-stop lately and looks like our schedules will continue to be full for a while. Which is great, but I would like to get some yard stuff done at home this year!

Tomorrow is Friday, so have a great weekend!

We have the official homestudy

We received the signed homestudy in the mail this weekend. It is kind of anti-climactic, though. Obviously now the agency can now show our profiles to potential birth families, but it is like "now what?". We have given lots of family and friends copies of the potential birth mother letter to give to whomever they wish, so that may spark something. Also our lawyer will have copies to give to any cases that may come her way. But it is really out of our hands and in God's. I loathe waiting, especially when there is not a whole lot I can do to produce results.

But they do say good things come to those who wait!

It's Done!

Our last homestudy visit was the easiest one. We really had no changes for Lettie to make, so we just talked for a bit and she was on her way. The best part is next time she comes will be for our post-placement visits once we have the baby!

I really can't imagine having a better social worker to work with. Her middle son wants a Jeep and I think that Dave scared her out of getting him one with all of the 4-wheeling stories! We have lots in common with her. She told us she really hopes we get our baby very quickly! So do we.

We will have our paper copies of the homestudy next week. So that really means it could happen anytime!

Final Homestudy Visit!

We have a copy of the homestudy in our hands. It is just the draft, but it looks really good. Well I am guessing it looks really good, I have never seen a homestudy before.

Lettie is coming for the final homestudy visit on Thursday. We will just go over the written homestudy. Then we are done with that process!

One step closer!

Slight Delay

Tonight was supposed to be our last homestudy visit, but Lettie has been sick with the flu....so it is rescheduled to next week. Still think we will have the documents in our hands by the end of the month. Just ready to have the visits done, so I don't have to clean my house so much! Even though she only sits on the couch for an hour, I still feel the need for everything to be spotless! I guess that is a good thing overall.

Still working on the profile for the agency. I have to get a few pictures of our house and we need a good picture of us for the cover.

Meeting with Agency

Today we drove to Maryville to meet with Pam, the director of our agency. We had an informational, informal type of meeting. She gave us an overview of what happens if they match us with a birth family. The wide range of situations that arise and the wide variety of birthmothers.

Apparently we are an extremely attractive couple (she told us this like 5 times!) and are they age most birth mothers like to place their child with. Right now they have about 12 couples looking to adopt, but several have some restrictions on children (only girls, only African American, etc). We are a bit more open so that helps!

We will start making a profile book that is like a birthmother letter, but bigger and in a book form. Planning on using iLife to create a digital book and have it printed. It will be a great keepsake too!

Visit 2 of 3

We met with Lettie again last night, and now have only 1 visit left! Thankfully she actually walked through the house this time, and she thought everything was beautiful. We talked a little more about child care and about each other, but nothing crazy! She had Kyle & Kristen's and Melody & Jeff's letters, which she thought were just terrific! Thanks guys!

She comes back on March 11th, but will email us the draft of the homestudy before then so we can look over it. It will be 8-10 pages of typed "stuff." Jeez!

Next up is tomorrow when we meet with Pam at the agency.

Guessing we will be labeled as "paper pregnant" by the end of March which is soooo exciting. Because basically at that time we could have a baby any day after that!

Homestudy Visit 1 of 3

Our first homestudy visit was last night! We have 2 more to complete, with the next one next Tuesday and the last one probably 2 weeks after that.

Lettie, our social worker, was so nice. We were halfway through the visit and I kept thinking, "when are we going to start?". It was more of a conversation with a friend about camping, running, a little about growing up, and the only direct question was about discipline. She didn't even go through the house, which was very clean I might add!

The biggest annoyance to us were the dogs! Of course they acted afool, but she likes dogs and assured us they weren't bothering her. At least next week they will still be tired from being at Camp Ruff-n-More this weekend!

The last visit will be a little ways out so she can write up most of her report and get the reference letters some fabulous people wrote from Pam. We will get copies of the homestudy then to proof. After that she sends it to Pam to make sure all the required material is in place and then it is sent back to Lettie for her signature and to be notarized. We will get 3 originals in the mail.

So I think in the mean time we are going to start sending out our letters to friends and family.

Lettie said the last couple she worked with had their first homestudy visit, found a birthmother who was almost due, got their homestudy in their hands, and their baby was born the next day! If only it worked out that easy!

Scheduled!

First homestudy visit is Wednesday night at 6:00! Lettie called on Sunday to schedule it. Should be about an hour and then we have 2 more visits (1 a week). I am guessing it will take her more time to prepare the actual homestudy. We'll definitely find out much more Wed!

Friday the 13th...

Just a little sad that we didn't get a call to schedule our homestudy. Still have to remember that it is still possible to get done by the end of the month! Just ready to get the ball really rolling. There are several people at work who have relatives that work with fostering and they wanted to take copies of the birthmother letter. So yay!

I think Friday the 13th has been a good day, a long one, but oh well! It is at least Friday!

Plus side is tomorrow is Valentine's Day and we are going for sushi!

Making some more progress

We got a few forms that weren't on the online application to fill out on Saturday. Today we got fingerprinted. I apparently am not very good at getting fingerprinted and it took twice as long as David! I guess a lack of experience in getting fingerprinted is probably a good thing.

The reference letters have also been sent according to the agency, so those out there receiving them better take care of things on the front end!

We are supposed to hear from our social worker this week to schedule our homestudy! So I am thinking my goal of having it complete by the end of Feb really might be feasible. And my house will get a top to bottom cleaning which is always good. Now all we need to do is find some sedatives to give the dogs when she comes over!

Off to enjoy the rest of this gorgeous weather with a nice long run!

Birthmother letter

This is our birthmother letter for any potential birthmoms to read. The real letter has a few pictures of us in it, and I am sure most of you will have a real copy of it soon enough. We are trying to cut it down to 2 pages and so far haven't been that successful.

Anyway happy reading....

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us. Although we cannot begin to understand the path that has brought you to us, we do know that you must be a caring, brave, and loving person because you are trying to ensure your child is given a lifetime of love, security, and happiness.

If you decide to place your child with us, we will provide a happy home where he or she will feel, safe, secure and loved unconditionally. We will always talk about you in a positive light.

By taking a few minutes to read through our profile, we hope that you can get a glimpse of what our life is like, but most importantly what your child's life will be like if you decide to place him or her with us.

Our Story
Our love began in a high school; David was a senior football player ready to go to college and Sarah was a sophomore basketball player involved in many school activities. We dated for a couple of years, but we needed time to mature and find out what we wanted out of life. One Halloween we reconnected, and instantly knew that we were meant to be together, and two years later we were married. Once we both completed degrees, Sarah a doctorate in Audiology and David a degree in engineering, we purchased our house. We have built a solid marriage and life with our 2 dogs, Maggie and Tilly.

We both have careers we love. David is an engineer for a hearing aid company and Sarah is an audiologist. We both work for companies Sarah’s father has created, and we even work in the same building! Our jobs give us financial stability, but we also have great flexibility in our working schedules.

Traveling is a big part of our lives. We have been to many places in the United States, Thailand, Germany, Sweden, and places in the Caribbean. There are still many places we cannot wait to see, and can’t wait to show our children the world.

We have a camper and try to go camping as often as possible. We love to hike, mountain bike, and do anything on the water. We live in the mountains and have 3 lakes within 30 minutes of our house. Sarah loves running, reading, and cooking (as long as David does the dishes). David recently discovered Adventure Racing, which involves a combination of running, biking, and canoeing.

Our Home
We live in an established neighborhood in the middle of our small town. Our house is the white house on the hill at the end of a cul-de-sac. We live very close to schools, parks, a pool, and lots of neighborhood activities.

About Sarah
I truly believe that without Sarah in my life I would not be the person I am today.

Sarah is the most sincere and caring person I know. Friends and family both rely on her when they are in need and she has been their rock even through her own down times. We have a mutual friend who is a single parent raising two young girls. The last year has been especially rough for her and the way Sarah has taken it upon herself to make sure she does everything she can to ease her burdens has truly inspired me. Seeing her interact with these two girls as well as all of our friend's and family's children has definitely left me looking forward to creating a family of our own.

In addition to family and friends, work is another aspect of Sarah's life she put her entire heart into. After seven years of dedication to continuing her education she still says the most satisfying part of the entire journey is seeing the look on a patients face when they hear something they may have never heard before. She goes out of her way to make sure she makes a connection with every person that comes into her office even to the extent of driving a patient home after a visit so they don't have to wait in the cold for the bus.

I couldn't possibly share with you all the things that make me the luckiest man in the world. All I can hope is to spend the rest of my life sharing them with a child of our own.


About David
Everyone’s first impression of David is he is the funny guy. He loves telling jokes or doing anything to get a smile on someone’s face. This is evident in his love for karaoke; you have to wrestle the microphone away from him. His sensitivity and compassion for family and friends is a trait I haven’t seen in many people. He wears his heart on his sleeve. Whether it is helping a friend move, laying floor in my mom’s house, figuring out a problem at work, or tearing up the first time he told me he loved me, David’s passion for life is evident.

Aside from being the life of the party, David can discuss important business with people all over the world. He is very intelligent and the best problem solver I know.

Sports have always been apart of David’s life. He loves passing football in the yard, shooting hoops, playing golf, or watching any sport on television. I know he can’t wait to coach any sport if our child chooses to play sports.

All of our friends call David the “baby whisperer.” My best friends little girls always want to see their “Dabid.” They have been known to demand to see him and they listen to him whenever he tells them to do anything. Another friends little boy reaches out for David as soon as he can see David. I love seeing David with children, and I remember the first time seeing David feed a baby then offer to change the diaper. I had always known David would be a fantastic father, but that sealed the deal.


Our Family & Friends
We are so lucky to have our families living less than 15 minutes away. We see Sarah’s father daily at the office, and David has a weekly golf match with him most of the year. Sarah’s mother works for the local university. We go to basketball games with her and she tries to teach us about landscaping. David’s mother is our go to dog sitter when we can’t take them with us on trips. All of our parents are looking forward to spoiling their first grandchild. Sarah has a younger sister that lives less than a mile away with her dog. This will be the first grandchild for both of our families and they can’t wait to spoil their grandchild to death. We love being with our families at random cookouts, sporting events, plays, dinner parties, and holidays.

Everyday we think how blessed we are to have a close-knit group of friends. Several of our friends have children and we love to baby-sit for them.

Thank you for taking time to read about our lives and for considering us. We would love to talk or meet with you if you choose to answer any questions you may have about your child’s future or us. Please know that our thoughts are with you as you make your decision.

It has only been 1 day..

We know that the application was delivered at 11:42 this morning to the agency. Not at all like I tracked it all morning or anything. I feel like we have already been waiting for weeks.

Just hoping that we get our homestudy scheduled and completed by the end of the month. Not sure if that is realistic or not.

It is starting to become a little fun looking at baby stuff and thinking of names. Stuff that a month ago was absolutely NO fun.

Just waiting for the phone to ring to say our application was approved, and hoping that soon the phone will be ringing saying we have been matched!

Application in the mail!

We finally got all the parts for the adoption application and it is in the mail! Just hoping that everything was completed correctly and it will be approved by next week. Then we can schedule our homestudy!

I spoke with Pam at Harmony (our agency) on the phone and we will meet with her just to go over the process through the agency. She said we can go ahead with the homestudy part since we are not that close to them and she might even be in JC one day soon.

What a great start to February!!!

First Post!

OK so I am starting this blog to keep people informed about our newest adventure! We are just days away from submitting all of our paperwork to start the adoption process.

Two weeks ago we met with an adoption attorney, who was fabulous and very informative. Depending on certain circumstances we will use her a little or a lot and we will also work with an agency to find our baby!

So far we have had to fill out tons of paperwork, read 377 pages on all aspects of adoption and log the time it took us to read, credit reports, financial statements, tax returns, birth certificates, marriage certificates, name guardians, write autobiographies, answer some questions, and get medical clearance. Trust me it isn't quick and easy. This is just the application part.

Next step is to have our application approved. Then we can schedule the homestudy. Sounds scary, but I don't think it will be that bad.

The Homestudy is basically when our social worker comes to our house to interview us: about us, why we want kids, why we want to adopt, thoughts on parenting, discipline, and to make sure our house can accommodate a child. They do ask some stuff you don't always want to talk about or at least talk to a stranger about, but all in all this whole process is a positive one. Not like on HGTV when people come and critique your house.

After that is done and we have a copy of the homestudy in our hands, then we will be considered paper pregnant. At that point we could be chosen by a birthmother that day or years from then. So a little like limbo.

The best part is basically as long as we pursue adoption the end result will be our first baby, unlike all of the fertility treatments of 2008.

More to come....