Monday, November 21, 2011

Ducks in a Row


It is amazing how well this seems to be flowing now. Our social worker is submitting our home study tomorrow. Yeah!!! That has only taken almost 11 months! She said they will do what they can to get that approved and then the baby's social worker will have to get the state to expedite the foster care certification. Once that is done we just wait.

We are continuing to per sue adopting an older child. But this just seems to be right. So we will see. I am looking forward to meeting the baby's grand parents on Wednesday. I wonder what they will want to be called. I guess we will work out all those details as we go.

So many people have been supportive of us on our journey. I can't help but feel so touched by this.

Hopefully I have more to update real soon!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

More Than My Heart Could Have Wished For.


If you ever talk to anyone who has adopted, they will tell you how much of a roller coaster ride it is. It takes you to the lowest of lows to the highest of highs. This weekend was one of those highs!
Through a good friend of mine we were connected with a family that is looking for a family for their granddaughter. We have exchanged emails and a phone calls. We are going to meet them Wednesday in person. It would be a partially open adoption. With no ties to the birth mother but there would be contact with the grand parents and the baby's sister.
This is very exciting. The most exciting part is the baby girl is not quite 6 months old yet.
I know this what not what we had planned...but it just might be what is meant to be! I cannot share the details, but this may move along quite quickly so we have a lot to get together pretty quickly!
We are very excited to build a relationship with the baby's grandparents and sister. My heart is so happy I could just explode. I imagine this is what a woman feels like when she finds out she is pregnant. Without the morning sickness.
Maybe, just maybe all of the waiting and issues with our paperwork have been for a reason and this baby girl could be it.
I cannot share details just yet, just know Cris and I could not be more elated than we are. We are finally a step closer to having a family!

Saturday, November 05, 2011

Just What I Needed To Hear


I know I have been super inpatient lately, but those who know me well can tell you that is how I have always been. I get an idea in my head and I have to make it happen. That is not a good trait to have when being on the adoption journey. But I am dealing with it. Lord knows, I have my bad days. But most of the time I am keeping my head above water and keeping busy. I have joined a group called SPAFA (Southern Piedmont Adoptive Families Association and I have signed up to do some volunteering for Children's Home Society.

Cris and I went to a meeting for SPAFA today. My friend Kim is on the board and she has been encouraging me to come for a while. So today we went and I am so glad we did. It was a mixed group of people who have adopted in the past, those in the process and those just starting. The thing that came out of this was when one of the dads was talking about their journey and was talking about how he has never met anyone who has started this process that has not ended up adopting a child. So it is not a matter of If  but When it will happen.  The moment he said that it clicked. 

When I got home I had another email from my social worker stating she wanted to set another home visit to go over our final paper work after it has been reviewed by her supervisor.

I know in the past I have talked about wanting to volunteer with CHS and I have gotten through the paperwork and have signed up for my first two things. The first is easy and it is collecting non-perishable item, frozen turkeys and grocery gift cards to give to 25 families that are participating in CHS's Family Support and Self Sufficiency program .  The second is working a holiday event for the same program.
Children's Home Society has many programs, not just adoption.

I have been working on an adoption soundtrack on my Itunes and it has evolved into a nice little collection.
I have been listening to it non stop in my car for a couple weeks. I made a couple of copies for some adoptive parents that I am friends with. So far it has been a hit. Here is the play list...

 1. So Far to Find You- Casting Crowns
2. When Love Takes You In- Steven Curtis Chapman
3. Smile-Chris Rice
4. You'll Be In My Heart- Phil Collins
5. This Is Home- Switchfoot
6. Little Wonders- Rob Thomas
7. Until- Sting
 8. The Promise- Tracy Chapman
9. The Red Thread- Lucy Laplansky
10. Give Yourself to Love- Kate Wolf
11. Somewhere- Glee Cast
12. Perfect Peace- Laura Story
13. Make You Feel My Love-Adele
 14. You Found Me- Kelly Clarkson
15.Hope Now- Addison Road
16. Fix You- Coldplay
17. Good Life- One Republic

It represents all different stages of adoption from the waiting to the meeting to the becoming a family.


I sit here this afternoon and I feel blessed to have a family and friends to support us in this journey. I also very grateful to everyone that has been there for us. I can not imagine this journey with out you all.

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

1 week follow up

It's November 1st...the beginning of National Adoption Awareness Month. Today was the day that my friend Amy became a forever family to Hope. Their Adoption was made formal at 2:00pm today.
Our hope for the month is to just be approved to adopt.

It's been a week since our social worker was here. It has been an emotional one for me. I was glad to have Halloween to distract me. We had a fabulous Halloween party and then Halloween around here is spectacular. I think we had about 150 kids trick-or-treating. It was bitter sweet. I loved all the kids coming in the costumes and them really enjoying all of our decorations. But it made me sad that it was yet another Halloween without kids. Bummer!

I followed up with my social worker today, since I had not heard from her or from her supervisor.
She emailed back that she is waiting to get our educational information from the office in Raleigh and some other info  ( Lord only knows what that is). Her supervisor got my email and said if I wanted to meet we could. My response was I don;t need another meeting, I just want to know that everything that needs to be done is getting done.
My social worker ( bless her) stated that several of the families she is working with are all frustrated and she is doing her best to try to help us all. I feel for her, but I am also feel for me.

Cris and I have made a pretty serious decision. We are giving it until Christmas to get approved. If we are not than we know this is not meant for us. And we have to look at alternative plans. That gives us 2 more months. All we need is to be approved, I know placement will not be possible. We just need to have some sense of moving forward. Our life has been on hold for almost 10 months. So, it is in Gods hands. If this is what we are meant to do, it will work out.