Every time I sit down to write a blog post, I get so excited about all of the wonderful, new information I get to share with all of you. Since making the decision to adopt and making it "official on Facebook", because we all know it isn't official until you announce it on Facebook :0), our lives have been turned upside down in the best way possible. At the end of everyday I fall into bed completely exhausted and at times overwhelmed, but we continue to be so thankful. Chad and I were just saying in the truck on the way home from making another delivery off of a sale from Craigslist how we feel so at peace with the direction our lives are taking. We truly feel that this is what God is calling us to do right now. We can't wait to see what He has in store for us "In His time", which is something we talk alot about in our Sarah's Laughter Infertility Support Group I attend twice a month, and is the motto that we are now incorporating into our lives. At this point we are doing everything we can to prepare ourselves for the adoption, and we are excited to meet the baby God has intended for us "In His time". Now this is not an easy concept for me. I have been told before that I am alot like my father. When I decide I want something, I want it to happen five minutes ago, and I want to be in control of the when, how, where, and what. In the world of adoption, most of the time you have no control. This journey has taught me how to pray harder than I ever have and trust in the Lord whole heartedly. So without further adieu here is where we are now:
Home Study
As of Sunday, we are now home study approved!! We had our last visit with Ms. Donna in Baton Rouge. She spent time making sure we didn't have any last minute questions, checked to make sure our house was "baby/kid friendly", and interviewed Chad and me. The interview portion was conducted with each of us individually to ensure that we had discussed major decisions regarding the adoption and were on the same page. Of course we passed with flying colors!! :0). This was bittersweet for me as I have enjoyed our time with Ms. Donna. She has given us such valuable information and introduced us to some "key players" in our journey. She assured us she was only a phone call away and would be spending more time with us after baby's arrival!!
Adoption
Chad and I got a very important, and much anticipated, phone call on Friday from our lawyer. She called to present four "situations" to us. For each "situation" she gives us all the information she has regarding birth mom's and dad's ages and race, drug/alcohol usage, due date, residency information, estimated cost of the adoption, and any other pertinent information we need to make decisions. After talking to Ms. Lisa, Chad and I had to make some tough decisions as to whether we would be interested in presenting to any or all of these birthmoms. Once Chad and I decide if any of these situations are "right for us", we let Ms. Lisa know and our profile book will be added to the profile books of any other prospective adoptive families. The birthmom will then be presented with all the profile books and get to choose which family she envisions raising her child. If one of the birthmoms chooses us, then we will be considered "matched" and start to prepare for baby!! Throughout the rest of the pregnancy, we will hopefully have the option (if birth mom is agreeable) to attend doctor visits and visit with birthmom until the time she delivers. Chad and I hope to gather as much information as we can about her and her family so that in the future we can share these stories with our child.
Garage Sale
We are still set for the two garage sales in the month of March. The one in Baton Rouge is on March 7th and the one in Metairie is on March 28. We are so thankful to over 50 families who have donated thus far, and we continue to get phone calls all the time. We will continue to collect items up until the Friday before each garage sale so please continue to call, text, or email.
Raffle
We will begin setting up the raffle as soon as we are done with the garage sales. Several of our friends and family have begun donating items to be raffled. Please let me know if you have any goods or services that you are willing to donate! We could not do this without everyone's help!
How you can help us this week
Please continue to pray for Chad and me as we continue to walk through this adoption journey. Pray that God gives us the strength and guidance we need to make these tough decisions. Pray that He gives us the energy to continue our fundraising efforts which enable us to bring home our baby. Pray for the birthmoms as they make tough decisions regarding the future of each baby. Finally, pray that God gives us the peace and patience as we wait for things to unfold "In His Time".
We love you all very much!! Have a great weekend!
Home Study
As of Sunday, we are now home study approved!! We had our last visit with Ms. Donna in Baton Rouge. She spent time making sure we didn't have any last minute questions, checked to make sure our house was "baby/kid friendly", and interviewed Chad and me. The interview portion was conducted with each of us individually to ensure that we had discussed major decisions regarding the adoption and were on the same page. Of course we passed with flying colors!! :0). This was bittersweet for me as I have enjoyed our time with Ms. Donna. She has given us such valuable information and introduced us to some "key players" in our journey. She assured us she was only a phone call away and would be spending more time with us after baby's arrival!!
Adoption
Chad and I got a very important, and much anticipated, phone call on Friday from our lawyer. She called to present four "situations" to us. For each "situation" she gives us all the information she has regarding birth mom's and dad's ages and race, drug/alcohol usage, due date, residency information, estimated cost of the adoption, and any other pertinent information we need to make decisions. After talking to Ms. Lisa, Chad and I had to make some tough decisions as to whether we would be interested in presenting to any or all of these birthmoms. Once Chad and I decide if any of these situations are "right for us", we let Ms. Lisa know and our profile book will be added to the profile books of any other prospective adoptive families. The birthmom will then be presented with all the profile books and get to choose which family she envisions raising her child. If one of the birthmoms chooses us, then we will be considered "matched" and start to prepare for baby!! Throughout the rest of the pregnancy, we will hopefully have the option (if birth mom is agreeable) to attend doctor visits and visit with birthmom until the time she delivers. Chad and I hope to gather as much information as we can about her and her family so that in the future we can share these stories with our child.
Garage Sale
We are still set for the two garage sales in the month of March. The one in Baton Rouge is on March 7th and the one in Metairie is on March 28. We are so thankful to over 50 families who have donated thus far, and we continue to get phone calls all the time. We will continue to collect items up until the Friday before each garage sale so please continue to call, text, or email.
Raffle
We will begin setting up the raffle as soon as we are done with the garage sales. Several of our friends and family have begun donating items to be raffled. Please let me know if you have any goods or services that you are willing to donate! We could not do this without everyone's help!
How you can help us this week
Please continue to pray for Chad and me as we continue to walk through this adoption journey. Pray that God gives us the strength and guidance we need to make these tough decisions. Pray that He gives us the energy to continue our fundraising efforts which enable us to bring home our baby. Pray for the birthmoms as they make tough decisions regarding the future of each baby. Finally, pray that God gives us the peace and patience as we wait for things to unfold "In His Time".
We love you all very much!! Have a great weekend!