Hey, folks. Sorry we're not updating every two weeks like we planned. Life has been incredibly busy this past month.
There's not a whole lot to update. We're just about at one year since the first meeting we attended for the adoption process, back in the days when I thought the "fifteen to eighteen months" average timeline started at that meeting, as opposed to a few months ago when we finished going through all of the preparation. At that point I thought I'd have a baby in my arms by the spring of 2010. Now, I'm thinking it will be much longer.
We're still making progress in preparations; we've purchased or received a few various items that we know we'll want/need. We're still plotting out the best use of the tiny closet in the nursery, and we're still looking at all sorts of baby clothes every time we go shopping for our infant niece. Other than that, it's just a lot of waiting and working on the busy things we have going on in the rest of our lives.
--David
Monday, December 14, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Waiting: the Early Weeks
Well, it's been almost a month since we posted. The two of us have been insanely busy with work projects and travel and so on... and yet it still seems like some weeks drag on while we try to remain patient.
A little over a week ago, I called our adoption agency and explained (while trying to sound normal) that we had been told at our home study that the social worker saw no reason that we would not be put "on the shelf" to be a potential selection for a birth mother, and a while afterwards we attended our last training session which meant we should be available to an even wider percentage of birth mothers... but that no one had actually specifically said, "You are on the shelf."
And of course, we assumed that we were, but we would have hated for an assumption to have led to an unnecessary delay.
The lady assured me that we were indeed on the shelf. She even mentioned that she had seen our scrapbook, and that it was very good.
We know that the average wait can be 15-18 months once you're on the shelf, and frankly I'm not sure what we would DO if the call came in tomorrow that a birth mother wanted to meet us. But we're basically at the point now where there's really nothing left for us to DO to try to push things forward.
We're waiting. And we're continuing to stay busy and focused on life and family and friends. We're not wasting away with impatience. But every now and then, when someone asks how things are going, or when we see someone else's very young child, or when I forget to try to forget... it's hard.
It will be worth it in the end, I know. But for now, it's hard.
--David
A little over a week ago, I called our adoption agency and explained (while trying to sound normal) that we had been told at our home study that the social worker saw no reason that we would not be put "on the shelf" to be a potential selection for a birth mother, and a while afterwards we attended our last training session which meant we should be available to an even wider percentage of birth mothers... but that no one had actually specifically said, "You are on the shelf."
And of course, we assumed that we were, but we would have hated for an assumption to have led to an unnecessary delay.
The lady assured me that we were indeed on the shelf. She even mentioned that she had seen our scrapbook, and that it was very good.
We know that the average wait can be 15-18 months once you're on the shelf, and frankly I'm not sure what we would DO if the call came in tomorrow that a birth mother wanted to meet us. But we're basically at the point now where there's really nothing left for us to DO to try to push things forward.
We're waiting. And we're continuing to stay busy and focused on life and family and friends. We're not wasting away with impatience. But every now and then, when someone asks how things are going, or when we see someone else's very young child, or when I forget to try to forget... it's hard.
It will be worth it in the end, I know. But for now, it's hard.
--David
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The past month
Since the homestudy, I think we've been decompressing a little bit. The house was never cleaner than it was for the homestudy, and it's been kind of a disaster ever since. Well, not that bad, but we've been a little lax about things!
On Saturday 10/3, we attended the transracial transcultural training seminar that our agency requires for all prospective parents looking to adopt a child from a race that is not their own. Grandparents are also encouraged to attend, so my mom & dad came along for the day. Some of what they talked about we had already heard in other meetings, but there was plenty of new info and things to think about. The best part of the day in my opinion was the panel of adult adoptees who had grown up in multi-racial families. I could have listened to them talk all day long.
We have not made much more progress on finishing the nursery. There are wallpaper cut outs to be installed, an outlet to replace, shelves to build, paint, and install in the closet, curtains and a light fixture to be bought & hung, a wall hanging to make, and I have to get started on a quilt. I have made a quilt for a lot of my friend's little ones, and I have got to make one for my own baby. I have one to finish still for a little guy that made his arrival in July (yikes!), and I need to make one (or three?) more for a friend (friends?) depending on how ambitious I am feeling.
Last Saturday, we went and registered at two stores. It was so fun! We were at the first place for nearly 3 hours. It was a little overwhelming at times, but we still had a great time. The staff was really helpful and offered us bottled water! We even got a goody bag which included a bottle and pacifier - yay! The next store was much quicker as they have a much smaller selection. We still got a goody bag though! It was hard to resist buying all of the cute things though! I refrained from buying the tub toys that I really wanted, but I could not resist one of the books that we found. Hippos Go Berserk by Sandra Boynton just had to be mine - it was the last one on the shelf! =)
Here's hoping our next update will include pictures of a nearly finished nursery. Fingers Crossed!
On Saturday 10/3, we attended the transracial transcultural training seminar that our agency requires for all prospective parents looking to adopt a child from a race that is not their own. Grandparents are also encouraged to attend, so my mom & dad came along for the day. Some of what they talked about we had already heard in other meetings, but there was plenty of new info and things to think about. The best part of the day in my opinion was the panel of adult adoptees who had grown up in multi-racial families. I could have listened to them talk all day long.
We have not made much more progress on finishing the nursery. There are wallpaper cut outs to be installed, an outlet to replace, shelves to build, paint, and install in the closet, curtains and a light fixture to be bought & hung, a wall hanging to make, and I have to get started on a quilt. I have made a quilt for a lot of my friend's little ones, and I have got to make one for my own baby. I have one to finish still for a little guy that made his arrival in July (yikes!), and I need to make one (or three?) more for a friend (friends?) depending on how ambitious I am feeling.
Last Saturday, we went and registered at two stores. It was so fun! We were at the first place for nearly 3 hours. It was a little overwhelming at times, but we still had a great time. The staff was really helpful and offered us bottled water! We even got a goody bag which included a bottle and pacifier - yay! The next store was much quicker as they have a much smaller selection. We still got a goody bag though! It was hard to resist buying all of the cute things though! I refrained from buying the tub toys that I really wanted, but I could not resist one of the books that we found. Hippos Go Berserk by Sandra Boynton just had to be mine - it was the last one on the shelf! =)
Here's hoping our next update will include pictures of a nearly finished nursery. Fingers Crossed!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The homestudy
Four and a half hours is a long time, and yet it felt much shorter.
I was a little surprised at the extent of questions pertaining to extended family. "How often do you communicate with your sister?" "How would you describe your relationship with your brother?" "How were you disciplined by your parents?"
My brain immediately supplied funny (to me) answers, which I rejected in favor of honest and straightforward answers. The rejected answers to the above questions: "Actually, we're permanently telepathically linked, and she doesn't care for your tone." "Strictly platonic, no matter what he tells you." "They turned me into a newt.... I got better."
I even made the interviewer get just a little sniffly at one point. She asked me to describe a highlight of my relationship with Ann... and I choked up trying to describe what I felt when I saw her in her bridal gown for the first time. I was so close to crying at the memory that all I could say about seeing her was, "The world stopped."
It did, incidentally. You may not have noticed, but only the grace of God kept us all on the planet.
Although there are still a few technicalities to work out (who knew that we would need to report the acreage of our property?), we have been told to consider ourselves "approved."
We could theoretically be "on the shelf" within days... and then it's just a matter of waiting until the next time the world stops.
--David
I was a little surprised at the extent of questions pertaining to extended family. "How often do you communicate with your sister?" "How would you describe your relationship with your brother?" "How were you disciplined by your parents?"
My brain immediately supplied funny (to me) answers, which I rejected in favor of honest and straightforward answers. The rejected answers to the above questions: "Actually, we're permanently telepathically linked, and she doesn't care for your tone." "Strictly platonic, no matter what he tells you." "They turned me into a newt.... I got better."
I even made the interviewer get just a little sniffly at one point. She asked me to describe a highlight of my relationship with Ann... and I choked up trying to describe what I felt when I saw her in her bridal gown for the first time. I was so close to crying at the memory that all I could say about seeing her was, "The world stopped."
It did, incidentally. You may not have noticed, but only the grace of God kept us all on the planet.
Although there are still a few technicalities to work out (who knew that we would need to report the acreage of our property?), we have been told to consider ourselves "approved."
We could theoretically be "on the shelf" within days... and then it's just a matter of waiting until the next time the world stops.
--David
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Two posts in one day?
Don't faint y'all!
But I have an update!
Our homestudy will be on September 15th starting at 3:30 PM. It is supposed to take 3-4 hours.
I'm already nervous.
But I have an update!
Our homestudy will be on September 15th starting at 3:30 PM. It is supposed to take 3-4 hours.
I'm already nervous.
Late...again.
I think we're just going to have to admit that we're terrible at meeting deadlines.
I would claim that I don't know where the time has gone since our last update, but I know where it went - we've been busy!
We took a 10-day vacation to Minneapolis-St.Paul and Northern Wisconsin at the start of August. We had so much fun babysitting Sweet Pea for a week. It was sort of a trial by fire as far as "test parenting" goes - a week with a two-year-old could have been a disaster BUT it was a blast! She is so much fun to be with, and we loved visiting with Ann's sister and her husband and his family.
As soon as we returned from that sojourn, we had a few days to prepare for the arrival of David's family. The "New York Invasion 2009" started with a 6-day visit from David's brother, his wife, and daughter - Eldest Niece. It was fun to have them around and spend time visiting with no real agenda. Whenever we go out east for a holiday there is always so much hubbub that we never get a chance to just sit & visit. Eldest Niece got to take part in the Indy Zoo Dolphin Encounter as an early birthday gift - it was really cool!
Two days after this New York contingent left, David's parents arrived for a 5-day stay. Yay! We love getting to see them every summer. We never plan to do very much, and that's just the way we all like it! We spent Sunday crawling around the local flea market looking for "treasures". Ann found a small antique platter for $1 - it was a great bargain! David got an early birthday gift from his parents when he found NFL baseball-style caps. He already owned 4, but I think he picked up 19 or 20 more for a great price. He was very excited to add to his collection!
Also, in exciting baby room news, we were able to order our crib from "The Red Dot Boutique" - aka Target - with free shipping (Yay for $107 saved!), and it arrived while David's parents were with us, so it was assembled while they were out. Now both sets of grandparents have helped create the baby's room in some way. =)
After all of that, the month of August was pretty well gone. However, last weekend, Ann sat down, put her nose to the grindstone and finished the scrapbook! Yay! It looks incredible - we are both very proud of what was created. On Monday, we were able to call the sgency and leave a message that we are ready to schedule our homestudy. We are still waiting for a return call. We'll update as soon as we know something.
I would claim that I don't know where the time has gone since our last update, but I know where it went - we've been busy!
We took a 10-day vacation to Minneapolis-St.Paul and Northern Wisconsin at the start of August. We had so much fun babysitting Sweet Pea for a week. It was sort of a trial by fire as far as "test parenting" goes - a week with a two-year-old could have been a disaster BUT it was a blast! She is so much fun to be with, and we loved visiting with Ann's sister and her husband and his family.
As soon as we returned from that sojourn, we had a few days to prepare for the arrival of David's family. The "New York Invasion 2009" started with a 6-day visit from David's brother, his wife, and daughter - Eldest Niece. It was fun to have them around and spend time visiting with no real agenda. Whenever we go out east for a holiday there is always so much hubbub that we never get a chance to just sit & visit. Eldest Niece got to take part in the Indy Zoo Dolphin Encounter as an early birthday gift - it was really cool!
Two days after this New York contingent left, David's parents arrived for a 5-day stay. Yay! We love getting to see them every summer. We never plan to do very much, and that's just the way we all like it! We spent Sunday crawling around the local flea market looking for "treasures". Ann found a small antique platter for $1 - it was a great bargain! David got an early birthday gift from his parents when he found NFL baseball-style caps. He already owned 4, but I think he picked up 19 or 20 more for a great price. He was very excited to add to his collection!
Also, in exciting baby room news, we were able to order our crib from "The Red Dot Boutique" - aka Target - with free shipping (Yay for $107 saved!), and it arrived while David's parents were with us, so it was assembled while they were out. Now both sets of grandparents have helped create the baby's room in some way. =)
After all of that, the month of August was pretty well gone. However, last weekend, Ann sat down, put her nose to the grindstone and finished the scrapbook! Yay! It looks incredible - we are both very proud of what was created. On Monday, we were able to call the sgency and leave a message that we are ready to schedule our homestudy. We are still waiting for a return call. We'll update as soon as we know something.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Meeting!
Last Wednesday, we had our all-day meeting at the agency. It was a recap of a lot of the info that we had received previously, but it's always good to hear the details again! We talked about the details of how the process works as far as getting chosen and meeting the birthmother. Then they took us through the steps of what happens after the baby is born and had us read the legal documents that she signs to relinquish custody as well as the ones that we sign to start the process of the legal adoption.
We also got to meet a couple that had recently adopted through the agency. It was a wonderful story, and their new son was so cute!
So, where are we headed from here? The next step is to get the scrapbook done (I have really got to STOP PROCRASTINATING!) and get our home study scheduled. We are hoping to have our home study completed by the end of August.
Oh, I'll throw this out there - if any of you have recent (last few years) pictures of David or me, can you e-mail them to me? We need lots of pictures of us and I don't have very many! Also, I'm looking for a few pictures of David & I at college and at our wedding - any & all help is greatly appreciated here! If you could get these to me by August 9th that would be super!!!
We also got to meet a couple that had recently adopted through the agency. It was a wonderful story, and their new son was so cute!
So, where are we headed from here? The next step is to get the scrapbook done (I have really got to STOP PROCRASTINATING!) and get our home study scheduled. We are hoping to have our home study completed by the end of August.
Oh, I'll throw this out there - if any of you have recent (last few years) pictures of David or me, can you e-mail them to me? We need lots of pictures of us and I don't have very many! Also, I'm looking for a few pictures of David & I at college and at our wedding - any & all help is greatly appreciated here! If you could get these to me by August 9th that would be super!!!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Yikes!
How has it been over a month since we updated???
We've apparently been busier than we thought!
We've got a full day meeting at our agency on July 22nd, and we are working furiously to get things done before then. My mom is helping us repaint the nursery and a dresser & chest for the room also. We installed smoke alarms & Fire extinguishers with my dad's help. I've cleaned all the carpets in the house except for the nursery, and I'll do that after we paint.
Still to do - gosh it's quite a list! We've got to put the room together, reassemble the living room, create the scrapbook, write autobiographies, take pictures for the scrapbook, and on top of that, some friends of ours just had a baby & I've got to go meet the new addition - soon!!!
We'll be sure to post about the meeting on the 22nd! Until then, thanks to everyone for all of your help & prayers!
We've apparently been busier than we thought!
We've got a full day meeting at our agency on July 22nd, and we are working furiously to get things done before then. My mom is helping us repaint the nursery and a dresser & chest for the room also. We installed smoke alarms & Fire extinguishers with my dad's help. I've cleaned all the carpets in the house except for the nursery, and I'll do that after we paint.
Still to do - gosh it's quite a list! We've got to put the room together, reassemble the living room, create the scrapbook, write autobiographies, take pictures for the scrapbook, and on top of that, some friends of ours just had a baby & I've got to go meet the new addition - soon!!!
We'll be sure to post about the meeting on the 22nd! Until then, thanks to everyone for all of your help & prayers!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Slow, but progress
Once again, there's not a lot to report on the direction things are taking. We have a couple dates now for future developments, but for now we're still working on paperwork (including autobiographies) and home preparation.
Things should start picking up next month, most likely.
Things should start picking up next month, most likely.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Quick Note
Meeting with the agency tomorrow at 3 PM.
Prayers appreciated!
Sorry for the short notes, but we're busier than one-armed wallpaper hangers!
Prayers appreciated!
Sorry for the short notes, but we're busier than one-armed wallpaper hangers!
Friday, May 15, 2009
HOORAY!!!!!
The agency called last night!!!!!!!!!
I left a message with them this morning, so I am waiting for a call back to schedule our orientation.
I'll post more as soon as I know more!
Yayayayayayayayayayayayay!!!!
I left a message with them this morning, so I am waiting for a call back to schedule our orientation.
I'll post more as soon as I know more!
Yayayayayayayayayayayayay!!!!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Just under the wire!
Latest news -
Nothing from the agency lately. We're hoping to hear from them this month about our orientation & interview.
A bunch of landscaping is complete! We planted 12 hostas, 5 shrubs, and a tree last weekend. I hardly recognize the outside of our house. We just need to get a big load of mulch ordered & spread - things will be looking pretty spiffy around here. Yay!
We have contracted to have most of the interior of the house painted. We're very excited about this as it will be done much quicker and much better than we could have ever done. We're making color selections tomorrow night - wish us luck!
We're working on finishing upsome paperwork for the agency, so we're getting closer!
Continued prayers, good thoughts & wishes are appreciated!!!
Nothing from the agency lately. We're hoping to hear from them this month about our orientation & interview.
A bunch of landscaping is complete! We planted 12 hostas, 5 shrubs, and a tree last weekend. I hardly recognize the outside of our house. We just need to get a big load of mulch ordered & spread - things will be looking pretty spiffy around here. Yay!
We have contracted to have most of the interior of the house painted. We're very excited about this as it will be done much quicker and much better than we could have ever done. We're making color selections tomorrow night - wish us luck!
We're working on finishing upsome paperwork for the agency, so we're getting closer!
Continued prayers, good thoughts & wishes are appreciated!!!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Gah! Late again!
Good Grief! We're late with another update...we'll try harder next time, I promise!
Not much is happening on the adoption front, but we're making progress on the home improvement front!
Last Saturday was a gorgeous day, so we got outside & got ourselves busy. I dug up the dead tulip bulbs in the front flowerbed in anticipation of shrub planting later this spring. David weed-whacked (how do you spell that?) behind the garage and around the A/C unit and sprayed everything down with weed killer to start the process of cleaning up and getting ready to mulch. We then spent about three hours cleaning the garage. What a mess! We threw out so much trash - it was amazing the stuff that we were holding on to! We also put stuff up into the attic storage - what a difference it makes out there to clear the floor.
We've also made decisions about paint colors for inside the house. We're getting a few bids to have it painted before we fully decide if this is going to be a DIY project or not.
Slow and steady wins the race, right?
Not much is happening on the adoption front, but we're making progress on the home improvement front!
Last Saturday was a gorgeous day, so we got outside & got ourselves busy. I dug up the dead tulip bulbs in the front flowerbed in anticipation of shrub planting later this spring. David weed-whacked (how do you spell that?) behind the garage and around the A/C unit and sprayed everything down with weed killer to start the process of cleaning up and getting ready to mulch. We then spent about three hours cleaning the garage. What a mess! We threw out so much trash - it was amazing the stuff that we were holding on to! We also put stuff up into the attic storage - what a difference it makes out there to clear the floor.
We've also made decisions about paint colors for inside the house. We're getting a few bids to have it painted before we fully decide if this is going to be a DIY project or not.
Slow and steady wins the race, right?
Friday, April 3, 2009
Time keeps on slippin
Well, we missed our intended update that's supposed to occur every two weeks. Sorry about that!
There's really nothing to report, though. A few of our friends who didn't previously know have been informed of our plans, and we've started considering all the things we still need to do before our home inspection, but we don't even really get our orientation until next month.
I think Ann is planning on having some friends help with a scrapbooking party/weekend sometime in the next couple of months, but I don't think we've made any specific plans. Me? I'm thinking more about finances and tax refunds and picking up a little extra cash with performances. (For those of you who might not know, in addition to my full-time job, I make a little bit of money doing comedy performances. It's not a lot, by any means, but when you're saving up for an adoption, every little bit helps.) Heck, I've even started trying to come up with creative things to raise some cash. For example, those of you who have eaten Ann's cooking: how much would you pay for a completely catered dinner at your house? I know how much I would pay. If we could only find someone with a deep checkbook and an insatiable hunger, I think Ann's cooking could finance TWO adoptions.
(I'm joking here. We're not actually expecting anyone to finance our adoption for us. But seriously, how incredible is her cooking? Right?)
We think we've decided on colors to paint various rooms, and some furniture rearrangement that will help. Now, we just need things to settle down a little bit so we can actually get this all done.
There's really nothing to report, though. A few of our friends who didn't previously know have been informed of our plans, and we've started considering all the things we still need to do before our home inspection, but we don't even really get our orientation until next month.
I think Ann is planning on having some friends help with a scrapbooking party/weekend sometime in the next couple of months, but I don't think we've made any specific plans. Me? I'm thinking more about finances and tax refunds and picking up a little extra cash with performances. (For those of you who might not know, in addition to my full-time job, I make a little bit of money doing comedy performances. It's not a lot, by any means, but when you're saving up for an adoption, every little bit helps.) Heck, I've even started trying to come up with creative things to raise some cash. For example, those of you who have eaten Ann's cooking: how much would you pay for a completely catered dinner at your house? I know how much I would pay. If we could only find someone with a deep checkbook and an insatiable hunger, I think Ann's cooking could finance TWO adoptions.
(I'm joking here. We're not actually expecting anyone to finance our adoption for us. But seriously, how incredible is her cooking? Right?)
We think we've decided on colors to paint various rooms, and some furniture rearrangement that will help. Now, we just need things to settle down a little bit so we can actually get this all done.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Small delay.
Well, here's our bi-weekly (semi-weekly? I can never remember which is correct) update.
We finally heard from the agency. Good news for adoptees, not great news for us: there were so many applicants, despite the current economy, that they had to split us up into two groups. Our application was apparently in the second half of that, so we won't get any further updates until May.
This is disappointing for us, but realistically we know we have plenty to do -- some updates and work around the house, some more paperwork, etc -- to fill that time, and it will be gone before we know it.
Plus, what a wonderful problem for the agency to have! That's even more kids who will end up with a good home. I can't be too upset about that.
I haven't let myself get overly emotional about any of this yet. It's too early in the process -- right now I need to focus on the details and all of that. But last night it hit me. Here's how it happened.
Over Christmas, Ann and I baby-sat our niece, Sweet Pea (not her real name). She was 21 months old at the time. Before she left, we took her out to the Man-Cave in the garage, where I keep my drum set and other things. I sat her on my knee and put drumsticks in her hand, and helped her play a little bit. For the next several weeks, she apparently kept talking about it to her parents. (Sweet Pea lives nearly twelve hours away from us, so we don't see her often. This was, in her short life, a Big Deal.) She told people I was coming to visit (I wasn't) and any time she called to talk to Aunt Ann, she talked about Uncle Dave and his drums.
Fast forward to the past few weeks. Our financial situation is fine, but it never hurts to find ways to make and save money. Not for the first time, I considered selling my drum set. I'm not part of a band, and I rarely have the opportunity to play, so my skills are rusty. It has sentimental value, but I keep telling myself I'm going to get a brand new, nicer set someday, so it would be okay to sell it.
I told Ann last night that I just can't bring myself to do it. I want to have the set available for the next time Sweet Pea comes down. I just can't see parting with the item that has helped me forge a connection with this beautiful little miracle of a girl.
Ann said I couldn't sell it because Sweet Pea needs someone to play drums with... and also because "someone's going to want to play drums with Daddy."
For the first time, I choked up.
We finally heard from the agency. Good news for adoptees, not great news for us: there were so many applicants, despite the current economy, that they had to split us up into two groups. Our application was apparently in the second half of that, so we won't get any further updates until May.
This is disappointing for us, but realistically we know we have plenty to do -- some updates and work around the house, some more paperwork, etc -- to fill that time, and it will be gone before we know it.
Plus, what a wonderful problem for the agency to have! That's even more kids who will end up with a good home. I can't be too upset about that.
I haven't let myself get overly emotional about any of this yet. It's too early in the process -- right now I need to focus on the details and all of that. But last night it hit me. Here's how it happened.
Over Christmas, Ann and I baby-sat our niece, Sweet Pea (not her real name). She was 21 months old at the time. Before she left, we took her out to the Man-Cave in the garage, where I keep my drum set and other things. I sat her on my knee and put drumsticks in her hand, and helped her play a little bit. For the next several weeks, she apparently kept talking about it to her parents. (Sweet Pea lives nearly twelve hours away from us, so we don't see her often. This was, in her short life, a Big Deal.) She told people I was coming to visit (I wasn't) and any time she called to talk to Aunt Ann, she talked about Uncle Dave and his drums.
Fast forward to the past few weeks. Our financial situation is fine, but it never hurts to find ways to make and save money. Not for the first time, I considered selling my drum set. I'm not part of a band, and I rarely have the opportunity to play, so my skills are rusty. It has sentimental value, but I keep telling myself I'm going to get a brand new, nicer set someday, so it would be okay to sell it.
I told Ann last night that I just can't bring myself to do it. I want to have the set available for the next time Sweet Pea comes down. I just can't see parting with the item that has helped me forge a connection with this beautiful little miracle of a girl.
Ann said I couldn't sell it because Sweet Pea needs someone to play drums with... and also because "someone's going to want to play drums with Daddy."
For the first time, I choked up.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Impatient!
I am not a patient person to start with, so this whole process is trying me.
However, I am about to go crazy waiting for the call to schedule our orientation & interview. The agency told us they would call after Feb. 15th to set it up, and we haven't heard anything yet. I don't know if I should call or if I should just wait. Gah!
This is really starting to worry me...
However, I am about to go crazy waiting for the call to schedule our orientation & interview. The agency told us they would call after Feb. 15th to set it up, and we haven't heard anything yet. I don't know if I should call or if I should just wait. Gah!
This is really starting to worry me...
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Some More Info
We haven't heard anything else from the agency, but I realized that not all of you know all of the details. Here's the short & sweet version.
- We are adopting an infant. We should bring the baby home from the hospital unless there are some very specific issues.
- We are adopting domestically from an agency on the south side of Indianapolis that works in Central Indiana.
- We both have a gender preference. It is the same gender. We're not sharing - sorry.
- We don't get a choice of boy or girl - kinda like the "standard" method.
- We will create a scrapbook about ourselves that the agency will use to "advertise" us to birthmoms. We will be chosen by her. We will hopefully meet her in her 8th month of pregnancy. I am already nervous about this.
- The process is expected to take 12-18 months - we are ONE month in (almost two).
- We have not firmly made any decisions about what ethnicity of child we are looking for.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Slightly more news...
We got a call that our application has been received, and they are starting the process of requesting letters from our references. We're supposed to get a call in about three weeks to arrange our orientation.
I think we have an orientation and then an interview. Or maybe an orientation and then an interview and then classes? I'm kind of regretting that I didn't specifically set out to memorize the order of steps in the process (since I knew they were all written down for us somewhere). I trusted my memory, forgetting that the emotional impact of this would take "mental space" precedence over the details of the process.
I had to work from home yesterday, so I was there to get the call. That was nice. It's hard to be patient sometimes.
I think we have an orientation and then an interview. Or maybe an orientation and then an interview and then classes? I'm kind of regretting that I didn't specifically set out to memorize the order of steps in the process (since I knew they were all written down for us somewhere). I trusted my memory, forgetting that the emotional impact of this would take "mental space" precedence over the details of the process.
I had to work from home yesterday, so I was there to get the call. That was nice. It's hard to be patient sometimes.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A few more steps...
Yesterday, we went from government building to government building to start going through all the necessary steps for the adoption application process -- background checks, fingerprinting, even getting a copy of our marriage license.
It took almost all day, and it was COLD outside. The wind was enough to cause instant headaches and earaches.
We had to visit four buildings in three counties to take care of all of it -- not to mention a stop at the bank for a few financial arrangements and a stop at Steak 'n Shake for lunch, where I would bet twenty bucks that we sat not all that far from Sandi Patty.
Boy... this is a little tricky, for my first post. We've been encouraged to provide only limited personal information (NO LAST NAMES!), and I'm not used to that level of anonymity... I find myself unsure what I can post that will keep us relatively anonymous.
I'm sure as we continue these steps, I'll get more comfortable with writing about all of this.
Really, for me, the big thing about yesterday was that it started to make everything feel so much more concrete. There's a long way to go -- this was the first few steps of a marathon -- but they were important, necessary steps towards adoption.
I can't even begin to tell you all how excited even THESE steps are making me. To be able to provide a loving home for a child who needs us... I can't imagine doing anything more important.
It took almost all day, and it was COLD outside. The wind was enough to cause instant headaches and earaches.
We had to visit four buildings in three counties to take care of all of it -- not to mention a stop at the bank for a few financial arrangements and a stop at Steak 'n Shake for lunch, where I would bet twenty bucks that we sat not all that far from Sandi Patty.
Boy... this is a little tricky, for my first post. We've been encouraged to provide only limited personal information (NO LAST NAMES!), and I'm not used to that level of anonymity... I find myself unsure what I can post that will keep us relatively anonymous.
I'm sure as we continue these steps, I'll get more comfortable with writing about all of this.
Really, for me, the big thing about yesterday was that it started to make everything feel so much more concrete. There's a long way to go -- this was the first few steps of a marathon -- but they were important, necessary steps towards adoption.
I can't even begin to tell you all how excited even THESE steps are making me. To be able to provide a loving home for a child who needs us... I can't imagine doing anything more important.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Here We Go!
If you're stopping by, you know the "big news".
This blog will chronicle our journey to adopt our baby. Yay!
Details and developments will be posted as they become available, but there will likely be big long stretches of nothing at times. We will update once every two weeks at a minimum - as soon as we know it, you'll know it.
I'll fill in all the details of what we know so far in the next post. For now, I gotta get back to work!
This blog will chronicle our journey to adopt our baby. Yay!
Details and developments will be posted as they become available, but there will likely be big long stretches of nothing at times. We will update once every two weeks at a minimum - as soon as we know it, you'll know it.
I'll fill in all the details of what we know so far in the next post. For now, I gotta get back to work!
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