Distractions

For nearly two weeks, we’ve been trying to fill our lives with distractions of any kind. Two weeks ago, we were sent information on a birth mother situation that we felt really positive about. We were thrilled… a baby girl due in April.

We rushed to the post office and express mailed our home study and family profile to the adoption agency.­ It was going to be five days until the birth mother would be presented with our family profile. To say we were freaking out that day would be an understatement.

Instead of hearing a response, we were asked to wait. Wait another week to allow her to decide. We knew we had a LONG week ahead of us, anxiously waiting to find out if we would be chosen. What a wonderful Christmas surprise this could be, we thought.

On Christmas Eve, we were again asked to wait. We were asked to wait yet another few days as the birth mother continued to make her decision. Although every second of waiting was killing us, we knew that this was one of the biggest decisions that this birth mom would have to make in her life. She’s choosing parents for her unborn child.

Today we finally got the news. We weren’t chosen.

Let me tell you… this kind of rejection is hard.

So now our wait continues. We’ve gotten really good at waiting.

In the meantime, we’ll be keeping ourselves distracted, and praying for God to lead us in the right direction. We'll remain faithful, knowing that He will provide for us.

We are so thankful that this birth mother chose adoption for her baby. There is a joyful family somewhere out there that just received the best news today, and we pray that they will be so blessed by this little one.

Family Profiles Are In!

So, I'm a little late on posting this... but our Family Profiles arrived in the mail!

A Family Profile is basically a scrapbook about our lives that we share with a birth mother, in hopes that she chooses us to be the parents for her child.

It includes information about our families, home, community, hobbies/lifestyle, personalities, beliefs/traditions, and our hopes for the baby.

This is our selling point to get matched with a birth mom, so we knew we needed the BEST people to help make it happen.

Our adoption consultant, Susan, created our book for us. We gave her words and photos, and she put together this amazing book. I love her designing skills, and we think the book is fantastic.

Ona is a friend of mine from high school, and she offered to take photos for us at her photography studio. Many thanks to Ona and Infinite Image Design for the awesome pictures in our Family Profile! We love them!

So what's next?
We just applied with three different adoption agencies in the U.S. 

Now that our information is on file, we will start receiving information on available adoption situations. If it sounds like a good match, we can choose to have our Family Profile presented to the birth mom. If the situation does not sound like a good fit for us, we don't have to send in our information.

And now the official waiting game begins... :)

I Know Someone Who...

We have been learning a lot about adoption, but there is so much that we haven’t yet experienced or understood completely.

Like, the moment when we get THE phone call… the phone call that tells us that we’ve been matched with a birth mom and she has chosen US to be parents for her baby.

Or, when we get to see that sweet baby of ours for the first time. I don’t have a clue what that’s going to feel like, although I think I have a pretty good idea.

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We’ve talked with many people who are thrilled that we have chosen adoption as the way to grow our family. It brings us joy to know that you are interested in what God is doing in our lives.

We appreciate when you share positive adoption stories with us. We love that you are trying to make a connection and help encourage us along the way.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post called “What to Say.What NOT to Say.” Basically, we want you to encourage us. Before speaking, ask yourself, “Is this helpful, or hurtful?”

I don’t want to hear about 'this one person' who brought home a sweet baby, and then the birth mother changed her mind a few weeks later and the baby was taken away.

I’m not going to go tell my newly-pregnant friend that 'so-and-so' recently had a miscarriage...

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Both of these scenarios involve an expectant parent losing a baby, and that is heartbreaking. What makes you think that your failed adoption story is going to encourage us in ANY way?

We are aware of the risks involved and have come to terms with them.

If the only things you've heard about adoptions are horror stories, keep them to yourself.

We'd MUCH rather hear about your beautiful niece who is adopted and was welcomed with open arms into your family, and you can't imagine life without her.

And the winner is...

*drum roll please*

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The winner of the Husband vs. Wife November Challenge is…

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ERIKA!

The total amount raised in the month of November totaled $2,600.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for your financial support this month. This will cover approximately 8% of our total adoption expenses!