New House!

Bryan and I moved into our new house today. We are in the middle of renovating an older home but we are living in two rooms while we work on the rest of the house. It is going to be a long process but well worth it. We feel proud of our home because we are working so hard to make it our own.

As for the adoption process, we have just about completed our paperwork. Bryan has his autobiography to complete which he has promised to do soon. Last Wednesday, we took infant CPR which is required by the agency. Things are moving right along. Hopefully, we will be assigned a case worker in January and will begin our interview process. In the new house, we painted the nursery already, It is a beautiful pale green so that it will work for a boy or a girl. We are so excited and can't wait for the next step.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and remember the reason for the season!

Moving Day!

Well, a lot has happened since my last post. Bryan and I sold our house and have found another one we to buy in Cherryville. We are so excited because this move will help us so much financially with the adoption. Today was moving day and we are exhausted. Right now we are staying at my moms and dad in our camper. It is fun right now because it feels like we are camping but I am sure in a week or two, we will be ready for our own house. Hopefully, we will close on our new house during the first week of December.

As for the adoption, we sent in our formal application and have already heard back from the agency. They received it and we are moving forward. Our references have been contacted and will hopefully send in their letters as soon as possible. (Thanks guys!) Bryan and I are going to the doctor to get our physicals on Monday. We have got to take infant CPR and two online courses that are provided through the agency. We still have a lot to do but we continue to take one step at a time. Probably in the next six weeks we will be assigned a case worker who will conduct our home study and interviews. I am most excited about painting the nursery in our new house. The agency suggested to go ahead and prepare for the baby so the case worker can see that we are ready anytime. It is going to be so much fun!!!

Bryan and I feel like our lives are headed in the right direction and we owe it all to God and his wonderful plan for us. Even though it has not always been clear, we now know that if you hand your lives over to him, he will take care of you. Our lives are very busy right now but we still always stop and take the time to recognize God and everything that he has done for us.

Quick Update

The next packet of information has officially arrived. Boy is it large!!! The paperwork is a lot but will be well worth it in the end. I have already begun filling some of it out, I am trying to do a little bit a day. On top of the adoption process, we sold our house on Saturday! Yeah! Bryan and I feel so relieved because we were going to be strapped trying to pay for the adoption. Now we feel like our finances will be much easier to manage. I think we are going to downsize for a while and then build in the future. It seems like everything is falling into place for us. We are so thankful everyday that we have each other and that things in our lives are moving in a positive direction.

First Meeting Information

Bryan and I attended our first informational meeting on Friday. The meeting was wonderful and full of information. We met at the Country Inn in Matthews with the Christian Adoption Services (CAS). We arrived at the meeting thinking we already knew exactly what we wanted which was a perfectly healthy caucasian baby but quickly realized that was going to be hard to accomplish. A lot of their babies are of different races and could have minor health problems such as heart murmurs and low birth weight. Being able to accept a child not knowing certain things is part of the process and Bryan and I are now open to more possibilities.

A big part of the meeting was discussing open adoptions which is where we have contact with the birthmother before and after the adoption process. Again, Bryan and I entered that meeting thinking we wanted no contact with our birthmother. Listening to the speaker talk about the birthmothers and their feelings we realized that contact with us could help them move on with their lives. The birthmother is going to go through something very tramatic and emotional. They know they are doing the best thing for their baby by giving it up but it is still hard on them. Keeping contact such as pictures or emails allows them to feel like they made the best decision possible and they know their baby is safe. They need to know that we will keep our word that we are loving and taking care of that child for them. The amount of contact will be discussed with the birthmother and us. Normal contact is pictures once a month until the baby is one and then every six months. We struggled with this in the beginning but we now understand the need for this contact and why it is important. We will keep our birthmother in our prayers when the time comes!

The process is officially underway because we turned in our preliminary paperwork on Friday. We should hear from them by the end of the week with the next step which is more paperwork. Please keep the agency and us in your prayers! It is going to be a long process but worth it in the end.

Our Journey to this point

Bryan and I have wanted to start a family for a long time now. About five years ago we started the process of trying to have a baby. Three miscarriages and several fertility treatments later, we still have nothing. Frustration began to set in and constant disappointment was part of our lives. We had discussed adoption several times but nothing serious. About a month ago, I told Bryan that I was tired and could not continue on being disappointed over and over again. I needed something to look forward to. I began to pray about it and I can honestly say that I feel like God sent me a sign and told me that I was suppose to adopt a baby. Bryan feels the same way and I feel like we are in this together. I knew that all I wanted in life was a baby and to have a family with Bryan. I do not care how we get the baby or where it comes from. Adoption was a scary process for us in the beginning because we had so many unanswered questions. To begin this process, we had dinner with some friends that we met through other friends. They adopted a baby boy from Alabama who is know 8 months old. We ate and talked about everything. They were so inspirational for Bryan and I. They made us feel like we are the special ones because we get to save a child whose future would be unsure. For some reason, God has chosen Bryan and I to go through this process and share it with everyone. They lifted us up and helped us move forward. Following that dinner, Bryan and I knew for sure that this is what we were meant to do in our lives. Andy and Katie, you will never know how much we appreciate you and we can't wait to share this experience with you!

Friday, October 23 Bryan and I are going to Matthew's Christian Adoption Services for our first informational meeting. We have completed our preliminary paperwork and will turn it in on that day. We are so excited and can't wait to share this experience with everyone! Please keep us in your prayers!