Speeding Along!

Wow!  It's been a week since my last post, but SO much has changed!!

We had our second home study visit on Wednesday, April 25th.  Our social worker called that afternoon and asked if we could/wanted to meet at Panera instead of at our house since it was easier for her to get there.  We agreed and met at 5:30pm.  She shared some literature with us, some books for us to read about adoption, and some children's books about adoption.  I loved them!  One story by Jamie Lee Curtis was all about how the child came to be a part of their family, but instead of the typical story, funny pictures and words showed how the parents got a phone call one night that the child had been born!  They called the grandparents, grabbed a baby bag, and hopped on a plane to go get their child.  It was very sweet.  She gave us one to keep called A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza.  It's all about Choco, a little yellow bird, who is looking for his mother.  He asks everyone if they are his mother (a giraffe, a penguin, a walrus, etc.) but they all say they couldn't be his mother because they aren't yellow or don't have striped legs or big cheeks like he does.  Finally he runs into Mrs. Bear, who asks him what a mother would do.  He says she'd hold him and cuddle him and sing and dance and play with him, so Mrs. Bear does all of these things.  Then she asks, "What if I was your mother?"  Choco is confused because he says she looks nothing like him.  She assures him that looks mean nothing, and takes him home and introduces him to her other children, Ally, Hippy, and Piggy (an alligator, a hippo, and a pig).  Choco joins the family and the last page shows Mrs. Bear in a rocking chair holding her 4 children, none of whom look like her.  It is a beautiful picture of family and adoption. 

Anyway, we talked for a couple of hours and our social worker showed us the print out of our home study that was already typed up.  She needed to clarify a few things, and was just waiting for the FBI prints and background checks to come back before everything would be finished.  She told us again this could take a few months.  We didn't expect everything else to be ready so soon and knew we needed to work quicker on getting our family profiles ready!

The next day as I was leaving work about 5:30, I missed a call and listened to the message.  It was from one of our adoption agencies who was calling to check on where we were in the process of our home study and profiles being completed, because they wanted to present us to a birth mother!!!  We NEVER expected to be contacted so soon about a possible match for us!  I told the agency our profiles weren't ready and we were still waiting on FBI prints.  One one hand we were encouraged to hear that there are birth moms out there that might already be interested in us to be parents for their biological child, but at the same time I felt so sad that we couldn't be presented because we weren't ready.  I was reminded that God knows who our child it.  If it is that child, the birth mom won't find a suitable family and will pick us at a later time.  If that child isn't ours, I know our child is still out there and we will know them in God's timing. 

On Saturday, I checked the mail to find the final pieces we've been waiting for.  One thing was Tyler's physical (which for some reason had taken a long time to get back!) and OUR FBI PRINTS!!  Instead of taking 3 months, it was closer to 3 weeks!  Praise the Lord!

So, tomorrow a check for our home study, Tyler's physical form, and our FBI background checks are in the mail to our social worker.  As soon as she receives these, final information will be plugged into the home study report and will then be mailed off to our agencies!  At that time we are ready to become active except for two things.  We can not be active without portfolios to show to birth moms, and one of our agencies will not begin to present us until we show "proof of funds," which for them is about $17,000.  We don't have that money yet.

So last week we still felt like we were in the middle of this part of the process, and 7 days later we feel more like we're at the end of this part and heading into the hard "waiting" stage.  I am working hard on our portfolios and have been told they will typically take 3-4 weeks.  However, the guy we are working with to complete them says if we stay on top of things he will do everything he can to expedite the process if at all possible, since this is the final thing we need to become active!

 We take comfort in knowing that God is in control and is working everything out to bring our child home. 
Today my friend teared up as she told me about an experience that really opened her eyes to domestic adoption.  She picked up a very young woman who had voluntarily checked herself in to rehab just 3 days before and had walked out.  My friend graciously gave her a ride as she told her about her 5 children, the oldest was 8 or 9 and she had never even seen the youngest, who is 4 months.  She said all of the children had been born "dirty", some premature, and most had gone through withdraw upon being born due to her excessive drug use.  She told my friend she knew her children were better off with their grandparents, but she desperately wanted to just be near her kids, to be able to see them.  Her love for them was evident, but she in no way was taking care of herself and couldn't take care of them.  Lately I have heard so many stories like this that breaks my heart.  We are so excited about the opportunity to rescue a child who may be born into a family who although they may love them. can not give them the life they deserve.  It's crazy how much we love our child already, even though we know NOTHING about them! 

I'm amazed at how much has changed in just one week!  This process hasn't been easy, but it has gone remarkably fast up to this point!  Although we've been praying and researching about adoption for a while now, we didn't officially start this process until about 3 1/2 weeks ago, and we're almost "active!"  Wow!  Please pray that our portfolios are completed and printed as quickly as possible, and that God continues to provide the funds necessary to continue from this point!  Also remember to pray for our child and his/her birth mother, and our agencies as they work to bring us together for the sake of rescuing an orphan.  THANK YOU again to those of you who continue to pray and who have offered and continue to offer financial support.  We are so blessed that you have chosen to join with us in this journey!