Getting through the fog...

Setbacks are a part of life right?!  But definately not a good part! We recieved an email this week from our website consultant saying she recieved the photos and after the department reviewed them they still needed more. We sent them 76 photos and only 3-4 worked?! It was the most frustrating part of this journey so far. We took an evening aside to take as many pictures as possible and now that time was wasted. It was one of those times where it felt like hitting a fog (one so thick you can't see anything and want to just stop and wait). But instead of stopping we pressed on.... another photoshoot. We called our friend Andrew Hanes and asked him to come over to use our new Cannon Powershot. We took pictures around our house, then took a few pictures throughout the weekend of us doing a variety of things. The photos turned out awesome - hopefully the adoption agency will think so too!
Today's devotional was called Moving through the fog... about moving through lifes setbacks and disappointments. So the verse of my day is going to be.... " I can do all things through Christ who stengthens me." Phillipians 4:13. We will get through this setback and God is preparing our beautiful baby to come home to us when it is time!
Here are some of our favorite pictures from the photoshoot....

Beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel

We are almost there on finalizing paperwork so we can do our actual home study visit. We had to finish our floor plan of our house and send in 2 missing pieces of paperwork. Even with all of the checklists I still managed to miss something. It's all in now!
We also got an email from ANLC saying they have recieved our website paperwork and photos. After reviewing them, they will put up our website in about 1-2 weeks! SOOO exciting! We will be marketed on 4 major adoption websites and our resume will be sent to mothers that are  potentiallly a good match for us.
It's kind of amazing that throughout this journey people have just come out of the woodwork who are in the adoption process or having infertility issues. It makes me feel so much better knowing we are not alone. Other families feel what we are feeling. We are all networked by this missing piece in our lives - a child! God has truly been faithful by sending us a support system we didn't expect.
The other day while at Kohl's returning a pair of capris I decided to check out the jewlery section to see what was on clearance. I spotted a small, simple bracelet with a single sterling silver charm. All over the charm the word HOPE was etched in various shapes and sizes. I purchased the bracelet and have been wearing it ever since (in the shower, while sleeping, etc). It symbolizes the hope that we have in God... that He is preparing a precious little gift for us as we speak! We are praying for our baby and birth mother each night, preparing for the day we will meet! :)

On our way!!!!

Today is a great day! All of our paperwork is done and we are dropping it off at the Home Study Agency! YEA FOR US! Chad still has to finish his autobiography but we can mail it in on Monday. The paperwork is the hardest part of the journey other than the waiting. We are ahead of the curve but getting it done so efficiently! We received a phone call from Kristin Yellin, the head of the Adoption Network Law Center in California last night. She wanted to let us know that she and her staff reviewed our paperwork we sent in Monday and we are approved! She welcomed us to the journey with them and gave me some follow up information! We thought that was pretty impressive for the head of the agency to personally give a phone call. Made us feel even better about going through them for adoption!

Here are some pictures of the massive amounts of paperwork we have been doing for our home study! It's seriously insane!

Look how thick this packet of papers is!!!!

We also are now posted on their "in progress" waiting families part of the website. Birthmothers can check us out already!! Check out the website picture below!



The Process...

Thanks to all of you who have given us support and encouragement! I was a little overwhelmed when I saw all of the responses on facebook! I began to cry last night because I feel like we just told everyone we were pregnant. I wasn't sure I would be able to feel like that but I do.
Yesterday I went to Barnes and Noble to buy a baby book for adoptive families. It is similar to other baby books, but this one has a few extra things about adoption included. :) Chad and I have been busily looking at cribs, bedding sets, car seats, and strollers. We have to be prepared for a phone call any day after we are posted which should be in 2-3 weeks. Some couples have been placed as soon as 3 days after they were posted. Others waited 6-9 months. It just varies. I can't believe how many options for baby gear there are... a little overwhelmed by it all! So if you have any suggestions for cribs, car seats, strollers, etc please send them my way! :) I definitely am favoring the Chicco brand so far. We will probably begin with buying the car seat and stroller, possibly the crib and bassinet. The rest will be registered for and hopefully given to us at showers which would be after the baby would arrive.
Sooo exciting and I am definately anxious....  I hope this wait doesn't take a long time, but if it does it means our baby just haven't arrived yet! :)

Paperwork under way....

We have been working on paperwork like it's a part time job! Yesterday was a momentous occassion because we sent in our large questionaire, adoption agreement, photo, and large check to Adoption Network Law Center. Jennifer called us last night to check on how we were doing and we were pleased to tell her that the paperwork would be arriving ASAP! They will put up an in progress profile for mothers' to view but our official profile should be up and running in 3-4 weeks. We will have to work on it with our marketing coordinator who will be contacting us in a week or so. In the meantime we will have to work on pictures and bios.

We are over halfway done with our paperwork for the ABC Counseling home study agency. We were both fingerprinted yesterday in Decatur  - long line, short process. We hope to complete our "homework assignments" this weekend and take them into Liz by next week.

It is so hard to watch all of my married friends (and yes I mean ALL) start their families. I feel inadequate because we are "reproductively challenged" as Charlotte would say off of my favorite TV show. But God has a plan and I feel like we are on the road to completing that plan. Are biological children in our future? I hope so! But adopting a child will be just as much of a blessing! I can't wait to meet him or her!!!! Sooo excited!

Consultations and Paperwork

Tuesday, July 5th was our first phone consultation with our adoption specialist, Jennifer, from Adoption Network Law Center. The time was 6:00pm... but every minute before was much anticipated. I kept looking at my cell phone praying it would ring - and finally it did! :) Jennifer, Chad and I talked about the logistics of adoption and she answered several questions for us. We recieved our official paperwork via email and we are ready to send it off tomorrow! :)
On Wednesday, July 6th we met with our home study agency consultant, Liz to go over paperwork for the home study. We have a mountain of paperwork to fill out with basic information about us to more difficult questions about our feelings as we go into adoption. We are hoping to complete this over the weekend and send it back on Monday. Once they have the paperwork they review it and set up a one time in-home study for 4-6 hours.
After the home study agency visit we went to Flat Top Grill (one of our favs) for dinner. Over dinner we had a chance to talk about our excitement and anxiousness. We also discussed potential names. After dinner I had to return our book on international adoption since we are no longer pursuing that route. When I was at Barnes and Noble I purchased a book of baby names entitled Bring Back Beatrice! 1108 baby names with meaning, character and a little bit of attitude! We are making lists of names we like but nothing is decided yet.
Today is my doctor's appointment with my OB/GYN, Dr. Morisetty. We are going to discuss my infertility drugs and other options. I am nervous of what comes next. I hate being sick all of the time. Now I have never had the best stomach, but this is rediculous. Hopefully he will offer an alternative that will work and not make me as sick. But I am hesitant to try any meds that could have long term side effects. So our options may be limited for the moment. But our prospects of adopting a baby soon is very exciting and I can't wait. When I come home today I will be immersed in paperwork! :) Every step is a step closer to our baby!