Checklist

Application complete & submitted - check!
Family Record Report complete & submitted - check!
Background Check - check!
Documentation - check!
Deposit - check!
Profile Book to print - check!
Marketing flier complete & submitted - check!
Marketing flier printed & laminated - to do
Floor plan of house - to do
Home study - scheduled!

We're almost there, my friends!

Prisoner

. . . and it's finally not too bad of a place to be . . .

Almost There

I just emailed our "marketing flier" to the agency!  It was scary to hit send because I constantly second-guess my wording, panic that the computer changed my spelling & grammar, and worry that one line will be out of place.  Call it attention to detail or OCD - I don't care.  No matter what, DH and I are really proud of what we are presenting to potential birth mothers.

When talking to my dear friend Sarah (who is the mother of my lil' Goddaughter, Payton!) this morning, she asked, "Do you feel like a weight has been lifted?"  Her timing was impeccable, as I had just been thinking of the exact feelings this morning.  I feel like there has been a huge brick atop my heart for almost five years and it is finally cracked.  It's doubtful that brick will be lifted until we bring our baby home and begin to live as a family, but that brick is definitely lighter and different than ever before.

And it feels good . . .

So Essited!

I know that it should be spelled EXCITED but some of you - we'll see who exactly - will get the joke!

Our marketing flier for the adoption agency is done!  I finished it tonight, uploaded it into a pdf, and will print and laminate copies this weekend.  I'm sending our profile book to print on Saturday, too.  As soon as both of those are in the hands of the agency, they can be in the hands of potential birth mothers.  We will then be LIVE with the agency!

This next week (while in the midst of preparing the house and cooking for our first Thanksgiving in our home) I will be organizing, cleaning out a BUNCH of stuff (sshhh - don't tell DH!), making trips to Goodwill & storage, getting the baby's room ready for future decorating, gathering final paperwork to submit, researching child care, confirming health insurance, and getting ready for our home study.  One benefit of adopting - I can still enjoy my wine while expecting.  :)

But before I digress, I shall sleep . . . for someday I will wish I had more of it!

And So It Begins

It's 3:00am.  You are in a deep sleep in your comfortable bed.  You've been asleep for hours and still have a couple of hours left before the alarm.  Sounds nice, huh?

Suddenly, you JOLT awake thinking, "OMG.  Child care!  Day care or home sitter?  I need to call "L" about her sitter.  Wonder if there is anyone in the neighborhood?  Who does J use?  Isn't there a new school opening near the house?  What about my work day care?  I have so much to do.  There's just so much."

::Cue random songs flying through my head along with a list of things to do that continues to grow like water on Gremlins.::   Sleep finally returns less than one hour before the alarm sounds.

Is this God's way of preparing me for Mommyhood?

Book-in-Waiting

DH gave me this when I got home from work yesterday.  Poor guy said he bought it for me a few years ago and was glad we could use it now.  I can't wait for him to be a Daddy!

Agency Meeting #1

Last night, DH and I met with the adoption agency.  Our agency rep was awesome & shared with us every tiny detail of what the process is to adopt a baby.  Between all of the info, the constant talking of the rep & me, I can say that DH's eyes most likely rolled back into his head a few times or more during our 2.5 hour meeting.  We learned that both of the agency owners and I are sorority sisters.  If you know DH personally, you'll know how much that thrilled him.  ;)

Both DH and I passed our background checks (whew!).  We submitted our application, family record report, documentation of various things (DL, SS cards, birth certs, insurance, etc.), and paid our down payment.  We still have a few documents to submit - marriage license, divorce decree from DH's practice marriage, floor plan of house - before a baby can actually come home with us.  The agency is waiting to receive our references.  Our profile book will be finished when I add photos of our home and some nursery ideas.  We'll take that information and create a flier about us which can be given to potential BMs.  (**new acronym alert**)   In the meantime, we can schedule our home study which will take place in the next couple of weeks.  (Can you say CLEAN & organize?????)

Within the next week or two, the agency will be presenting us to potential BMs and we can look forward to becoming parents in the near future.  A match and/or placement could be anywhere between two days and two years, but typical time is around six to ten months.

It all seems like it's moving so fast right now, so I know the wait for our baby will feel extra long!  The amount of love and support we've already received from family and friends is amazing.  We are so excited and very happy with our decision and where we are right now.  What a change it is.

P . A . P . E . R . W . O . R . K.

HELP!  WE'RE DROWNING!!!

There is lots & lots of paperwork being completed in the House of Ramblers tonight.  Our first in-person meeting with the adoption agency.  My goal - if I'm lucky - is to have all of our application paperwork complete and documentation provided - so we can hand over all the paperwork, our profile book, and deposit!

This whole becoming parents thing might actually happen!  It's just so WEIRD.

Crazy Little Thing Called Hope

Can't believe I bought this today.  I had no clue what brand to buy, but I knew that newborn size was correct!

The adoption agency said to start preparing, so I am.  EEEKKK!!!