God Speed!

Our Packet I Application was received yesterday!  We were told the approval process can take about two weeks depending on a few variables. However, I received an email today, less than 24 hours from our applications arrival and WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED!!!  Praise God!  I didn't expect it to happen SO fast. I've had a feeling since the beginning that our whole process won't take long, but I've been prepping for the opposite regardless. Oh my gosh, I'm so excited!!!

Adam was my first phone call and is just as excited as I am. I'm at work and can't sit still. Thank you, Jesus for my iPhone that allows me to blog from anywhere!!

Today's mail had already been picked up by the time our packet was approved, but Packet II is already in the outgoing mail slot at the agency office and will be on its way here first thing Monday morning!!

My weekend will consist of finding an agency for our home study!  I was referred to two more places this week, so I will need to pick one now and call for details. As soon as I know what the home study consists of, I will let everyone know. Interviews are involved, but I don't know much more than that.  Packet II can't get here fast enough!

Thank you, Jesus, for such a quick response!!!  Please keep guiding our steps and the hands of our agencies. Keep our birth parents safe, at peace, in agreement, and protect our precious Baby with your mighty hand!

Thank you to all of our friends and family for your prayers, support, and excitement!  We appreciate every one of you!

Have a fabulous afternoon!

Complete Packet 1: Check!

 Where We Are Now:

After spending the weekend in the Quad Cities with our friends and family, we almost left without our tax information!  The car was packed, Adam insisted on the 13th "quick run-through" to make sure we had everything.  I walked to the door with my razor, lotion, a book, and over the threshold before I yelled, "TAX RETURNS!  OH MY GOSH, WE NEED TAX STUFF!  GO! GO! IT'S HALF THE REASON WE CAME BACK THIS WEEKEND!"  So, on we went...to the home office to gather all financial papers for the adoption.  It took us about 10 minutes to gather everything together and I couldn't believe we almost forgot it all.  (BIG sigh)

So, as soon as we returned yesterday, we finished the application, wrote our check for the application fee, attached our photo, and went to UPS to have it all notarized.  Today, I took the packet to the post office, made sure it was safe and ready to go, and spent the most important $4.33 of my life, thus far.

A million thoughts have gone through my head since my last post.  The biggest is this: 

Psalm 139:16
"Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

Jeremiah 1:5
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

God knows my baby!  I've known this, but it really hit me this past week.  We have no idea who our birth mother is, when our baby was or will be conceived.  We know nothing aside from the fact that this is where God has called us to be.  He planned this process before either of us were ever in the womb of our own mothers.  And He knows our baby just the same.  This is amazing to me.  I've been praying for our birth mother, and also our birth father...that they come to the choice of adoption together, with peace of mind.  But it dawned on me, that God knows our baby, too!  We can pray for him or her.  Regardless of whether our baby is here, forming in the womb of our birth mother....or still in heaven, waiting to be sent to Earth, God knows him or her and we can pray that Baby arrives safely, among other things.  I don't have to wait until my baby is in my arms to play my role as Mother.  I can start now, and it's the most amazing feeling in the world.

Next Up:
Packet II, which involves a million things.  I will list them when the packet and checklist arrive.  In the mean time, I know of two books we need to read as part of our training, so I plan to order those this week so that we can get a head start on the Adoptive Parent training!  

One of the amazing concepts I have discovered in this process is Adoptive Breastfeeding.  Did you know that adoptive mothers can breast feed their babies?!  I'm extremely excited about this possibility.  I know breastfeeding is a huge cultural issue in the States right now, and am aware that many people are uncomfortable with the topic.  For that reason, I plan to track what I learn, but will create a separate page on here for those interested.  Anyone not wanting to know the details can still follow our journey without being offended, grossed out, or any other negative feeling associated with breastfeeding women.  And I will keep my political views of the whole thing as mild as possible.  The way I see it, breastfeeding today (especially at the toddler level) is the new Bra Burning Women's Movement.  I don't plan on burning my bras, but I won't be attacking those who do, either.

Thank you everyone, for your support, congratulations, and prayers.  For now, the following is at the top of the list of prayers:

-For our birth mother to be at peace with her decision of adoption
-For our birth mother to be surrounded with support from friends, family, and community regarding her adoption decision
-For our birth father to support our birth mother in her decision
-For our birth father to be known, on board with the adoption, and willing to sign away his rights with our birth mother.
-Peace, for all four of us.  Peace for Adam and me while we wait, peace for our birth parents as they make their decisions and go through the process of conception-birth, knowing they won't take their baby home with them.
-For our baby to be healthy, protected during pregnancy, born without major complications to Baby or birth mother. 

I'm overwhelmed with gratitude, excitement, and the assurance that God has our adoption planned out.  I can't imagine how people take this journey without the peace of God.  I would be a basket case if I didn't know someone was in control of all of this!   

Baby Steps....for Everyone

If I tried to blog about everything I know about adoption, especially after spending an hour on the phone with our agency yesterday, I think I could write a small book.  By the time we are finished, I could write a big one...and maybe I will...you know, while the baby sleeps. (HA!  Remember, not a Mommy, but a very experienced Nanny).

Okay, here is where we are:
After printing our application yesterday, I realized we didn't have everything we need, so I didn't mail it out.  We downloaded "Packet 1" which we received in an email after contacting the agency from their website.  This packet consists of our basic information- full names, address, phone numbers, list of others living in our home (0), list of seven references, questions we had to answer individually regarding our personal beliefs in Jesus Christ, our experiences and relationship with God, and our perspective on how to get to heaven, we also need to include a photo, our $95 application fee (I'm going to be open about the finances in all of this because it's one of many mysteries about adoption when you're outside, looking in), and (this is what is missing) copies of our first two pages of tax returns from the last two years and all W-2s/1099s from the last two years.

Here's what I think:
The application was fairly easy to fill out.  This is what we did over dinner last week that sparked ridiculous excitement and silly photos.  The references were fairly easy to come by and we contacted each one before offering their information (might seem like obvious advice, but I'm putting it here anyway).

The faith-based questions made Adam a little nervous, but he picked a day, blocked out his evening, and I went out to sit by the pool while he wrote out what He believed about God in answer to the three questions on the application.  Want a preview?  Here is questions 3:
If you died today, and were to meet Jesus face to face, and he asked you why He should let you in to heaven, what would you say?
No big deal....just a simple question that lies between you as a couple and you as a family.  I have to say, I was beyond blessed to read my husband's answers to these questions.  He isn't verbally expressive very often, so for him to sit and write an essay (basically) on what He believes about His Savior, how he came to know Christ, and what he knows will get him into heaven...this was a lot.  It's a lot for anyone, but Adam did it.  And as I read his answers, I had a strong confirmation about his faith.  Not that I've doubted him, but in that moment, I was so very proud of the man I married!

Because we are in temporary housing just after a move, some of our financial information is locked away in Davenport.  When we visit this weekend, we will grab our tax returns and bring them back here so that I can make the necessary copies.  I've been told I will need more copies of the same documents as we go through each step, so we're just bringing everything here to stay.

I'm glad the application fee is small.  It looks as though our fees start small and gradually become larger.  This is nice for us because we are both planners and my husband *hates* (yes, I know 'hate' is a strong word, but I use it appropriately) spending money.  We can slowly get used to the idea of each cost before payment is due, and we can gradually increase the amount of money we send out at a time.  At one point, I thought people who adopted applied for a loan for $15,000-$20,000 or put all expenses on a credit card and paid it off later.  Now, I've learned there are grants available, fees are paid step by step,  and fees are paid to different places at different times throughout the entire adoption process.

Here is where we are headed:
Once the application is filed, we need to find a local agency to do a Home Study.  I'm looking into Nebraska Christian Services and will fill in the details when we get there.  Today's information is enough for today.  I'll try to do everything in small doses, but so far, it's coming at me in buckets! 

Here is our photo (thank you, Jennifer Jayne Photography!): 

Facebook Official

Monday this week, August 6, our adoption announcement went on Facebook.  I wasn't planning to post it on Facebook, but let's be honest....nothing is official, until its on Facebook:   

     "I didn't know that?!"

     "Really?  I put it on Facebook....?"

Thus, despite my preference of life pre-Facebook, I concede.

Here's the announcement:

 Our application is complete.  I'm proofing, printing, and placing it in the mail today!  It's all in God's hands, we simply wait, and obey.