A text was received my Joni on Monday (12/27) that her and Molly met w/ Anna the night before. It appears at this current time that Anna is leaning more towards parenting than adoption. It is definitely a difficult decision for a 16 yr old to make. Her parents are more for the adoption but are not really pushing Anna in that direction. The agency introduced Anna to a few other birthmom's that had chosen adoption for their children as a support system. The agency is going to try to touch base w/ Anna again later this week and then they will discuss the situation with us. Though the news wasn't exactly what we were looking to hear, it was nice that we are finding out now rather than after the baby is born. It is better to find out sooner rather than later.

Well... after still no news w/ Anna, I decided it may be good to get our information from the agency (homestudy, contracts, etc) to review. We really have not been satisfied with our experience with Choice Network. I requested the information from Molly and advised her that we are not transferring to another agency at this time, but want the information for our records. I received an email today from Molly advising she wants to set up a time for me and Derek to meet with her and Joni and discuss our concerns. She is aware we are not happy w/ their lack of communication. It is frustrating because when we talk to Molly it almost feels like she tries to turn things around on us. Her email discussed how other adoptive families have to wait between 24-26 months to receive a Caucasian infant. I contacted Molly & Joni after reading their email and explained to them that we are not planning on transferring agencies at this time but that their communication needs to get better. I explained how difficult it has been on me and derek and how much of a rollercoaster of emotions we have been on since this thing started. We feel as though the agency supports the birthmoms but does not support us. After speaking to Joni, I definitely feel more confident and comfortable about the situation. Joni does an excellent job and is working very hard for us to be matched with a birthmom. They are going to meet with Anna at the end of the week. Hopefully we'll hear something then...

Still no real news, but I figured I would type a message to update. We are hoping to reschedule with Anna in the next week or so. Joni is still confident that Anna is very much excited about the adoption but we can't help but be cautious (due to our track record).

With the holidays around the corner, it is hard not to think about how blessed we are to have a great support system of friends and family. I know that we could not go through this process without the wonderful people in our lives. There are still those that are skeptic and think we should go a different route for starting our family, but the majority are supportive. I had a co-worker get so excited to talk to me on Monday to find out how Friday went. Of course she was bummed to find out that nothing happened on Friday, but it felt good to know that she cared and was thinking about us :o)

I found out another co-worker's wife just found out that she is pregnant. He was scared to tell me, due to our own circumstances and what we've been through... I always find it funny when people are scared or nervous to tell me they are pregnant or their wife is pregnant. If anything... I'm the exact opposite of being angry or mad... I'm excited because them being pregnant indicates they don't have to go through what we are going through. And from a first hand experience, is not easy by any means. I definitely wouldn't wish it on ANYONE. So if it takes another couple a very short amount of time to get pregnant, it makes me happy :o) I explained to him that the only time I get frustrated or bummed out is when I find out about single mom's getting pregnant or those that can't afford the kids they have yet choose to have more kids. Those situations are frustrating to me and sometimes make me wonder "why them and not us?" Other than that... I'm happy for others that are having kids (of course I do have a small jealous bone, but I try to keep it as small as possible ;o)

2/2 :o( Got a text from Joni yesterday that Anna was sick and not going to be able to meet w/ us today. Just our luck. Doesn't seem like anything can go smooth for us. It is definitely frustrating. I guess Anna's mom is still confident she is going through with the adoption but has the flu. With our past history with Nikita, it is hard not to think other things. I guess they were able to measure Anna's baby and she is only around 31 weeks prego. Which means she has more time to meet us and potentially the other adoptive families too. Sometimes we feel as though the agency and these birthmoms only care about themselves and don't realize what they are putting us through. I think of this like a job interview almost. If it was an interview where I really wanted the job, the last thing I would do would be to call and reschedule due to illness :o/

And the rollercoaster has taken off again... so hold on tight! Saturday, 11/27 we got a call from Joni advising us that we were 1 of 3 couples chosen to meet a birthmom that was just introduced to the agency. Anna is her name. She is 16. The birthfather is 18 and a marine currently stationed in Afghanistan. Unsure of the complete details at this time, but apparently Anna was unsure of how far along she was and went into the clinic to have an abortion. She was advised at that time that she had two options: 1.) get ready for a kid in less than 5 weeks or 2.) meet with the on-site adoption agency. She chose adoption and has a very supportive mother, who i believe is encouraging the adoption. It is still unknown exactly how far along she is. They are guessing she is between 34 and 40 weeks prego because when they did the vaginal ultrasound they could only see the head...so she could deliver at any time... CRAZINESS! We got additional information today that we are now the ONLY couple that she is meeting with and as long as she likes us then we are good :o) We are going to meet Anna on Friday and I will update again. Keep those fingers and toes crossed!

It's the day after Thanksgiving. The food and family time were both great. Always nice to get together and hang out and eat a great meal! The holidays always get me thinking... crazy how things will change when we have the little one around. Speaking of which, it has been three weeks and still no word. Keep getting told by the agency to "keep thinking positive thoughts". Definitely easier said than done. I feel like they HAVE to know SOMETHING. I just wonder what they are not telling us or what they are holding back. Personally I feel like I have lost most of the excitement because I feel like Nikita has changed her mind and its only a matter of time before we get the call. I probably won't even be upset because I have already prepared myself for the call. Everything happens for a reason. It kinda sucks when people ask me how things are going and what the status is... because I don't know. I pretty much tell them that a baby is suppose to be due Feb 14th but we don't know if we are still matched with her or not. I guess I just don't understand how they do not know anything at all. I feel like both are not looking at the situation from our perspective and what we are going through. I understand that Nikita is probably going through a lot, but atleast have enough respect for us to keep us in the loop and let us know what's going on and how she feels. If she is changing her mind, let us know. The waiting continues...

Welp, unfortunately we don't have a lot of news to report. The agency advised that Nikita hasn't backed out of the adoption or changed her mind, but it appears she has kinda pushed the agency away some. Therefore, this has resulted in little updates or contact between the agency and Nikita. According to the agency, this can be part of the grieving process and isn't necessarily uncommon. Still frustrating for us, but we do understand that it can be difficult. Since things haven't felt right the last two weeks or so, we don't feel as bothered by the situation as we would have if this came from no where. It's never going to be easy but we would rather her change her mind now than to change her mind after the baby is born. At this point, we haven't pushed the agency for information since we realize that once information is given we will be notified. We definitely don't want to push Nikita any farther away either.

We realize everything happens for a reason and God has a plan. Many people don't understand what it's like or how emotionally challenging and draining the process can be. We really feel like we are on a roller coaster. However, it is interesting to see different peoples reactions when they find out that we're adopting. Some are excited to hear about the process and to get updates. Others ask "why?" or suggest different options. To be honest, it is different for everyone. Everyone has their own opinions or views and that doesn't make one way right or wrong. Some people don't have kids at all where as others try for years and spend thousands on infertility treatments for a miracle baby. Everyone is different, and unless you've been in their shoes... its hard to say how you would react or what decisions you would make. Regardless of anyone's situation, it's important to support them and be by their side no matter what. We are lucky that we have support from our friends and family. Dunno what we'd be like if we were doing this alone...

Oh what a frustrating weekend :o( Unfortunately, to say the least, we have not been very satisfied w/ the agency. After not hearing anything from Joni on Friday I texted her Friday night to see if she was going to call Nikita on Sat... but i didn't hear anything back. So I waited around and called her on Saturday around 1:30pm and left her a voicemail to call me back... but i didn't hear anything back. After not hearing anything on Saturday or anything this morning. Derek finally texted Joni around 4:30 and asked her if she heard anything from Nikita. Joni finally replied that she was going to call Nikita on Monday. So we'll see... I completely understand if Joni wasn't able to get in contact with Nikita or Nikita wasn't feeling very well or up to talking, but at least keep us in the loop and let us know. The communication with the agency has been absolutely horrible. We were both hoping things would change when Joni was going to be the one communicating with us, but I'm starting to think that's not the case. It is frustrating because we've already invested so much time and money, most of which we wouldn't get back. If we left and went to a different agency we would probably be at the bottom of the list and there is no way to guarantee that things would be different... Needless to say, we are very frustrated :o( I knew it wouldn't be easy, but this just sucks

Well... after patiently waiting all night... I got on Facebook and saw that Joni dropped her phone in water, had to get a new phone, and lost all her numbers. Just our luck! So I texted Joni my number and she advised that her and Mollie called Nikita but her uncle answered the phone and stated she was sleeping and not feeling well. She was not taking any visitors or phone calls. So, bottom line... we still don't know the sex of the baby. We may find out today...

Well... its about 5:45 and we still have not heard what gender the baby will be... Ahhh!! The suspense! Maybe we should learn some patience before we have this kid, lol. Last word from Joni was that Nikita had her ultrasound yesterday and we should get updated by today... tick-tock tick-tock... I did talk to Mollie yesterday. I guess Nikita is nervous that we will back out. I had to let her know that we have no intentions on going anywhere or choosing any other birth mom. We do ask a lot of questions, but a lot of that is because we are nervous about being new parents, not because we are nervous about Nikita. It is definitely challenging because the whole adoption process is based on trust. We have to trust that Nikita won't back out and will be healthy and take care of herself. We have to trust that she will release all information she knows about the birth father and how each of her appointments go. I think there will always be a slight fear that she will back out or not tell us something that she feels will make us change our minds. Though I have never been pregnant, I definitely think it's a lot different than giving birth myself. I know I would take good care of myself and do everything the doctors told me to do. I have to trust that Nikita would do the same. And though we have never met Nikita... I also have to trust that the agency knows her well enough to provide us with accurate information... total craziness!! and the anticipation of finding out the gender continues.... sigh...

Well... I got a text from Joni (the intern who will be directly involved in the communication between us and Nikita). She advised the ultrasound on Thursday went well, but still couldn't see the gender. I think this kid is trying to teach me patience...(ain't goin' to happen, lol). She said the heartbeat sounded good. Nikita has the ultrasound pictures and will be giving them to Joni in about 2 weeks and then Joni will meet with us. Can't wait! I feel like it's not ''real'' until we get the pictures! She will have her last ultrasound on Nov 4th. So hopefully we'll be able to find out the gender then (fingers crossed). It's funny because we had names picked out, but now that we know we have been matched, new names are popping up and its making it difficult to decide. I go back and forth between which gender I would prefer (granted it really doesn't make a difference either way). I know Derek and Steve (Derek's dad) really want a boy, but I know my mom and family want a girl (since I have 4 nephews and 1 niece). Seems like all my friends are having boys, so a boy would give them someone to play w/ but then a girl would be nice because it would be different. Who knows?!? lol... I'll let you know when I find out more!

P.S. Found a quote online today "Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother"- Oprah Winfrey.... so I put my own spin on it "Being a parent involves more than just Biology"-Maggie Beggs :oP

Well... it's official and it feels great!! Due date Feb 14th! The birth mom's name is Nakita. She's 23. She has 2 boys right now, one is 6 and the other is 3. Her kids are her world and she wants the best life for them, which is amazing. She spends a lot of time with them and is involved with their school and part of the PTO. She realizes that she cannot afford another child financially and she is unable to give them what they need. She is getting governmental assistance now and decided it would be best for her unborn child to give them up for adoption. I have a lot of respect for her in making that decision. So we have officially been matched with Nakita. She had a doctor's appt a few days ago to find out the sex but the umbilical cord was in the way and they couldn't tell. She was going back in today to find out, but we haven't heard anything yet :o) She has said that she wants us to be in the delivery room with her and she has said she does not want to hold the baby after its born because its not 'her' baby it will be 'ours'. Which I think is really neat. I'm sure it is going to be difficult for her, but she is preparing herself and has a lot of support from the agency. Although it's not 100% for sure with adoption, we are very excited and confident that it will go through :o) Thanks for the prayers! I'll keep everyone updated when we get the word on the gender!

Ok Folks, I realize it's been a while since I posted everything. Part of that was because neither me or Derek heard anything from Molly. Of course we became frustrated. Our friend Terrie (who also works with Molly) has been wonderful and very encouraging. We explained that even if there isn't any real "news" to share, it would still be nice to receive a phone call, email or letter, explaining that she is still working on finding us a birth mom. We took a huge risk with choosing Molly to be by our side during this journey. We knew that the other birth mom did not chose us, but we never knew whether she still had a successful adoption with the other family. We found out the answer was yes (which was very comforting and we are happy for them). The other birth mom that was due around the 20th of August, took their baby home and decided not to adopt. We couldn't help but wonder if Molly's lack of commitment had played a role in that or not, we will never know.

We got a call from Molly on Wednesday, Sept 1st. She advised us that she had just gotten in touch w/ a birth mom that was going to be induced on Friday Sept 3rd. The baby would be bi-racial, and the mother had smoked pot and drank alcohol while pregnant. She also had not taken any prenatal vitamins, as she should have. We thought about the situation, and unfortunately decided to wait. We both really want an all Caucasian baby, but also didn't want to take the chances of the baby having complications due to the mothers stupidity. We did end up getting a card in the mail that basically encouraged us to keep our chin high.

September 30th (my birthday) we got another call from Molly. She advised us that her intern Joni had been working with a birth mom that is due in February. The birth mom decided to trust in Joni to chose her an adoptive family. Joni decided to pick us!!! So we are officially "expecting"! We are sooo excited. Words cannot express the feeling. We are going to meet with Joni on Thursday and I will fill in a little bit more information then :o) Thanks for the prayers!

Unfortunately there are no updates to share, but I didn't want everyone to think I had forgotten to post. I have not heard anything from Molly since the last call when she told us we were not chosen. Needless to say, me and Derek are both very frustrated at this point that she has not contacted us. Derek did text her a few times last week but she didn't really say much. The birth parents for the baby girl due around the 20th of August were not sure if they wanted to go through with the adoption or not, so from my knowledge, no adoptive parents have met them yet (which I completely understand). We haven't heard anything else about the birth moms due in August and January. On the positive side, the longer it takes to have the baby, the longer we have to save up the money for it. When the baby is born we have to pay an additional $5,000. Then 6 months after the baby is born we will owe an additional $5,000. It's definitely not cheap! Save, save, save :o) Hopefully we will hear some good news soon!

:'o( Unfortunately we didn't hear good news today. Molly informed us that Kelly decided to go with the other couple as adoptive parents for her son. The other couple currently has 2 boys, so that was the main reason she went with them. I guess they already ride dirt bikes and stuff and she was interested in that too. We said we would like to do those things in the future, but I guess that wasn't good enough. Oh well, everything happens for a reason, but it doesn't make things any easier. It is hard not to get your hopes up or get excited. There is still a little girl that will be due around Aug 20th and another baby due in Oct and one in Jan. We definitely appreciate the prayers and words of encouragement! I'll keep you updated if we hear anything...

We still have not heard any news about whether or not we were chosen to be the adoptive parents for Kelly's baby. Derek has been a little impatient, as he was asking me on Mon & Tues if he could call Molly to ask if she knew anything (lol). Finally on Wed, I decided it would be ok to atleast ask her if Kelly had met with the other adoptive family. She informed us that she was going to meet them today. So, depending on how well that does... we may be able to find something out tomorrow or this weekend (finger and toes crossed). I have been telling everyone that lately :o) Everyone has informed me that they definitely have their fingers and toes crossed and are praying for us. I feel like I have been on an emotional roller coaster. It has been so crazy. I go through stages where I am really excited and confident that we were chosen, then other times I get really down and am afraid we weren't chosen. I know everything happens for a reason and God has a plan for us. I know if Kelly chooses the other couple that there is a reason and someone better will come along for us. Everything will work out :o) But in the mean time, keep your fingers and toes crossed!

Well, we met with a birth mom named Kelly yesterday! She was really awesome and easy to talk to. I can see us really getting along if me and Derek are chosen. She is 19 and goes to OSU for criminology. She has a great personality. She is very cute with brown hair and brown eyes. She has a dimple on one side of her face (which I thought would be adorable if her baby has one too). I think I mentioned already that she is having a baby boy on August 11th. She doesn't drink or do drugs and is taking very good care of herself, which is awesome. It was clear when meeting her that she acts younger and is clearly not ready to be a mom. It definitely has to be hard for her, because as she is here in Columbus, her family lives near Cleveland. They have no idea that she is pregnant and she does not plan on telling them. She is going through this alone w/ the help and support of Molly. The meeting with her went really well and I felt really good about it, but she has to make the decision between us and one other couple. I dunno how long it will take for her to make a decision. She did say that she wanted the couple she picks to go to dr.s appointments with her and she has one on Thursday. So I'm hoping we will find out soon and get to go on Thursday.

It is hard not to get excited or get my hopes up, and Derek feels the same way. Everytime I hear my phone ring or it vibrates in my pocket I get excited that it may be Molly calling us. Last night me and Derek both had trouble sleeping. It is crazy how one phone call could change our whole lives :o) Hopefully we will get a call either way soon. I know if Kelly doesn't pick us there is a reason and God has a plan. Everything will work out... Keep your fingers and toes crossed!

OMG!! We got a call from Molly this afternoon. She met with a birth mom yesterday and it has been narrowed down between us and one other couple. The birth mom is due on August 11th with a little boy. It is so exciting and nerve racking at the same time. August 11th is only 34 days away. WOW! Me and Derek are very excited but at the same time we don't know whether or not we have been chosen yet. We are going to meet with the birth mom on Sunday for lunch. Fingers and toes crossed! :o)

Well as August gets closer, it is getting more and more difficult to be patient and wait to find out if we have been matched. Derek called Molly today and got an update. One is due on August 11th and the other on August 20th. 35 days and 44 days. Craziness! It is even more crazy to think that they could go into labor early and we could possibly be parents even sooner! Molly is meeting one of the birth moms today (fingers crossed). They will discuss whether or not they are ready to be matched and may look at profiles of adoptive parents. I guess one of the birth moms is having a girl and the other is having a boy. It doesn't matter to us either way so that doesn't make a difference. Derek is starting to get more and more frustrated with the situation. We feel like we have been somewhat mislead. When going through the initial process we thought we would get frequent updates and have the opportunity to really bond with the birth mom. If we are matched a month before the baby is born, it will be difficult to develop a strong bond. I guess we will just make the best out of the situation and keep our head held high :o)

Unfortunately, not too much news to share. The summer has been going good so far. We are enjoying riding the bikes and spending time with friends and family. Of course it still feels like something is missing. It is sooo hard not to be impatient. We are still trying for our own biological child and are continuing treatment. Each time that I start my period, it is hard not to be frustrated. We went almost a month without hearing anything from Molly, so of course that was frustrating too. I sent her an email asking for an update, and after a week of no response I decided to text her. She of course responded quickly and apologized for the delay. As I mentioned before, Molly adopted as well and she took her new baby girl "Gia" home a few weeks ago. I understand she has been busy with a new baby, but the lack of response time has me and Derek questioning her commitment and how things will change for us. Since she hasn't been volunteering any information, and since I'm pretty nosey (in case you didn't already know), I asked her if she has had any luck with any birth moms. She currently has 2 birth moms that are due in August and 1 due in January. She advised she is working with 4 families at this time (3 others and us). No matches have been made at this time with the birth moms. I wonder at what point the birth moms and adoptive parents are matched. August isn't very far away and no one has been matched. Then again... I'm not the professional and I'm super impatient. In the mean time I guess we will stick to riding our bikes and hanging out.

" Dear Maggie and Derek,

I am pleased to recommend that you have been approved for the adoption of one infant birth to twelve months through Choice Network, LLC. The approval date for your Homestudy (JFS01673) is June 4, 2010. "

YAY!! We can officially say that we are "expecting"! We have the paperwork to prove it! :o)

YAY! Good news :o) Got a text from Molly that our central registry check came back today! One step closer. She said she will be sending our approval letter soon. I will keep everyone updated! Saweet!!! Sooo very excited!

Well, we just got back from a trip to Jamaica. We were suppose to go for our 5 year anniversary, but with hopes of having a child before 2011, we decided it would be best to go this year. We had an awesome time, but were excited to get home to find out if there was any good news. After contacting Molly yesterday, she informed me the Children's services background stuff still had not been received. It is starting to get frustrating waiting for this paperwork to come back. I knew the adoption process was time consuming, but I figured the time consuming part would be waiting for a birth mom...instead she states she has several birth moms but is still waiting for our background stuff to come back. Grrr... I guess we both just have to learn to be patient. Hopefully I will have better news the next time I post :o)

Goodness, I didn't realize it had been almost a month since I last posted. Sorry :o( Well at this point our homestudy has been completed. We are still waiting for our background checks to be 100% completed. Molly is confident that it should be completed by May 15th. She advised she does have some potential birth moms and is excited to begin the matching process with us (fingers crossed). So at this point we have just been playing the waiting game... or as I like to call it "waiting for our baby mama". Nothing has really changed for the last 3 weeks or so.

At our last meeting (the middle of April) we found out that Molly actually decided to adopt as well, so she is currently going through the process herself. So it is kind of exciting knowing that she will be experiencing the same things as us, but we are both nervous too that she will not be able to devote enough time towards matching us with a birth mom. She continues to reassure us that she is fully devoted and confident she can multi-task. Her birth mom is due is June, so she will be a mom very soon. Her birth mom is actually HIV positive and Molly had tried to locate adoptive parents for her but became so close with the birth mom, that she decided to adopt herself. Of course we wish her the best of luck as we wait for our baby mama :o)

We had our first homestudy on Sunday 3/28. Molly was here from about 9am-2pm. Whew! Of course I thought I would be a good host and would make muffins... As most of you know, I'm not the best cook. So I bought the kind that comes out of a box and all you have to add is milk and eggs. I figured that would be easy enough :o/ While I was putting them into the muffin pan, Derek decided to take over so I could fill out some more paperwork. He put them in the oven and set the timer. I typically set the timer a little less than what the box says (I'm sure you can see where this is going). Well the buzzer goes off, and of course they are slightly darker than I would have liked them. We ate them anyways and Molly didn't say anything about them :o) Oh well, I'm sure that's why she decided to go out to eat for lunch rather than stay at our house, lol.

During the 5 hour visit, we gave her a tour of the house, went over paperwork, answered additional questions, and did a few of the training exercises required by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Some of the training was boring, where as others were very helpful. We have to finish up on the training on Sunday 4/11. This time we will go to her office and it will be for 8 hrs. I will try to update later and let everyone know how that goes...

In the mean time, yesterday was Easter. It's always so much fun to watch the kids get excited when they find an egg. For me and Derek it is fun and hard at the same time. I love my niece and nephews and enjoy the time we get to spend together; however, it's frustrating that we may never be able to have our own biological child. We have started a new round of fertility treatments, so we haven't given up. The excitement and hopefulness of the adoption process keeps us going. We know our adopted child will not have any less love than if they were our own. We are excited to start our family and are second on the list through the agency. (fingers crossed).

Sorry it has taken me a little while to update. My goal is going to try to send out an update every week or so, depending on whether or not anything has changed. We got all of the paperwork filled out to the best of our ability. Many questions did not apply to a newborn, so we didn't have to worry about those. We had the fire inspection Monday 3/22, but had to make some changes (we didn't have a big enough fire extinguisher). So the fire inspector came back yesterday and signed off on the paperwork, everything looks good.

We had some issues with getting a loan from the bank. Originally we were hoping to get a Home Equity line of credit for the $25,000, but we have only been in our house for 3 years and unfortunately don't have enough equity built up to take out that much. It is difficult to get a loan for that large of an amount without having any collateral, even though we have very good credit history. So today we ended up getting a credit card for $15,000, which was the initial amount needed to start the process. The check was written directly to the agency and then we will have to come up with the remaining $10,000 once we have the child.

We have our first home study on Sunday with Molly. I've been trying to clean a little everyday so Saturday I won't be too stressed. Thought about having someone power wash the siding on the house, but I don't think it looks that bad. I'm pretty anal about making sure my house looks nice when people come over, so hopefully she will like it.

Everyone that has been helping us with this process has said they want to see pictures once we have our child. This includes the fire inspector and bank lady, lol. We are so lucky to have friends and family that support us and will be beside us during this process. It really means a lot :o) I'll let ya know how the home study goes. Just a few days away!

Whew... What a busy weekend. Got all the copies made today, so we can check that off our list. We are almost finished painting (trying to get the house to look as good as possible). Our goal today is to go through the paperwork and get a majority of it filled out. It's challenging because I never imagined I would have a choice about things. You make the best out of what you are given. If our child was born with a problem it wouldn't be a big deal and we would keep moving forward. Its important to make the best out of any situation. At the same time, everyone wants a healthy baby with no problems. But now we have a choice, and its a challenging one. We have probably over a three hundred questions to go through about our child. I never thought I would have to choose whether or not I would consider a child with allergies (its even broken down into food, drug, or environmental) or asthma etc... There is so many questions I never would have thought of. With us choosing to adopt a newborn, some of the questions will not apply (such as if they have ever been placed with another family before or their education level). So I guess that makes it a little bit easier. Welp, better get crackin'

Welp, we've got a TON of paperwork to go through and fill out. Not to mention we have to get copies of EVERYTHING (insurance, social security card, birth certificate, marriage certificate, pay checks, drivers license...etc). We also have to have a FBI background check done and have the fire department come and inspect the home. My goodness... I gotta start cleaning and getting stuff ready for our home study also (That's where Molly, the lady in charge of the agency, comes to the home and hangs out with us and what not). I feel like I'm getting ready to have the in-laws over for the first time and I gotta be dressed to impress! :o)

The beginning...

Infertility exists among many. It's often so private that people don't understand the many lives that it touches.

No one can fully understand it's impact until its looking at them straight in the face. Even then, each situation is so different that it's difficult to support those who are experiencing the devastation.

Costly procedures and insurance companies attempt to stand between you and your dream, in which you have no control over.

Strangers are living the life you've always dreamed. Some don't appreciate the children they have, yet choose to bring another life into the world. It's hard not to be jealous or envious. Sometimes it feels like life's just not fair.

Welp... It's time that things change. We have to be grateful for what we have and what God has given us. He has a plan for everything. Therefore, today we turned in our application for adoption. We've realized there is more to being parents than giving birth, and now is our opportunity to give a child the family that they deserve. We met with an adoption agency on Sunday and it went better than we could have ever imagined. An exciting new journey is about to begin...