Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Really, really close to being "on the market"

Earlier this week we learned that our social worker assigned to us to do our "home study" had completed the report and her supervisor has approved us to adopt.  So now the paperwork is in route to the Adoption Agency.  That is great news, because the American Adoptions just finalized all of the other paper work we had to complete.  

American Adoptions has completed our "family profile" which they will give to prospective birth parents who are in the process of selecting a family to adopt their child.  The first 2 pages of the profile are included at the bottom of this message.  Once American Adoptions processes the report from the social worker, then the only thing left will be to pay the "adoption activation fee," and then we will be "active."  So we should be actively on the market almost any day!

The adoption agency did a wonderful job putting together our "family profile."  We are very happy with it. We can also do a "video profile," which costs more money but it isn't required.  While we work on the video, our "family profile" will be shown to prospective birth parents, so it will not delay the adoption process.  The adoption agency has told us the many birth parents really like the "video profiles" so it should increase our chances of being "chosen."

So the process works like this, its kind of like online dating.  Our information is put into computer software which is matched up with perspective birth parents who fit similar requests and preferences as the adoptive parents.  They are shown 15-20 profiles and then choose one.

Once we are active (which could be anyday now) we could get the call that we have been selected as parents.   Then one of two things could happen.   One scenario: Since we are willing to do an open or semi-open adoption, the birth mother may still be months or weeks away from giving birth.  In that case we would make every effort to travel to wherever the birth parents are, so we can meet them.  Then we would go back again when the baby is born.  Second scenario: The agency calls and tells us that the a birth mother choose us and her baby has already been born and we have to travel within 24 hours to the state where the baby is.

In either scenario, we have to be ready to stop what we are doing, and jump on a plane to travel to the birth mother once the baby is born.  Our employers are aware of this and very generous with us in knowing that we could be leaving town on a whim.  In most states we have to stay in the state for 2-3 weeks after the baby is born before we bring the baby home.  

So needless to say the upcoming days, weeks and months are going to be very exciting and nerve-racking!  

Below are a couple pages from our "family profile" that the adoption agency put together for us.  So the birth parents will be looking at profiles like ours from 15+ other prospective adoptive parents.



Sunday, August 21, 2011

We are "Paperwork Pregnant"

Brett and I are what the adoption world calls "paperwork pregnant".  We have actually been paperwork pregnant for several months as we have moved through all the steps of this long process.

I am proud to say that it is now more or less out of our hands.  We have finished all of our end of the paperwork and submitted it to the agency.  We also have gotten approved to adopt via our home study and are just waiting on the final report.  The agency is now working on our "profile".  This profile is a collection of our thoughts on a variety of questions and pictures we took and collected.  Their media specialists put it together to look really nice and then it is posted online on the agencies page.  It is also sent out to birth mothers that we are a potential match with based on criteria that we filled out in the last round of paperwork.  These birth mothers will get to view about 15-20 potential matches for them and then choose one.

Once our profile is active, we will let everyone know the website so they can check out what we look like "on paper".

The last step of this "paperwork" process is for us to complete a video that will be seen as part of our profile online.  We can still become "active" before the video is finished.  The agency is in the process of sending us the video kit so we can create our clips for them to put together into a 5 minute snapshot of us and our life.

We went out to celebrate one step completed last weekend by going out for a really nice dinner and then going into our first baby store as potential parents.  I have to say that we were incredibly overwhelmed and anyone who has kids can relate to us about their "first time" as well.  Fortunately, I have incredible friends and they have helped me out by going back to the store and educating me on everything I will need in the beginning.

I want to acknowledge Brett in this whole process.  He has been so supportive and aware of my feelings.  I couldn't ask for a better husband and a better future daddy!  :)

Thanks so everyone in our life for their support and comfort.  We couldn't do this without you!

More to come about the waiting part of this process...