Called to Adoption
Happy New Year! If you've missed our recent announcement, via Social Media... We Are ADOPTING!
I was sifting through the parenting section at a local bookstore and was disheartened to find nothing geared towards Adoptive Parents. I found it unusual, especially when flooded with copious amounts of parenting literature for all other types of families.
Maybe it was the bookstore, or maybe Chris and I weren't looking thoroughly enough, but I was feeling overlooked as a future adoptive parent. So, as I always do, I am going to keep it real here and walk through this new journey with you all. The highs and lows. The frustrating moments and the jumping for joy pieces of this entire process.
For today I want to tell you how we came to our official decision:
Toward the end of August I had, if you remember, been late for a period. I tested and it came back negative, but I wondered what would have happened if it had been a positive test for pregnancy???
Chris and I have been focusing on securing finances and dwindling down some debt and the thought of adoption was out of the question until we got things squared away, and into better spending habits overall.
We also have been actively trying to get pregnant for 3 years and so when we thought I might be pregnant, wouldn't that have opened up a world of re-budgeting and saving and shifting our finances to support a healthy pregnancy as well as hospital bills etc. ?
I couldn't see the difference in expenses towards adoption versus expenses for a pregnancy and Chris and I talked and decided to finish 2022 out and see where God would lead us.
Early September we looked at one another after a conversation that sounded like we were set in stone about beginning our adoption journey, and agreed to go through with it all in January 2023, with the caveat that we would continue building our finances and work on our mental and physical health in the process.
In October, Chris brought up the idea of starting to look at the process before the year's end. I was more than happy to begin and make our announcement in the new year.
The first thing we looked for were local adoption agencies. We decided on local, meaning in country and in state adoption, in the hopes of not having to mess with out of state laws that differ from our state.
We found one that felt right, praying over it and doing some research into it and requested an information packet. It was emailed to us but took us a little over 2 months to read through.
September and October started picking up and November was insanely busy. I grew impatient with Chris' work schedule, especially after learning that November was National Adoption month! The weekend before Thanksgiving we finally looked through everything and we felt OVERWHELMED! I attribute it to that similar feeling that some might get when seeing that the strip is positive for pregnancy, we were flooded with all of the feelings and emotions, the stresses and worries with the joys and excitement.
For the month of December we decided to try and enjoy one of the busiest times of the year and made things simple for ourselves, knowing that 2023 is sure to be a wild, emotional rollercoaster of a year. On December 3rd we got professional photos taken of our announcement to share with the rest of the world on January 1st. The 3rd is also the day Chris and I started chatting on Match 5 years ago, and so that morning we read through our saved conversations where one of the questions Chris asked me was what does my future family look like? And adoption was a mutual interest/possibility.
Our photographer came to our home, as there was no pretty snow to do any cute winter shots. Our cozy at-home shoot went smoothly and we decided to take some pictures with our anointing candle. She told us to gather around it and just have a moment, just the 2 of us. We hadn't lit our candle since our anointing back in February and if you haven't heard the amazing things God did that day please read my post about it HERE.
When we lit the candle for the photoshoot, Chris and I held one another and just silently prayed. The whole day had been overcast and cloudy, but in that moment the sun came out. I truly believe God was telling us this is the journey we are to be walking. It cast away any worries or doubt I felt when reading the overwhelming information packet.
We have no idea what our new journey will look like, nor how long it will take. We, just like always, are trusting God and his timing in our lives and he keeps showing us proof that this is the path we should be walking down.
This blog has been such a blessing to me and my journey to motherhood and writing it all down has been so therapeutic for me. I love going back and reading my thoughts, frustrations and revelations in the beginning. I love having physical proof of God's work in my life, to show and share with others. It has also been a blessing to others, so many people have talked with me, who read this blog and are going through their own fertility struggles.
God uses our gifts to bless others and this platform has been that for so many. I want to let you all know, our journeys will not look the same, some will end up pregnant, others will go down the path of fertility treatments and some will take the same walk we are towards adoption. I hope that no matter where you land, you continue to keep up with me here! That we continue supporting one another with stories, hugs, tears and love.
