The Journey Has Begun!

I can't believe we have succombed to the infamous art of blogging! What?! Ben always calls people's blogs, "blahs". But, it really helps to have a blog that people can look at when you are trying to adopt, so here it goes. We've swallowed our pride, and we're gung ho about posting. Woo hee! We'll see how good we get at this. Should we put bets on how long it takes for Ben to make his first post. I'll put five bucks down, anyone else? Just kidding, I might need that five bucks if we get a baby soon. We'll have to do some last minute tornado shopping around Babies R Us. Apparently babies need things like a crib, carseat, diapers, ect. Who would have thought? Actually, I think Ben will fall quicker than expected this blogging business. So far he has been so totally into the process of adoption, and his attitude is so extremely positive.

Here's where we're at for now. We have all of our paperwork completed and our caseworker just came on Friday to interview us and tour our home. We failed. Just kidding! Haha, sorry we have to have some sense of humor through this or I think we would go crazy. The visit in reality went really well, and our caseworker was very encouraging about the time it would take for a birthmother to choose us for her baby. I really hope that this process can work out smoothly and quickly. We are more than ready to expand our family and begin the experience of having children. Anyway, our caseworker is going to send our paperwork to the state to get certified, and hopefully by the end of October we will be ready to go. Once we're certified, a birthmother can choose us and it's all up to the meeting of perfect timing and the perfect child that is meant to be with us.

We want to thank everyone that has been a part of this process so far. Our friends and family have been so supportive. Sorry if we have talked anyone's ears off about adopting, but it has been such a huge part of our lives for the last couple of months. It really is like a part time job getting certified and ready to adopt. We're grateful for the hard work, though, because it really does get you mentally ready. All the questions that you fill out really force you to think about how you would raise a child, what things you want for your child, where your relationship with your spouse stands, and so much more.

For those who are just finding out that we are adopting, we'll give you the lowdown on why, where, when, and how! Ben and I have been married for almost six years now...can I hear a little whoop whoop...and we started trying to have children about two years ago. I was able to get pregnant twice, but miscarried both times (in February 2008 and June 2008). We haven't been able to get pregnant again since and found ourselves feeling like we were in limbo and kind of what Ben calls a "rut". I prefer the word "routine". Haha, it sounds so much better. Routines are good right? Not that we don't love spending time together with just the two of us, but there is just a point in your marriage where you are ready for something more, and somebody more to share with. We reached the decision to adopt this June, and we have never looked back. It feels completely right, and we have no reservations about sharing a child's life. We truly believe that parenting is much more than a biological connection; it's an emotional connection filled with love, protection, and support.

Once we made the decision to adopt, we turned to LDS services. They work mainly with newborn babies, and that is our preference for our first child. We attended a seminar and were totally completely absolutely overwhelmed with all the steps you have to take in order to adopt. We kind of thought you would just sign up and choose a baby. Not so much. You first spend close to 30 hours filling out paperwork and certification documents and then you set up an online profile, get certified by the state, and wait for a courageous birth mother who loves her baby so much to choose you as parents to their beautiful child. We are excited to say that we are finally in that waiting phase, and it feels so good after working so hard.

We decided to start this blog so that our friends and family can share this journey with us, and so that prospective birthmothers can see exactly what Ben and I are all about. Please feel free to share this blog with anyone that you feel inspired to. Maybe you have other friends that are adopting that would like some support by reading about another's journey. Maybe you know someone that was adopted and they could gain comfort by reading how much effort their parents must have put into finding them and how much joy their parents must have recieved once they found them. Whoever you feel can benefit through following our journey, we encourage you to share our story with them.

And now with the best of attitudes and much enthusiasm we say, "let the adventure begin!"