Adoption Approval

Although I announced on Facebook and Twitter, I couldn’t let another blog post be written until I said here that  we got final approvals on the adoption.  I emailed yesterday just to get an update and the DSS worker said that the home study had been turned in, approved and the only thing lacking was a letter out to us.  We haven’t gotten the letter but I confirmed that all approvals were complete. 

Our paperwork is done.

My first reaction was just happiness.  I honestly couldn’t wipe the grin off my face. This is really happening.  But I won’t lie, I’m scared to death.  I think Scott is too.  As you can imagine, it’s just one big question mark on how this is all going to turn out.  So many variables play into this we cannot even begin to guess on which to worry about.  It’s just like standing in front of a pitch black cave.  No idea if there’s gold or a bear awaiting you.  No idea if you should run in glee or run the opposite direction to save your life.  I’ve said it many times but I’ll say it again that this is a complete God thing.  I believe with my whole being that if God brings us to it, He’ll bring us through it.  That doesn’t mean easy that just means He’ll know what to do in the hard parts.

So I get really scared and then I go see little fellas like this one and a lot of the fear goes away.  Sure, there are still a lot of unknowns but he isn’t unknown.  Something about seeing a face does something different to the story, doesn’t it?

Many have asked what the next steps are.  From now, we are available to be matched.  They have a group of DSS folks that sit down in a conference room with available parents and available children and basically duke it out to figure out who should be presented to whom.  If we are chosen as a candidate, we will be brought in and presented with all of the child’s information that is known.  If we proceed, we get to have an in-office visit with him.  If that goes well, we will have some in-home visits.  If that goes well, we will have an extended stay at our house which will ultimately move to full adoption process if it goes well.  At any time before the adoption is final, we can “give him back”.  It sounds insensitive but they do want to ensure that the child is placed in the right home. 

The amount of time before we are matched is unknown.  It could be as little as two months and up to years.  I’ll admit it makes all the unknowns even more unknown.  Do we plan Christmas with another child or will the kids be in middle school before all this goes down?  We don’t know and the bottom line is we can’t plan.

If you aren’t already, can you please pray for us?  I’m not feeling anxious in the least as far as anxious to have this part over with.  I’m at complete peace with the timing.  It’s after we are placed that I’m a little fearful of.  But please do pray for timing, a God-ordained match so much that it’s clear that it’s a God thing, and also please pray for Emma and Lexi.  Lexi has been having a hard time with the concept lately and I just want to be able to handle that correctly.  I’m fine with her not being ok with it if that makes sense.  It might be part of her testimony that she’s not ok with it.  I just want to respond accordingly so God gets done what He wants done.  And finally, do pray for me and Scott that we have the patience, selflessness, love and wisdom we need through the rest of this process.

Thank you all so much for your support already, I’m so glad to have you along on the journey.