Adoption/Fostering Check-In ~ August 8

aligross · August 2013

1) What type of adoption/fostering are you currently doing? Where are you in the process?

2) What is a "YAY" moment from the last week or two on the adoption/fostering front?

3) Do you have any concerns/frustrations this week?

4) Share a question that you had before, during or after the process that was an "ah-ha" moment for you that you think could be helpful to others.

5) Overall, how are you feeling?

6) What did you do this past weekend?

Have a great week ladies! Welcome to all of the newbies and lurkers! It's great to see the boards hopping with questions/concerns!

aligross · August 2013

1) What type of adoption/fostering are you currently doing? Where are you in the process?

DIA - we are currently waiting for our social worker to go through our paperwork so that we can schedule our home study visits. We also have our education mandated class on the 19th so I am getting stuff done that we have to have done before we attend!

2) What is a "YAY" moment from the last week or two on the adoption/fostering front?

The profile book is FINISHED.... Hours and hours later we are done with it! We had some awesome friends/editors look it over and find all the little glitches we had made! So, now I get to send it off to our SW to be approved! YAY!

3) Do you have any concerns/frustrations this week?

None really... just the waiting to schedule things is getting to me but that's just because I was focused and determined to get things done quickly and now I get to wait!

4) Share a question that you had before, during or after the process that was an "ah-ha" moment for you that you think could be helpful to others.

Mine was revolving around the "dear expectant mom" letters... I found out that our hair dresser made an adoption plan and placed her daughter 20 years ago. She told us at the time what she was looking for in a family really wasn't the typical fillers that a lot of people put in their letters, but she was looking for the prosepctive parents to be themselves and pour their hearts out. She said she could tell when people had looked in books on what to write and when people sat down and just wrote from their heart! It made me feel so much better about writing our letters. I didn't really want to share them with anyone in our families/friends circle because they are so much of our heart - we let her read them and with tears in her eyes she said it was wonderful. When it comes down to it, I think a lot of hype is put on these letters and there is a lot of weight to them, but you have to be yourself in them!

5) Overall, how are you feeling?

Pretty good! We have an awesome support system surrounding us and they are all patiently waiting for the next step along with us!

6) What did you do this past weekend?

We had the pleasure of having my 8 year old nephew, who is diagnosed with fragile x and autism, at our house all weekend. He is a ball of energy and kept both the hubs and I on our toes! It was nice knowing we could give my sister and brother in law a break while he had a great time with us!

maryoosa · August 2013

1) What type of adoption/fostering are you currently doing? Where are you in the process?

DIA placement occurred on 7/29. Waiting for TPR expiration (8/28/13 @ 11:59pm)

2) What is a "YAY" moment from the last week or two on the adoption/fostering front?

Birth parent sent us a really tender email trying to assuage our anxiety and fears about the revocation window, while also acknowledging their own process of loss and asking for some structure to visits.

3) Do you have any concerns/frustrations this week? Plenty--but they are ok ish.

4) Share a question that you had before, during or after the process that was an "ah-ha" moment for you that you think could be helpful to others?

My questions was "How is the adoption agency supportive of adoptive families during the birth/hospital process?" And the answer, based on my experience, is they aren't. You're on your own. Hospitals really don't want to have anything to do with the adoptive process, the agency doesn't show up for adoptive or birth families, you are just really on your own.

5) Overall, how are you feeling?
Stressed out, but ok.

6) What did you do this past weekend? A blissful nothing. We hung out at home and around our town without having to do any lengthy car trips and without having to entertain people. Just us.

aligross · August 2013

@maryoosa I've been thinking about you lately! I hope that the next 16 days fly by for you!

daniandbri · August 2013

1) What type of adoption/fostering are you currently doing? Where are you in the process?

We are doing a relative infant adoption. Baby due Dec 20th. We are currently working on our home study.

2) What is a "YAY" moment from the last week or two on the adoption/fostering front?

Our YAY moment was getting bio dads paperwork completed. He signed his rights over and getting his paperwork completed feels like a huge accomplishment as he was the one wavering.

3) Do you have any concerns/frustrations this week?

No major frustrations or concerns- just paper cuts and hand cramps as we complete these giant packets for our home study.

4) Share a question that you had before, during or after the process that was an "ah-ha" moment for you that you think could be helpful to others.

I haven't really had an ah-ha moment up to this point.

5) Overall, how are you feeling?

I'm feeling nervously excited. And sometimes that changes daily. We are preparing the nursery and starting to unpack our sons baby stuff for the new baby. Somedays that is exciting and some days it scares the crap out of me. Never before did I begin the Christmas countdown in August... But here we are wishing away the days until Christmas and anxiously awaiting the birth of baby boy and having signed adoption forms. Until then I'm not sure I'll be able to breathe or relax.

6) What did you do this past weekend?

We went to a wedding for a dear friend and spent the night out at a local bar (had to take advantage of having a babysitter for the night). We also booked a cruise for October as a last vacation for mommy and daddy before the new baby arrives and we become a family of 4.

Kirstybaby · August 2013

1) What type of adoption/fostering are you currently doing? Where are you in the process?
International Adoption, Uganda...officially waiting!

2) What is a "YAY" moment from the last week or two on the adoption/fostering front?
As I wrote above, the whole officially waiting thing feels pretty great.

We received our waitlist number a couple weeks ago, which was a huge yay! It's a good number.

3) Do you have any concerns/frustrations this week?
Not really--just trusting the Lord in this journey of love and faith. I know that not everyone on here is a Christian, but I believe that God cares more about the source of my passion than the reach of its output. My husband and I will always say “yes” to what God calls us to do as a family–even when it’s risky, painful, and uncertain. And, to this point, our adoption is less about meeting a need and more about growing closer to His heart as we follow Him wholeheartedly.

4) Share a question that you had before, during or after the process that was an "ah-ha" moment for you that you think could be helpful to others.

Haha, I think that filling out the paperwork and all that it entails was a huge "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" moment for us! We just kept pressing on through all the hours and hours, making it fun as we did it together.

I would encourage all of you who are going through that process to do the same!

5) Overall, how are you feeling?
Great!

6) What did you do this past weekend?
I worked a lot--my dance studio opens for its 6th season next weekend, so I have a lot that I need to accomplish these next few weeks.

But, when I wasn't working, I enjoyed some treasured time with dear friends--first on Friday evening with a group of girlfriends that I've had for the past 7 years, and then on Saturday morning at a bridal shower for my longtime friend from middle school. My husband and I enjoyed some quality time together as well--this is our week of whimsy before the cray begins.

IdigDirt · August 2013

aligross said:

1) What type of adoption/fostering are you currently doing? Where are you in the process?
Foster to adopt 18m-4y

2) What is a "YAY" moment from the last week or two on the adoption/fostering front?
Nothing Haven't heard anything since submitting the application 5 weeks ago.

3) Do you have any concerns/frustrations this week?
I really don't like waiting

4) Share a question that you had before, during or after the process that was an "ah-ha" moment for you that you think could be helpful to others.
Nothing really here. I feel like we are just in holding.

5) Overall, how are you feeling?
Blah. I think I am just having an off week because I have been really tired for some reason.

6) What did you do this past weekend?
My parents came to visit (they live 6 hours away but I seem to see them more now than when they lived 20 mins away). We took LO to the children's museum and went for dinner on Sunday.

[Deleted User] · August 2013

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[Deleted User] · August 2013

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