Waiting impatiently...

Last post was about getting our portfolio in and officially being in the adoption pool.  So we've been waiting since then... impatiently mind you (well, at least I have).  In April we had a close call.  Our adoption coordinator called us one weekend afternoon with a "hospital baby".  Healthy caucasian boy born that day and the mother had decided she wanted an adoption plan.  She wanted a sort of closed adoption.  The coordinator had only called to make sure we were within 3 hours of Anchorage before she showed our portfolio.  Unfortunately, we were not chosen.

So we continue to wait.  We are really hoping before the summer is out that we will be placed with our first little baby.  In the mean time we wait... impatiently.

The tracing

Background color done - still deciding on white or dark - went with dark

While we wait, I started on the nursery.  I figured the painting can get done that way the fumes are gone by the time a baby needs to sleep in there.  After MUCH contemplation on what "theme" to go with, I decided (yes, I.  Matt was not included in the decision but said he liked it anyway) to go with a jungle/safari theme.  I borrowed a projector from the school and projected a little scene on the walls to trace.  I then decided I was going to do blue whether it was boy or a girl because I liked the colors I had chosen - Missoula Blue and Big Sky Blue (no joke!!).  Unfortunately I couldn't decide on whether to do a white silhouette or dark.  I finally decided on dark, but it made the painting that much more difficult.

Putting the crib together

We had bought a crib a week or so before I started the project (or after I traced, but before I painted).  So after the nursery was finished, Matt did his Daddy Duty and put the crib together.  All that is left to do is get a dresser (one that will also work as a changing table) and a rocker (which Matt says I'm not getting, but what does he know haha).  And a baby, of course!!

KERSPLASH!!!

Well, we did it!!  All our paperwork is completed and handed in.  We met with our adoption coordinator yesterday... we are OFFICIALLY IN THE ADOPTIVE FAMILY POOL!!!!  Our portfolio and "Dear Birthmother" letter were the last things we had to complete.  It was A LOT of work!  So many questions had to be answered about our life.  But it was great to self-reflect and also reflect on our relationship.
So what does all this mean?
Basically, we can get a call at ANY time now saying a birthmother has selected us.  It could be tomorrow, it could be a year, or even longer.  We do know that there are only 7 other families in the pool, so we have a good chance of it happening quick!  Plus we have our portfolio on file with the Fairbanks as well.  So our opportunities widen!!
We are both SUPER excited, but also very nervous.  This weekend (at least for Lindsay) will be spent cleaning out the back room and moving stuff around so we can paint and have at least the room ready to go.
Since we really don't know when to expect a baby, we will be registering for baby stuff soon - at least for the necessities.
We want to thank everyone out there that has been praying for us and supporting us through all our infertility and adoption processes.  We haven't given up yet on having a biological baby, but we are so excited to hopefully start a family very soon! :)

Home Study Finalized!

Since our last post, our adoption process has moved quickly.  In December, before Christmas, our adoption coordinator came out to do the home study.  This is where they make sure your home is safe for children (no chains or items of torture) and that you are sane enough to have children in your home.  Really all she did was check to make sure we had a room designated for a child, that every sleeping room had smoke detectors, and that our guns were locked up.  After that we sat down and had a conversation about what we were looking for in a child, how we met, and other biographical questions.
The home study writer came back the following week to do the second of three home studies (the third one will be done when a child is placed with us).  This time she only spoke with Lindsay for about an hour and a half and then with Matt for an hour and a half.  She asked questions about our childhood, our families, how we felt about our spouse, how we dealt with stress, work, and what our support systems were like.
It all went really well.  The writer had told us ahead of time that it is pretty difficult not to be approved on the home study.  You would have to be some crazy criminal.  Lindsay was not worried, but was very surprised that Matt was worried about being approved.  Matt is usually the optimist.  The writer sent a copy of the home study to us to look over before she handed it to her supervisor, and we had to fix any errors that we saw.  With a few minor errors it was ready to be finalized.
As of January 26th, we are officially able to have a child placed in our home!! YAY!
So what are the next steps?  We are currently working on our portfolio that will be seen by birthmothers (or soon-to-be birthmothers) and our "Dear Birthmother" letter.  These are handed to those parents who we are considered to be a good match for.  It's pretty much our life in a few pages and photos.  So it will take a bit to finish.
We also have to take an infant care class, which will be February 14th.  After all those are done, we will be officially placed in the pool of adoptive families!  I'm hoping by the time our class is finished, we will be good to go - so mid- to end of February is my goal.
We are both very excited!  It has been quite the experience so far, but we know since it's gone good so far, this must be what God wants us to do.  We are currently taking a break from all the injections, ultrasounds, blood draws, and fertility medication - letting Lindsay's body relax for a bit.  We are not giving up having a biological child, but it's nice to have a break!!