Baby Steps

Well, we are off and running. Our adoption journey officially began in June 2008, with a tug on our hearts and a free seminar put on by our agency (CWA) one fateful Saturday morning.

We met another prospective adoptive family, a family who had already adopted from Russia, and a family who had adopted (twice) from Ethiopia. This family brought their kids with them - an 18 month old girl and a 6 month old boy. In meeting those beautiful kids, God confirmed what was already in our heart: We were supposed to adopt from Africa.

Within a day or two, we applied online and even video-taped the moment we pressed "send". We even sat on the bed to do it, much like a biological "conception"! We received word that we had been accepted, and needed to fill out another application. And then yet another one. We joked that we had to apply for the application to apply... I've heard the paper trail for an adoption is long, so it's fitting that it would begin this way.

Now, one month later, we are set to have our required doctor appointments in two weeks. (It's been a nightmare trying to find a doctors office who'd take 2 new patients quickly... but Fernando sweet talked a receptionist into doing us a favor!) All the paperwork has been filled out for our home study agency, and once we get our medical forms completed, we'll begin working with a social worker.

One funny side note - when we dropped the form off for Daniel's doctor to fill out, they called back within 24 hours to say the doctor wouldn't sign anything until he understood the intent - they thought we were putting DANIEL up for adoption! Yikes!

We're excited about Daniel's role in this adoption too... we're teaching him to say "sister", and working on the concept of sharing (ha!). At the initial home study meeting, he was an absolute angel, sitting on the floor and reading quietly until we were done. His grandmother has two little black baby dolls that Daniel adores - he carries them around, hugging and kissing them (and occasionally throwing them across the room...!)

Well, we better get back to the paperwork. In addition to the forms to fill out, we have 90 days to read a textbook on adoption (unfortunately, the reading is not as exciting as the topic...) and then take a test online.