The Waiting Game

Today we got the call that Open Door has received our application and our life books!!  The coordinator let us know that everything looks fine so they will begin passing out the lifebooks to their social workers across the state on Monday!

At each phase of this process, we feel relieved, excited and blessed to be moving forward.  We are getting closer and closer to meeting our baby!  Although it seems like we are perpetually waiting to hear that we have moved forward to the next step, the process in its entirety has really gone pretty quickly.  Just three months ago we were sitting with a social worker to begin our home study.  We are now (prayerfully) just months away from becoming a family of three!

As we wait to hear that we have been matched with a birthmother, there are many things on my mental to-do list.  I want to be purposeful about enjoying this last bit of time with Jonathan as a young married couple without children.  I want to seek the Lord's wisdom about transitioning to the role of being a mom.  I want to continue daydreaming over little baby clothes and shoes (that one won't be too hard). 

And finally, I need...or maybe just want...to get Jonathan on my side when it comes to baby names :)

Progress

After two weeks of accessing my creative side, our LifeBook is finally done!  We spent last Tuesday night putting the photocopied pages into page protectors and creating 20 identical books.  These books will be passed around the state of Georgia through Open Door Adoption Agencies social workers and shown to birth mothers who are at least 7 months along.  

We also sent our completed application to Open Door last week.  Within the next day or two, we should be hearing whether or not they have everything they need and can start showing our book.  It is very encouraging to be at this point in the process!  

We are thankful for friends who have gone before us and have been able to give us some wisdom on what to expect.  This week Jonathan and I both had to take a step back from all of the paperwork, grant applications and scrap booking and acknowledge that although we are thrilled about starting our family and want to get our part of the process done as quickly as possible, this is stressful.  I am so thankful for a husband who can pull me back from my task oriented way of dealing with things and suggest we take a walk with our puppy and enjoy the day.  When we take a step back from everything, I think it becomes easier for us to appreciate the reality of our situation.  The paperwork part of our adoption will soon come to an end and we will be able to replace the paperwork with a sweet baby. 

At each stage our of this process, Jonathan and I have made a point to record a small video clip for the baby.  We hope that when our child is older we will be able to give them a compilation of videos documenting our journey to becoming their parents.  Jonathan pointed out after our last video that each time we start recording I say something like "we are so excited!"  I am sure that I sound like a broken record, but it is so true, I AM SO EXCITED!!  I will do my best to continue updating our progress here so you can all get excited with us :)