Update!

The last few weeks we have been working away on our adoption stuff. 

We have done our finger prints. We did them about two weeks ago. We have to wait on those. They can be completed fast or it could take a few months. 

We completed our last adoption training. Our house is ready.  We have scheduled our cpr/first aid class. We have completed all of our paper work, profiles, and letters to birthparents and child. We still have to do a scrapbook. I plan to do that this week.We have to do our medical forms.(we are waiting to the last min.-they are only good for 6 months).  Our last meeting we have with our social worker we will turn in our last paper work, letters, scrapbook, sign a few forms, and have our home check. When that is complete, our social worker will write our homestudy. When that is complete we will register with the state of Alabama and start searching for kids. 

So worst case is three months before it is complete. 

We are also trying to get my CDIB card.(certified degree of Indian blood) In order to adopt a native american child, the family must be able to prove native heritage by one parent. The parent has to have a cdib card or be a member of a federally recognized tribe. I always knew that I had some indian blood but did not realize I had as much as I do. I also found out, I am a member of a tribe. Who knew??!! lol. I am trying to contact them to get more information.

The babies have birthdays this week. It is bittersweet. Anna turns 1 and Nate turns 2. We are planning a day trip to celebrate on Saturday!:)

Brandi

Adoption Process Update

Hi everyone! Several of you have asked for updates. I haven't been updating as things happen so I will try to update everything!:)

We have had two more Deciding Together classes at Lifeline in Birmingham. We have met with our social worker at our house for our first homestudy meeting. We have been working like crazy on our Deciding Together homework and all of our paperwork for our homestudy. We have sent off our CAN papers( child abuse and neglect). We are going this week to have our finger prints done( this can take a while to get back). We are meeting with our social worker on Friday for separate interviews at the Lifeline office here in Huntsville. We have been working the last few days on our autobiographies. I never realized that writing about your life could be so hard, lol!:)

We have another Deciding Together class scheduled for early July. That will be our last class. We have been working on getting our house ready for our safety tour. After Fridays meeting with our social worker, we will set up another meeting at our house for our home check up tour.  After we have completed all of this stuff, which hopefully will be mid July, we will do our medical forms and lab work with our doctors.

So I would say we are looking at the end of July to early August when our homestudy is complete. After that is completed we send our profile to places that handle Safe Haven babies and look for babies that are available on adoption waiting list through Foster Care. Then we wait!! That is the hard part! I know God has the right child or children already picked out for us. 

The child we will be getting will be a child whose parent's rights have already been terminated, so there is not a chance that the child can be taken back. We have both agreed maybe later we will be lead to do foster care but right now we do not think our hearts could handle it.

I think that is all. Sorry for the long book. I will try to update more often.

Hope everyone has a blessed week!!:)

Brandi

Tommorrow Ben and I go for our 2nd meeting for our Deciding Together Classes. Most people do not know about these type classes. I did a lot of research and calling to get to be able to do these:) The typical classes are once a week for 3 hours a night for 10 weeks. The Deciding Together Classes you do alone with a counselor. We have some homework and can meet on our own schedule. 

We have our very first meeting next Wednesday at our house for our homestudy as well.

Lots of exciting things coming up.

I am very anxious so I am remembering this verse often:

Philippians 4:6-7 ESV 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Brandi

I am converting my blog that I never post on anymore into our adoption journey blog!:)
 

Adoption has been something that I have thought about for years. I always knew that I wanted to adopt. After we had Noah, we started talking about adoption and never did anything with it. Soon I got pregnant with Nate so we stopped talking about it. After Nate was born, we started talking about it again. Once again, I got pregnant so we stopped talking about it. After I had Anna, I was convicted! I knew in my heart that it was time to stop running even if it seemed like a crazy idea. Ben and I started talking about it again and soon realized we were both on the same page. After much, much research. We decided that we wanted to do a foster care adoption or a safe haven baby adoption. We really do not care what the sex or race of the baby is. 

We have started our training classes and submitted all of our paper work to start our homestudy. We should be hearing from them the next day or two for our social worker to start our homestudy. We are working with Lifeline for our classes and our homestudy.

We are very excited and anxious to see where our journey takes us!!:)

Wordless Wednesday!!:)

Menu Monday

Monday- Homemade chicken pot pie, fruit salad

Tuesday- Homemade hamburger mac, green beans, bread

Wednesday- Church meal

Thursday- Chicken tacos, rice, fruit

Friday-Italian soup, crackers, fruit

Saturday- Not sure, Busy day

Sunday- Roast with carrots, potatoes, mac and cheese, rolls, cookies

Have a blessed week!!:)

Finally... A new post!!

Well.. I said that I would post when the baby got here and guess what!!?? He is 3 months old today!! Things got a little busier with doing preschool with Noah, school with Emma, a new baby, planning activities for our Awana's group and etc. But anyways..

Here is here and he is PERFECT!! I could not imagine our lives without him. I can not believe that he is 3 weeks months today.Where has the time gone? Noah is doing great with him!!:)  I will try my hardest to update more often now!!:) We shall see lol!!:) Maybe I will start trying to do Menu Mondays again.

Hope everyone has a blessed week!!:)