Our Decision to Adopt

First of all let me thank you all for your input on our pictures. I have put most of them in our photo album on our profile. Our profile is all complete except for the introductory letter to the birth parents. I am really struggling trying to decide what to write. I think we will keep it short and sincere, since they probably view hundreds of profiles at a time. I am hoping everything will be completely approved and ready to go by May. The whole process takes awhile but we can be patient. What's a few more months when we've already waited over three years for a baby, right? :)

So here's the story...its a very personal, spiritual experience for me so I will just put the gist of it down here. And its probably best that I am typing this because if I try to talk about it I just cry because of the overwhelming confirmation of the Spirit that its the right thing to do. We know that there is a special little spirit that is meant to be in our family. We had been thinking about adoption for several months, especially after some very heartbreaking, unsuccessful infertility procedures. And finally on Valentine's Day of this year we both felt very strongly to call LDS Family Services. We called that minute and set up an appointment to meet with a counselor. I was very nervous about the whole thing but after talking for one minute with our counselor I was overwhelmed once again and the flood gates opened! I am such a cry baby when I feel the Spirit! We both knew it was right for us so we immediately completed the first stack of application papers. Pretty much all we have left is the home study where a counselor comes and checks out our home and interviews us individually. That will happen in April. So after we are "approved" the process will go something like this (from my understanding):

• Birth parents will be able to view our profile online. If they are interested they will contact LDS Family Services and might request to meet with us.
• Once we are "picked" (which could take a couple of months to a couple of years) we will discuss with the birth mom what kind of communication she would like to have with us and the baby, which can be flexible and change over time
• Then when the baby is born the birth mom usually likes to have the adoptive parents there at the hospital to be able to immediately hold the baby. How cool is that??
• The birth parents will then sign the release forms (usually about 48 hrs after the birth) and we get to take the baby home with us and it will be ours! 
• Then six months later the adoption will be finalized in court (if we have been found worthy parents through multiple home visits). 
• After that the most important reason for adopting will occur: our baby will be sealed to us for eternity in the temple! Yay!

So I probably over-simplified the whole thing because I know it is going to be a difficult process for all parties involved. But, I'm a little bit in the euphoric stage of things at the possibility of being a mom. I have complete faith that Heavenly Father is in control and He loves us and guides us and has a plan for us. I know that Jared and I will be parents someday. We have always known this, even through the ups and downs of infertility.

Adoption is a miracle. We are so very excited to have this opportunity. We have complete respect and admiration for the mothers who lovingly decide to place their babies for adoption. Such a courageous and selfless act to give their baby to a family to be sealed together forever.

Be sure to check out the article and poem in this month's ensign on faith and infertility and adoption. I really enjoyed it. Also here is the link to LDS Family Services: www.itsaboutlove.org