Get Caught up with our Progress

I wanted to make sure Mike and I didn't forget any of the steps our journey and to keep everyone informed. I think the best way to do that is blog about it. I haven't done this before so here it goes.

At the beginning of this year, Mike and I decided that we no longer wanted to seek the invasive, emotional and physically draining task of infertility treatment. We started looking into adoption. I would have been ready a few years ago, but Mike took a little longer to be ready. We started by searching on the internet about adoption agencies, private adoption, and international adoption. I never realized how many options are out there for adoption. It was quite a task to try and decide what we wanted to do. I started ordering all kinds of books to read up on the pros and cons of each option. Also I wanted to know about other peoples experiences with adoption. I think I read seven books in a month or so. We finally decided that we wanted to work with an agency. So we set out to find the right agency. We choose the Baby Fold in Bloomington. We had great contact with and information from the worker. They didn't have any classes coming up until April and May. At this point it was February and that seemed like forever away. I was willing to wait because I really liked this agency's reputation and the contact I had from them. Not too far into the process, we got news that due to budget issues, The Baby Fold would not be able to work with anyone outside a 70 miles radius. We were down, but not out. Mike and I just decided that all this meant was that we were not supposed to work with this agency. We had not made the right choice. So we set out again to try and find the right agency. We had talked with Catholic Charities and they seemed nice, but we just weren't sure. We choose to have a phone interview with them. We talked with Laura and she was so knowledge able. She told me that she had been working with adoption for over 18 years and was really honest with us. I talked with Mike and the phone interview and we decided to go with Catholic Charities.

We had our first meeting with Laura in her office. She gave us detailed information about what we were getting ourselves into and where we needed to go from here. She gave us time to think it over. She said we needed to let her know if we really wanted to go with their agency after meeting face to face with her. Mike and I were both in total agreement that Catholic Charities was the was to go. I contacted the Laura the next day to get our application packet. Holy Cow, I have never had to give so much information about myself, my family, my marriage, my thoughts, it has been completly overwhelming. We almost have everything done which is a huge relief. At one point in trying to fill out the paperwork, I thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be easier if they just took my blood, I feel like they need my DNA too". As frustrated as I was with the paperwork, Mike was even more. It has really been a struggle for him. He asked me one night "why do they need to know so much about us". I hadn't really thought about it. I am the kind of person who just does what I am asked and think about why later, but he wants to know why first. When I thought about it, our caseworker really needs to know alot about us. She truely is picking our family for us. She is responsible for seeing if we "fit" with a mother and family. After that, I wanted to give her all the information she needed.

We also have met with a licensing worker. In the state of Illinois you have to be a licensed foster parent to adopt. This means we have to go thru all the same requirements and everything. Which means MORE paperwork. Can you believe it? It is less than for our case worker, but still how many ways can we say the same thing, right? We just met with her on Friday and I had most of it done by Sunday. So not too bad. We have to get finger printed and get a copy of our marriage license. As soon as that is done, we will send everything back to her for approval for our license. We also have to start taking classes. We start next week for nine weeks. Classes are three hours long. They have told us that the classes wont really apply to us, but we have to do them anyway. Fair right? Oh well hopefully we will get something out of it.

I heard from our caseworker again today and she wants to come for our first home visit next week. Yikes!!!! I wanted to start, but now I think I am not ready. Time to clean, clean, clean. She is really great and I know it won't be a problem, but makes me nervous anyway.

Well that's all we know for know. Will up date more when we have new information.

Thanks for the prayers and well wishes!!!

Mike and Aprille