Adoption Update! :)

Our last post shared that the first adoption fell through about five weeks before the expected due date.  While that was a painful event, we knew that God was still working out His best for our family.  We chose to remain optimistic that God did want us to continue to pursue adoption.  This is a calling that has been on my heart for about ten years.  Whether we have a bunch of our own or not, I've always wanted to adopt at least two children.

That being said, a very dear friend of mine made the decision that she was not going to keep her baby.  She struggled with that decision, and I remained supportive to help her out in any way that I could.  I was beginning to research agencies for her to contact when she mentioned that she might want Kevin and I to adopt her baby.  Knowing that we have a close friendship, I was worried that adopting her baby might put a strain on our friendship or drive it apart altogether.  The more we talked about it, the more I began to see that her desire was to be open in the adoption - to be able to see the child grow up and know that she had picked a good family.  

One morning, we met at IHOP (yum!) to catch up and talk about the adoption.  She told us that if we were willing she wanted us to adopt her baby.  We had been praying about it and knew that if she really wanted to choose us, we would not turn her down.  We were hesitant to share this big news because of how the first adoption ended in the last month of the first birthmother's pregnancy.  Birthmothers have the option to change their minds up until 10 days after the adoptive parents take custody of the baby.  So, while things are still very up in the air, we have been making significant steps towards adopting this little one. 

We met with an adoption lawyer this week and made sure that everything on our end of the adoption is taken care of.  All of our paperwork is in, and now we wait!  Our birthmother has to complete some family history information and decide her hospital plan.  She will determine who will get to see, hold, feed, and change the baby while in the hospital, and she decides who will be allowed to see her in the hospital as well.  We still have to get the birthfather to sign off on the adoption,too.  Once all of this paperwork is complete we will be done until the baby is born.  

Our birthmother is having a BOY and she is due at the end of May!!!!  We appreciate your prayers for us, the baby, and our birthmother as we continue to move forward with this adoption.  Pray for patience and preparation as we wait to become parents.  Pray for our birthmother to have peace and healing throughout the painful process.  Pray for God's will to be done, and pray that we can accept His will - whatever it is.  Pray for our baby to continue to grow strong and healthy!