A Bicycle Built for Three

We have been available to be matched for exactly one week.  Imagine our surprise to receive an email from our agency today that our profile had been shown to an expectant family.  Now we know this could very well lead nowhere; we would only receive a follow-up message if the family decides to move forward with us.  The family could choose someone else, or they could choose to parent -- both options are completely fine and there would be no judgement on our parts.  It's simply reassuring to know that there was a little something about us that the agency felt might be a good fit for someone else. Now, we wait...

We are almost a week into our indeterminate waiting period.  Needless to say we haven't gotten a call yet.  While we are doing our best to keep on living our best lives -- I've gotten in 14 workouts already this month #humblebrag -- it's hard not to constantly look over the phone just to be sure I didn't miss a call. As we settle into our new normal we've started thinking about how to prepare.  Pregnancy does afford some predictability.  There's a due date, and while that's not a hard and fast deal it at least provides a ballpark.  Even matching with an expectant family ahead of the baby's arrival offers some time to process.    While ideally we would match and have time to discuss and make plans, we know that a fast placement is a possibility; we've already been asked to settle on a lawyer in case things move quickly.  This got us thinking about how to prepare if the call does come and informs us that we need to hit the road, stat.   ...

Last night we received word that we are officially home study approved and available to be matched!  We are so excited!  While we know the wait may be the hardest part, we are thrilled to have made it this far. Our profile can be viewed at:   https://www.adoption-beyond-families.org/meredith-and-adam-adopt .  Our profile book is also linked there.  We are so looking forward to this new journey!

This isn't my first blogging adventure.  I've had another blog for awhile, although I've gotten away from it as my attention has been diverted to other things.  However, I wrote a post there a few years ago that holds some relevance here.  It reads, in part: Last week I attended a meeting where the presenter discussed the power of "yet"-- how someone can re-frame his/her thinking so as to have a growth mindset.  For instance, instead of saying "I can't run a marathon," I should tell myself, "I can't run a marathon...yet."  To be fair, I feel there's a fine line between self-confidence and false confidence; no matter how strongly I believe in myself, I'm not sure any amount of positive thinking will turn me into an Olympic gold medalist.  However, my thoughts on the theory were tested just a few short hours later... I discovered that someone was making disparaging jokes at my expense about my weight.  It's no secret that ...

In the midst of a hectic week -- first one back from winter break, with Husband preparing to leave for three days at his unit -- we had a moment today.  After Husband started back at work we filled out an addendum to our home study, reflecting his new position.  It took some time for the paperwork to clear his employer's levels of bureaucracy, but we finally got everything back and forwarded it onto our adoption agency.  Today we got an email letting us know the updates were complete; all we have left to do is read them over and make sure everything is correct. Upon receiving the email, I receive this text from Husband: "We're getting closer and closer to being a mommy and daddy. :D" It wasn't much.  Yet for some reason that text made all the difference.  We've shared that sentiment for quite some time now; this whole process has been moving us closer to that reality.  I don't know why, but there was something about hearing it today that made it feel ...

It's a new year and a new decade -- so hard to believe!  After a pleasant New Year's Eve we were excited to receive our final bit of paperwork from Husband's employer and send it off to the adoption agency.  We keep saying that the wait is almost over; we hope that this time it's the real deal. A new year always brings new beginnings.  There are resolutions to be made, gyms to be joined, and promises to try and keep.  One trend in particular is choosing My One Word.  I had heard of this trend and had never really given it much thought until the start of the previous school year.  My administrator decided that we were going to do a team-building activity that involved reflecting on our goals and choosing a word for the year; we then got to stamp the word onto small pendants.  When she introduced the activity I didn't really take it seriously; I've never been one for this kind of thing, so I figured I would just play along.  As part of the activit...