Hello! No new child news yet, but I thought I would take this time to reflect back on our year. It has been an eventful year, full of ups and downs. Here is a (brief) list of things I consider important that happened to us this year.
January-I traveled to New Jersey/New York with my Mom to help her with arrangements for my Uncle's funeral. He was my Mom's only brother and they were very close. It was difficult, not only to see everything, but it was hard to watch my Mom get upset knowing there was nothing I could do to help. The positive side was that I got to meet alot of my New York family that I didn't know so that was great. I got to meet my Great Aunt who is one of the most wonderful women on this planet. She is just a terrific lady who, at 81 years old, is more feisty than I am at times!
February-We officially begin the adoption process by attending orientation at the local DFCS office. We were so excited that we could not hold in our news and we began telling family and friends our good news. This is when we officially became "paper pregnant". Also, Russell began his new job!
March/April-Slowly begin paperwork, first home study completed. On April 20, our new niece Kylie was born! On April 25, our baby Sunny turned 8!
May-We unexpectedly lose Russell's mother on May 20. This was definitely, by far, the most difficult and saddest event of the year for both of us. It is extremely heartbreaking knowing that our child will never get to know either of their paternal grandparents. However, Russell's mother knew about and supported our adoption very much. She was one of our biggest cheerleaders. I am grateful that my parents have been supportive of both Russell and I through this ordeal.
June-Taryn's very busy summer reading program at work. Parenting classes start at the end of June. We meet some wonderful couples and single people who we hope, for their sake, are farther along in the process than we are. We hope that they have not had to deal with as much loss of paperwork and miscommunication as we have! During the classes, we received over 100 pages of paperwork to fill out.
July-Complete our 100+ page paperwork "Bible" for the adoption. Our first great nephew, Aiden, is born! Taryn breathes a sigh of relief as the summer reading program is over....until next year. :)
August-Nothing exciting happens because our paperwork was stuck under someone's desk for a month!! Talk about miscommunication...
September-Taryn turns the Big "3-0". Ouch! More miscommunication and paperwork from the case workers.... We begin going back to church and are enjoying the services, pastor, and meeting new people.
October-All paperwork is completed. Home study #2 is scheduled for November 1! Russell and I celebrated 8 wonderful years of marriage on the 11th.
November-Home studies #2 and #3 completed and passed with flying colors!
December-Case worker says we are in the middle of the approval process and everything is going as planned.
So what does 2012 hold in store for us? I'm not sure, but I hope that, by this time next year, I will posting about the cute things our child does or says, and hopefully asking advice from other parents!
Russell and I hope each and every one of you have a happy and safe New Year's holiday!
-Taryn
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
The Approval Process
Happy December! We are so excited about everything going on with our adoption process at this point! We are right in the middle of the approval process. As you may remember reading, once our home study and paperwork are completed, we go for local, regional, and state approval. Russell received a call from our social worker this afternoon to update us on the progress. We are currently in the stage of local approval. It needs just one more signature to be approved locally! It then goes on to regional and state approval. She said we should have regional and state approval by the middle of January! Wow!
So what's next? After we receive approval from the state, our social worker will work to find us a match. It could be one or even two children! If we get two children, it would be a sibling group of either two boys or two girls. How amazing would that be? Of course, we would be soo happy just to get a child. But the possibility that we could get siblings is AWESOME!! Now our expected timeline for a child is late January (at the extreme earliest) to March (in reality).
We hope all of you are getting ready for a very Merry Christmas! We will update as soon as we have more news!
So what's next? After we receive approval from the state, our social worker will work to find us a match. It could be one or even two children! If we get two children, it would be a sibling group of either two boys or two girls. How amazing would that be? Of course, we would be soo happy just to get a child. But the possibility that we could get siblings is AWESOME!! Now our expected timeline for a child is late January (at the extreme earliest) to March (in reality).
We hope all of you are getting ready for a very Merry Christmas! We will update as soon as we have more news!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Facebook statuses
Happy end of November everyone! Poor Russ is sick in bed, so I am taking care of him (well, actually he's sleeping right now). He's catching a cold and I really hope I don't catch it from him! There is not any exciting news on our child front, but I found this link on another infertility blog (which I am really enjoying right now) regarding Facebook statuses and pregnancies.
For those of you on Facebook, how many of you remember the breast cancer game where people put something down like "I'm 16 weeks and craving bananas". Read the post at http://www.stirrup-queens.com/2011/09/pretending-youre-pregnant-makes-people-truly-understand-breast-cancer. By the way, for those of you who posted that, it was very hurtful. One Facebook friend actually invited me to play that game! Ummmm...yeah, not playing that.
For those of you on Facebook, how many of you remember the breast cancer game where people put something down like "I'm 16 weeks and craving bananas". Read the post at http://www.stirrup-queens.com/2011/09/pretending-youre-pregnant-makes-people-truly-understand-breast-cancer. By the way, for those of you who posted that, it was very hurtful. One Facebook friend actually invited me to play that game! Ummmm...yeah, not playing that.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Results of the final home study!!
Okay, folks, it's what you've been waiting for! Final home study results!
We were so nervous about this final visit. The social worker showed up and Sunny was a complete angel. She remembered her from last time! She was soo cute, she only barked (again) when the case worker did not pet her! She still wanted that attention! All of us sat in the living room while the case worker asked a variety of questions. During that time, Sunny was sleeping on the couch between us. It's almost like if you didn't know she was there, you never would have guessed it.
The questions lasted for about 2 hours again. Then, she had a long checklist of items to look for in our home. She checked for the child safety locks, working fire extinguishers, and working smoke detectors. She noticed that we had two disaster plans - one in the child's room and one in the living room. She also noticed that our cords from the blinds in our home were properly placed so a child could not reach them. Another thing she checked was that all of our rugs in our house had the grip stuff on the bottom so they would not come loose.
We then signed some papers and she left us with one last "homework assignment". We had to create a three-generation family tree for each one of us. We also had to note if the family member was deceased, and the year they were deceased. Taryn's was pretty easy because her family is pretty small. Russell's was kind of difficult, because his Mom and Dad had at least 7 siblings each! But, we figured that out and came up with two great looking family trees! Right before she left, she told us that she thought we would make great parents! Yeah!!!
What happens next? The approval process. The social worker told us that these normally go pretty fast and that we should be approved by the end of the year. And then that's where the fun part begins-we start talking about a little one! Right now, we are expecting to hear about our child somewhere between January and February. So we are planning to enjoy December as one of our last months as "just a married couple"!
We were so nervous about this final visit. The social worker showed up and Sunny was a complete angel. She remembered her from last time! She was soo cute, she only barked (again) when the case worker did not pet her! She still wanted that attention! All of us sat in the living room while the case worker asked a variety of questions. During that time, Sunny was sleeping on the couch between us. It's almost like if you didn't know she was there, you never would have guessed it.
The questions lasted for about 2 hours again. Then, she had a long checklist of items to look for in our home. She checked for the child safety locks, working fire extinguishers, and working smoke detectors. She noticed that we had two disaster plans - one in the child's room and one in the living room. She also noticed that our cords from the blinds in our home were properly placed so a child could not reach them. Another thing she checked was that all of our rugs in our house had the grip stuff on the bottom so they would not come loose.
We then signed some papers and she left us with one last "homework assignment". We had to create a three-generation family tree for each one of us. We also had to note if the family member was deceased, and the year they were deceased. Taryn's was pretty easy because her family is pretty small. Russell's was kind of difficult, because his Mom and Dad had at least 7 siblings each! But, we figured that out and came up with two great looking family trees! Right before she left, she told us that she thought we would make great parents! Yeah!!!
What happens next? The approval process. The social worker told us that these normally go pretty fast and that we should be approved by the end of the year. And then that's where the fun part begins-we start talking about a little one! Right now, we are expecting to hear about our child somewhere between January and February. So we are planning to enjoy December as one of our last months as "just a married couple"!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Home Study #2 Results
I know, many of you have been waiting for this post! Today we will be having our final home study, and we are sooo excited! But, let me back up and tell you about the previous home study two weeks ago.
When the woman arrived, it kinda made us do a double-take because she resembled Russell's mom. She was very nice, and Sunny absolutely loved her. She barked at first, but it was only when she would stop petting Sunny. I guess Sunny wanted lots of attention too! After the woman was at our home for awhile, Sunny settled down and went to sleep on the couch. She was a perfect angel through it all.
She arrived just after 10 a.m. on November 1 and did not leave until after 1 p.m. We did not think a home study could take that long! For the first two hours, she asked us all sorts of questions. It started off with general questions such as our job and education, and then there were lots of questions asked about our childhoods. We were reminded, while answering those questions, how different our childhoods were from each other. Not bad, just different. Russell came from the traditional family-Mom, Dad, Russell, and his brothers. Taryn's childhood was not as traditional because her parents divorced when she was young so there were stepfamilies to deal with at various points in her childhood and always had to figure out which parent she was spending different holidays with. Like we said, not bad, just different. She also asked us different questions on our beliefs on raising children.
After that was completed, we gave her a tour of our home. She was impressed with the child safety locks that we had in place and absolutely loved the room where our child will sleep. She was also excited that the child would have not just their own bedroom, but their own bathroom as well.
She informed us that there are two things we needed to complete before she came back for the final home study. We were to make a disaster plan (fire escapes and in case of severe weather) and we had to move the cords from our drapes high to where the child could not reach them.
Our next home study is scheduled for today at 10 a.m. Wish us luck!!
When the woman arrived, it kinda made us do a double-take because she resembled Russell's mom. She was very nice, and Sunny absolutely loved her. She barked at first, but it was only when she would stop petting Sunny. I guess Sunny wanted lots of attention too! After the woman was at our home for awhile, Sunny settled down and went to sleep on the couch. She was a perfect angel through it all.
She arrived just after 10 a.m. on November 1 and did not leave until after 1 p.m. We did not think a home study could take that long! For the first two hours, she asked us all sorts of questions. It started off with general questions such as our job and education, and then there were lots of questions asked about our childhoods. We were reminded, while answering those questions, how different our childhoods were from each other. Not bad, just different. Russell came from the traditional family-Mom, Dad, Russell, and his brothers. Taryn's childhood was not as traditional because her parents divorced when she was young so there were stepfamilies to deal with at various points in her childhood and always had to figure out which parent she was spending different holidays with. Like we said, not bad, just different. She also asked us different questions on our beliefs on raising children.
After that was completed, we gave her a tour of our home. She was impressed with the child safety locks that we had in place and absolutely loved the room where our child will sleep. She was also excited that the child would have not just their own bedroom, but their own bathroom as well.
She informed us that there are two things we needed to complete before she came back for the final home study. We were to make a disaster plan (fire escapes and in case of severe weather) and we had to move the cords from our drapes high to where the child could not reach them.
Our next home study is scheduled for today at 10 a.m. Wish us luck!!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
It's Time for a Home Study!!
Things have certainly been interesting around here! On Monday, I found out I was going to Kennedy Space Center for a fantastic children's librarian workshop! And I was one of 40 applicants selected. I was told they received over 100 applications, so that's pretty awesome.
On Tuesday, several things happened. Russell went to start his truck, moved about 1/4 mile, and discovered the alternator is out. Ughh. So now we are down to sharing one car until the alternator can come in (which will be Monday).
But the best thing happened on Tuesday! I was at lunch and I received a call to set up our home study!! Our home study is scheduled for this coming Tuesday, November 1, at 10 a.m. This is the call we have definitely been waiting on. I am told this home study should last at least 2-3 hours. This is the second home study (out of 3) that we will need to have. The third and final home study is supposed to be completed within a month from Tuesday. But, we know how these things go so we are not getting our hopes up too high about that.
We still have alot to do to get ready for this home study. We have been cleaning like crazy and putting the child locks back on our cabinets. We took them off after the first home study because there was no use keeping them on when it is just the two of us living at our house.
So what happens next? This home study is conducted by an outside vendor. They have 30 days to complete both home studies and write up their reports in order to get paid by DFCS. Next, we go for local, regional, and state approval (which could take at least 1-2 months) and then it gets really exciting!! That's when we will eventually find out details about our child!! And of course, that's the best part. :)
I'll be sure to post next week to update you all on our visit!!
-Taryn
On Tuesday, several things happened. Russell went to start his truck, moved about 1/4 mile, and discovered the alternator is out. Ughh. So now we are down to sharing one car until the alternator can come in (which will be Monday).
But the best thing happened on Tuesday! I was at lunch and I received a call to set up our home study!! Our home study is scheduled for this coming Tuesday, November 1, at 10 a.m. This is the call we have definitely been waiting on. I am told this home study should last at least 2-3 hours. This is the second home study (out of 3) that we will need to have. The third and final home study is supposed to be completed within a month from Tuesday. But, we know how these things go so we are not getting our hopes up too high about that.
We still have alot to do to get ready for this home study. We have been cleaning like crazy and putting the child locks back on our cabinets. We took them off after the first home study because there was no use keeping them on when it is just the two of us living at our house.
So what happens next? This home study is conducted by an outside vendor. They have 30 days to complete both home studies and write up their reports in order to get paid by DFCS. Next, we go for local, regional, and state approval (which could take at least 1-2 months) and then it gets really exciting!! That's when we will eventually find out details about our child!! And of course, that's the best part. :)
I'll be sure to post next week to update you all on our visit!!
-Taryn
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Donate to our adoption fund!
So, adoption can be costly. Very. The cost of adopting a child through the foster care system is lower than "traditional" adoption processes, but there are still many costs including court costs, attorney fees, fees for different tests, and many other costs associated with bringing a child into our home. If you want to help us bring our child into our home and help us create a "Forever Family", donate to our adoption fund. 100% of the funds received will go towards adoption process costs and for the care of our child. You can donate through PayPal on the top of our blog, and it will be there until our adoption is finalized. Every little bit you give helps give our child the support and love he or she needs.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Hoping and waiting...
...And waiting some more. This morning, Russell called the case worker to find out what's going on since we hadn't heard from them lately. We mailed the remaining paperwork 2 weeks ago. Supposedly, we are going to get a call from the agency that does the home study this week. If it happens, we will be so excited!! I do hope this is going to happen this week. Our case worker told us to call her next Tuesday if we don't hear from the agency by then. Until then, we are just hoping and waiting....
Friday, September 9, 2011
What's going on?
Yeah...you're all asking me what's going on with the process. Until a week ago, it was absolutely nothing. Last week, I was beginning to get worried because I hadn't heard anything from our case worker in over a month. So Russell called our case worker last Wednesday and found out that our paperwork had been sitting on a person's desk in Thomasville for A MONTH!!! COLLECTING DUST!!! (As you can see, I'm pretty upset about it.)
We then found out that our paperwork was FINALLY transferred to this woman in Thomasville's boss in Albany for her staff to review. She told us that her aides were reviewing the paperwork, and that they would get back with us in 1-2 weeks.
Well, we received a letter last night from the DFCS office in Albany. It was pretty thick so we were excited. In it was a letter stating they need another copy of our driver's licenses and auto insurance cards. OK-no big deal. Also, they wanted us to fill out the enclosed paperwork. When we started looking through it, it just didn't seem right. There were sheets on physicals that needed to be done on our own children. Considering we don't have children, we were concerned. As we were looking at the paperwork they sent, we received someone else's paperwork!! Of course, it wasn't everything, but there were 6 pages of someone else's paperwork!! And none of the forms we needed to fill out were in the envelope.
This morning, Russell called our case worker to find out what was going on. The person from Thomasville drove up to Albany to find out personally what had happened. The person who was responsible for sending us the paperwork blamed it on her assistants. That's ridiculous, because she should have made sure the correct paperwork was going out to the right people. They called Russell around 11 a.m. and explained that we did not need to fill out any of the paperwork that they sent us (Duh!) and that they sent us the correct paperwork on Wednesday. We are seriously doubting that statement. We are giving them until Saturday to receive the paperwork, and if we still do not receive anything, we are taking action on Monday.
If they send us the correct paperwork, we are planning to fill it out and send it back to them on Monday. The case workers have told us that we should hear from the company that does the home study within 1-2 weeks of their receiving our paperwork. If I do not hear from that company, we will be calling in exactly 2 weeks.
We are so upset over everything that has happened lately, but are still optimistic and anxious to meet our child. This will all be worth it in the end.
We then found out that our paperwork was FINALLY transferred to this woman in Thomasville's boss in Albany for her staff to review. She told us that her aides were reviewing the paperwork, and that they would get back with us in 1-2 weeks.
Well, we received a letter last night from the DFCS office in Albany. It was pretty thick so we were excited. In it was a letter stating they need another copy of our driver's licenses and auto insurance cards. OK-no big deal. Also, they wanted us to fill out the enclosed paperwork. When we started looking through it, it just didn't seem right. There were sheets on physicals that needed to be done on our own children. Considering we don't have children, we were concerned. As we were looking at the paperwork they sent, we received someone else's paperwork!! Of course, it wasn't everything, but there were 6 pages of someone else's paperwork!! And none of the forms we needed to fill out were in the envelope.
This morning, Russell called our case worker to find out what was going on. The person from Thomasville drove up to Albany to find out personally what had happened. The person who was responsible for sending us the paperwork blamed it on her assistants. That's ridiculous, because she should have made sure the correct paperwork was going out to the right people. They called Russell around 11 a.m. and explained that we did not need to fill out any of the paperwork that they sent us (Duh!) and that they sent us the correct paperwork on Wednesday. We are seriously doubting that statement. We are giving them until Saturday to receive the paperwork, and if we still do not receive anything, we are taking action on Monday.
If they send us the correct paperwork, we are planning to fill it out and send it back to them on Monday. The case workers have told us that we should hear from the company that does the home study within 1-2 weeks of their receiving our paperwork. If I do not hear from that company, we will be calling in exactly 2 weeks.
We are so upset over everything that has happened lately, but are still optimistic and anxious to meet our child. This will all be worth it in the end.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Our paperwork is done!
Hello everyone! We finally turned our paperwork in, so we are one step closer to getting our child. We have referred to it as our 133 page Bible, lol. On Thursday, our case worker called and said she would be in her office whenever we wanted to turn it in. So I went at 4:00 and spent an hour going over all of the paperwork to make sure we had everything.
So what happens now? We have to call the head of Resource Development, who is the second person to look over the paperwork to make sure everything is in there, on Wednesday to confirm she received the paperwork. She is located in Thomasville, which for those of you who are unfamiliar with south Georgia geography, is about 45 minutes-1 hour away from Bainbridge. Once we confirm that this person has received our paperwork, she calls the vendor who will complete our home study. Then, that vendor will call us to set up an appointment for the first home study. We will have to have 2 home studies. Both home studies must be completed within 30 days of each other. After the home studies are complete, we go for approval and then the fun stuff begins!!
On another note, Russell spoke to his oldest brother today and told him our news. They haven't always had the best relationship, but he was so excited for us. I can't express how uplifting it was for us to have the support of Russell's oldest brother and his wife.
Overall, everything on the adoption front is looking up!!
So what happens now? We have to call the head of Resource Development, who is the second person to look over the paperwork to make sure everything is in there, on Wednesday to confirm she received the paperwork. She is located in Thomasville, which for those of you who are unfamiliar with south Georgia geography, is about 45 minutes-1 hour away from Bainbridge. Once we confirm that this person has received our paperwork, she calls the vendor who will complete our home study. Then, that vendor will call us to set up an appointment for the first home study. We will have to have 2 home studies. Both home studies must be completed within 30 days of each other. After the home studies are complete, we go for approval and then the fun stuff begins!!
On another note, Russell spoke to his oldest brother today and told him our news. They haven't always had the best relationship, but he was so excited for us. I can't express how uplifting it was for us to have the support of Russell's oldest brother and his wife.
Overall, everything on the adoption front is looking up!!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Don't fall for the myths about foster care and adoption
Happy Wednesday everyone! I just wanted to post this quick article that has some myths about foster care. It is such an uplifting article-enjoy!
Read it at http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20110707/OPINION/107070302
-Taryn
Read it at http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20110707/OPINION/107070302
-Taryn
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Our Life Story...
What an interesting past few weeks it has been. Russ and I have been consumed with filling out our adoption paperwork and getting everything we need done in order to move on to the next step in the process. We have had to fill out about 100 pages of questionnaires, dealing with every aspect of our lives you can imagine. I will share just a few questions with you that we have had to answer:
On top of that, we FINALLY got our Georgia driver's licenses last week! Most of our records and tests that we have needed to get done are finished. Our goal is to have the last bit of paperwork ready by Monday so we can turn it in and move closer towards getting our child.
- What was your childhood like?
- What were your pre-teen years like?
- What were your teenage years like?
- Describe your relationship with your parents as a child, and now as an adult.
- Describe your relationship with your siblings as a child, and now as an adult.
- What role does each person play in your family relationship?
- Please give us a physical description and layout of your home, including sleeping arrangements.
On top of that, we FINALLY got our Georgia driver's licenses last week! Most of our records and tests that we have needed to get done are finished. Our goal is to have the last bit of paperwork ready by Monday so we can turn it in and move closer towards getting our child.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Infertility Myths and Facts
One of the things that I want to do with this blog, aside from updating you all on our process, is to hopefully shed some light on infertility. Infertility is sometimes called the "silent disease", because some people believe it is too taboo to discuss. I have a big problem with that! Even before we found out about our own infertility issues, we've had a friend and a family member go through infertility. One used adoption, and the other chooses to live child-free. And you know what? That's okay! Both choices were ideal for each of these couples. Not being able to have a biological child of your own is a loss, and you grieve for the child you will never be able to have.
In light of that, I wanted to share some common infertility myths and facts, taken from one of my favorite websites, www.resolve.org. Resolve is the National Infertility Association and has tons of great information on infertility. I strongly encourage you to visit this website if you have not done so already.
Myth: Infertility is a woman's problem.
Fact: This is untrue. It surprises most people to learn that infertility is a female problem in 35% of the cases, a male problem in 35% of the cases, a combined problem of the couple in 20% of cases, and unexplained in 10% of cases. It is essential that both the man and the woman be evaluated during an infertility work-up.
Myth: Everyone seems to get pregnant at the drop of a hat. (This is how I felt. ALOT.)
Fact: More than five million people of childbearing age in the United States experience infertility. When you seek support, you will find that you are not alone.
Myth: It's all in your head! Why don't you relax or take a vacation. Then you'll get pregnant!(Yes, we've heard this one before)
Fact: Infertility is a disease or condition of the reproductive system. While relaxing may help you with your overall quality of life, the stress and deep emotions you feel are the result of infertility, not the cause of it. Improved medical techniques have made it easier to diagnose infertility problems.
Myth: Don't worry so much -- it just takes time. You'll get pregnant if you're just patient. (And we've heard this one too)
Fact: Infertility is a medical problem that may be treated. At least 50% of those who complete an infertility evaluation will respond to treatment with a successful pregnancy. Some infertility problems respond with higher or lower success rates. Those who do not seek help have a "spontaneous cure rate" of about 5% after a year of infertility.
Myth: If you adopt a baby you'll get pregnant! (Hahaha-for those of you who continue to tell us this, STOP. Please.)
Fact: This is one of the most painful myths for couples to hear. First it suggests that adoption is only a means to an end, not an happy and successful end in itself. Second, it is simply not true. Studies reveal that the rate for achieving pregnancy after adopting is the same as for those who do not adopt.
Myth: Why don't you just forget it and adopt? After all, there are so many babies out there who need homes!
Fact: For many, adoption is a happy resolution to infertility. However, most people explore medical treatment for infertility prior to considering adoption. In addition, traditional adoption options have changed, and adoption can be more costly and time-consuming than expected. It is, however, still possible to adopt the healthy baby of your dreams. There are also many older children and children with special needs available for adoption.
Myth: Maybe you two are doing something wrong!
Fact: Infertility is a medical condition, not a sexual disorder.
Myth: My partner might leave me because of our infertility.
Fact: The majority of couples do survive the infertility crisis, learning in the process new ways of relating to each other, which deepens their relationship in years to follow.
Myth: Perhaps this is God's way of telling you that you two aren't meant to be parents! (OUCH. This is extremely hurtful-we've heard this a few times, too.)
Fact: It is particularly difficult to hear this when you are struggling with infertility. You know what loving parents you would be, and it is painful to have to explain to others that you have a medical problem.
Myth: Infertility is nature's way of controlling population.
Fact: Zero population growth is a goal pursued in a time of world overpopulation, but it still allows for couples to replace themselves with two children. Individuals or couples can certainly elect the option to be childfree or to raise a single child. Infertility, for those who desire children, denies them the opportunity to choose.
Myth: I've lost interest in my job, hobbies, and my friends because of infertility. No one understands! My life will never be the same!
Fact: Infertility is a life crisis -- it has a rippling effect on all areas of your life. It is normal to feel a sense of failure that can affect your self-esteem and self-image. You will move through this crisis. It is a process, and it may mean letting go of initial dreams. Throughout this process, stay informed about the wide range of options and connect with others facing similar experiences.
In light of that, I wanted to share some common infertility myths and facts, taken from one of my favorite websites, www.resolve.org. Resolve is the National Infertility Association and has tons of great information on infertility. I strongly encourage you to visit this website if you have not done so already.
Myth: Infertility is a woman's problem.
Fact: This is untrue. It surprises most people to learn that infertility is a female problem in 35% of the cases, a male problem in 35% of the cases, a combined problem of the couple in 20% of cases, and unexplained in 10% of cases. It is essential that both the man and the woman be evaluated during an infertility work-up.
Myth: Everyone seems to get pregnant at the drop of a hat. (This is how I felt. ALOT.)
Fact: More than five million people of childbearing age in the United States experience infertility. When you seek support, you will find that you are not alone.
Myth: It's all in your head! Why don't you relax or take a vacation. Then you'll get pregnant!(Yes, we've heard this one before)
Fact: Infertility is a disease or condition of the reproductive system. While relaxing may help you with your overall quality of life, the stress and deep emotions you feel are the result of infertility, not the cause of it. Improved medical techniques have made it easier to diagnose infertility problems.
Myth: Don't worry so much -- it just takes time. You'll get pregnant if you're just patient. (And we've heard this one too)
Fact: Infertility is a medical problem that may be treated. At least 50% of those who complete an infertility evaluation will respond to treatment with a successful pregnancy. Some infertility problems respond with higher or lower success rates. Those who do not seek help have a "spontaneous cure rate" of about 5% after a year of infertility.
Myth: If you adopt a baby you'll get pregnant! (Hahaha-for those of you who continue to tell us this, STOP. Please.)
Fact: This is one of the most painful myths for couples to hear. First it suggests that adoption is only a means to an end, not an happy and successful end in itself. Second, it is simply not true. Studies reveal that the rate for achieving pregnancy after adopting is the same as for those who do not adopt.
Myth: Why don't you just forget it and adopt? After all, there are so many babies out there who need homes!
Fact: For many, adoption is a happy resolution to infertility. However, most people explore medical treatment for infertility prior to considering adoption. In addition, traditional adoption options have changed, and adoption can be more costly and time-consuming than expected. It is, however, still possible to adopt the healthy baby of your dreams. There are also many older children and children with special needs available for adoption.
Myth: Maybe you two are doing something wrong!
Fact: Infertility is a medical condition, not a sexual disorder.
Myth: My partner might leave me because of our infertility.
Fact: The majority of couples do survive the infertility crisis, learning in the process new ways of relating to each other, which deepens their relationship in years to follow.
Myth: Perhaps this is God's way of telling you that you two aren't meant to be parents! (OUCH. This is extremely hurtful-we've heard this a few times, too.)
Fact: It is particularly difficult to hear this when you are struggling with infertility. You know what loving parents you would be, and it is painful to have to explain to others that you have a medical problem.
Myth: Infertility is nature's way of controlling population.
Fact: Zero population growth is a goal pursued in a time of world overpopulation, but it still allows for couples to replace themselves with two children. Individuals or couples can certainly elect the option to be childfree or to raise a single child. Infertility, for those who desire children, denies them the opportunity to choose.
Myth: I've lost interest in my job, hobbies, and my friends because of infertility. No one understands! My life will never be the same!
Fact: Infertility is a life crisis -- it has a rippling effect on all areas of your life. It is normal to feel a sense of failure that can affect your self-esteem and self-image. You will move through this crisis. It is a process, and it may mean letting go of initial dreams. Throughout this process, stay informed about the wide range of options and connect with others facing similar experiences.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Timeline
So many of you have been asking me what happens next. I'm sorry for taking so long but I've been busy with work and then I've been just plain tired!
During the parenting classes last week, we received a HUGE packet of paperwork that we need to fill out. It's probably about 100 pages worth. Let's just say that it pretty much asks for our life story. We have 60 days to fill it out, but our goal is to get it back to our social worker around July 15. After that, we will have two more home studies which will be much more extensive than the first one. The person conducting the two home studies, I'm told, will ask us alot of questions, and will be similar to some of the questions we are answering in our packet of paperwork.
After the home studies are complete (which should be late August or early September), our packet goes before local, regional, and state approval. Once we are approved by the state (late September, hopefully!), we are then considered a resource family for adoption. Our case worker works with other case workers in the state of Georgia to find a child that matches our needs. Once they find a child, they call us with the information and set up a meeting with the child's foster parent (if they are in a foster home), our case worker, the child's case worker, and the director of the local DFCS to work out pre-placement visits. Pre-placement visits are scheduled times where we get to spend time with the child. These visits start out at just a few hours each to overnight visits.
If everything works out in pre-placement, then the child will come to live with us. During the time the child is living with us, we work with our attorney and the court to make the child legally ours. It takes approximately 6 months for the adoption to be finalized through a judge. During that time, the case worker will make monthly visits to ensure everything is going well. If things do not work out in pre-placement visits, then we will go back to the drawing board as a resource family for adoption. Of course, this is an extremely quick version of the entire process. I would probably bore most of you with all the gritty details.
My hope is that we will at least be in pre-placement visits with our future child by Christmas. Wouldn't that be the best Christmas gift of all for us?
During the parenting classes last week, we received a HUGE packet of paperwork that we need to fill out. It's probably about 100 pages worth. Let's just say that it pretty much asks for our life story. We have 60 days to fill it out, but our goal is to get it back to our social worker around July 15. After that, we will have two more home studies which will be much more extensive than the first one. The person conducting the two home studies, I'm told, will ask us alot of questions, and will be similar to some of the questions we are answering in our packet of paperwork.
After the home studies are complete (which should be late August or early September), our packet goes before local, regional, and state approval. Once we are approved by the state (late September, hopefully!), we are then considered a resource family for adoption. Our case worker works with other case workers in the state of Georgia to find a child that matches our needs. Once they find a child, they call us with the information and set up a meeting with the child's foster parent (if they are in a foster home), our case worker, the child's case worker, and the director of the local DFCS to work out pre-placement visits. Pre-placement visits are scheduled times where we get to spend time with the child. These visits start out at just a few hours each to overnight visits.
If everything works out in pre-placement, then the child will come to live with us. During the time the child is living with us, we work with our attorney and the court to make the child legally ours. It takes approximately 6 months for the adoption to be finalized through a judge. During that time, the case worker will make monthly visits to ensure everything is going well. If things do not work out in pre-placement visits, then we will go back to the drawing board as a resource family for adoption. Of course, this is an extremely quick version of the entire process. I would probably bore most of you with all the gritty details.
My hope is that we will at least be in pre-placement visits with our future child by Christmas. Wouldn't that be the best Christmas gift of all for us?
Sunday, June 26, 2011
What we learned this week!
There is really nothing else to say except...what a week! Whew! We have been so busy because we had parenting classes at our county DFCS (Department of Family and Children Services) office each weeknight (Monday through Friday) from 5:30-9 p.m. We learned soooo much more about the entire process, and now have a firm grasp on our timeline. We learned alot about adoption and foster care, because there were people in there who are interested in foster care only, as well as adoption. There were 8 people (including us) in our class and we really enjoyed meeting them. Mr. & Mrs. P., Mr. & Mrs. H., Ms. J., and Ms. G were all wonderful people with a loving heart, and we are so excited for them as they embark on their journey to open their homes to waiting children. What did we discuss? Keep reading...
On Monday, we learned more about how children come in to state foster care. The social workers discussed some of their recent cases and provided examples of how seemingly "normal" families can turn their lives upside down. Learning about how some parents mistreat their children is revolting, especially for us since we want nothing more than a child in our home.
On Tuesday, we discussed how teenagers in foster care are prepared for the real world through DFCS Independent Living Program. They teach them life skills (such as getting a job, balancing a checkbook, making a budget, etc.) that will prepare them as they enter the real world. We learned about the impact of trauma on child development, how children deal with grief and loss (and also discussed our own experiences with grief and loss of loved ones), attachments, serious emotional disturbances, and parenting a child who has been sexually abused. Yes, it happens more than we all want to know. Much more. The case worker told us that approximately 82% of children in state care have experienced some type of sexual abuse. Absolutely horrifying, isn't it?
On Wednesday, we discussed behavior management techniques, understanding and preventing misbehavior, and how to parent children of a different culture, race, and religious beliefs other than our own.
On Thursday, we learned about setting limits and boundaries, merging family systems, what the first day in our home would most likely be like, and how to be an advocate for the child.
Friday was the best because we were able to meet foster and adoptive parents and their foster and adopted children. The children were sooo cute! The parents had lots of great tips and experiences that they shared with the group.
So what happens now? Don't worry, we'll be blogging about that very soon!
On Monday, we learned more about how children come in to state foster care. The social workers discussed some of their recent cases and provided examples of how seemingly "normal" families can turn their lives upside down. Learning about how some parents mistreat their children is revolting, especially for us since we want nothing more than a child in our home.
On Tuesday, we discussed how teenagers in foster care are prepared for the real world through DFCS Independent Living Program. They teach them life skills (such as getting a job, balancing a checkbook, making a budget, etc.) that will prepare them as they enter the real world. We learned about the impact of trauma on child development, how children deal with grief and loss (and also discussed our own experiences with grief and loss of loved ones), attachments, serious emotional disturbances, and parenting a child who has been sexually abused. Yes, it happens more than we all want to know. Much more. The case worker told us that approximately 82% of children in state care have experienced some type of sexual abuse. Absolutely horrifying, isn't it?
On Wednesday, we discussed behavior management techniques, understanding and preventing misbehavior, and how to parent children of a different culture, race, and religious beliefs other than our own.
On Thursday, we learned about setting limits and boundaries, merging family systems, what the first day in our home would most likely be like, and how to be an advocate for the child.
Friday was the best because we were able to meet foster and adoptive parents and their foster and adopted children. The children were sooo cute! The parents had lots of great tips and experiences that they shared with the group.
So what happens now? Don't worry, we'll be blogging about that very soon!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Classes!
Hello all! It's been awhile since I've last blogged, but there really hasn't been anything going on. When not much happens, it makes me wonder "Is this really happening? Are we really adopting a child?". But yes, it's happening, and we couldn't be more excited!
Today, we received a letter regarding our parenting classes, which is the next major step in the process. They will be held all next week! We are sooooooooo excited! It will be interesting to see what they teach us next week about the children in the process.
I'm not 100% sure what will happen from here, so I'm not going to publicly speculate the next step on this blog until something happens.
This is just another step closer to getting our child-we cannot wait to be parents soon!
Today, we received a letter regarding our parenting classes, which is the next major step in the process. They will be held all next week! We are sooooooooo excited! It will be interesting to see what they teach us next week about the children in the process.
I'm not 100% sure what will happen from here, so I'm not going to publicly speculate the next step on this blog until something happens.
This is just another step closer to getting our child-we cannot wait to be parents soon!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Music and Videos and Stuff
It's been a while since my last post, but I have a good excuse. Honestly. A very sad event happened in our family almost 2 weeks ago. It's still hard to talk about, but all I want to say is that it hurts so much that our child will never meet this person who was one of our biggest fans throughout this whole process.
On another note, I wanted to share some of my favorite YouTube infertility songs/videos. Look them up when you get a chance.
"I Would Die for That"-Kellie Coffey (We actually saw her in concert in 2004 when she was opening up for George Strait in Tally) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqfGqOx2iDQ
"Infertility Is"-A great video about infertility that expresses lots of common emotions. Some of our feelings are expressed in that... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRYJdAEkBC8&feature=related
"I'm Here Without You Baby" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2wq06wSLFE&feature=related
"Infertility Journey-When the Rain Comes" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g88EmZ2YWSQ&feature=related
Obviously, these videos don't reflect 100% of my views, but they are really interesting. There are many, many more but I just thought I'd share!
On another note, I wanted to share some of my favorite YouTube infertility songs/videos. Look them up when you get a chance.
"I Would Die for That"-Kellie Coffey (We actually saw her in concert in 2004 when she was opening up for George Strait in Tally) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqfGqOx2iDQ
"Infertility Is"-A great video about infertility that expresses lots of common emotions. Some of our feelings are expressed in that... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRYJdAEkBC8&feature=related
"I'm Here Without You Baby" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2wq06wSLFE&feature=related
"Infertility Journey-When the Rain Comes" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g88EmZ2YWSQ&feature=related
Obviously, these videos don't reflect 100% of my views, but they are really interesting. There are many, many more but I just thought I'd share!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Why Foster Care Adoption?
As we are in the process of going through foster care adoption, some of you have asked how we have come to this decision. I thought it was best to tell you all a little bit about what has led us to foster care adoption.
When we got married in October of 2003, we always knew we wanted children. Our plan was to have our first child by the time Russell turned 35. He's 40 now. (We even had a pregnancy plan, my how life doesn't always seem to go the way you plan it, lol) In fact, we started trying to get pregnant in 2005 when we moved to Orlando. When we moved back to Tallahassee in December of 2006, we thought it just wasn't the right time. So we waited another year before we would try again. We began trying again in early 2008. When we were not getting pregnant, we decided to see our doctor, who then referred us to a fertility specialist in Jacksonville. We spent approximately 1.5 years with fertility treatments and surgeries. When our fertility specialist told us there was a 96% chance we would never be able to get pregnant, it seemed as if our hopes of having our own little family came crashing down.
We had always thought about adoption over the years, especially when our beautiful niece was adopted from China. Although we respect and admire my brother's decision and love this little girl more than words can express, we knew that international adoption was not for us. We knew that, if we were going to adopt, it would be from within the United States. Just over a year ago, we were online and found information on foster children that needed to be adopted. Russell and I had a LOT of discussions about this, and we had conducted TONS of research; we decided we would pursue adopting an older child from the foster care system. We are so happy with our decision and could not imagine building our family any other way now. We know that this is God's plan for us, and it is awesome to finally realize His plan. We just can't wait until we get our child. We know it will be tough, but it will be worth it in the end because we'll finally have a child of our own!
When we got married in October of 2003, we always knew we wanted children. Our plan was to have our first child by the time Russell turned 35. He's 40 now. (We even had a pregnancy plan, my how life doesn't always seem to go the way you plan it, lol) In fact, we started trying to get pregnant in 2005 when we moved to Orlando. When we moved back to Tallahassee in December of 2006, we thought it just wasn't the right time. So we waited another year before we would try again. We began trying again in early 2008. When we were not getting pregnant, we decided to see our doctor, who then referred us to a fertility specialist in Jacksonville. We spent approximately 1.5 years with fertility treatments and surgeries. When our fertility specialist told us there was a 96% chance we would never be able to get pregnant, it seemed as if our hopes of having our own little family came crashing down.
We had always thought about adoption over the years, especially when our beautiful niece was adopted from China. Although we respect and admire my brother's decision and love this little girl more than words can express, we knew that international adoption was not for us. We knew that, if we were going to adopt, it would be from within the United States. Just over a year ago, we were online and found information on foster children that needed to be adopted. Russell and I had a LOT of discussions about this, and we had conducted TONS of research; we decided we would pursue adopting an older child from the foster care system. We are so happy with our decision and could not imagine building our family any other way now. We know that this is God's plan for us, and it is awesome to finally realize His plan. We just can't wait until we get our child. We know it will be tough, but it will be worth it in the end because we'll finally have a child of our own!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Update!
Yesterday, we received a call from our social worker/resource coordinator regarding the timetable for our adoption. The next step is parenting classes in June; however, they have moved them to July due to budget cuts. I certainly hope this does not put a major delay in the date we will be able to get the child. I can't wait for this fall-it's going to be so exciting!
Also, we have our drug screening scheduled for May 31st in the afternoon. That is the last major test we have to do. We still have to get some other paperwork finished, but it should be pretty easy.
Oh yeah I finally announced our adoption on Facebook! It was great to see so many positive comments and likes from family and friends.
Until next time...
Also, we have our drug screening scheduled for May 31st in the afternoon. That is the last major test we have to do. We still have to get some other paperwork finished, but it should be pretty easy.
Oh yeah I finally announced our adoption on Facebook! It was great to see so many positive comments and likes from family and friends.
Until next time...
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Happy Mother's Day!?!?
Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there! Happy Mother's Day to everyone who can get pregnant at the drop of a hat, or just by saying the word "pregnant"! OK I said it, now I got it out of my system. Mother's Day brings so many mixed emotions for me.
The first emotion is happiness and love for my own mother and mother-in-law. That one comes easy, I am so grateful for all they have done for us in life. Russ and I are so grateful for their support during this journey to bring a child into our home.
Next is sadness-for the last several years, it's hurt me that Sunny is my only baby. I always wondered "Why can't it be me? Why can't I join that illustrious Mom club? It's just not fair! I know I've done some things that I'm not proud of in life (but everyone does that sometime in their lives), but why does God choose to punish me this way?"
Then is hope-This is the first Mother's Day that I have considered myself a "mom-to-be". This is the first Mother's Day that I have actually not cried and been upset, so I think I'm heading in the right direction.
Happy Mother's Day everyone!
-Taryn
The first emotion is happiness and love for my own mother and mother-in-law. That one comes easy, I am so grateful for all they have done for us in life. Russ and I are so grateful for their support during this journey to bring a child into our home.
Next is sadness-for the last several years, it's hurt me that Sunny is my only baby. I always wondered "Why can't it be me? Why can't I join that illustrious Mom club? It's just not fair! I know I've done some things that I'm not proud of in life (but everyone does that sometime in their lives), but why does God choose to punish me this way?"
Then is hope-This is the first Mother's Day that I have considered myself a "mom-to-be". This is the first Mother's Day that I have actually not cried and been upset, so I think I'm heading in the right direction.
Happy Mother's Day everyone!
-Taryn
Monday, April 18, 2011
Did you know?
Happy Monday everyone! I am off from work today so I thought I would share some infertility statistics with all of you. Nothing new is happening in the process; I really don't expect much to happen until June, so we are enjoying the lull right now. In the family, we are expecting a new niece any day and are expecting our first great-nephew in July! I think 2011 is definitely the year for new children in our family!
One of my favorite websites to read about infertility at is http://www.resolve.org/. I highly recommend you visit it because most people don't know much about infertility or how it affects couples. I will post a few infertility statistics here, taken from this website and from the Infertility stats page at the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/fertile.htm.
Did you know...
One of my favorite websites to read about infertility at is http://www.resolve.org/. I highly recommend you visit it because most people don't know much about infertility or how it affects couples. I will post a few infertility statistics here, taken from this website and from the Infertility stats page at the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/fertile.htm.
Did you know...
- 1 out of 8 couples struggle with infertility? Chances are, we're not the only couple you know who has infertility issues. Most couples don't make this public.
- Approximately one-third of infertility is attributed to the female partner, one-third attributed to the male partner and one-third is caused by a combination of problems in both partners or, is unexplained.
- Number of women ages 15-44 with impaired fecundity (impaired ability to have children): 7.3 million
- A couple ages 29-33 with a normal functioning reproductive system has only a 20-25% chance of conceiving in any given month (National Women’s Health Resource Center). After six months of trying, 60% of couples will conceive without medical assistance.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Home Study and Everything Else!
OK, OK, I'm sorry I haven't posted since last week! I've been super busy with work (as usual), and I know you've been asking me to post about the home study!
The most amazing thing was that Sunny was the best behaved dog. EVER. She was sooo wonderful. When the social worker arrived at our house, Sunny did not bark. She was sweet, friendly, and minded her own business when we were inside. Maybe she knew what was at stake. WOW.
The home study was actually much easier than I thought it would be. The social worker inspected the room that the child would be sleeping in and looked at all of the child safety materials (such as the safety locks and plug protectors). She seemed very impressed with everything we had done to make the house child-proof. At the end, she told us that we have a nice house that would be suitable for a child to live in. YEAH!!!
The next step for us is parenting classes in June. Thank goodness they are on Saturdays so it won't interfere with my work schedule-June is the craziest month of the year for me with work. After June, the process should be much more exciting! So right now is the waiting time, the calm before the storm. We are sooo excited! We can't wait to see what the future holds!!
The most amazing thing was that Sunny was the best behaved dog. EVER. She was sooo wonderful. When the social worker arrived at our house, Sunny did not bark. She was sweet, friendly, and minded her own business when we were inside. Maybe she knew what was at stake. WOW.
The home study was actually much easier than I thought it would be. The social worker inspected the room that the child would be sleeping in and looked at all of the child safety materials (such as the safety locks and plug protectors). She seemed very impressed with everything we had done to make the house child-proof. At the end, she told us that we have a nice house that would be suitable for a child to live in. YEAH!!!
The next step for us is parenting classes in June. Thank goodness they are on Saturdays so it won't interfere with my work schedule-June is the craziest month of the year for me with work. After June, the process should be much more exciting! So right now is the waiting time, the calm before the storm. We are sooo excited! We can't wait to see what the future holds!!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Wow! What a surprise!
(This actually happened on Thursday, but I did not get the chance to post until today. A follow-up blog will be posted soon!)
So the most amazing thing happened today! This afternoon, I got off early and Russell and I went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things. While we were standing in line, I got a phone call from the resource coordinator to set up our home study!! Our home study will be TOMORROW morning! Yes, I said TOMORROW!! I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. OK I better get off now so I can start cleaning and preparing!!
I will post again after it's over!!
So the most amazing thing happened today! This afternoon, I got off early and Russell and I went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things. While we were standing in line, I got a phone call from the resource coordinator to set up our home study!! Our home study will be TOMORROW morning! Yes, I said TOMORROW!! I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. OK I better get off now so I can start cleaning and preparing!!
I will post again after it's over!!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Nothing yet...
Some of you have asked me whats going on in the process since I haven't blogged lately. We are still waiting on a call to schedule our home study. The one thing about these adoptions is that they take a VERY long time. But we don't care, we know all the waiting will be worth it when we get our child.
I'm not worried about the waiting yet, because there is still so much to do before the home study. The major things we still have to do are:
In other news, I am going to a baby shower this weekend (We will have a new niece near the end of April! Yeah!!) and it will probably be the first baby shower I've been to in over 5 years that I don't come home feeling depressed and wonder when (or if) we will ever have a child.
Until next time...
I'm not worried about the waiting yet, because there is still so much to do before the home study. The major things we still have to do are:
- Get Georgia driver's licenses
- Get fingerprints
- Take a drug test
- Have our car insurance changed from FL to GA
- And of course, get ready for the home study!
In other news, I am going to a baby shower this weekend (We will have a new niece near the end of April! Yeah!!) and it will probably be the first baby shower I've been to in over 5 years that I don't come home feeling depressed and wonder when (or if) we will ever have a child.
Until next time...
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Getting Ready! Well...slowly
This week has been a slow week in the adoption process, meaning nothing has happened. We are hoping that our background check has come back by now, and the resource coordinator determines that we're not criminals, lol. Since I had a VERY busy week at work (dressing up as The Cat in the Hat 3 times in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday), it was nice to have a slow adoption week.
We went to Wal-Mart last night and bought our first child related item!! We bought those safety plugs, the ones that keep children from putting their fingers into the electrical outlets. I probably sound silly, but it was very cool to be in the infants section of Wal-Mart buying something for us! We've only been in that section before to buy stuff for baby showers.
Also, I moved our household cleaners from an open space in the laundry room to the cabinet at the bottom of our sink. Now, we just have to get some of those cabinet locks before the home study.
We're hoping that the resource coordinator will call us sometime this week or next week to schedule the home study. And you know I'll be blogging about it once I get that call!
We went to Wal-Mart last night and bought our first child related item!! We bought those safety plugs, the ones that keep children from putting their fingers into the electrical outlets. I probably sound silly, but it was very cool to be in the infants section of Wal-Mart buying something for us! We've only been in that section before to buy stuff for baby showers.
Also, I moved our household cleaners from an open space in the laundry room to the cabinet at the bottom of our sink. Now, we just have to get some of those cabinet locks before the home study.
We're hoping that the resource coordinator will call us sometime this week or next week to schedule the home study. And you know I'll be blogging about it once I get that call!
Monday, February 28, 2011
What a weekend!
This weekend, we went to Tallahassee to tell our family about our exciting journey! Overall, everyone was very happy for us! It was a wonderful feeling that, for a change, the child spotlight was on US!!
I know how it feels to hear that someone younger than me, or around my same age, is pregnant. It still amazes me that people can get pregnant at the drop of a hat, when they have absolutely no idea what we have been through with our infertility struggles.
I am off from work today, so we are planning to have our TB (tuberculosis) screening done this afternoon. One more thing to cross off the list! Yeah!!
I know how it feels to hear that someone younger than me, or around my same age, is pregnant. It still amazes me that people can get pregnant at the drop of a hat, when they have absolutely no idea what we have been through with our infertility struggles.
I am off from work today, so we are planning to have our TB (tuberculosis) screening done this afternoon. One more thing to cross off the list! Yeah!!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Sunny's Vaccinations
On Friday, we took our darling Sunny (our 7-year old miniature pinscher) to the vet to get her vaccinations. She acts like she usually does at the vet! When I got her out of the truck, she jumped back in to the truck! Then, when I picked her up, I had to carry her into the vet's office because she would not walk in there on the leash. Keep in mind, she only weighs 11 pounds!! When we finally made it inside, she kept staring at the door because she couldn't wait to get out of there. The receptionist called her "Gretchen", which is extremely funny because that is my mother-in-law's dog's name! Gretchen is also a miniature pinscher, btw. We finally got back to the examination room, where I put a muzzle on her. Every time we go, she tries to bite the vet, so this is why she needs the muzzle. After all of the painful shots and nail trims were completed, I was able to take the muzzle off and she started barking at the vet and the techs! But, the important thing is, the vet said Sunny is doing great and I got her vaccination certificate! Yeah! One thing to cross off the list!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Orientation!
We are starting this blog so everyone can stay informed of our adoption journey.
Yes, we have decided to adopt.
No, this is not a new decision.
Yes, we have been thinking about this for a long time. Like, years.
No, we cannot have children "the easy way", or "just like everyone else".
Yes, we cannot wait to open our home to a waiting child.
Russ and I have decided to adopt an older child through the state of Georgia DFCS (For those of you outside of Georgia, that stands for Department of Family and Children Services). We had contacted the statewide inquiry line a few weeks ago and have been in contact with the regional resource coordinator. Tonight, we attended IMPACT Orientation to learn more about the process of adoption and to decide if we wanted to go through with it. We have decided to go through with it and we cannot be more excited! We filled out the official adoption application and signed papers to begin the adoption process. We learned some interesting facts about Georgia's children tonight:
We have alot of work to do, including getting physicals, getting paperwork together such as Sunny's vaccination records and birth certificates, and drug screens. We are now waiting for a call from our resource coordinator to schedule the first home visit. After that, we will be taking parenting classes that the state of Georgia requires.
Now comes the fun part. All of the paperwork, waiting, home visits, classes, and more now! We have been very secretive about this, and we are at the point where we are ready to tell our family and friends about our journey. So, as you read this, enjoy this blog!
-Taryn
Yes, we have decided to adopt.
No, this is not a new decision.
Yes, we have been thinking about this for a long time. Like, years.
No, we cannot have children "the easy way", or "just like everyone else".
Yes, we cannot wait to open our home to a waiting child.
Russ and I have decided to adopt an older child through the state of Georgia DFCS (For those of you outside of Georgia, that stands for Department of Family and Children Services). We had contacted the statewide inquiry line a few weeks ago and have been in contact with the regional resource coordinator. Tonight, we attended IMPACT Orientation to learn more about the process of adoption and to decide if we wanted to go through with it. We have decided to go through with it and we cannot be more excited! We filled out the official adoption application and signed papers to begin the adoption process. We learned some interesting facts about Georgia's children tonight:
- Over 15,000 children in Georgia are in foster care.
- Approximately 4,000 children are in need of a permanent family.
- About 250 of these 4,000 children are without a permanent family or home.
We have alot of work to do, including getting physicals, getting paperwork together such as Sunny's vaccination records and birth certificates, and drug screens. We are now waiting for a call from our resource coordinator to schedule the first home visit. After that, we will be taking parenting classes that the state of Georgia requires.
Now comes the fun part. All of the paperwork, waiting, home visits, classes, and more now! We have been very secretive about this, and we are at the point where we are ready to tell our family and friends about our journey. So, as you read this, enjoy this blog!
-Taryn
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