photo shoot - take 1 - and that's a wrap!

we received our photo disc from kaitlin this past week.  http://www.2point5d.com/  we were overwhelmingly excited to review the disc and see how everything turned out.  everyone has been asking how it went and is interested to see the pics.  we could not have been happier with how our story and message will be conveyed to the birth parents through these photos.  for this reason, we've both decided that we'd like to keep our photo shoot pictures private until we complete the profile book to submit to our agency.  the purpose of the photo shoot is to convey the story of our lives, what we see for their child's future, and the love we share with each other and with their sweet baby.  we think it best to work to create the book privately and then to share it with everyone electronically when it is fully complete, so that everyone can understand the purpose behind the photos we've selected.

to throw everyone a bone we picked one sample picture to give you a taste of what's to come. 

thanks again to GOD for getting us on this path and walking with us in this journey.  a million thanks as well to our photographer kaitlin roten (former jmu alumni), all of our friends, and our families for all of their love and support as we prepare to begin the paperwork portion of our journey.  we'll be requesting our packet mid-november for a december first submission.  we're ecstatic to be on this journey and are so looking forward to what is about to unfold.

lil' red rocker

stumbled upon this little red rocker the other day.  i thought this was just the perfect addition to the nursery. 

my two sisters and i used to love to sit in our little rockers and watch some tv.  lori would actually sit in hers until she was about 13.  she was the only one who could still fit her little booty in it.

husband also loves rocking chairs.  he's always been a huge fan; just loves rockin' it up!

can't wait to see our little one rockin' and rolling!

phase I complete

yesterday was the big day - the day that all of this hard work has led up to.  we had to get the nursery ready for the photo shoot, and the photo shoot had to be october 9th since it was the last session our photographer would have before taking time off for her own maternity leave.

we had long check lists, we had hundreds of things to do, everything needed to be "perfect".  for months we had worked on the yard, the house, ourselves.  but we made it - everything on the check list got done.  time for the photo shoot arrived and we were surprisingly calm when we met kaitlin (http://www.2point5d.com/).  she was sweet and helped us relax.  husband and i both commented that we did not even feel like we were being photographed - a definite sign of a great photographer.  we cannot wait to see how the pictures turn out.  we know they will reflect our love for each other, our hope for the future with our baby, and the fun and joy that we have in life.

so the big reveal of how the nursery turned out is now due.  below are my own photos of the finished room.  we still have to arrange to pick up my mother's rocking chair, but everything else is in place. 

now we can breathe easier knowing that this phase is behind us. 

we can focus on our paperwork and getting things ready for our initial application submission.  we'll keep you posted on our progress and where we stand in the process.

connections and opportunities

there's been a lot of connecting with strangers lately.  we've opened up and when people ask us what is going on with us, we talk about adoption.  people are curious.  they want to know things about what is going on with the process.  some things we can explain, and others we just do not have answers for.

here is what we know:

• how lucky we are that God has selected this path for us
• we've decided we're doing a domestic infant program in the US
• this program means we could be the proud parents of an infant between the ages of 0 - 3 months
• we've decided we're open to a baby of any gender and any ethnic background
• we know we are ready to love any baby that God calls us to adopt
• we pray for the birth parents and baby on a daily (and sometimes hourly basis)

here is what we are unsure of:

• we don't know how long the process will take once our paperwork has been approved
• we don't know how long it will take to complete all of the paperwork and complete the home study
• how we will handle a match if it falls through
• we don't fully understand how our lives will change with the addition of a new life
• we've had discussions of what will change, how things will work differently, and what we need to be prepared for - but i don't think we will fully understand this until it happens

i went into our small downtown area friday night to pick out a new wreath for our front door.  while there i chatted with the shop owner about preparing for our profile book photos.  she told me how "admirable" it was that we were adopting, since so many babies needed homes.  i've really felt badly about this ever since.  i should have used that opportunity to tell her that i am just doing what God wants me to do, and that it is me who is on the receiving end of something that is admirable, and that the person who should be most admired is the biological parent(s) that are choosing life for their child and loving them enough to give them up for adoption.  but i did not say any of this, i just blew it. 

but, i guess the fact that i cannot stop thinking about it proves that all of my reading may finally be paying off -

because i will be ready next time.