We're doing it again.

We've started the adoption process. This time is so much different then last! We were not ready for another child even two months ago and wondered if we'd ever want more. Then I started having dreams about *gasp* babies. Ever since we had Flower, we were kind of over wanting a baby, because we saw that having a baby wasn't the only option. Our favorite age has always been 18 months to 3 years. That still remains true so why not start at the age you love? Well that's apparently not what someone else has planned for us. I approached KG and told him we should start thinking about it. He looked like a dear in head lights. I would wait and bring it up ever few days with updates on dreams or thoughts after praying. We thought a lot about getting pregnant but that just didn't feel right. We always thought we'd go back to China, and maybe we will, but that's not what's supposed to happen now. We are feeling most lead toward domestic infant but are open to a toddler as well. This scares the crap out of both of us! We never thought we'd go with domestic because it's so uncertain. With international you are guaranteed a child in a certain time line. You are also guaranteed a cost. There is NO guarantees with domestic. You have no idea when and if you'll be chosen. And then what if the birth mother changes her mind. That's like having a miscarriage. There are also no guarantees with the cost because each agency had different costs and we just don't know where our little one might be waiting for us. There is also the potential of birth complications which you are responsible for the cost of. There is so much uncertainty! We're terrified. But if that's where our child is, we'll do what it takes. Amongst all the fear we are super excited!
We printed off all the paper work the weekend of the 17th and sat down Monday, the 19th, and completed most of it. We finished what we hadn't completed on the 27th and we met with our social worker yesterday, the 28th! She was SHOCKED that we had it all done. She thought she was coming over to bring us the paper work and walk us through it. No. Once we decide we're ready for something, we don't waste anytime. The process of when we started for Flower was meeting with our social worker in February, done with all the paper work a month later, waiting for state and government approval, getting her referral in July and bringing her home in February. One year exactly. But everything on our end was done in a month and our social worker was amazed. We don't mess around! We have our fingerprints scheduled for the 9th of June, our doctor appointments on the 17th, our next(and final) meeting with our social worker on June 18th for our interviews and our mandatory training on the 20th and 21st of June. She is going to have our homestudy done by then so she just has to add our training certificate to it and then we can be viewed! :) I am going to work on our profile, which I am the most nervous about, this weekend and complete it by the following weekend. I'm so excited.
We are being a little more, or should a say A LOT more open about this one and letting everyone know at the beginning of the process. With Flower no one had clue that we were adopting, other then those we'd asked to be references, until after we had her referral in August. But with domestic, you really should network for yourself. I've had friends who have adopted a child that they found out about because it was someones sister, friend, cousin or distant relative or someone they met from the blogging world. So please keep us in mind if you know of a birth mother that is considering adoption for her baby. Flower will make the best big sister! :) When our homestudy is complete we will have more information for you to give a potential birthmother if you know one, but for now you are welcome to send them to our blog so they can get to know us. www.zflowerz.blogspot.com
Thank you so much to everyone that is already being a huge help to us through this. Your love and support is what makes us who we are. It gives us the confidence to move forward in expanding our family.
Love,
KG, Ang and Flower :)