On being a number

Well, all UPS employees should be looking forward to a generous Christmas bonus this year, due exclusively to all of our cross-country overnight envelopes.

In other news, we're on the waitlist! Our dossier needed a few changes which were promptly made. We finally got our *number* yesterday, and we're officially waiting! I think this is the first time it's felt real, and I'm taking suggestions on how to calm myself down. Preferably without a prescription.

Our new family. Baby E is still a Paper Baby. Crappy phone picture because I'm on my lunch break and won't remember to do this tonight

An Update That's Not

After waiting anxiously all day for the news regarding our dossier review, we received an email that it hadn't gotten reviewed on Friday. There was an in-office cleanup day that pushed all work behind. When I read that email, I released the white-knuckle grip I had on my cell phone for the past 8 hours, smiled cheerfully and said "that's OK, I know I'm not in control!". Oh wait, no, I actually started crying and speaking in a verrrrrrrry high-pitched voice about how frustrated I was.


However, after a weekend full of the two sweetest boys in the entire world, a husband who graciously allowed me to pout instead of being productive, and lots of baked goods from Wegman's, I'm feeling much better.

However (yes, another one), if I don't know something tomorrow about that dossier, I will likely turn to...I don't know what...please just hug me.

Overdue Update

The title speaks for itself. A lot has been going on in our adoption world within the past 6 weeks, and it's definitely time for an update.

List and picture form, because I'm feeling verbally lazy:

Home study: Aaaannnnd I lied already. I have to abandon the list/photo form for a quick story. We completed our home study checklist and sent all the documents into the agency. The very next day, I dropped off some books to a friend at her work. We hadn't seen each other in awhile, and we were chatting for awhile in her (shared) office. After some adoption Q&A, we started talking about how nervous I was for our upcoming home study. As soon as we got onto this subject, her colleague walked in. She mentioned that he is a social worker and often does adoption things. You know where this is going right? He turned out to be THE social worker assigned to our home study!!!! This was phenomenal, considering the home study agency we were using was 2+ hours away. God definitely has a sense of humor :-)

Our home study meetings were actually really enjoyable. The social worker was great, and our study was complete within two weeks. Getting it approved by AGCI, however, was a different story. The draft had a long four-week journey to its eventual approval: Social worker - us - social worker - home study agency - adoption agency - HSA - SW - us - SW - HSA - AA - HSA - SW - HSA - AA. Four weeks. Lots of nail biting. BUT it's done!

The last week has been a whirlwind in Adoption Land. Our dossier had been sitting around patiently for the last month, just waiting for the home study to arrive

Dossier Checklist - Each check mark added a bit of sanity back into my life


The day our home study documents arrived was a happy, happy day. I spent an hour in my office organizing the final dossier lineup, then it was off to UPS. I asked the UPS man if he would poke some holes in my Paper Baby's shipping box. He wasn't amused.

My Paper Baby. She sleeps through the night


Isn't my Baby E the cutest Paper Baby you've ever seen?


On our way to UPS. No, I'm not kidding. Safety first!


Just FYI, overnight shipping across the country was only $48. Not too shabby. Our dossier arrived yesterday, safe and sound, to AGCI. And tomorrow it will be reviewed. The last three months of our lives have been a whirlwind of paperwork, and tomorrow it will be approved. I hope! If so, we will officially be on the waiting list, and I'll be able to share our first official number!

Please, please, please let tomorrow be the end of this portion of the Paperwork Pregnancy. And maybe it could be the end of these as well?

The adoptive mother's stretch marks


About Me

I am a 20-something Christian, wife, full-time working mother of two. We are expanding our family through adoption, and this is our story.

Big Brother

Big Brother

Little Brother

Little Brother

Habakkuk 2:3

If it seems slow, be patient!
For it will surely take place.
It will not be late by a single day.