It's official!

Well, we had our phone appointment with AGCI and it went great! We were highly impressed with the time she took with us to answer our questions and how thourough she was with her information. The great news is that we can be only on a boy wait list and they are now Hague accredited!! These were the only two things that gave us pause so now that those are cleared up, we're in! We have decided to adopt using AGCI so the process begins. Neil has to get a doctor's documentation about his Melanoma so that Ethiopia doesn't reject us with the word "cancer". She said it shouldn't be a problem as long as we have dr. documentation on record. Then it's filling out a financial worksheet and doing our phone orientation before we officially sign the contract. WOW - this is really happening! I will tell you that we are so excited but so nervous! We are trusting that God's hand will be with us all the way and give us exactly what we need at exactly the right time. He has always been faithful so there is no reason to doubt Him now. This is going to be a huge leap of faith and I look forward to how He will be working through us and everyone else who will be on this journey with our family.

Neil told his parent's last night and I had talked to my parent's on Friday. We'd tried to tell everyone we could but I was bursting at the seams to announce to our church family and friends so last night I was up sending email after email! I asked for specific prayers for our baby boy who is probably already concieved and for his birth mother. To be with her and baby brother's health. To be with her as she is probably having to make the hardest decision of her life to give up her child. I couldn't even imagine. Our joy is someone's heartache...

A Big Week

Well, it's been an eventful two weeks with our decision to get started =) So exciting! We were busy telling family and friends before we announce it on a wider scale to the blog and facebook world. But today was really big as we did our first submission to an agency. We filled out the pre-app for AGCI tonight and I just hit the send button! Wow - this is really happening! We have a phone appointment Monday with a AGCI consultant to go over the pre-app and get any of our questions answered. No fee and no obligation. I really love this agency and for so many reasons. Our only hesitation at all is having to be on the boy and girl wait list when we really want to bring a baby boy home. We'll see how it goes on Monday!!

The other story

As I'm following along with people's stories and holding on for the next post like pages in a fabulous book, I have really learned to realize there are two sides to the story. Yes, this family I'm reading about it will be bringing a baby home or has already met their sweet one but there was a really tough decision made for that to happen. The other story belongs to the birth families. The mother had to decide to give this child up because she couldn't take care of them one way or another or even more heartbreaking, she didn't want them. But either way, that child will always be part of her and she will always remember them. I couldn't imagine having to give my child up or tragically leaving my child behind. I want to remember to pray diligently for our child's birth family so that while we may be rejoicing in seeing our numbers get closer to #1, someone far away is getting closer to losing a child they love.

I read the most touching post the other night when some new parents got to meet their baby boy's birth mother and grandfather... a tear jerker for sure and it just really touched my heart. How blessed they were to get pictures all together, to ask questions, to hug the woman who gave him life, to have even more closure than most are able to get. Here is the link so that I will be able to get back to the story easily when we might be in the same boat or so that we can pray to be in the same boat.
http://pratterbox.blogspot.com/2010/02/121609-birthfamily-meeting.html