Paper Pregnant

Yes, you are reading that correctly.  Sounds kind of funny doesn't it?  When we first heard that, we both looked at each other and laughed.  I think everyone in the class was laughing actually.  And speaking of class, we went to Orientation a few weeks ago and then to our fist of eight training classes.  With these classes comes a lot of homework plus trying to get all the required paperwork done for the applications.  Wow, it's a little overwhelming.  The first couple of days I was on it.  I would come home from work, take Winston out and put his food down, and then start working on adoption papers immediately.  Now I'm hitting the harder questions and I'm not sure how to answer them. 

First, how do you describe your "ideal child?"  We were asked to close our eyes and imagine our child, what he/she looked like, older or younger, white or other, one or multiple, foreign or domestic, you get the point.  I felt off because all I could see was a child.  I couldn't see what he or she looked like, I just saw that they were ours and we were a family.  On the drive back home, I asked Andy what he had pictured and he said he saw the same thing I did.  Neither one of us could clearly define what our child would look like.  How can you describe someone you have never met.  I think when we meet our child we will know him or her. 

Second, how do you describe yourself without sounding full of yourself?  You want to tell all the amazing things about you and your family but at the same time you don't want to turn it into a brag fest about yourself.  Several people who have gone through this same process have said that I cannot think of it as bragging.  Andy and I have to view this as our only way to tell a birth mother how incredible we are.  But how do answer questions about yourself, while trying to say what's great about yourself, without sounding like you are full of yourself?  Have I said the same thing throughout this entire paragraph?! 

This whole process is overwhelming, frustrating, and scary.  But it is also very exciting and uplifting to know that we are not alone in this journey and that we will have a baby in our arms at the end of it all.  However he or she comes into our lives, Andy and I will have our precious child!

Where to Start

For those of you who have not heard the news yet, Andy and I are beginning the adoption process.  Well, I think it is technically called "our adoption journey."  We have been trying to start our family for a while now and we feel God is pulling at our hearts to seek out adoption.  We have been praying for a clear sign as to where to begin, and we finally got an answer.  We are working with Bethany Christian Services in Nashville.  We had our first meeting last night and it was very overwhelming!  A lot of info in a very short period of time, but it was great.  As for now, we are going with a domestic adoption unless God leads us another direction. 

Beginning this journey together is one of the most scary and exciting things Andy and I have done to date.  We are extremely excited and cannot wait to see the plans God has in store for us!

I have never blogged before, in fact, I had not really heard of a "blog" until this past year.  Since we got married and moved to Cookeville, keeping in touch is a little harder so hopefully everyone can keep up with us and see what's new with the Stites!