[sarah16]

Here's hoping and praying for your homestudy in your hands on January 1st. To help ease your mind, I love my social worker and we still had some errors in our homestudy the first time we looked at it.

[Gemmabean]

Sarah, did you get copies of your police report and CPS report as well as your social worker's license and a license for his/her place of work? or is all that just needed for international adoption.

I feel since we paid for our police reports we are entitled to copies.

I sent the second revision back last night, only one error that I'd missed the first time. *WHEW*

I'm feeling like we did all the work, what exactly did our $2,000 pay for??

[birdy1600]

I totally understand how the depression can stop a person in their tracks. It is good that you tended to yourself! And what a beautiful thing that your world is going to open up with joy soon. I am thinking of you!

[Gemmabean]

We received our home study report on 12.24.08, what a Christmas present. I just realized I've not posted in a long itme.

I have also completed our profile and it has been given to our social worker and our social worker. I also sent it to my aunt who works in a maternity ward at a hospital.

I have a few other places to send our profile.

I'm starting to become hopeless again. I guess I was ok while we were busy and working on our home study.

But now the waiting, with no end in sight. I think the state of the economy isn't helping either. There is rumor at my office that they are going to take away our health insurance, so I've been freaking out about that, we were already wonderig how we'd afford $200 a month for health insurance to add a child, in addition to the cost of raising a child.

I'm just freakin out.

I know when we have a child, we will be fine. But right now I have too much time on my hands, to much time to "what if" what if no one ever picks us...

Thanks for letting me vent. I know you understand. I guess I'm just suffering a low point. I was sick last week and I suppose that doesn't help.

Can you believe it's already been 5 months since we started this process? I guess I feel like it should just take 4 more, like a normal pregnancy, but it's the "no end in sight" that's getting to me.

Thanks again.

Love and hugs,
Julie

[Gemmabean]

The bad economy has reached my house. My DH has been cut from full-time to 3 days a week.

I am freaking out. I don't know what this means for us as far as our adoption plans.

I don't know if you read my blog post yesterday - it was before I got the news about the cutbacks at DH's work.

I was posting about there never being a good time to be pregnant or a good time to adopt and I am afraid this is the worst time to be trying to adopt. Little did I know.

I wanna cry.

I've been advised not to tell our social worker because this may all pass quickly and they will hopefully go back to full-time soon. And SW would be non the wiser.

But also the way things have been going, I don't see us beeing choosen to be APs anytime soon anyway.

I'm trying not to panic, but I am, and I'm not. We've both been totally unemployed before and managed, but we weren't trying to adopt.

I just want this whole thing to blow over. I know, this too shall pass. I hope it hurries!

Love,
J

PS I'm not posting this "news" on any of my blogs because I don't want the wrong person to find out, but I know this is a safe and supportive place to post. I hope everyone else is weathering this economic storm well. *hugs*

[mgmsrk]

I don’t think it will hurt in an adoption, as long as you are OK financially. Were you planning on child care or one of you staying home? Either way you’ll save money on that end.

[sarah16]

Julie!! I'm thinking of you. Hope that your DH is back to 5 days a week soon.

[theresa0604]

Julie - you are right when you share that there might never be a good time to get pregnant, a good time to adopt, etc. - we all have our "ideal plan" and I imagine all of us on here have had at least a dozen or so of those, but when the time is right things will fall into place and a baby will be placed in our arms.
Although I'm not a frequent attendee at church, I do believe that God doesn't give us more than we can handle ... that doesn't mean I haven't questioned him myself a few times ... but there is a plan for all of us. My MIL states that "every pot has it's lid" ... I know that I found my DH later in life but he is now my "lid". Together we will find our "lid" as a married couple which will be our beautiful child.
I hope that things turn around with your DH's job ... everything is one day at a time and maybe today or tomorrow that too shall turn around.
Hugs,
Theresa

[Gemmabean]

In March/April the first birth mom finally reviewed our profile. Unfortunately we were not chosen. So it took us 3 months to get to our first profile review.

Last week, our SW called with an unusual situation. THREE siblings: a 6-year-old boy and 4-year-old b/g twins! I was surprised that our SW would call us with something like this, but then she explained that it's a foster to adopt situation. Fostering with the intent to adopt. The birth parent's rights were terminated at the birth of the twins.

So, we said, yes, we'd like to be considered.

Last Thursday, SW called to say the current foster mom (who BIT the little girl) is fighting to keep the eldest boy. The kids are in temporary foster care, but now it will take longer since the case may go to court.

Our SW says she probably won't get custody since she inflicted bodily harm.

I am finding it VERY diffifult not to get emotionally involved with each situation that comes before us. Very similar to being pregnant and hoping not to miscarry.

Hope you are all well. Sorry I've been away so long, busy busy busy. Also trying to use "social networking" as a way to connect with a birth mom.

Please feel free to continue to PM me with your questions, you know I'm open to share

Love and hugs,
Julie

(yes, I said THREE!)

[sarah16]

Thinking of you Julie. Keep us updated!!

[arucker]

congrats julie, that's great that you have this opportunity to get a newborn from the nicu. My sister is also an RN for nicu in lexington KY. She is keeping her eyes and ears open for me as well. I don't know if they have the same program that your hospital has, but I'm going to ask. Hopefully you'll have your first mommy's day next year. good luck.

[theresa0604]

wow Julie - 3 would definitely be live changing but in a good way
Glad to hear that your SW is making things happen for you ... keep us posted and GOOD LUCK.

[Sly]

We've been in the adoption route for a long, long time (4 years). Part of it is due to my husband being really picky. He won't do foster-to-adopt. However, I am in that stage where I think everything will be sun-shiny if I only had a child.

I just found out this weekend that my cousin, who I thought they were going to stay child-free, adopted a newborn. It got set up through a sibling who knew someone. Also, another cousin is having their 3rd, and another cousin had their first baby.

We are approved to adopt through the state, so we are waiting for some kids to become available and then for us to be picked. There are soooo many families though.

I'm sad today. But, part of me just wants to go child-free and enjoy what comes from that, so why am I so sad?? I think I just want a conclusion to this road we are on.