The Wait.....

As many of you know I started the process of fostering with the hopes of adopting a little less than a year ago.  Well, with all that went on over the last yr.  Anna was sick, she has another ear surgery, and the normal (for her) fevers...  I just have not gotten around to posting...  so I will catch up!

Last August (2012) I inquired with a fostering agency to become a foster parent.  I had gotten to know a couple of people who had adopted through the foster care system and this seemed like the way to explore adopting a second child.  I really wanted Anna to have a sibling and knew a second private domestic infant agency adoption was not the direction I felt God was leading me.  After much prayer and research I contacted a wonderful fostering agency about an hour from me.  Give Children a Chance of Georgia has an amazing mission...  to simply give GA foster children a chance at a wonderful life while they are in their case. Going into this experience I knew I would just be fostering but that a child would likely eventually become available for adoption.  I felt God was leading me to walk this journey..  and so I leaped!!

I met with them for the first time in Aug. of 2012.  My approval took a little longer but because I had an approved home study from Anna's adoption it was not crazy!  Yes, there is always a LOT of paper work with adoption/fostering..  and this fostering agency has a few extra things they do.  So I finished all my paperwork, counselor meeting, finger printing, giving blood...  (YUP literally- for the medical labs required for the medical exam portion of the process).  Then I waited...  waited for the required fostering class (IMPACT) to be offered!  After completing IMPACT on a Saturday I was told I would be approved by Tuesday and ready for a placement! That was a little scary....  but I was off that week for Thanksgiving....  but the call did not come that week....  Then..  9 days after approval...  I got a call for a 2 month old little girl.  There were some things I had prayed about and things I wanted about a placement.  I will not go into specific detail...  but ALMOST everything I prayed for was present in this situation...  I will be honest..  the only thing that was not "close to perfect" was her age!  I had prayed for a child who was born before Sept 1, 2012...  because of school cut offs..  my little was born after that... but God has and will continue to provide....

Fast forward... some unexpected things came up...  and God has provided for this little one and for us as a family...  for that I am very thankful!  The way God has protected this sweet little girl humbles me each day. HE is ALWAYS in CONTROL!

In July, there was a hearing...  it was about the 4th hearing in her case...  I knew what was supposed to happen at this hearing (I was not present- my agency represents me/child at these hearings and the child also has a state DFCS worker). As I was at the case review panel meeting.  I prayed for a miracle and we ALMOST got one!!   Of course I figured out what I prayed for legally could not have happened..  so what happened was exactly what needed to happen...  the judge requested Termination of Birth Parents rights be filed...  this is early as they generally wait till the year in care mark and at the time it had not even ben 8 months yet... once again, I could feel God's hand in this all.

So where are we now?

We wait...  first we wait for TPR to be filed...  then we wait for the hearing...  and go from there...  LOVE this little one!  And I pray it is God's plan for her to be part of our family!!  Anna LOVES her too.

It has been a while....

WOW!  It has been sometime since I have blogged...  Once Anna turned 2 it seems like things just got really really busy!  And the summer was full of travels and as the new school year has started....  wow...  one change after another with curriculum changes and everything else associated with change!  And...  as summer came to an end..  God was really working in my heart and has lead me to adopt one more time.  This became very complicated as I knew I did not have the budget to do this...  well not the way I adopted Anna...  Domestic infant adoption requires a budget of about $25-60K.  Raising a child on my own and paying for full time daycare is expensive.. so I knew Domestic infant adoption was out.  I had been looking into international adoption and was watching vietnam closely.  Their program was supposed to reopen in Feb. 2012...  it is still closed....  So I was going through some information I had gathered yrs ago when I was exploring options for Anna's adoption... 

I came accross an agency about 45 min. from me who places foser kids...  Long story short..  I found out a whole lot more about the foster system than I had ever known before!  And I found out it was possible to adopt young children if you were willing to foster first!  So...  I am working with a wonderful agenc in Alpharetta called Give Children a Chance of Georgia. I took a very very long IMPACT class this past weekend..  today I will be placed in the system...  and tomorrow I will be active! 

Adoptions do happen through them and we got to meet many adoptive parents..  And my thought is..  if I am not able to be adopt a child the first time..  I have to look at it like I am being used as part of God's plan for this sweet child!  I will keep you all posted!  Please pray for Anna and I as we pray to expand our family by 1!

Getting soo big.... Fall 2012...

 

The top photo is Anna's Preschool photo!  She is going to a church preschool 4 days a week this year! 

The Bottom one is from our Fall/ Christmas photos! 

My Sweet Girl is 2!

How did that happen!  Anna is growing up way too fast!  Oh how I love my girl!  She is a very active, spunky little girl who loves to play and loves her puppy!  She talks a great deal!  She recently started a new preschool and started staying with a babysitter. I have to say I really love this situation, however, it does make for a very long drive for me in the morning.  We are looking at some major changes for next school year. I will keep you updated.  As much as I would really like to add one more sweet child to our little family, a lot has to do with what hapens with the adoption tax credit and what happens with the Vietnam Adoption program.  3 yrs before I adopted Anna I knew I would adopt and I was sure I would adopt from Vietnam... Right now the program remains closed.. but a new program is in the works!  I hope to adopt a 2.5- 3 yr old.. but if not.. I am more than happy with our little family! 

Anna's Fall Photos

Almost 21 Months!

Everyday I am so thankful that God has given me the opportunity to raise my sweet girl.  I am amazed at what she has learned in less than 2 years and how much she is like me.  She is funny, stubborn, giggly and spunky!  Oh how I love her!!  She is putting 3-5 words together and voices her oppinion on nearly everything!  She is also sweet and cuddly!  She loves to give kisses and hugs (most of the time).  She remains to be a little shy... just like her BM was.  I love that she has a quality I observed about her BM.  I cannot believe Anna will be 2 in just 3 short months!  We recently had fall photos done!  I have attached one of the sneek peeks!  Look how big she is getting!   We are also having our Christmas/ her 21 month photos done this weekend...  I may not share all of those as I paln to use them for our Christmas card. 

On a closing note.. Please feel free to contact me if you are a single in the Atlanta metro area hoping to adopt or who has adopted.  God bless!

18 Months Old!

I cannot believe Anna is 18 months old!  She weighed in at almost 22 lbs and was nearly 31 inches tall!  (30 & 3/4, 21 lbs, 10 oz).  She is talking up a storm and LOVES to sing.  Sadly, we had to make a daycare change this month.  When we started at the old daycare I knew I wanted her in an inhome till she was 1 so we did not return after last summer (She was only there a month when she was a baby).  Well we went back shortly after Anna turned 1.  I loved her tachers!  WIthout notice the center moved one of her teachers... that began the breakdown in communication.  It seemed like I never knew when her teachers were changing as I got emails after the fact.  And Anna had become very attached to her teachers.  I asked who was going to be in the room the next day as Anna's favorite teachers was leaving to return to college.  THey could not tell me.  And everyday that week someone new was caring for my girl!  Hated this.. on top of all of this she was being bitten more than she had been (biting come with this age, but there was not propper superviaion) And they raised their prices.  Yup- this all added up to a move!