It's been a little over 2 years that Jonathan and I have been trying to conceive. We have had no such luck.(don't get me wrong, the trying is still fun!) After some disappointing negative home pregnancy tests and people around us popping out babies like there was no tomorrow (I still love you all) we sat down and started to discuss our next steps in starting a family. We decided that we would look into adopting. Let me just start by saying that choosing adoption is no easy task. It's not like picking out what you're going to wear, or what to make for supper. It takes a lot of thought, a lot of discussion, and in our case a lot of prayer.
We started our process in Hamilton through CAS, and went to an information session. They basically tell you about the many steps involved in adoption, and all the paperwork involved. The paperwork is: medical reports, family history questionnaires,home safety checklists, criminal record checks, vulnerable screening tests, and financial information. We had completed our paperwork in Hamilton, and were waiting to hear about the PRIDE training sessions, which is 8 weeks of parenting classes, teaching you about how to be an adoptive parent (to generalize) Basically, you need the PRIDE training before you can really do anything. There are also 3 home studies involved, the initial meet and greet, meeting us seperately, and the final home study before the child is placed in the home. This seems like it's easy and takes no time, but in Hamilton we had to wait about a YEAR before we could even start the PRIDE training. I was discouraged. THEN, we moved.
Here in Huntsville, we started our adoption process through the Muskoka CAS in mid September. Early October, we met with our social worker who did the initial home study. I was so nervous I barely slept the night before. We had a lot of questions to answer (the key one being "Why do you want to adopt?) and it was a lot of information to take in. Our next phase starts in January with the PRIDE training, and home studies.
I'll say this. Adopting isn't for the flighty or the impatient (a thing I'm working on) You have to want to adopt, knowing that although this child is yours, it's not entirely "yours". You have to know and understand especially with a CAS child, there's going to be obstacles in raising that child, and they may require extra time, patience, love and compassion. There's a lot of prayer and preparation involved. Maybe that's why it takes a while from the time you submit the application to having the child placed.
I've decided to start this blog because I want to enlighten people about the journey of adoption. I don't think a lot of people know what it takes to adopt. We see celebrities on TV adopting all the time, and it seems so easy *cough cough brangelina cough cough* Maybe for them it is. I know for Jonathan and I, it's far from it, but I know in the end it will be the most rewarding experience of our lives.
So I ask this my dear readers: if you're the praying type, please pray for us. We feel this may be the path God has lined for us. (not that we won't still try) Right now we don't care how it happens, but we both long and desire to be parents. If you're not the praying type, then please think happy thoughts for us. I hope to keep you all updated the best I can.
Prayer Requests:
- pray for our worker, for wisdom and discernment. that she'll know how much we want a family
- pray for patience for us, as this will be a long process
- pray God's will for us, whether it's adopting or a pregnancy
