Priorities and Faith

Well the holidays are definitely on their way. I love Christmas time and all that comes with it. Most people think about the lines and the amount of money you shove out, but to me Christmas time is about Christ, Family, and remembering why they are important to us. This week has also been filled with a lot of Joy in our family. Our good friends, who we consider family, have just had their first child a boy. It's a very exciting time for them. Since our Bible Study group came fully together, as the gang, we have all really came a long way and we really have a strong bond with each other. A kind of friendship that will last a life time. It is with that strong bond that has helped Keith and I throughout our adoption process. The girls have been such a wonderful sisters to me, helped me realize that just because I can't make babies, doesn't mean I won't be a good Mommy (which was really a big concern for me.)

Infertility had a very strong impact on me, personally. Being religious and trusting that God has a plan for each of our lives tends to make one wonder if you can't have babies because God doesn't think you should be a mommy. But with my upbringing and my wonderful exposure to the blessing of adoption through kids, friends, and family this wasn't something I worried about a lot; but it was something that would get to me at times. After trying to conceive and talking to Doctors people tend to get a little judgmental. Others are more insightful and uplifting. Our gang, especially the girls, helped me to see that. It's a natural feeling to want to begin a family and when you hit a road block sometimes its hard to see a detour as a solution instead of an inconvenience.

Nevertheless, all of our experiences has really brought Keith and I closer together. We knew before we even started officially "dating" that the likelihood of conception would be slim, but we still wanted to try. After trying with no results its a bit defeating, but Keith being the ever resilient one didn't let it get us down. We definitely had a period of grieving over the fact we would likely never have the opportunity to debate over who's nose our child had, or where their temperament ultimately came from; but that wasn't the end of our quest to have a family, it was only the beginning.   We began looking into adoption more aggressively and seeking out what our expectations and ideal situation would be. That was a long process in itself.

Choosing the right agency and program all seemed a bit overwhelming, but in the end it took finding out our friends were pregnant to say, we've waited long enough and we are going to pursue this and let God lead us in the right direction. We really prayed, but right after that we were able to really start saving our money and prioritizing our schedule. Heading into the season as we see our friends becoming parents into a family of three, it is really an inspiring sight, to see them with their new born baby and know one day we'll feel just as they do with our child.

In the end the only difference between adoption and natural conception is the paper work and the unknown amount of waiting. I hope we don't have to wait too long, but we'll wait as long as we have to. It's important that we made it that far and the best is yet to come!