Too funny!!

Adoption by Accident Author: Unknown

Have you ever noticed that you hear all the time about "accidental" pregnancies, but never about couples who experience "accidental" adoptions? Can you imagine:

- --Honey, sit down. I have some news for you.
- --What is it?
- --Well, I don't know how to say this, so I'll just come out with it. I went out to the mailbox today and ... well, we got an I-171H.
- --A what?!? An I-171H? As in, we're going to have another baby?!?
- --It looks that way.
- --But how? We've been so careful! I put away all the blank I-600A forms. Didn't you hide our homestudy update?
- --Of course I did. But don't forget, there was that one night ...
- --What night? (Pauses) Oh, that night. But it was only once. We were just messing around. I didn't print clearly. I didn't even use ink! (Pauses again) But it was kind of fun.
- --(Giggles) it was, wasn't it? I'll never forget how cute you looked getting your fingerprints.
- --So now we've got our I-171H, eh? But that doesn't always mean you'll adopt, does it? I mean, shouldn't you see the agency or something, make sure everything's okay?
- --I already did.
- --And?
- --I'm five documents along.
- --Five documents! And they're all notarized, certified and authenticated okay?
- --Just great. There was one small scare when the agency couldn't see the notary's middle initial, but it showed up just fine under the magnifying glass.
- --Thank Goodness. And you honey? Are you feeling okay?
- --I'm feeling fine. As long as I know you're happy about this.
- --Happy? I'm thrilled! It's always a shock at first when something like this happens, but of course I'm happy!


Okay--I just happen to be grumbling about doing our paperwork and I came across this......it completely made me laugh. I don't think it would have been so funny if I hasn't been trying to figure out some governmental forms. I mean, does anyone really know what they are talking about ???.........(petitions and affidavits of support and sponsors and immigrants)......

But the good news is........I think it's all done!! (for now...)

Getting closer!!

I had great "monday morning news" even though it wasn't officially a monday today!! We are moving to "MOI" which is......do I dare say....."end" stages...??? Honestly I don't know the exact steps from here. They say this stage is taking about 3 months, so even though I say end.........it's still a ways out. I honestly don't know if there are maybe a few little steps like printing passport or ???....whatever else may need to be done. It wouldn't surprise me if there is another month of small stuff. Actually nothing surprises me anymore--LOL!!! But the the broad checklist that I have......is coming closer to the end!!!

Highs and Lows

Low: needing to update paperwork and doing another pee drug test
High: Getting pictures of Aidan
Low: getting dr. to update medical forms for the umpteenth time between adoption requirements and medical insurance requirements
High: Hearing about Aidan and how his personality is
Low: once again bugging friends to update letters of recommendations
High: Knowing Paul is going to visit Aidan soon
Low: spending more $ on updating paperwork
High: Hearing kids ask when Aidan is coming home because they "really want him home"
Low: not really knowing when "the end" is.......waiting all summer
High: God is giving us patience
Low: Righteous anger with the length of this process
High: Remembering how God completely directed us to Aidan

Okay--you get the point. It's time for us to update our paperwork. I conveniently "forgot" about the letter informing us for about a week, then decided I better take care of it :) So it's really no big deal, but I think I was just having a bad attitude day when I got that. Do you know how many times we've had to get a Dr.'s letter. Since we started with Alyssa about 8 years ago..........that means we've done this about 6 times. And I think the thing that aggrivated me the most was getting updates on our letters of recommendations. See each time we've adopted we need letters and it's suppose to be 2 different people and preferably 1 non-related. So we've had 6 different people do letters of recommendations............I don't know if we can adopt again----we're running out of close friends!!!! (by the way, I'm sure whoever wrote letters for this last round, you are reading this and you'll be getting something in the mail to update that letter. Sorry---)

Well in case you don't know me, this stuff is really no big deal. Nothing really gets me hot, but it definitely reminds me that 1 romantic night would be so much easier and less time consuming than all this..........
BUT.....then again I would have missed seeing God in my life.

In fact talking about adoptions. I think I'm more passionate about them than before. If that makes any sence. I think we were forced into the adoption world the first time. Forced isn't the right word---"directed" by God because other doors were closed. But you know what I mean. Even Aidan was God leading us. We had many doubts about doing a 3rd adoption. We questioned if we wanted to stay a family of 4 or go to 5. But as we wait for Aidan my thoughts have completely shifted. I'd love to adopt again----just because we have the ability to share love with someone. It's not about deciding what the perfect # is for a family---but about sharing what a family is. This week we were all once again taken down by sickness. After spending 2 nights with both kids purging from both ends I couldn't help think about "who takes care of Aidan" when he's sick. Who sleeps by his side and helps him when he "doesn't make it to the toilet?" But even deeper than Aidan........I wonder if there are kids who don't have anyone to do this for them? I wonder if there is a little kid who just wants a family?
I recently read a book about a boy who grew up as a Haitian slave and eventually came to America. Through out the whole book the theme that jumped out at me was just how much he wanted to be loved and part of a family, and called a son to someone. (I do tred lightly when I talk about reasons for adoptions--I am a firm believer that I am not "saving" a child----quite frankly I think a child helps to save me. My mentality is about sharing love and family--not about rescuing or saving)
If any of you are reading this and have ever thought about adoption......wow---it's an amazing journey. If you've ever wanted to have your faith stretched, and God grow you......adoption can do that. I'm not saying I have it all handled and I have strong faith----quite the opposite is true. Sometimes I feel like I could crack at any time because it affects every aspect, yet He is my "lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path". It can be really amazing----you should think about it!!

Adopted!!

Update

It's been a while--life continues on!!!   I was pleasantly surprised by our April update.  It was fabulous and for just a moment I'm able to think about Aidan and get a glimpse into his personality. 

He sounds just simply wonderful and sweet and yet full of life.  Yes--I know we actually were with him, but that was 7 months ago so he continues to grow and change, so these updates allow me to keep in visioning him as he becomes a little kid.  Some of it talked about how he's creative and plays well with others.  A couple of my favorite lines that made me laugh out loud are..........."Manuel loves to chat in school and has to often be reminded to use his ears more than his mouth"......................and......" Manuel likes to have someone just for him to sit with and eat cheetos with"......and......"Manuel gets bored easily (talking about during church) and spends most of his time playing with whoever happens to be placed next to him."..............and.............."Manuel LOVED the huge pixy sticks and had no problem finishing off his own and even having some of his friends that were willing to share with him"  Okay---so it's not fair that I only picked out a few sentences and not the whole update…………..but they cracked me up when I read them!!!   Eating cheetos and pixy sticks.............and not being able to sit still or stop talking.............I think he reminds me of two other kids I know!!  But in all seriousness, the update was a little window to our little boy.....full of sweetness about him…………..and we're still patiently waiting to have him home. 

 So this weekend was Mothers Day.  So much to think about.  Our lives are filled with mothers, birth mothers, step-mothers, mother-in-laws……………each of them deserving a big THANKS!!  Moms are truly a work of God.   It takes a strong mom to raise her kids and let them grow up and eventually be independent.  I have a lot of work to do in that area yetJ  ( When I tease the kids that they aren't allowed to get older Alyssa replies with "it's just a fact of life mom....i'm going to get bigger" )  Yet no matter how old you are...... I think you always need your mom.  There is just no one like mom!! 

 I think about our birthmoms and the extremely unselfish acts of love they did, and the courage to make the best decisions for their babies……….I hope they know deep down how much we love them………….and that our kids will know how special they are………..adoption is a miracle of God that no one can fathom unless they have been affected by it.  Completely a God thing. 

 I got an awesome Mothers day gift.  I got a baseball glove and a coffee mug.  The glove---because it’s getting harder to play catch barehanded with the kids.  Both are getting a fabulous arm on them.  And the cup---because dad knows I love a good cup of coffee and love to take it with me while I run errands!!  Now—if I could just get the kids all in the same picture instead of 2 separate pictures…………..that would be awesome!!!!!