Friday, August 15, 2008

Adopting

We’ve gotten so many emails and Facebook posts asking if we are pregnant, adopting, fostering—or what? Someone recently even asked me what part of China our baby was coming from. So, I thought I would allay any rumors by writing a little about the process we have been through since we anticipate introducing you to baby Pounds very soon.

The decision to adopt came long ago, even before Kevin and I knew each other. I must have been 13 or 14 when I told my parents that I was not going to have children “of my own” but that I was going to adopt a little girl from China and name her Emma (my favorite Jane Austen book). My mom will remember when I ardently urged her to consider adopting a baby herself!

The details have changed since then, but not the heart that God gave us to adopt a child. I think I had a conversation with Kevin early on in our dating relationship about my intention, and ever since then it has been in his heart as well.

Fast forward 7 years of marriage, and here we are very close to having a baby “of our own.” The journey has been almost a year in the making from our first research and inquiries at adoption agencies, to our decision to adopt from DYFS (NJ’s child welfare system).

Going through DYFS means that any child that we get will be coming from a potential or actual abusive/neglectful situation. It also means that we will be taking the baby on a fostering basis at first with the intent to adopt. DYFS created a program for these babies who will most likely need permanent adoptive homes, and so they place them with people like us who would like to adopt them if their mother is not able to rehabilitate.

Kevin and I believe that the best place for a child to be is with his or her biological parent, as long as it is a safe environment. With that in mind, we will be praying for the biological mother to change her life and make sacrifices so that she can get her baby back. However, we also know that this hardly ever happens and that the baby that we receive will most likely need a permanent home with us. The risk is still there, but we hope that we can bless and help the biological parent any way that we can.

So, that’s the condensed version. As of this past Friday our home study and inspection have been approved and we are officially in wait mode. It could literally be any day now, we are trying to be patient!

Now for the fun details: we don't know the gender, we don't know the race, we won't be able to change their name until the adoption is final, the adoption won't be finalized sooner than 12 months, we do know that it will be a baby under 3 months old.

Thank you so much for your prayers and inquiries, we hope to have a new story to tell very soon.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

I am sooooo excited for you both. I know the anticipation gets higher with every day of waiting but, oh, how worth it it will be. We are praying for you and can't wait for the new little Pounds, boy, girl (or puppy), haha.
Love ya,
Aunt Suzanne

Tylers.Net said...

Thanks for all the wonderful details! We are praying for you daily and look forward to seeing all the wonderful ways the Lord is going to bless you as parents. What an amazing testimony you will have to share! Look forward to all the new life stories you will have to share as a Mommy & Daddy! Love,Christi

Lori said...

Christin thank you so much for posting about the process y'all are jumping into. It is so exciting. I hope that in the future I can talk Dustin into fostering. I think that is a wonderful ministry. Of course adopting will be great for y'all to if that is what happens. I'm so excited & a little nervous for y'all. We'll be praying for all of you.

Jonathan Zila said...

Can't wait!!!!!

Courtney said...

what do you think about posting some photos of the nursery? I'd love to see it all set up!

Landers Family said...

Christin, that is so exciting! Court keeps me updated on the latest in your adoption process but I love that I got to read all about it in your own words. I am so excited for you guys and I can't wait to hear all about your sweet little baby once you have him or her in your arms!
love,
Erin

Freddy T. Wyatt said...

wow! awesome! You guys are going to be amazing parents! I think Susan may be planning a trip to Jersey sometime this week...can't wait to see you guys

Susan Wyatt said...

I didn't even know you had a blog till FT told me yesterday, I will be adding it to my google reader. Love keeping up with you and I'm very excited about the adoption process you are in. Looking forward to following along from here on out and glad we are so close now that we will really get to meet the little one. I'm hoping to make it to Jersey soon to get to a Walmart or Target, maybe I'll get to see you guys when we make the trip over.

Susan