Update

No major news to report, but I thought I give y'all an update on where we are with our adoption progress.

I mentioned that we launched our adoption facebook page and hoping to adopt profile. The facebook page has gotten a really got response so far. We've set a goal for 200 "likes" by April 7. The purpose of the page is spread the word outside our small circle of friends. If each of our friends "shared" the page and got more likes from all over the country, we could potentially reach a birthmother/baby that we wouldn't have otherwise found in our small town. If you've seen the page, you might have noticed the empty frames in our cover photo. We're planning to take some pics this evening so hopefully you'll be able to see photos of us soon! I've been waiting to really publize the page (read: plaster the internet with our desire to adopt) until we have some photos up. I think it helps to put a face with a name. I want people to see the real us and I think a potential birth mother could get a better idea of our family if she could "see" us AND read about us.

We weren't able to take the adoption classes that started last month because of hubby's baseball schedule (he coaches JV baseball). We're trying to figure out the next classes that will work for us. Even though at this point we feel a private adoption might work best for us (more on that in a minute), the classes are still a valuable resource for adoptive parents and will also walk us through the home study.

So why are we thinking about a private adoption? There are many reasons, really. One being that the process of private adoptions CAN be much quicker than other types of adoption. Basically the way it works is that we find a birthmother/baby on our own (possibly through our facebook page or word of mouth) and we use our own lawyer to do the paperwork. From what we understand, legally all that's needed is a hearing before a judge. The hard part, of course, is finding a birthmother. Private adoptions also tend to be less expensive. Most of the people we know who have adopted did so through a private adoption. We haven't ruled out adopting through an agency or DHR though. In time, we'll explore all possibilities, but private adoption is our short-term plan.

To be honest, I've been a bit discouraged lately. It seems like there have been so many bumps in the road and it makes me question if I'm truly trusting in God's perfect timing or if I'm being too impatient. I realize that it's not going to be easy, but I don't want to "force it" (if that makes sense). This has been weighing heavily on me.

But right now, there are many ways you can help! The best and easiest way to help is PRAYER! Pray for us and pray for all the women out there who are struggling with what is best for their babies. Adoption is not an easy decision! It takes a tremendous amount of courage. Please pray for these women (and men)!

The second thing you can do to help is to spread the word! Share our facebook page. And if you hear of a situation where adoption is a possibility, please tell them about us. I'm also planning to design adoption pass-along cards (like business cards) with our info so we can give them out.

Thanks!