Dear Baby #2: Praying and Preparing

Dear Baby,

Preparations are under way even though we don't know when you will be here. We want to be ready. We do have a room picked out. It's right across from our room so you'll be close. We've already chosen some colors.. brown and green I believe. We even have had some toys, rockers and other stuff donated too.

We did our home study. That's where someone checks out us, and our house to make sure it's ok for you to come live with us. Oh and we went to the doctor who ran tests to make sure we are healthy enough to take care of you. We are still waiting on some results but it seems everything is going fine. We also have to wait a little while for some paperwork and such to get done, but soon we will be putting our profile for your mom to see. Once that happens it could be any time.

So until then we are waiting and praying. We are praying for your mom's health and the choice she has to make. We're praying for you too. And don't worry, we aren't the only ones praying. There are so many people who are praying for us, and for you too.

Dear Baby: #1 Introduction

Dear Baby,
Let me introduce myself.. I am Russell and my wife is Meagan. We live in a house with 4 puppies and a kitty cat. Meagan teaches school, and I lead music at our church.

Our house is a nice small house in the city. It has a yard out back with a small garden, and a tree where I can put a swing. I think thought we'll have to save the swinging for sometime other than August, it's hot!!!

Inside the house we already have a room picked out for you! Right now there's not much in it but we are working on collecting a crib, dresser, toys and all the other stuff you will need.

The colors are brown and green. I hope you like them, but if not we can change them once you are old enough to tell us what colors you do like.

It seems kind of weird writing to you because we have no idea who you are, or when you will come to live with us. Just know this.. we are praying for you, we are praying for your birth mom and we can't wait till you come to live with us.

It's late so I'll say good night.
Love You

Visit to OKC

It has been a while since the last post...this is in part due to a busy summer and also due to the fact that we are both procrastinators (yes, I admitted it!). The purpose of this blog is to take friends and family through our journey. In June, we took the first big step in that journey.

On June 10, we left Texarkana bound for Oklahoma City. The adoption agency we are using is in OKC and they require each couple to attend an adoption seminar. The seminar started on June 11th, but we went a day early to see the Oklahoma City Redhawks play.

The Redhawks are a AAA team in the Texas Rangers system. There was a great crowd that night and we had awesome seats (thanks to a friend of Russell's that used to work for the team.) During the 7th inning stretch, we got a big surprise. At Astros game, during the 7th inning stretch, everybody sings "Take me out to the Ballgame" and "Deep in the Heart of Texas." Well in Oklahoma, they sing "Oklahoma!" I sincerely wish I had a video of the guy standing on top of the dug out, dancing while singing. He was very amusing! After this, both of us were tired so we decided to call it a night. On our way out of Bricktown Ballpark, we got a quick picture of us in front of the

Mickey Mantle statue.

On Friday, we got to sleep late and left the hotel for a late lunch at a restaurant about half way between the hotel and the adoption agency. The seminar started at 4 pm, so we had a little time to kill. We ended up going to Target and PetSmart before heading to the agency. We really had no idea what to expect, how many people would be there with us, what information we would be given, etc. The seminar ended up being extremely helpful and it dismissed many of the fears we had. The seminar was from 4-9 Friday evening and 8:30-3:30 on Saturday. We were one of nine couples that were attending the seminar.

During the seminar, the agency staff cover topics including Legal Process, Grief & Loss, Creation of a Family, Attachment, Transracial Parenting, and Prenatal Exposures. The information was helpful, but by far the best part of the seminar was the panels of people that came and talked to us. The first panel was a group of birth moms. They each told their story and talked about the contact they have with the children they gave up for adoption. One mom had a very open adoption, while the others were semi-open or closed. Two of the moms placed their child up for adoption over 16 years ago, when every adoption was closed and just recently they have made contact with the adoptee.

The second panel were adult adoptees. They were all over 40 years of age and their birth mothers had given them up during a time when the moms did not even see the baby after birth. There was a screen put up during delivery. Each of them talked about their relationship with their adopted mother and their birth mother now.

The last panel was definitely the most entertaining! This was the panel of adopted families and the children were just precious. Each family told their story about the adoption process. The most interesting information we gleaned from the birth moms & the families was that the majority of them agreed on the hardest part of the whole process. Leaving the hospital.

Since it has almost been 2 months since the seminar, I have had time to try and comprehend all of the information. There was a ton of information fed to us in 12 hours. There were also many emotions to process.

Though it has been a seemingly slow journey for a while, things are beginning to gain momentum. The trip to Oklahoma was one step.. keep checking back for the steps to come.