Growing our Family

We are embarking on the exciting journey of

adoption!

We've always known that we would adopt, but Scott and I are still surprised at the timing and venue.  I always thought I would adopt an older American child because I have pangs in my heart for those who grow up in foster care.  Scott has always wanted to adopt from East Asia since that is where we live now... and we always said it would be a few years down the road before we adopt, anyway.

Well...surprise! If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans because His ways are not our ways.

As we have begun telling our friends and family about our decision, it obviously brings up a lot of questions and that's okay.  You'll be sorry you asked, though, because I'll talk your ear off about it!!!  Here are most of the frequently asked questions:

Q: Why are we adopting now?

A: We've been trying to grow our family with another pregnancy for about 9 months, and after three failed fertility procedures we have prayerfully considered that God is simply telling us that his timing for us to adopt is now.

Q: Where are we adopting from?

A: Bulgaria!

Q:.... Where is Bulgaria?

A:It's okay. I had to look it up on a map, too.

It borders Romania, Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and the Black Sea.  Sounds exotic, right?

Q: Why Bulgaria?

A:  We are adopting through Small World Adoptions, which is a Christian international adoption agency and of all the countries that they have programs in, Bulgaria was the perfect match for us. We can't adopt from China until I turn 30 (4 years from now), Russia is closed to ex-pats, American adoptions is a too long waiting period and although the Madagascar and Ethiopia programs are good, we're not sure at this point living in China that we could handle the opposition and criticism we would face by having a black child.  We have friends who have adopted from Africa and live here in China and it's safe to say that I don't have their patience and maturity to deal with constantly hearing "that's not your child!"  I would love to reach the language level and patience to one day have a wide range of "colors" in our house!  Unlike America, international adoption is not VOGUE in China. (Maybe Angelina Jolie should move in next-door to us.) HA!

Q: Isn't adoption expensive?

A: Yes... but there are many non-profit organizations who raise money for families like us, a few tax breaks here and there, and a way we can take out a no-interest loan.  We currently have no major debt, and have already spent around $4,000 on fertility procedures... with only a 25% success rate.  Adoption is more expensive than the fertility treatments we get, but the success rate is much higher :-)

Adoption tid-bits:

I'm sure you all enjoy my soap-box blog posts about social injustice and the decline of civilization as we know it.... just prepare your heart to hear much much more on the subject of adoption!  My grandmother was adopted, my brother and I were adopted and now Scott and I are adopting a child of our own... so it's safe to say my whole family feels very passionately about adoption.

Yes, we may adopt a special needs child.  They are fearfully and wonderfully made, too.

No, we don't know if we will get a boy or girl, yet!

We hope to get a child from 6 months to 2 years old, although we're hoping Joelle will stay the oldest child.

The proper way to react to our adoption news:  the same way you'd react as if I'd told you I'm pregnant!!  It's the same result, only longer than 9 months and less stretch marks! HAHA!!