Follow our Journey

October 14, 2017

First the bad news. We didn't get picked in the adoption situation.

First Shirt!

Buy it Here!

Now the better news. We've released the t-shirt campaign we did earlier. I really like the design (ok, so I designed it but still, I'd buy it at a store). Anyhow, every dime goes towards adoption expenses. If at the end of this all, we have any donated money leftover, we will donate it to another couple like us, who is waiting to adopt.

Anyhow, if you like the shirt- buy it! It comes in a bunch of colors and different styles (including sweatshirt!). Give it as a Christmas Present to someone. We are trying to not just do crowdfunding but to actually provide a product that people might want to buy.

Second Shirt!

Buy it Here!

Not really in to the first shirt? We have a second shirt!!! Ever since we started this adoption process, Mel has really believed we are going to end up with a girl. So she designed this shirt as a tribute to raising girls and to women everywhere who are warriors. The design is based on this beautiful poem by Caitlyn Seihl:

"The First Word I Teach My Daughter"

the first word I teach my daughter will be “no”

she will sing it to me and scream it at me

and I will never tell her to quiet down

she will say it when I tell her to go to bed

when I tell her she can’t have anymore candy

or watch anymore television

“no” will be my daughter’s favorite word

not only will I teach her how to say it

but I will teach her to repeat it over and over

again until every single atom in her tiny little body

hums with it

If it makes her less soft than the other girls

I will take her to museums and show her

what marble and stone can become

I will brush her hair and let her wear whatever

she wants

whatever that makes her

she will know

that the world has been built upon “no’s”

upon rejections and refusals and swords

if this makes her a warrior in a field of

flowers, then she will walk without fear

of being trampled on

the first word I teach my daughter will be

“no”

and when she grows up

in a world that tells her

she can’t walk down the street by herself

that “no” will be heard

it will roar and echo down the block

and she will never be told to keep

silent

she will not know the meaning of the word.

September 27, 2017

BIG NEWS!!!!

Today we submitted an application to an adoption situation in Florida. Please pray for us as we await the decision.

September 1, 2017

WE PASSED OUR HOME STUDY!!! Seriously, though, it feels like such a big hurdle to pass. We are now officially cleared by the state and nation to adopt. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this process, the home study in TX consists of:

• FBI Background Check
• State Background Check
• Child Abuse Background Check in every state you've lived in
• Identity Checks including passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc.
• Financial Status Check including bank statements and tax records
• Health Insurance Checks
• Medical Evaluation
• Home Evaluation including a detailed plan of home as well as a home inspection
• A detailed, personal, written questionnaire about your childhood, relationships, other important aspects of your life, and parenting beliefs
• A face-to-face interview with a licensed home study professional
• Pet vaccination records
• References from relatives and close friends

To be honest, it feels really amazing to know that professionals think we are ready to be parents. I mean, I know you are never ready, but I feel a little more confidant moving forward. I also am really glad for all the adoption related questions, we had to answer. It helped us think through ways that parenting an adopted child would be different than a parenting a biological child.

But mostly, mostly, we are just ecstatic that we can now adopt a baby. Now if we could just find our baby... waiting has never been my strong suit. Keep praying for us, keep sharing that we are looking...

Anniversary Photo Session and Home Study Work- July 18, 2017

June 1 was our 10 year anniversary. We marked it with a lot of hope since at that time we thought we were going to have a baby in August. We were so excited that we spent it shopping for baby stuff. Now that the dust has settled, though, we have begun gearing up for our new search for a baby- thus this website. It hasn't been easy. It's incredibly hard to go from almost-parents to I-don't-know again. Still, we have each other. And that's the thing about this whole process- we've always been in this together. The strength and love that comes out of this struggle is something that I cherish... I am more in love now than when we got married, in part, because through every infertility heartbreak, I've had the most amazing person by my side. As part of our anniversary we did a photo session with the amazing Marcos Barrientos. We take a lot of pictures but it was nice to stop and pause and let someone else capture us together.

Along with building this website we have also been working through our home study. For those who are unaware, the home study (required for any adoption) is an incredibly thorough process. The FBI, State, and local governments have all been contacted for background checks on us. We've had to answer incredibly thorough questionnaires and provide detailed overviews of our health, finances, and living quarters. I think it's interesting, people have babies all the times without being approved for parenthood but adoptive parents are stamped with government approval to the nth degree. It's kinda nice too, though, to go through this process. It has made us aware of a lot unique challenges we may face as adoptive parents and also helps us feel confidant that we are ready for a baby.

In the next few weeks, we should be completing the final stage of the home study- the home visit. I'm excited to complete this process since it means that we can then adopt a baby, immediately!!! Keep your fingers crossed for us as we, hopefully, complete the home study and then move forward with our search for a little one!