Adoption Process: Day 1

Today was the official start date for the Dobson adoption.  I have already logged so many hours anticipating when the little one will be placed in my arms.  I think about when I get to be called mom for the first time.  I sometimes think about how we must be crazy, because I'm still in dental school, and maybe things would be more feasible once I'm a dentist and no longer a student.  Then I think about our baby, who might be on this earth right now, and how he/she can't wait to be home with us.  Nick and I have talked for months about our excitements, our fears, our hopes for the human being to be ours to raise. Finally, we decided to take the big leap in faith and declare our pursuit to becoming parents.  We signed an application with a local agency, Adoption Assistance, INC for a Korean baby adoption.

I have several hopes for this blog.  First, we are at the initial stage of the adoption process.  We have no idea what to expect, but a lot of paperwork to sign.  I want to document our journey, so we can reflect later on how insanely overwhelmed we were. Also, our story may help someone else wanting to build a family through adoption, but have no idea where to start.  Second, we didn't come to the idea of adoption over night.  We have had struggles with infertility.  This blog is not focused on infertility, but life after moving on from it, and growing as a person because of a reality for 1 in 6 couples.  I refuse to think the countless tears I've shed will go for nothing. My deepest hope is that I can help another couple finding themselves asking, "When is it our turn? When will we get to post our sonogram on Facebook (I used to hate sonograms)?  Did God forget about us?"  Nick and I have been in that dark place longer than I would like to think about, but the moment we refused to be bitter a second more, and realized there are so many orphaned children, we woke up declaring adoption is our way to parenthood.  Third, pursuing an adoption has been liberating, exciting and scary.  Finically, we are scared, but know God will provide.  Nick is a military pilot flying for the Kentucky Air National Guard.  I am half way through a four year program to be a dentist at the University of Louisville.   Until we began gathering information on adoption we didn't know how much it costs to save an orphan... It costs $25,000.  We are planning several fund raising events for our adoption & orphan care  and hope this blog with keep others informed that want to donate and those who want to keep us in their prayers.

To close my FIRST blog post on our FIRST day of baby Dobson's adoption, I would like to thank our little one's biological mom.  She might be pregnant, or already gave birth to our baby.  I pray she's not scared, I pray for her health, and I pray she has faith that God will help Nick and I give her baby the best life we can provide.  I doubt I will ever be able to tell her in person how appreciative I am that she is allowing us to have the experience of being parents.  Because she chose life, I get to be called momma, and I get to see Nick fulfill the role that God always intended, his role as a dad.

Please keep us in your prayers.  We are very excited, and hope you enjoy following our story.