And So It Begins!

The panic has officially begun!  Since the timing of things will be rather unknown (and potentially expedited), I am completely panicking about all the the stuff that needs to get done before we bring our little one home.  When I evaluate my house as a whole, the to-do list is endless; but I have to stay focused on the most important things . . . like the nursery!  I have recruited my fabulous friend, Candace, to help me set up and organize the room along the way (it's far too big a job for just one person) - and if I don't stay organized, I will get completely overwhelmed!  I'm leaning towards designing a gender neutral nursery just so I can make the best use of our time and resources.  Plus, when I think about the fact that this will not be our only adoption experience, I figure it's best to purchase items that can be reused time and time again.  So here are my initial design ideas (click on the image to enlarge):

Baby Harrell's Nursery - Design Phase 1

Bedding

Diaper Stacker

Throw Blanket

We're Approved!!!

As you are aware, we mailed in our application packet on Tuesday (7/19).  Included in that packet was a financial application requesting to borrow $40,000 from their lending partners to help finance this adoption.  To our huge surprise, we received a phone call today informing us that we were approved for $35,000 of that inital $40,000 request!!!  What a ginaormous answer to prayer that is!!!  This means a lot of things, but mostly, it means that we have zero reasons for further delay in bringing home baby Harrell.  We have set out on this journey and there is nothing holding us back anymore.  We will still do all that we can to help raise that money (because inevitably we still have to pay it all back with interest), but there is security in knowing that the bulk of this adoption is already financed and we have the freedom to move along with the process quickly.

We're coming to get you baby Harrell, getting closer everyday!

It's Only Just Begun

We mailed in our paperwork today!!!  We are officially on the adoption train!  It took us a little bit longer to complete the application than expected, there were some seriously difficult questions to asnwer!  But we feel comfortable with the choices we've made and we are 1 step closer to meeting our child :)  From here, we are waiting on approval for the financing we've requested through ANLC.  Once we are approved (within 72 hours of receiving the application) we can move forward with the homestudy and marketing efforts.  The great thing is that all 3 components work in tandem so we're not waiting for 1 thing to finish before we can start another.  I feel like this HUGE weight has been lifted now that everything is officially underway.  No more researching, no more deliberating, no more waiting!  We are ready to bring our little one home :)

The Decision Has Been Made!

We're finally at a point where we have clear direction (PTL!).  Neither of us have reservations about moving forward with ANLC, so we're planning to send in the paperwork ASAP.  Time permitting, we'll hopefully complete everything and get it in the mail before we leave for Boston on Friday.  We feel really good about this decision.  Additionally, we met with our doctor this morning about embryo adoption as well.  She was very encouraging about the process overall but specifically with me too.  I was a little apprehensive about this at first b/c I'm still a bit shaken up over our previous miscarriage earlier this year.  But we went through my charts together and she reassured me that i always produce optimal results to the meds and that my body is perfectly able to sustain a pregnancy (despite our first failure).  I think I just really needed to hear that from her to make me feel comfortable moving forward with embryo adoption.  So after meeting with her and discussing it in further detail during the car ride home, we agreed to put our names on as many nation-wide embryo donation lists as possible (recommended by Dr. Usadi) in tandem with moving forward with ANLC.  The process of embryo adoption will take some time (a year or 2 is not at all uncommon), so we figured it would be pretty safe to invest in both outlets at the same time.

So, the time has finally come, and away we go . . .