Part of the adoption journey involves working out all the legal issues involved. In short, the meeting this afternoon was positive and we are pretty relieved about the progress we are making through this journey that involves a lot of uncertainty. That's the headline .... if you want more details, keep on reading.
This afternoon started in the waiting room of the attorney's office. The adoption process IS a waiting room. We met the birthmother at the office of this adoption attorney who comes highly recommended from some friends of ours.
I'm a detailed guy, and in a work setting I'm accustomed to working hard in a meeting .... but this meeting was INTENSE. I don't know how to put words to it. Imagine sitting at a table watching 2 people talk about things that can and will shape the course of the next steps in your life, yet you have no control over any of it.
The meeting began with the attorney sitting down and saying to the birthmother, "You have ALL the rights in this situation, and you get to decide how things will go from who is at the hospital, the name on the birth certificate, to who can get in to see the baby after its born, and who takes the baby home. All of these are things we have hopes and expectations for ... but all are out of our control. We are thankful that the birthmother has been very sweet and really seems to be working with us and including us in much of the process. A lot of what happens at the hospital hasn't been decided yet but she wants us to take the baby home from the hospital and she loved the name that we had picked out!
Ironically, we all came with different expectations for what the meeting would hold. I thought it was gonna be a "meet & greet" where we talked through the basics and just did some preliminary discussions. The birthmother said that she put on her facebook status, "Wish me luck, I'm going to sign my rights away." She thought that today she would be officially signing away her rights and stuff. In reality, the meeting was somewhere in between those 2 expectations ... but it was another step in the journey ... and it was good.
After 2 hours of this intense meeting, filling out forms, and asking questions we went outside and chatted for about 20 minutes. We talked more with the birthmother, thanked her, and just sort of decompressed from it all. While we were talking, she said that her best friend's grandmother always said that she was put on this earth to do something great. She had never believed her until now. She says that she believes that it's true now and that she's so glad to be able to do this.
We are thankful. Please continue to support us and to pray with us for a healthy baby, for good influences to surround the birthmother, and for this process to be successful.
JE
2 comments:
Wow...thanks for the update--quite a journey isn't it?! It is amazing to see God's hand at work in each step. I couldn't help but cry when I read what the birthmom said about how her best friend's grandmother always said that she was put on this earth to do something great. As I am sitting here reading your post my precious adopted daughter Cora is sitting on my lap--and yes adoption is something great...an experience I feel so privileged to have. One of the challenges in the adoption journey is to have open hands...every bit of the process is completely out of your control and it always comes back to trusting God with how each part unfolds. When I was growing up my Dad always said that we (my sisters and I) were on loan to him from God. That thought comforted me in the adoption journey--every child is God's and He loans them to us to raise and to show His love to...so they can grow up to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength and love there neighbor as their self. God is truly using this process to prepare you for parenthood. We will pray that you and Emily will continue to feel God's presence with you through this journey and I know He will get the glory in it! We love you both!
Merri - thanks for sharing that word picture from your dad ... about children being "on loan" to us from God.
You are so sweet and I appreciate you sharing from your own journey as you support us through ours.
JE
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