Oh wow it has gotten busy!! You know for some reason, i hadn't been getting thread watches for this particular thread...hmm...but i am now!!
Okay so next week is the big 2 day seminar for us. It seems like we have been waiting FOREVER for this. The problem?? Well we were supposed to each read three books while waiting, we have two done. We haven't even BOUGHT the third one!! It's just that we are really doing so much to try to earn money for this (dh with his OT, me with running the house, etc) we haven't had TIME to read!! We are both exhausted by the time we go to bed and are running crazy on the weekends!! Anyways...i need to look on the list and purchase that third book....
OKay so anyways, about the seminar, we have this 2 day seminar to attend Thursday & Friday then we will schedule a Home visit, then we are "in the books"
! No telling how long it takes to get a home visit scheduled but I HOPE it's soon
!! We are supposed to put together a profile also but we have one basically put together already, so we will just make changes (they talk about it in the profile) and we are good to go!
Another dilema I am having is right now I have 2 weeks vacation. In September I get another 2 weeks, BUT will lose my two weeks now if I don't use it. So, I need to take 2 weeks vacation before September. BUT what if I get matched right at the end and need those weeks?? They won't pay it out and don't carry forward...ugh the frustration. I think I'm just going to schedule a vacation...not go anywhere or anything, and hope that we can figure it out...so frustrating with all the unknowns.
As far as names go, dh and I have a few. I REALLY like the name Kylie for some reason, but also like Braxton for a girl. We also like Nathan, Cole, or Andrew (our last name is Runyan). I really like Cole but am iffy on wether it should be a middle or first name. The good thing about our agency/state (TX) is the birthmom will sign at a "relingquishment ceremony" like 48 hrs after birth and it is final. So we will wait to name it officially until then. BUT we know that it can change depending on which birthmom we get. DH is SET on us naming the child, I don't really care. I kinda feel like, from an adoptee's standpoint, that if the birthmom has a name picked out, we should honor it as so they won't be confused later, and out of respect. BUT like i said, i'm iffy on this conclusion....
Our nursery is coming along, we have a pack n play, bassinet, bouncer, tons of onesies but have yet to be washed, bedding, walls painted chair railing up, and decorations bought. We are using step-mother-in-law's crib her father had made for her (they are kindly giving this to us, soooo sweet, made out of solid oak and it is a beauty!!). Dh wants to buid a changing table but have it be a six drawer dresser so we can use it later on. We are picking up our crib next weekend and then dh will start on the changing table!!
Oh, and with the waiting thing, YES I would LOVE to be matched right away but then on another hand wouldn't mind waiting so we can save up money and pay for it ourselves and not have to borrow from my parents/his grandparents. They all are very sweet and say they don't mind but still. Even though we won't have to borrow much, pride thing ya know?
Is anyone planning on using the tax credit toward thier second adoption? Depending on how much we have saved and have to pay back we REALLY want to use it toward a second adoption...we don't plan on adopting again for a couple years but it will take that long to get our FULL refund back...(we will be able to use about 1/2 the credit the first year and 1/2 the second year)
Okay so i'm going to try to get all the personals in, PLEASE forgive me if i miss anyone!!
Nikki- that is funny about you and dh choosing names while driving, dh and I used to do that driving back and forth from KS while seeing our families!! We actually settled on Andrew Dillon Runyan. Then thought about it and realized one of our best friends names was Andrew (last name) Dillon!! LOL, we are better friends now than was then so we completely missed it!! Needless to say, that name was out! Oh and i LOVE the middle name Elizabeth!! I think that's a beautiful name! Have you ever picked out a PERFECT name then just POOF forgot what it was the next day? We do that all the time!
randloar- Kazakhstan is such a neat country!! Dh and I considered this for a while actually! I'm sorry about all you've been through and having a longer wait...I hope everything is smooth sailing from here! Int'l adoption has just as many headaches as domestic, unlike some people think, and there are JUST as many "what-if's!!"!! Good luck!!
Victoria- I know what you mean about being frustrated. What some people don't get is that YES being pg takes 9 months but you also have a light at the end of a tunnel...you have a END date. Although there are many uncertainties with pg also, adoption, IMO, has many more!!
Lovebug- CONGRATS on your HS being complete!! YEAH!! I know what a big accomplishment that is!! Congrats to starting the "official" wait!!
Leigh- okay so you are SOO good about posting girl!! Okay, so about that friend, that IS wierd!! I also have a VERY competitive friend, she rubbed being pg in my face (well not OBVIOUSLY but I did know what she was doing). She never called me unless she was blissfully happy just in case i might *know* that she had a fight with her dh or might be the slightest unhappy. Which is complete opposite of me who could care less, I LOVE that dh and I can fight it out then make up, it's called being MARRIED!! LOL, noone has the perfect life, and I think that's what makes us all so wonderfully unique and individually perfect!!
Britt- OMG i LOVE that saying!! Although...what happens if you have BOTH?? Let's just say I eat when I'm stressed....LOL...you get the picture!! hahaha
4baby02- I LOVE the name Jayden!! I completely respect your feelings about not being able to use it again, I think I would be the same way....I do love all your other names you have picked out though, my brothers name is Jacob..I just love that name!!
icun- Hello and welcome!! I'm sorry about your failed matches...that would be so hard to go through. Here's hoping a SMOOTH ride from here on out!! I agree with the name thing...I think it's best, until it is final, to keep a sort of "guard" up if that name REALLY means a lot (like family, or a favorite name). I do think that each child kinda has "thier" name...like it may not be a "elizabeth" to you once you see them....at least that's how my dogs were when we got them!! Oh I can't believe I just compared a pet to my child
!! But they are like my babies!!
Dawn- WELCOME!! Hey, better late than never right? LOL, no j/k I think this board is ALWAYS going to have newbies!! Good luck, it sounds like you are very "hands-on" with the adoption!! I hope your "struggle" with it pays off (which I KNOW it will) with your little one!!
Shandy- i know what you mean about the board, boy did it take off!! LOL I'm the EXACT same way as you about being active (i think they call us control-something's but i will NEVER admit to it!!
hehe) I'm so sorry about your loss a year ago...that is so hard!! I hope next week is a little better for you. Did you do anything to commemorate your loss or just have a good cry? For some reason (I have thankfully never expc'ed a pg) on my birthday it is very hard for me...like another year without a child....it's also hard for me because that is around the time we were told that we would most likely NEVER get pg....oh and about your SIL, don't worry girl, for some people they just don't get it. My sister got pg first month, not trying, NORMAL pg, but thankfully she is a cheerleader of our adoption...but it still stunk when she was pg. Now she is pg for the second time and I, amazingly, am excited!!
Fran- okay love love Elizabeth Sarah...sounds so sweet!! Christopher is a very "gentlemans" name too, LOVE that!! So about the shower problem....we are having one AFTER the baby is born. I think it would be harder on me to have a shower and have a match fail...or have a shower and not really have that "excitement" of a baby or match....I have some aunts ready to go who will plan the shower for about three weeks after the birth. We have most of what we will need for those three weeks anyways, but registered for the rest....I have already registered (and changed it a gazillion times hehe!!) I also have pets...I am trying to begin to train them by walking around with a baby doll but to tell you the truth I feel like an Idiot!!
Dh refused to do this until we have a match, but i don't think he will then either!! Our dogs are pretty good with kids and laid-back though so i'm not TOO worried....
Okay, so when you write this long of a post you KNOW that you need to post more often!! LOL
Natalie