[marythemom]

We submitted a homestudy and were chosen. Actually the first family they chose turned them down! We then received the de-identified records (and discovered probably WHY the first family changed their mind). Our kids looked HORRIBLE on paper. I told my husband no way - no how, but he convinced me to talk to the foster parents for them. The foster parents assured us they had made huge strides in foster care. We drove from Texas to Nebraska to meet them.

After a 3 day weekend spent with them (they visited with us almost all day each day), we decided that we wanted to proceed with the adoption. I'm not sure what the kids were told. They're older so must have known that we were interested in adopting them. We talked to them every week, but weren't allowed to say we wanted to adopt them while we waited for the ICPC paperwork to be complete. (We hinted like crazy though so they wouldn't feel rejected).

Three months later we went to pick them up. No visits. Probably not the best way to do it, but everyone was going crazy with the waiting, and we couldn't imagine putting our daughter (at the time with unmedicated severe ADHD) through the torture of traveling back and forth.

One year later and we still haven't finalized the adoptions, but that's more due to adoption subsidy and post adoption services issues now.

Mary
mom to D(14 and his sister C(12) - we are hoping to finalize soon!
and bio kids T(8) and K(11)
"We may not have it all together, but together we have it all!"