November 1st marked the beginning of National Adoption Month; probably the most significant "National anything" to our family, and thus, Hemmed In. I thought this year it'd be a fun way to blog through the month with a 3-part series of our Adoption Story; giving an opportunity for you; our community, to get to know the humans behind Hemmed In a little more, and to celebrate Motherhood from one of its more unique angles.
November 2014
Kind of ironic, isn't it?! We didn't even know it was National Adoption Month, but nonetheless, our interviewing of agencies began here. Asking questions, reading websites, receiving bundles of informational packets in the mail to sort through. It becomes overwhelming pretty much from the get-go. But that only prompted us to pray more. To beg for guidance, confirmation of every step being made in the right direction. The Lord is ever faithful to answer His children's pleas for help.
January 2015
 | The paper trail begins. Forms, training's, doctors visits, signatures, even our dog was required a visit to the veterinarian! In a very administrative way, this was comforting to check off items on the page-long list of required documents; and yet that nagging feeling in the back of my mind was always present: what if it's all for naught? Daily, hourly sometimes, I'd have to renew my mind and recenter on the truth that God led us here, and His purposes are never empty. |
May 2015
"Just call me a paper pusher"
More interviews, in-home visits, and finally, thank the Lord, an approved Homestudy in the state of Colorado.
But come to find out, Colorado has more Adoption Agencies than the need requires. So once again, we're on our knees asking the Lord where to look, who to call, and how to make this decision. Straight back to researching other agencies out-of-state who had a greater need for adoptive families.
One state in particular had adoption laws that were not favorable to Birth Moms (thus, better for Adoptive families.) That didn't sit well with us so we crossed that entire state off the list. Other agencies had wait lists for their wait lists, full of hopeful couples waiting for a baby. That didn't sit well with us either. We're not in this for the sole purpose of growing our family. We wanted to go where we were needed. Where there weren't a ton of families lined up in the cue awaiting their lucky day. Now, don't get me wrong, we're not in any sense filling some role of rescuer swooping in, but we wanted to know that we were helping stand in the gap where it needed to be filled. Wherever the Lord wanted us to go, we'd go. We honestly believe that adoption should be the last resort for a child's forever home, but in many cases, it's just what's necessary, and a miraculous, beautiful thing.
More interviews, in-home visits, and finally, thank the Lord, an approved Homestudy in the state of Colorado.
But come to find out, Colorado has more Adoption Agencies than the need requires. So once again, we're on our knees asking the Lord where to look, who to call, and how to make this decision. Straight back to researching other agencies out-of-state who had a greater need for adoptive families.
One state in particular had adoption laws that were not favorable to Birth Moms (thus, better for Adoptive families.) That didn't sit well with us so we crossed that entire state off the list. Other agencies had wait lists for their wait lists, full of hopeful couples waiting for a baby. That didn't sit well with us either. We're not in this for the sole purpose of growing our family. We wanted to go where we were needed. Where there weren't a ton of families lined up in the cue awaiting their lucky day. Now, don't get me wrong, we're not in any sense filling some role of rescuer swooping in, but we wanted to know that we were helping stand in the gap where it needed to be filled. Wherever the Lord wanted us to go, we'd go. We honestly believe that adoption should be the last resort for a child's forever home, but in many cases, it's just what's necessary, and a miraculous, beautiful thing.
June 2015
Another application, another approval process, and we're finally in the "active" pool of adoptive families with our placement agency in Georgia. To say this is all scary and unpredictable and constantly on our minds would be quite an understatement.
October 2015
A trip to the Pumpkin patch, much like any family event, simple or grand, prompted my mind to wonder: "Is this our family? Is someone missing? What will it look like next year?"
Still waiting. No call from Georgia. But hoping always that God's good work is being accomplished in every facet of this process.
November 2015
Another circle around to National Adoption Month, and this time we were advocating for Adoption / Orphan Care in our community. We held a big, beautiful banquette replete with a plated meal, silent auction and Adoptive Family presentation, all raising funds for an Adoption Grant to be used by our church for future families who answer the call to care for children in need.
You can see all about that in this blog post.
You can see all about that in this blog post.
"The (first) Call"
We also got "the call" from Georgia for the first time that month. A mama had chosen our family for the adoption of her baby, due in 1 week. Our lives could be changing forever, in 7 days!
How do you wrap your mind around that?! How can you possibly "guard your heart" as so many involved counseled us to do?
To make a long story short, that mama chose to parent her baby girl a few days after birth.
Heart wrenching? Yes.
Hope dashing? Yes.
But in an odd way, hope stirring? YES!
How do you wrap your mind around that?! How can you possibly "guard your heart" as so many involved counseled us to do?
To make a long story short, that mama chose to parent her baby girl a few days after birth.
Heart wrenching? Yes.
Hope dashing? Yes.
But in an odd way, hope stirring? YES!
January + February 2016
A couple more "interrupted placements." Which just means that cycle happened a couple more times. We're chosen by an expectant mama who was making an adoption plan for her baby, then deciding, for myriad reasons, to parent after birth. One even signed parental right surrenders, went home, and came back the following day to reverse it and bring her baby home.
And you know what? We celebrated those choices. Yes, through tears and heartache, of course. Every time, we opened our hearts to the possibility of those children becoming ours. But we also felt that before that, we had an opportunity, no a responsibility, from God to pray for these families. To stand in the gap in the only way we could: praying for the families to stay together if that's what He knew was best.
We celebrated when a father stood up and fought for the good of his family, and new baby. We celebrated when siblings weren't separated and when families were kept intact. We prayed for the provision these families will need for the years ahead raising children. And we waited.
And you know what? We celebrated those choices. Yes, through tears and heartache, of course. Every time, we opened our hearts to the possibility of those children becoming ours. But we also felt that before that, we had an opportunity, no a responsibility, from God to pray for these families. To stand in the gap in the only way we could: praying for the families to stay together if that's what He knew was best.
We celebrated when a father stood up and fought for the good of his family, and new baby. We celebrated when siblings weren't separated and when families were kept intact. We prayed for the provision these families will need for the years ahead raising children. And we waited.
March 2016
Another call.
And honestly, out of the several matches we'd been through, this one sounded the least likely to go through to adoption out of any.
So we prayed. For the Mama, for her baby, for the extended family, for the caseworkers, for our own hearts and our daughter's.
And honestly, out of the several matches we'd been through, this one sounded the least likely to go through to adoption out of any.
So we prayed. For the Mama, for her baby, for the extended family, for the caseworkers, for our own hearts and our daughter's.
April 2016
2 weeks after first hearing about this match, and 10 days after his birth, we found ourselves in the airport, headed to Georgia, saying "We're comin' for you, little boy!"
We realized, in looking back at the timeline, that between the time we were approved and "active waiting family" status in Georgia to the day our little man was born, was around 9+ months. Likely the very timeline of his Birth Mama's pregnancy.
Crazy to think about, certainly timing only the Lord could author and execute. But this one was right. Everything about the "case" was necessary, and right (if we can use such a term for such an incredibly intimate, life-changing event for everyone involved)
We realized, in looking back at the timeline, that between the time we were approved and "active waiting family" status in Georgia to the day our little man was born, was around 9+ months. Likely the very timeline of his Birth Mama's pregnancy.
Crazy to think about, certainly timing only the Lord could author and execute. But this one was right. Everything about the "case" was necessary, and right (if we can use such a term for such an incredibly intimate, life-changing event for everyone involved)
October 2016
Back at that same Pumpkin Patch where the year before I was wondering if our family picture would ever involve another child, or children.
It sure does this year!
And we're still wondering the same question this year.
But one adoption at a time ;)
November 2016
Fast forward to today; and low & behold, 2 years almost to the day of starting the process, during National Adoption Month, we're about to finalize this whole process and make our boy officially ours, forever.
Stay tuned for the next part of this special Adoption Series: all about the WHY.
If you'd like to follow the journey in real time, follow @HemmedIn on Instagram! See you there, or back here, soon.
Stay tuned for the next part of this special Adoption Series: all about the WHY.
If you'd like to follow the journey in real time, follow @HemmedIn on Instagram! See you there, or back here, soon.
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