Getting ready for baby!

While we're still not setting up a complete nursery, we are definitely getting ready for baby.  It feels quite liberating to be at the point where we feel it necessary and comfortable to begin truly preparing a spot for the little baby we will one day bring home.

At this point, we're picking out all that will turn our extra room into a nursery and prepare us for parenting.  We have our eyes set on a crib and a cozy rocker you can simply sink into.  We've chosen bouncers and swings to lull the little one to sleep and mobiles and toys to entertain and enjoy.  Boppies and rattles, car seat, highchair, and baby bathtub--all ready to go.  Snugly blankets, precious sleepers, and onesies are all waiting to fill the drawers and at least one of us (you can guess which one) links often to our dream stroller.  Everything we'll need, in fact, is chosen.  In the event that we have time to set up a nursery ourselves, it will be thrilling to begin checking the items off our list as we gleefully purchase each one.  But, in the event that we don't have much time to prepare, we're all set!  Knowing that we have many people lined up to help, we feel confident that whatever our road to baby brings, we are fully prepared.  How lucky we are to be surrounded by family and friends that are so willing and eager to lend a helping hand and join us in welcoming a new baby!   

And for those things that may disappear?  Well, we make sure we snatch them up before they do!  In this way, we've gathered some of the most adorable elements of our nursery.  Who could resit an elephant hamper?  Muslin giraffe sheets?  Bright pillow covers?  Not these parents!  Whether we end up bringing home a boy or girl, our nursery is well on its way to being the perfect place to lay a little one down for a nap or snuggle up for a bedtime story, build towers with blocks or take in some tummy time!  While we may be slowly filling the house with baby items, we can't wait for the day the house is filled with the laughter and joy of a little one!  Excitedly, but patiently, we are waiting and preparing our home and ourselves for baby as we do so!

The Power of Word of Mouth

Through the journey of adoption, we have met many people along the way.  Adoption counselors and social workers help us navigate this uncharted territory and bring clarity to many different aspects of the process.  But the best connections we make are always with other adoptive families and couples hoping to adopt.  Day to day, few can truly understand exactly what it is we are going through.  While everyone is incredibly supportive, those who are going through, or have gone through the process, have a different viewpoint.  It is always refreshing to be able to talk candidly about the ups and downs of our journey, our fears, and our hopes and dreams for our future family.

Two of our closest adoptive connections also do another thing for us—they remind us just how unpredictable this journey can be.  Now that we're in the book, we wonder a lot. . . Is anyone looking at our profile?  Is anyone interested in us as adoptive parents?  Who is visiting our site?  Are family and friends passing the word of our adoption along?  What will our adoption story be? . . . and on and on . . . The questions are endless.  And one of the most difficult aspects of this whole journey is that we'll never have any answers...until, one day, all of a sudden, we do. 

And that is what these two families, in particular, remind us daily.  The first family is the family of a college friend I've known for years.  Their first adoption was over two years ago and happened literally overnight.  While at work, a call came through saying that a mother in labor was considering them to parent her child and wanted to meet as soon as possible.  That night, they were at the hospital for the birth of their son, and in a matter of days, they were home as a family of three.  About a year and a half later, these same parents found themselves wondering when they would begin the journey to their second child, when they received a surprising phone call asking if they would consider parenting another little one.  Weeks later, they were a family of four, with two rambunctious little boys only seventeen months apart.

The most recent adoption story speaks to the power of word of mouth.  Also having adopted their first child just over two years ago, another family we met through adoption connections found themselves considering beginning the process again for adoption #2.  However, they soon learned that the wait would not be as long as they may have first thought. A little over a month ago a friend of theirs went to dinner with a friend of hers.  That friend ran into another friend who was trying to find a couple to place her baby through adoption.  Long story short, they met with the couple a few times and the birth parents asked them to parent their baby girl.  Weeks later, after a 2:00 a.m. trip to the hospital for the birth of their daughter, they headed home as a family of four!

There are countless more stories in the same vein, speaking to the promise and unpredictability of adoption.  The stories are a powerful testament to just how word of mouth helps to form many families and how you have to be ready for anything.  It is these very stories that we come to when the wait for our own little one gets tough.  For the reality is that we won't know a thing, until all of a sudden, we do.  No, the wait to build a family is not always easy.  For us and others, the path can be  an arduous one at times, full of twists and turns and days and nights of longing.  Still, we stay incredibly positive.  We hold close to one another and remind ourselves of what the future will bring.  We find hope and promise in the beauty of others' stories and families.  And we trust that the countless people who have shown us incredible support are continuing as our biggest champions—spreading the word of our adoption and cheering us on every step of the way.  

To the families that were built and those that are just now growing through adoption: congratulations!  To the couples waiting to build their family: we hope these stories restore you and your optimism on this journey.  And to those who continually support us: the greatest thank you of all!  You never know what might lead us to our family!

Our Adoption Website!

We are beyond thrilled to be launching our adoption website today!  While we have had a Facebook page and this blog for quite some time, our intent all along was to have a large website that would tell our story.  Well, that small seed grew into something quite large--our massive adoption website.  As the true flagship of our outreach and networking efforts, we hope that this site helps those considering adoption understand our family by giving a sneak peek into our everyday lives, our family values, and our hopes for the future.  In this vein, it is full of pictures from the past and the present, from family and friends, from holidays and celebrations.  It explains what beliefs, traditions, and values define us as a family and, above all, details our promise to the child and the family that come into our lives.

    Link to OUR ADOPTION WEBSITE!

At times it still feels a bit odd to be putting our whole lives out there like this, but every piece of adoption wisdom we come across points to the same thing--outreach and networking are far more effective than waiting.  Completely logical, right?  So we are not sitting and waiting, but rather, putting ourselves out there for all to see; hoping that our efforts help to build our family, hoping that every personal contact we have will share this with their own contacts, and they with theirs and so on and so on.  And that eventually, news of our waiting family will reach a birth family considering adoption, a family that will be our perfect pair.

Yes, we hope that these efforts brings us one step closer to bringing a child into our home, but we also hope that it serves as a resource to any birth mother or birth family considering adoption for their child.  Here's hoping that regardless of the decision that is reached, this site helps to highlight not only our family, but also the spirit and promise of adoption itself.

So, enjoy!  And if you are so inclined (which we hope that you are) please help us spread the word and share, share, share!     www.perfectlypaired-erikandsuzyadopt.com 

*** A very special thanks to everyone who helped us with the building of this website by offering pictures, edits, and advice.  We couldn't have done it without you!  You are clearly an enormous part of our lives, one we have relied on throughout this journey and one we look forward to sharing the next chapter of our lives with. *** 

A very special thank you to Poly at Poly Mendes Photography who took many of the beautiful pictures found on the site.  The life that she brought to the site with her images is incredible.  We can't wait until we meet up for pics again--next time with a little one!