Adoption #2 Update

Note – We deleted yesterday’s post because the video worked for us while we were editing the post, but once the post was published, the video did not work.  We will try to get this to you as soon as we figure out the problem.

 

Hi everyone I hope y’all are having a good week and staying warm.  I thought I would share a little update of our adoption for round #2. You were along with me during the whole process for Little Miss, and I hope you will be there for this round.  Today I decided to do something a little different.   We get a lot of questions about the adoption and our process, so I thought I would do a little Q&A. using the questions that have been sent in over the years.

Where are you adopting from?

We are adopting from Thailand which is the same country we used for Little Miss.  We had a wonderful experience with our agency in the states, the social workers both stateside and in Thailand, and government in Thailand.  Everyone really wants what is best for the child, and it shows.  It may be a little slower but things are done correctly and legally.  That causes the paper process to be slower.  Thailand has a small program, and adoption is not an overnight thing.  We knew that going into the adoption for Little Miss and #2.

 

Why are you not doing domestic adoption?

This is a personal choice for us, and we felt more comfortable doing an international adoption.  Now that we have our child home from Thailand, we would like her sibling to be from the same country.

Is it easier the second time around?

Yes and no.  It is easier in the since we know what to expect in terms of paperwork, visits with our social workers, and how the process goes.  It is not easier in that we basically have to start from scratch.  Only a few things could carry over ,but we had to do a new application to the program, get new doctor visits, another home study, new psych evaluations, etc and of course, more fingerprints.  (Remember those things expire. haha).  The wait, while it will still be hard, is easier because Little Miss keeps us busy.

Will #2 be in foster care like Little Miss or in an orphanage?  

We do not know the answer to this yet, but it seems a lot of children are in foster care in Thailand.

If the child is in foster care can you request the same foster mom as Little Miss?

Oh, I wish I could because Ya (this is what Little Miss calls her) has such a special place in our hearts.  She did a wonderful job loving Little Miss, but we have zero control over who she fosters.

 

Will you take Little Miss with you to travel to bring home #2?

Yes, we think it will be important to take Little Miss and spend some time with her in Thailand before her sibling arrives.  We will hopefully arrange a visit with her foster mother.  My mom is hoping to go along to tend to Little Miss while we are busy with #2.

 

How long will it take?

That’s the million dollar question.  It takes a long time, but we know that entering into the process again.  Right now it seems the time frames are a little shorter than they were when we started the process adopting Little Miss.  In the adoption world this is all subject to change.  For little Miss, our paperwork took six months, and we spent a year on the wait list before being matched to our daughter.  After that happened, we waited to get first approval from Thailand.  It took another seven months, but now it ranges from five to ten months.  Once we receive first approval, we will travel to Thailand three to five months after.

Where are you in the process now?

We finished our paperwork and did it in half the time, so we already cut it down by three months!  Our dossier is on the way to Thailand, so we are officially paper pregnant.  We found out we are #13 on the wait list, but that number doesn’t mean much.  Right now we are told we might be referred to a child in the fall.  If that is the case, this round will be going a little faster this time around.  Nothing is set in stone, and it is all subject to change. Basically, we are moving right along.

What are you most excited about? What are you not excited about?

I am most excited about completing our little family.  Having everyone home safe and sound under one roof will be a nice feeling. I have mixed feelings of excitement and not excitement about the day we meet #2.  After going through the process, I know it was one of the hardest days, if not the hardest, of my daughter’s life and, one of the happiest days of my life.  I understand now more about the grief she felt and how scared she was in the situation.  I am also more aware of the social workers who had been with my daughter since the early part of her life and watched her grow and thrive.  They too had a special bond with her, and it was tough on them, as well, to say goodbye.  We all know it is coming, and we all know it is for the best.  That doesn’t make it any easier, and it really hurts me to think about putting another child through that pain.

 

What is one thing you would tell someone about adoption?

It was so worth it.

I hope you enjoyed this little Q&A.  I am very “pro adoption” and if you ever have any questions that I didn’t answer, feel free to contact me by email.

Cheers!