adoption is our option

We finally got around the purchasing the book that was highly recommended by women on the adoption forum. I'll finish it tonight and then Kyle will have his turn at absorbing the wealth of information provided. It's not the easiest read, but an invaluable resource nonetheless.

So far I've learned that we need to find an adoption support group in the area so we have other people to ask questions of, as well as give and receive support. Another item of interest is how much adoption requires networking. I've already gotten information from a friend that adopted and my mom is putting me in contact with a co-worker of hers who has adopted both of her children. With adoption, unlike infertility, you must inform others this is your plan. When you go through the home study, questions are asked about family and close friends and their feelings towards adoption. Plus having it be known inadvertently allows us to gather information from other people who are eager to discuss this topic.

So far we both agree that we want to pursue a domestic & confidential (or closed) adoption. I'm still unsure of whether we should go through an adoption attorney or agency. There lies our biggest issue. Because we live and work in two different states, we're not sure whether we can adopt from only one or both.

I hope once we start talking to people who have gone through adoption themselves, or know others who have, we can start to gather more information to help us explore all our options. Since there are multiple ways to go about an adoption, it's a matter of figuring out what works best for us and finding someone or a place to facilitate the process. I think our first step is to locate several agencies and attorneys from both states to interview. Once we decide which state we can adopt from, then we can study the adoption laws so we understand what to expect.

Once we have this part accomplished we will be well on our way. We don't have a timeline for our adoption, but we hope by the new year we will have submitted our application and by the end of the year we will be approved and waiting to hear about a placement. Hopefully by 2011 we will be parents!