A Step Forward

This was a great weekend, as evidenced in the photos above from our outing today to Buffalo Bayou Park. Though this blog is all about our adoption journey, I am reminded frequently that I am also thankful for my little family as it stands today. Houston blessed us with some great spring weather and every opportunity to be outside all weekend long.

The weekend also marked our first step forward in this journey. We met with an independent adoption consultant that had come highly recommended to us (more about Katherine here). She adopted her children in the 80s and has been helping other couples who are seeking adoption for more than 20 years. She is very familiar with the adoption system statewide and in other states as well, and is a great advocate for adoptive parents. She spent time getting to know our story and went over several questions with us—the type of child we see in our family and the many avenues for adoption.

As we were sitting through the appointment, it was very surreal to me to have the opportunity to voice our hearts and desires for our family. Infertility in a lot of ways silences this voice and taught me to hold these deep desires for our family and our future very close. And instead, we found ourselves this weekend sitting on this woman’s couch and talking openly about our future child and growing family. And the crazy fact I realized is that this indeed is going to work—it’s just a matter of time. For the first time in a long time, I felt like we were able to dream without fear. I don’t for a second fool myself into thinking this process will be easy, but a sense of true hope after two years without it is very profound, and something that is not lost on me.

The appointment was incredibly helpful in talking us through the various options and expectations. Our next step is to fill out a form that details who we are and the type of child we envision for our family. Depending on the criteria, Katherine, our consultant, will then pull together a report recommending a few agencies throughout Texas. And then this crazy ride will officially begin!

We know there is a lot of work ahead, but we are hopeful and excited. We are blessed to share the journey with you.