Adoption Updates

(ETA: This post was originally written on May 27, 2012.)

And so it begins!!! We have taken the first few steps to begin the adoption process!

On Friday, May 11, we made our first trip to Little Rock to meet with the adoption agency for a private informational meeting. The director of the Little Rock office is who met with us, and I can already tell that she is going to be wonderful to work with.

She talked with us in detail about the agency, their South Korea program, and the entire aoption process. And most importantly, we got so many of our questions answered. We left there feeling very excited, overwhelmed with information, and so very anxious to get started! One thing she did tell us was that they were holding an adoption seminar at their office the very next Friday. This seminar is something that all adoptive parents are required to attend before their homestudy can be approved. This would be the last one they would be hosting until September, so she thought it would be a good idea for us to attend if at all possible.

So, we made plans for the boys to stay with grandparents and friends, and a week later we excitedly (and a bit nervously) drove back to Little Rock for this seminar!  There were three other adoptive families there, all adopting from South Korea. It was so great to get to visit with them and meet others who are walking the same road we are. The seminar covered so many topics, but they mostly focused on attachment and bonding once they child comes home. Our child will most likely be between 12-24 months old when he or she comes home, so the attachment period is so very important, to help them learn that we are Mommy and Daddy and that they are a part of our family forever. We learned so many great things!!

That very weekend, we completed our Application 1 and on Monday, May 21, we put it in the mail headed to Tulsa, OK to the Dillon, Itnl. main office!!!!!!

At the Fed Ex office with our completed App 1!

It made it feel so official to have our application in the FedEx envelope with Dillon, Intl's address on the front. This is really happening!

We had to include a recent photo of our family, and we hadn't had family pictures made since Levi was 6 weeks old. So, I just had a friend take this picture when we were at their house for small group a few weeks ago. Everyone is actually looking at the camera and somewhat smiling, so I'll take it!!

I received a phone call from Dillon on Thursday - they had received our application! Our case manager went over a few things, and she requested that we get a Physician's letter for Brent's 2 recent surgeries just stating that he had no complications from either procedure, etc. I am so thankful for a dr's office that is on top of things, because I had the letter completed and in the mail by Saturday! Once they receive the letter at Dillon, they will finish processing our App 1, then they will send us App 2 in the mail!! Yay! This ball is rolling!!!