Wondering....

Is it always different the 2nd time...the paperwork seems a little harder, but maybe that is because our life is so full. When we filled our paperwork out the first time...we didn't have much else to think about, but completing the paperwork. Is it different because there are so many "ifs", is it different because we really don't know if this will actually happen? Is it different because we have everything we could ever imagine needing for a child so there isn't any "pre-shopping" during the process.

I have thought about how it is different alot. We couldn't anticipate bringing a child home anymore than we do...but I think we are just guarding our hearts as it may not happen, but today I saw something a sweet little outfit at Gymboree and of course it had ladybugs on it and it was a "layette" type outfit...after we received Ellie Lu's referral I bought her a few similar things from Baby Gap...anyway I almost let myself buy these sweet little "threads" because the feeling I got imagining dressing "Ladybug II" was such a real and full feeling...but I had restraint and the clerk said they would likely have them until June...so there is time. I wouldn't want to buy something special like that until we know who our ladybug is...anyway it felt good thinking beyond the paperwork to actually being in China and meeting our little "bug".

Was up very late last night sending off for certified birth, marriage and divorce documents. Then I worked on our application letter and started a binder. I can't believe I just started the binder...oh my you should see the filing system I put in place for Ellie Lu's adoption of course once we got her referral...everything went to pot I am still catching up...will the paper ever end.

I need to send off my employment letter to Texas and get it authenticated and I need to have all or doctors fill out a different form for our medicals...as we used the home study form and we need to use the form required for our dossier...we just have a few things to get notarized locally and then I need to get them authenticated in Nashville and then off to Washington.

Well I guess there are now 51 days until Mel's birthday....we wait...we hope...we dream...

Medical Needs Checklist...

As part of the process to participate in the China Child of Promise Option we had to fill out a form with medical conditions that we were open to and that we could find treatment for. Nobody ever wants to "choose" but we must be informed and prepared for the issues our child would face with their condition. The conditions we are most comfortable with are ones in which we have friends or acquaintances that we have come to know who have children with these conditions.

Here are some places we went to get more information on Cleft Lip and Palate, Heart conditions, Club foot, Rickets and Strabismus. At this point our agency will search the shared lists when it is released and look for a child with a condition that we have indicated we are prepared for. They will then contact us and we will have a short period of time to accept this referral and meet with physicians to put a plan of therapy together to meet the medical needs of the child. That will be submitted to the CCAA and if it is accepted then our dossier will be forwarded for approval and then we would wait for travel approval...without any knowledge of how often the list is available or how often it is updated we really have no idea if we could be matched in the short period of time that is available...we hope.

Please pray...Ladybug II

Some of you know that we have always wanted a house full of children...well that has not happened...but we do have one very special girl that has just brightened our world in ways we never expected. We had not been home very long when Mel asked if I thought it was possible for us to return to China to adopt again and really I did not.

While we waited for Ellie Lu the adoption rules for the "standard process" changed and we are no longer eligible under those rules. In addition the process has lengthened so it could be years upon years even if we were eligible before we would be matched. While we were waiting for Ellie Lu we inquired several times on if we could be considered for children with mild special needs but there really wasn't a clear cut program at the time to allow this to happen.

The good news...now there is...our agency is one of 12 agencies that participates in a special program where children with mild correctable special needs are matched with families. We have several friends who have expanded their family in this way and our hearts have been opened to this option for our family. However we still were very unsure whether we could participate due to our ages...but Mel kept asking every few weeks and finally the later part of October I came across a letter we had received in late July and apparently I had read it but in my "new Mommy" fog had not comprehended what it said...it was encouraging us to adopt again. Was this a form letter that goes to everyone or did it apply to us and by God's grace could we return to China to be united with another child....on November 3rd I sent an email to our agency to inquire and braced myself for the disappointment I expected....

On November 4th I received a response and the email said to call immediately. I did and never in my wildest dreams did I imagine we would be encouraged to begin the process right away...for one reason we thought we had to be home a year with Ellie Lu before starting a new process. We found out that we needed to start right away as we needed to be matched with a child prior to Mel turning 55 on May 17, 2009.

As you can see we still had a very short time to complete a process that is loaded with paperwork, somewhat different than before and during a time when we were finding our "legs" as new parents...but start we did. Forms, forms and more forms, meetings with our social worker, taking adoption training classes, educating ourselves about various medical conditions all the while living and preparing for the holidays and trying to enjoy life.

It is still uncertain whether our dream of expanding our family will actually happen, but we are now at a point where we feel we have done all we can...it it is now in God's hands. We will be delighted beyond words if it all works out, but if it does not we know we have already been blessed beyond measure and we be content in knowing we tried.

Where are we now...we have sent the basic paperwork into our agency and hopefully next week they will have our homestudy and can then begin to look for a match. There is a limited amount of time for this to happen because Mel will turn 55 in 54 days. It is our understanding we need to have a match in hand and our letter of intent to adopt the child we are matched with in the hands of the CCAA prior to Mel's birthday....so while we are waiting to see if a match is meant for us...we continue compiling our dossier...certified documents, USCIS approval and hope all are completed in a timely manner. As you can see we still have ALOT of uncertainty but soon we will know one way or the other.

If per chance all this works out...then we would likely travel to China prior to the end of the year...mid fall. I can't even think of that until so many other things are in place...know that we so appreciate all of you who have asked us how we are doing with our paperwork and who have encouraged us when we felt unsure. Even if everything works out there will be many hurdles ahead of us...financing an adoption so soon after returning home during such hard economic times. Finding the best medical care to meet the needs of our child and preparing Ellie Lu for a sister or maybe a brother...so please keep us in your prayers and keep Ladybug II in your prayers...we don't know who she/he is but we know there must be a child just waiting to join the Fannon family....at least we still hope...

If you would like to know more about children with mild correctable needs you can view our agency web site and look for "child of promise" or you can check out this site for stories of families who have adopted children with various special needs.