Four years ago this February we were in the midst of trying to conceive. We were counting days between cycles and making monthly doctor visits. Luckily we had a proactive OB who sent us to an infertility specialist very early and by our one year mark taking our own massive “Quantum Leap” …  filling out a homestudy and dossier for our first adoption.

But lets take a leap back for a moment, shall we? In June of 2003 we took a vacation to Disneyworld, one of my favorite places as a child, and suffered through the June rains. We were just starting…our journey to AJ.

Ironically, the Tree of Life.

In July and August we camped every other weekend throughout the state of Michigan, enjoying the weather, the privacy, and the relaxation. My husband competed in triathlons on Sunday mornings while the dog and I watched.

In November of 2004 we traveled to Thailand to visit my brother and celebrate his marriage. It was the last vacation we took as a couple because on January 31, 2005 we received the referral for AJ and traveled to meet him the last week of March in 2005. We officially signed our intent to adopt him on April 1, 2005 (fantastic day to sign, right?).

This trip was also just months before the Tsunami hit Phuket and Krabi. We were fortunate to be on those very beaches and see those sites before they were hit. My brother, who works for the State Department, was deployed to Phuket to help clean up the area.

Note that I also have a laptop? I was journaling my adventure for my 7th grade students. They loved hearing of my travels and getting my pictures, especially when I got a henna tattoo.

But most importantly, we were were building our family in 2004. We started the adoption process for AJ, turned in our dossier to our agency, and started the wait for our referral.

What are we doing now? Waiting to make a family of three a family of four.

For us it is a Leap of Faith.

Post from: Blisstree

Four Years Ago; Four is the New Two…a Leap of Faith

The first place to start in any adoption is to decide IF adoption is right for you (if you are single), for your family, or for you and your partner.

You can take this quiz to see if adoption is the right choice for you but for many it may be a much more complicated process than just a quiz (at least for us it was).

I suggest reading this article on international adoptions and this article on the medical issues associated with international adoptions, especially ones from Eastern European countries (not to scare you but to inform you of possible problems that DO arise).

Post from: Blisstree

Country Requirements: International Adoption