By Anne (Mommy)
After being married for over three years and becoming settled into work and life in Georgia your Dad and I started to try for a family. I had a long history of female problems and was concerned that I could not get pregnant. This fear became a reality. John, your Dad, had always talked about adoption and I was never against it but needed to feel in my heart that this was God’s plan for how I was to become a mom. Once I was completely at peace and knew in my heart this was the way we were to become a family it was full steam ahead.
Once I was completely happy and focused on adoption, I started researching agencies, reviewing the process, reading blogs, and basically doing my homework on all things adoption. After interviewing many agencies we whole-heartedly agreed on American Adoptions and in July 2014 we were ecstatic to sign the papers and start the process.
The next few months were filled with paperwork!!! We had our kitchen table covered with computers, our printer, and mounds of papers. I had checklists galore. We completed our Home Study essays, took Ziggy and Zippo (your kitty brothers) to the vet, made physical appointments for your Dad and I at our doctor’s office, visited the county police office, and were finger printed at the Quik Ship many times. During this time we also assembled our written portfolio and created our adoption video. By April 1st, 2015 we had completed all the necessary paperwork and we were an active couple waiting for a birth mother to select us.
The next few months were the hardest part of this whole process for me. During this time all we did was wait. Especially June through July, when I was not teaching every day, I would think about you constantly. I was praying daily for you and your birth mom, waiting to hear about your existence. There were many tears shed and many phone calls to Kathy (our social worker at America Adoptions). I wanted so much for you to be here at that moment. I had to keep telling myself that it couldn’t be any baby, it had to be my baby. I had to remember that God had a plan and that I had to wait for you. God doesn’t work on my timeline and I had to be patient because his timeline is perfect. It was also hard to return to school in August, having everyone ask about you and if we heard anything. As I said it was the hardest part of this process for me, but you were totally worth the wait!!!
We were looking forward to October. Your Dad knew he would be traveling to the Philippines to help his Mom (your Lola) with his grandmother’s passing and to visit with his Dad (your Lolo) who he had not seen in 15 years. We were also excited about your Grandma and Buddy (my parents) coming to visit for a weekend after their beach trip. Little did we know what was about to happen.
