So I don't think I have written on the day we were told we were picked! Since we started the whole adoption process and I am talking going to a meeting at the Gay and Lesbian Center in NYC for same sex couples who want to adopt. This was about 3 years ago when we were living in our apartment in the Bronx. We got the info, digested a little bit and then said, well we need a house because I am not raising this kid in a) in the Bronx (nothing wrong with that but I didn't want to) b) in a cramped apartment (again nothing wrong with that but I needed a yard and a little more space.) So we started looking for houses that would work for us and grow with us. So we found that. Next step agencies: so we looked at a few. We went with one because it was close to us and they were relatively inexpensive (we had to pay for all this you know.) So we got all the paperwork together for a home study including background checks, medical reports, and recommendations and got everything passed and were approved for two children.
So fast forward a year...nothing except every once in a while our Social Worker telling us she wished Utah or Texas would adopt kids to gay couples because there are a lot of kids in those two states (doesn't help us.) So I decide it's time to get an agency that will work with us. So we found Adoptions from the Heart which works with 6 states and all these allow Same-sex adoption so we knew something good would happen. First we needed an updated home study so this was October of 2011. We got all of our stuff into AFTH by early December including an updated profile, DVD and took our first adoption class. On January 3rd we got a call about a woman who MAY pick us, but was due in March, but didn't (or did she we don't know.) So at that point on we were anxious for everyday that we didn't hear anything, but we kept on with our lives, went on vacation, went to Kentucky and Tennessee, had some good times, and waited, waited, waited.
We were having doubts at one point if this is REALLY what we want, do we want a kid right now, do we want to put it on hold, how will actually be as parents. All of this was running through our heads in early April when I was traveling for work a lot. So I took off for work on April 18 to go to NJ for a conference for a few days. That morning I got a call from my SW at AFTH saying we were not picked by this one particular birth mom, but she may come back in a few days to say yes or no after chatting with the counselor. So that bummed me out that day while I was away. I went on and did my work the rest of the day, checked into the hotel I was staying at and went to the gym to use the treadmill. While on the treadmill the calls came and I didn't know. SW called and then Jeremy called and kept calling...and then I called him back and the conversation went something like this:
A: Whats up?
J: Um uh um uh...
A: What Penny called
J: We have to go to PA and get our baby, Friday...
A: What?
J: We got picked...
A: What?
J: Baby, PA friday...
A:But I have to work...tomorrow and Friday...I'll figure it out
J: Well we have to go.
A: Okay, well let's go.
So basically we stammered through a phone conversation and were about 150 miles away from each other and I was closer to where we needed to be on that Friday so J came down the next day and then we drove to PA to meet him, so nervous, so anxious the whole time. I didn't know what to think except that the fates were telling us, "this is your time, this is what you need to do." Everything worked out well. We met James on Friday but the BM wanted the weekend to get all him stuff together since he was a month old. We agreed and went to the hotel for the weekend and enjoyed some time exploring the area and were anxious the WHOLE time.
On Monday we met back at the agency and got to take James home. Well we got to take him to the hotel until PA and CT told us we could bring him home, which ended up being 2 whole weeks, but when we got him home it was great!
That's our story in a nut shell and now we wait for the court to tell us everything is finalized.
Thanks for all the love and support everyone has given us!
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