Life’s been wonderfully busy lately.  On March 12, our lives were changed forever when we got the call that we were matched.  And pretty much since that moment, Craig and I have been flying by the seat of our pants!  I’m excited to take this quiet moment though, while the hubby is at work, the pups are napping, and the cat has provided just enough lap space to sit with the laptop, to write.
 
Here’s what we’ve been up to over the last 4 weeks:
 
1.  Paperwork! Lots of it… and. we. still. aren’t. done.  There is definitely a great deal of paperwork in the early stages of adoption with the home study and adoption agency application processes, but we’ve discovered that there is more!  And that’s okay.  This is in a large part due to the fact that we are adopting out of the state of Kentucky in sunny Florida, in fact.  Enter my new friend, the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, or ICPC.  This is the law in all 50 states, District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands in which the adoptive parents’ state and the baby’s state work together to make sure that the adoptive parents are approved and fit for the adoption to take place.  Parts of the requirements include submitting our home study and the documents that go with it- over 15 to be exact.  I’ve got one more to go!  Phew.
 
There is also other additional paperwork at this stage, much of it requiring visits to a notary- I believe our last notary visit makes it our fourth so far!  This legal aspect of adoption is so important and if it’s another document or visit to the notary, by golly, Baby Burge is the best reason to do it!
 
2.  Communication!  We’ve had the opportunity to begin building a relationship with our birthmom and it has been a fun, nerve-racking, and very rewarding experience.  On March 18th, we started texting and since then, we’ve had a few opportunities for phone conversations.  My insides were filled to the brim with butterflies with each text!  I warned Craig that I could vomit before our very first phone call with our birthmom.  And I wasn’t joking!  I just wanted everything to go perfectly for her and most of all, not do anything too socially awkward. I know God provided for us during these times by giving us words to speak and calming our nerves, especially mine.  Everything has gone so well and just continues to confirm God’s care for our birthmom and us.   This communication has also been a wonderful way for our birthmom and us to share our excitement for one another and begin creating a wonderful foundation for an ongoing relationship. 
 
3.  Travel!  Over three days, Craig and I drove to Daytona Beach and back... to meet our birthmom.  It was a whirlwind trip, driving more than 1700 miles over a long weekend, but so worth it!  We fought all the Spring Break travelers down 75 South to meet up at Joe’s Crab Shack for lunch.  This meeting reaffirmed how special our birthmom is and helped us understand her heart and how big it is.  We still had driving to do after lunch and needed to leave in the early afternoon, but we could’ve easily stayed and talked for many more hours.   

I should preface with this: You can’t truly know what to expect in domestic adoption!  Praise God that He knows the plan, and the perfect plan at that.  Like the exiles in Babylon, we can trust that God knows the plans for each of us (Jeremiah 29:11).
 
You can expect every domestic adoption to be different.  Each agency, birthmom, and waiting family is unique.  I’ve learned so much in our adoption journey and I wanted to take some time to share with you on what can be expected in a domestic adoption and help prepare you for what is to come.
 
Starting the Domestic Adoption Journey
Before we chose an agency we did lots of research, mostly on-line, to find out more about adoption agencies.  Did they make promises that aren’t guaranteed? What did they stand for?  Were their fees online? 
 
I have to admit, choosing an agency was extremely overwhelming.  We chose ours because it was a Christian agency and that was priority because their mission aligned with ours.  It also came recommended from a friend who worked there which helped make this big decision much easier. 
 
To get started, our agency required a simple preliminary application with a small fee.  Nothing too crazy or time consuming, but would signal any red flags that we would not be a good fit with the agency.  (Some agencies have very specific requirements for waiting families such as number of years married.)
 
The Home Study
Leading up to the home study I felt overwhelmed because of what I read on-line. I’d see articles titled, “Surviving the Home Study,” and that doesn’t make anyone eager to go through it.  Y’all, it’s really not that bad.  Think of it as part of the labor pains of adoption; it’s not fun, but it’s going to lead to Baby. 
 
Our home study process was made up of three different components: Paperwork, Interviews, and Home Study.  It took about two months from the day we officially chose to pursue adoption to the time our home study was complete.  This is probably faster than most, but when Beth Burge feels compelled by the Good Lord to do something… watch out!
 
Here’s a list of what was involved in the home study process: