It's been quite some time since the last time that I have updated the blog. Boy, have things changed. Let's just say, a lot has happened since then.
Where to begin...
Back in August I was contacted by our adoption agency, they emailed us stating that we should call them at our convenience. I remember thinking, this is it, we are to the next step! I had expected to hear that our EP had been submitted. The conversation started with her asking me if I was at work. When I told her I was, she responded with, "Well, maybe you should call when you get home, I don't like to give this kind of news while someone is at work." My heart sunk. She called to let us know that the child that we had been matched with was no longer for adoption, that his mother had chose to parent. I don't think I can put into words the emotion that took over my body. It's such a rare thing to happen with Korean adoptions that I had not even begun to fathom that idea. The selfish part of me was in a lot of pain. A little boy that we had prayed for and fell in love with was no longer going to be a part of our family. Above all of this, through every single tear (which there were a lot of), my heart was beyond happy for this little boy and his mother. I'm very thankful for the comfort that I had in knowing that this was the right path for this little guy. I'm telling you, I don't know how in the world I was able to feel that sense of trust and confidence in the turn of events and the outcome for this little baby. There was not even a second of doubt that it was the wrong outcome. I'm more than confident that God was present with me that day. Through my tears I kept saying, "I'm so, so, so happy for them." The decision that she had to make to take her son back was something that I can't even begin to imagine. I imagine that she had so many sleepless nights praying to know what was best for her and her son. The decision she made isn't going to be an easy one, especially with a culture that doesn't accept young, unwed mothers. She has many difficulties ahead of her. I truly feel that God had this plan for her and her son. That He knew that it took putting him up for adoption and living 8 months without him to realize that she couldn't live the rest of her life without him. I'm so glad that we were part of that plan for him. In this weird way we feel like they will always be a part of our hearts. We think about and pray for them often. I pray for her strength because being a mom isn't easy, especially in her situation.
When they gave us that news, they asked us if we were still interested in continuing on this adoption journey. There were no second thoughts, of course we were. So back up on that horse we went. Our adoption agencies and the agency in Korea (SWS) couldn't have been any more compassionate and kind about the situation. We were told that the referral wait wouldn't be near as long this time around. Shew, let me just tell you, 8 weeks may have felt like an eternity! It's terrible, but I'll admit it, I literally lived for Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I made up reasons to email our adoption agency, just to see if they'd give me a hint that they had heard something. Crazy, I know. God, I get it, I needed some real lessons in patience and putting things in Your hands alone.
Finally, after 8 weeks of waiting, I was given a phone call that just felt so right. We were told that we had been matched with a little boy. #boymom #boylifeisthelifeforme At this point the referral packet was still in Michigan(AIAA) so we had to wait until the next day to get to see his sweet face. Longest 24 hours EVER!! The next day we drove to our homestudy agency where we were given our folder of information and pictures of our little boy. I told my students I was going to have my "adoption ultrasound".
Guys, I can't even. That face, I have no words. I wish I could just show the world his cute face. Until the adoption is complete I can't post pictures on social media or the Internet, which I understand. For now I will continue blocking his face with adorable emojis, though I must say, those emoji pictures do his level of adorableness no justice.
The big question has been, "so, do you get to go straight to Go and collect $200?." I wish we could fly right over to Korea and pick our little guy up. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. I know it probably seems unfair, but it takes a while to go through Korean court and make someone a U.S. citizen. We are currently waiting to be submitted for his EP (Emigration Permit), after that we will wait for the EP to be approved. Once that happens we will get a court date. We will then travel to Korea where we will meet our son and then attend court. From there we will come home, wait for about 6 weeks (waiting for his Visa to be ready) then we will fly back to Korea to take custody. How long do we expect that to take, the real answer, who knows. My estimate is that we will probably take custody this coming Summer. Yes, it's a while to wait. Yes, it will be tough. But, now there is an end (or the real beginning), in sight. We look forward to that time so much. For now we will continue to pray for him, his foster mother and his Korean mother. The boys will continue to ask what time it is in Korea and we will continue to dream about what he could be doing. We will also enjoy the last months of having a family of four....in other words, not being out numbered! We will also look forward to the day that we have our S-boy home!
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