melissamerritt
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Posts posted by melissamerritt
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Marcelo and Claudia,
Congratulations!!! I know you both are in heaven!
Post pictures soon.
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How wonderful Sherrie!!!! I can't wait to see pictures!
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We never did IVF, but we did have several appts. with a doctor to get prepared for IVF. The doctors had told us in order for it to work I need to have surgery to remove my tubes. A week before that surgery I just didn't feel right about it. I don't think that IVF it is wrong by any means, but maybe not the right choice for us. The doctors only gave us a 80% chance of getting pregnant, but I knew of a girl in our town who had just adopted a son from TX that choice was 100% for her and her husband. During that week I just felt in my heart that we were suppose to adopt and if we went through with the surgery I still would not get pregnant.
I think I told Chris that I didn't want the surgery about four days before it was scheduled. He was thrilled because he wanted to start the adoption pathway along time before me.
I too have known many people who were very successful with IVF. It is just a matter of choice. I totally agree with Cath follow your heart and at the end of your search will be your happiness.
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Thanks Stork Central!!
A Parent at Last has so many neat things on the website!
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Help,
We just found out yesterday that the person who did our first homestudy can't do our second one. I have been scouring the web all day trying to find someone nearby who could do it. We live in a small town 2 hours from Memphis and 2 hours from Nashville, so I really don't want to have to get someone to drive 2 hours here just to do our homestudy.
Does anyone know of a website where I can go look for LCSW that do homestudies in my area???
And does it matter that the person updating the homestudy did not orginally do our homestudy?
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Thanks Bobbi and Rhonda,
I have felt such a peace just recently about adopting again.I have fought it for a few months but now I think we are doing what we are suppose to do. Chris was ready last year but it took me a little while longer.
I can't wait to get started.
Rhonda just jump in and join us! I would love a chance to meet you also!
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Just an update:
Chris just came back last week from a meeting with the owner of his company. He told Chris that he is going to give him paid leave the entire time that he is off for our next adoption!!! He told Chris to take however much time that he needed and not to worry about his job.
He also gave him last Friday off with pay so he could help with our yardsale.
It just amazes me how everything is working out. I am no longer worried anymore, I am ready to jump feet first into the adoption waters!
Watch out Abrazo here we come
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Well our Adoption yard sale went so well that we are extending it to next Sat. because friends from the church have given us more stuff to sale.
I am still in shock over how much we received. I was also able to tell many people about open adoption and Abrazo because it seemed like almost everyone knew someone who knew someone....
Grace Ann knew that this yard sale was going on to help her get a baby, so today when a lady walked up with a tiny little one Grace Ann started screaming "My Baby, My Baby! She brought me my baby!" Of course I got a strange look from the woman until I explain to her what Grace Ann was talking about. Needless to say Grace Ann was very upset when the baby went home with it's Mommy.
Thanks Christina!
I volunteer with a local ministry kind of like Goodwill, so after next Sat. I am going to box my stuff up and take it down there. I glad you mentioned giving everything a value. I forgot that I could claim it as a deduction.
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Day One of the great adoption yard sale is over and I can say that I am pleasantly surprised! We received way more than we ever thought we would receive in just one day. Most people told us to keep the change that we owed them, so that really begin to add up. Our friends from church showed up throughout the day with so many big items for us to sell. We are praying that everything is bought tomorrow or we will never get to park in the garage again
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Michelle,
We started with Abrazo three years ago next month. We were matched with Grace Ann's birthparents in Aug. of 2002 and Grace Ann was born in Nov.
We are ready to have a new little person in our house and Grace Ann is more than ready to become a big sister. I have said this before but Grace Ann has started carrying around her flip-flops like babies and she tells people they are her little sisters!
Best of Luck along your journey to parenthood!!!!
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Hi Michelle and Mike,
We are hoping on attending orientation in July. This will be our second time working with the wonderful women from Abrazo.
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I forgot to mention in my last post. Everyone say a little pray for sunny skies tommorrow and Sat, because we are having our yard sale. Our 2 1/2 car garage is overflowing with items donated from church members. I can barely get in there to sort things because we have things stacked to the ceiling!!!!!
It is unreal how generous everyone has been to us.
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I started a new little venture last night to help save some money for our next little Abrazo babe.
I am now cooking dinner each Wed. night at our church. I had 45 people eating last night and I think each week it will grow. It isn't easy,but I enjoy cooking so it is right up my alley.
After expenses I still had a nice amount left over.
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The biggest thing that we have encountered is some family members are jealous of our relationship with Grace Ann's birthparents. I think they feel like as Grace Ann gets older that she will love Monica and Ronnie more than she loves her adoptive family. We have had many talks with these family members. We have told them, that yes Grace Ann loves Monica and Ronnie but her heart is big enough to love everyone in her life. It really drives me crazy, because sometimes I feel as if I am dealing with preschoolers instead of grown adults.
I think it really boils down to some members of our family just do not understand open adoption. Chris and I are trying our best to get them to understand how open adoption works,but sometimes I think they just don't want to understand(can't teach an old dog new tricks!!).
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How wonderful Michelle!! Any little amount helps!
I have done some research on many grants and I am trying to weed out the bad from the good.
I am not sure if I should go ahead and start applying because we have not yet began our adoption process again but we are planning on starting this Summer. We just have to update our homestudy once we start, so I have thought it might be easier to go ahead and start applying if the companies dealing with the grants will accept our application now.
Thanks Michelle for that little motivation,
Melissa
P.S. I love your new picture
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I love little girls, but one thing I am learning as Grace Ann grows older is little girls can very much be little drama queens. Most of my friends have boys and when I tell them the things Grace Ann is doing and saying they just laugh. They have never experienced these things with their sons. From what they have said boys are much easier.
At our house it is divided. I will be happy with a boy or a girl next time. Chris is really praying hard for blue. Grace Ann has taken to calling her flip-flops her baby sisters. She holds them, rocks them, sings to them and puts them to bed! I guess that is a sign(a very weird sign) that she is ready to be a big sister.
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I know, I know.... and I am soooo excited for this happy new family!!!!
I can't wait to hold this sweet little girl!!!
We love you and can't wait to see you soon,
Chris, Melissa & Grace Ann
P.S. I told you it wouldn't take long
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Jean,
Oops!
I'm sorry, you are right. I posted that after a reallllly loooong day. I meant to type finance, my fingers were typing one thing while my mind was thinking another.
Sorry again, I hope I didn't offend anyone.
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For those of you who are like us trying to save every penny for an adoption, I thought you might like this idea.
Chris and I are having a huge yard sale in a couple of weeks. We have gone through the house and found soooo much stuff that we just don't need anymore. People from our church and our families are donating a ton of stuff to go toward the baby fund. We are also advertising in local papers that all the money collected from the yard sale will go toward an adoption.
Some friends from church have also talked about having a trivia night at church with the money collected to also go toward our adoption.
This next baby will truly be a church baby since members of our church helped finance our adoption plan!
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Congratulations to everyone! It is truly unbelievable how many families are turning into forever families these days.
The Abrazo angels must be working around the clock!!!
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We are hoping and praying that we will be againers before the end of Summer.
I have prayed that if it is God's will for us to adopt again that the doors would be open, so I think the doors were open a little yesterday.
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Great News!!!
Chris had a meeting with his regional manager today. Out of the blue he asked Chris how old Grace Ann was and then he went to say it was time for her to become a big sister. Well Chris of course told him about what we were told about him taking time off. His manager assured Chris that he would have his job back when he came back regardless how long it takes. He even went to say that if need-be he would fill in for Chris personally!!! He told Chris not to worry one minute about losing his job. That is a big answered prayer!!!
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Congrats Michelle!!!! I know you and your family are thrilled beyond words!
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Well, I just got off the phone with Chris's employers. His company does not fall under FMLA rules because it is a vendor company for Lowe's. Chris is a vendor for three different Lowe's in our area. His area does not have 50 more employees so as I was told they do not have to abide by those rules. The lady I talked to said they could allow Chris to be off two maybe three weeks after that he might not have a job to return to. I asked her about the women that work for the company and she said the same goes for them. She went back to work after two weeks because she wanted to be loyal to her company(her words not mine)!!
She also told me it was a good thing that we were adopting in this country not overseas.
She went on to tell me that the adoption world was punishing us because of (her words again) dumb laws that are set up!
Chris is going to talk to his regional boss about all this. Don't know if it will help but it can't hurt.
Baby Announcements 2005
in New Arrivals
Posted
Marjory,
Congratulations on your little Maid of Cotton!!! Hug her and kiss her all the time, because it won't be long until she tells you that you kiss her way too much
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I would love to get together and visit with area Abrazo families!!
Elizabeth posted something awhile back about mini reunions. I look and try to find it.