Amy&Craig

This is great news! So happy for the new family and hope they continue to enjoy their transition time. Can't wait to hear her name . Best wishes for everyone involved, Amy

Hi Amy, Welcome to Abrazo and the forum! I really enjoyed reading your post. You made perfect sense with your points about what terms are respectful and not labelling, as you said. There is a forum thread somewhere that talks about that very thing - maybe somebody can share the link. As a parent-in-waiting who recently met the family we are matched with, this was one of my first questions to them - what to be called? When we are talking to them or with our families then we say the person's name - no need for labels, we know what we are to each other, the mamas, the grandmamas. We were able to laugh about being each others "baby mama" because it's a role we hope to share. I think "birthmother" and "expectant mom" are used on the forum to protect privacy. Perhaps firstmother or using an initial is more considerate. Thanks for sharing, another Amy

Woohoo! Congrats on getting done with your application Beth, such a good feeling. The next orientation is so soon and you'll have a blast - good luck with your invitation. Where would you be coming from (if you want to share)? Looking forward to following your journey. Amy

Hey Team Rogers, How's it going for you guys? Any movement with the application this week? I know the waiting is tough. For me, looking back on it I'm glad I had some time before orientation to read and look at forum threads and think through stuff and get our heads straight before we started the PIW rollercoaster. When I think of last January when we decided to really look into adoption and make it happen this year I think, wow, we've come a long way mentally. I'd say our resolve & commitment got stronger during that wait and so we can get through ups and downs better. My answer to how I am right now is - sometimes calm, sometimes crazy - but that's just me in general. As a soon-to-be hopeful new parent I have moments of panic about parenting. But we also spend a good amount of time daydreaming about sitting around the house with baby. And we also have days where we try not to have EVERY conversation revolve around adoption or babies. Our new favorite game though is testing our short list of about 30 baby names (we need to narrow it down, I know) by dropping them in a sentence and seeing the other person's gut reaction. So who else is out there in application status land - either working on the application or in limbo or heard back and waiting for the next step? It was helpful for me to start forum talking with some of our to-be Choppers before orientation. Have a great weekend! Amy

Congrats to all involved. A fall baby boy after all

If we strike oil in the back yard, then consider it done Abrazo just needs one oil tycoon struggling with infertility and seeking open adoption - I can just see Craig and his fundraising buddies passing out Abrazo's card at Houston's arts galas. "Your wife is looking lovely tonight, fabulous designer gown. And how is her fertility?" LOL

Congrats Jim and Laura on getting that HUGE step done. You are on your way! Welcome, Amy

He's gay??????? Really? He was my childhood DREAM watching all those doogie howser episodes. I feel like I just learned about Santa. *deep exhale* Too funny! How I Met Your Mother is totally misleading (or ironic) too because he plays a huge womanizer. Believe it or not someone had to tell me that Elton John was gay - and George Michael for that matter - and I was twenty-something!

Welcome LittleBigs! Glad you found Abrazo and an agency that seems to fit. That's been our experience so far too. We also will be attending the next orientation - woohoo. From my understanding the date has been moved to July and they are trying to finalize which weekend. Obviously not the last one because that is Camp Abrazo and I'm assuming not the 4th - although I think PO weekend and 4th of July in SA sounds fun. Look forward to meeting you, Amy and Craig Erin - we must have responded at the same time! So you guys are in for July too? Fun, fun, fun. Is this your first Abrazo PO weekend?

Good job guys! Isn't it such a relief to send it off? We are still waiting on the date - want to be able to put it on the calendar and count down the days!

Welcome Sue and Nate. Sounds like we are at about the same spot in the process. Hopefully we will meet at the next orientation! Angela told me today that they are trying to finalize the date this week. For the sake of progress I've been chugging away at our profile today and can't seem to make myself stop Very glad to see you on the forum. Amy and Craig Allie - are you guys going to get the application in by the July Orientation? No pressure, just hoping...

I don't think it's a problem to collect the items and include with your packet. We included the doc letter but had the reference letters sent directly so I wouldn't have to wait if one was a straggler. For the orientation invitation - our packet included an information sheet but not anything to sign or state your preferred weekend or anything but I went ahead and sent our deposit just in case. So (I think) what I'm waiting on is just something to sign and send back and then Melissa had mentioned getting sample profiles at some point - which I really need because I feel creatively stumped. Hope this helps and I'm not steering you wrong. As said all over the forum - Angela knows best

Hi Allie, I was posting on the die hard tweener page exactly as you were writing this! I see we are both night owls, except I have to work tomorrow - bummer. Out for summer would be soooo nice. We sent our application in about 3 weeks ago. When we got it, it took us about a week to contact our friends for letters, get the doc letter, and write out our essay responses. If you get big chunks of time you will get it done pretty fast. There were a few things that we had to discuss and sleep on before completing the "willing to accept checklist" - that was a little hard for us. We talked to Angela last week about the late June Orientation - the last weekend. I am just waiting on the confirmation paperwork and getting excited to see who else will be there. She didn't mention how many people they have already or anything so you may want to call and see if you are working on a deadline for that application I am eager to start our homestudy. Angela was going to send me more information about that since we're in Houston - but I'm sure they are very busy and we've been focusing on painting over the holiday weekend and this week. My mom is flying into town for my birthday next weekend and we might (gasp) go baby shopping for the first time! I'm sort of excited but still have those doubts about ever being in the mommy club, but I've got to start believing right? Thanks for checking in and keep me posted, Amy

This is my favorite post so far! Childless, check, Texas, check, open on stuff, check.... I'll keep checking the mail.

Thanks guys. We've tried to take it easy this week and not stress on starting the profile or homestudy stuff just yet. But I keep coming back to the forum - too interesting to stay away! Amy

Thanks guys. I'm glad to hear that I wasn't the only one cleaning, de-cluttering, and then snapping photos. Our neighbor probably thinks we're moving since I was out taking house shots in the front yard. Post office here I come!!!

Wow, this thread has been pretty quiet for the past year. Guess everyone is breezing through the application. What a week! Work has been nuttier than usual and just when I wanted to focus on the application, sheez. But we are now 99% there - woo hoo - and just have to print some pictures tomorrow. Craig and I were working on our essay questions together, an interesting experiment for Mr. Two Sentences and Mrs. Four Paragraphs. Our conclusion: brevity is a skill I just don't have! (Sorry to the Abrazochicks who have to read those - just skim if you must!) We're also debating how many pictures it means by "send photos of you and your home." I tend to like pictures while Craig is whispering overkill overkill . We've also had a heartwarming week with our friends as they talk about their reference letters for us and how excited they are getting. So here's a question. I think our application packet should have included a registration form for the Parents of Tomorrow Weekend, yes/no? We got an information sheet about it - how fun it is and how the days are planned. At first I thought I was getting ahead of the process, but the cover letter invites us to return the registration form with a check. I wrote the check just in case the form can be faxed later. Any thoughts? Amy

Hi Allie and Ross, Welcome. We just got started too. Maybe we'll meet you guys at an Orientation this year. Are you in Texas? Amy

God bless Fridays. We sent our inquiry last Friday, and I left a message with a handyman to come by to re-grout the shower (overdue project). Then today - again Friday - got our application materials from Abrazo from the mailman as I was leaving for work AND the handyman called me back to come by tomorrow. I know what I'll be doing this weekend!!! Such great advice on the profile book - it does help. The creative side of me is like ohhhhh, project! When I asked my mom for some pictures yesterday she shared some priceless advice - "be sure to include your bunnies in your book, people love fuzzy animals!" Apparently birth parents make this huge decision by the cuteness of your pets (NOT). Yes, we do have 2 pet, house-trained bunnies, and no I don't advocate getting any just to put in your book Have a great weekend everybody. Amy

Thanks Heather and Melissa. I started sorting some pictures for our profile last night and requested some fun ones from our family. Someone I know created their profile at Blurb.com. I might see if she can help when I get further along. Melissa, did you use an on-line publishing site to do yours digitally? I know you can use Snapfish and Kodak.com too. But I also don't want to over-do it:) Do reference letters need to address specific questions? And can they comment on both of us - since our friends know both of us. Or did you go with friends and then someone like your employer or co-worker too? Yes, books books books! I'm currently reading The Open Adoption Experience (every time I see its cover from the 80s I think of a kid version of the Star Trek Enterprise), and I've plowed through several others this Spring. I tried reading every night about an hour before bedtime but found that it got me so excited that I couldn't sleep. Now I'm reading for long stretches on the weekends. Found "united states of adoption" - checking it out.

Monica, Pearland looks like a great place to raise kids. We looked there years ago but ultimately decided to be closer to our jobs in the med center and museum district. Melissa, you guys live in TN right? I grew up in Nashville - well Franklin area. My husband is from western KY - Henderson. So we drive through Memphis at least once a year. I enjoyed the pics you posted recently - those kids are adorable! Any advice on things I can be doing while I wait to hear back about the inquiry? We haven't contacted anyone about the home study - is this something I should wait on until I get a referral from Abrazo (if and when, fingers crossed).

Thanks for the warm welcomes! Judy (or Chris maybe), we live near Meyerland - SW between 610 and the outer loop. Do you guys come into the city much- for work or play?

Hi Everybody. Just jumping in here like we're hoping to jump into the adoption process with Abrazo! Exciting times. We sent our inquiry form in late last week and are waiting to hear back. In the meantime, we are continuing to read a ton and share with our families along the way. It has been really interesting to see how reading books has already "stretched" our assumptions and to then turn around and work with the built-in assumptions about adoption that our family and friends carry. We've had (mostly) good times learning and then educating the folks in our lives. Here is our funniest example so far of "educating", which I shall call "kids say the darndest things": My Sister-in-law to nephews and niece: You know, Craig and Amy are going to adopt a baby and it will be your new cousin. 10 year old nephew: (very excitedly) Awesome, I have just been dying for a Chinese cousin. Me: Well, we are probably going to adopt a baby from the US. But why are you dying for a Chinese cousin. 10 year old nephew: Because it will play basketball with me when it gets bigger - like Yao Ming. (He's a huge b-ball fan and visited us in Houston recently.) Me: Wellllll.... (interject 4 year old nephew) 4 year old nephew: I'm glad the baby won't be Chinese. Me: Why is that? 4 year old nephew: I won't be able to understand it...(Pause, deep thought) because it would speak Spanish. (He can only conceive of one foreign language and his siblings learn Spanish at school.) Me: (giggle) Well, we would have to teach any baby English. 4 year old nephew: What's that? Me: (Laughing on the inside and thinking "oh brother, what have I started"). BTW, this forum is really great! Finally, a view from the inside. Amy (and Craig)