Adam & Beth
-
Posts
5,075 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
2
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Events
Posts posted by Adam & Beth
-
-
But hey, I got my fifth pepper earlier today
Cathy
Congrats on the new pepper...Trail Boss!
-
Cathy, sometimes you never know just how fast things will move along. We applied right about the time of the last scheduled Orientation for 2006. We figured we would be heading to San Antonio some time in Feb 2007. Little did we know, we got a call asking if we could be there in 2-3 weeks as there would be a December Orientation. We were very excited and it kicked things into High Gear
Good Luck!
-A
-
This is a homestudy "what if" question...
We are homestudy approved for an international adoption and have been advised to wait to update and change it to domestic until closer to placement. What happens if we are chosen for an immediate placement? Our homestudy certainly does not meet TX requirements now and I believe they require 5 visits? We had 2 visits for our original international homestudy. Just wondering if we should be working on it sooner?
Hope
Of course I'm no expert, but as I understand it, your homestudy (meeting TX standards) must be complete before you can take placement of the child, so yes, I would think you would want to be as close to done as possible.
The catch with the TX statues as I understand it, is that your last social-worker visit must be within 30 days of taking placement. We have our agency doing our homestudy on 'hold' right now as our original homestudy expired but we did everything we need for the update and even already paid for the final visit/update since we thought we were taking placement within a few weeks. So, they told us to just let them know when that special time comes and they will do everything in their power to get the final piece complete.
-A
I'm sure one of the knowledgeable Abrazo gals will answer your question soon though
-
Congrats to all those who have blessed with children through adoption and the Abrazo experience.
May God smile favorably upon you all and may all of us PIW's wait patiently while he prepares our special familes as well
-A
-
How about the comment "Why do you want to have (adopt) a baby anyway? You've got such a great life as it is, why do you want to mess it up?" ......they just assume their lives would be more stress-free without the added responsibilities of parenthood (a little of the "grass is always greener on the other side" way of thinking!)
Argh!
I don't know that I've heard this one directed to us, but I have heard this one and it just makes me want to say:
"Okay. Imagine your kids are no longer in your life. How does that feel? Would you be HAPPY?! NO! okay, then please- think before you speak. Now let's move on."
Actually I got one last night from my SIL who is in the hospital with complications regarding their forthcoming 3rd child.
She said "I think Everyone should have to experience preganancy at least once to know just how difficult it can be".
I said " I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. ". She realized the way that came out and there was no need to apologize because she is and always has been on our biggest supporters of our adoption journey.
sometimes people just don't think before they speak.
-A
-
We're stronger because of our struggles and hopefully have become better people due to adoption.
Jenny
I agree
. It is certainly a process I feel I have grown from and has enlightened me in so many ways (I'm not claiming to be all-out 'enlightened' though 
). -
Adam, I feel bad that's the response you got. It either tends to be a really happy one or a really scary one. You truly never know whats gonna come out of someone's mouth.
Thanks Jenny. I don't let it bother me. I just kind of shrug it off as I know the many blessings that await us when our child (and Birthmother) finds us
-A
-
And when it (pregnancy) does miraculously happen to you, you just hate to hear that almost "I told you so - Adopt and see you get pregnant." --- Nevermind the fact that we hadn't had any birthcontrol for 5 years and the doctor said it was a less than 1% chance it would happen.
It's like people don't see adoption/babies/pregnancy for the miracle that God has made it!
I was thinking of this the other day and thought of you Toni. I was wondering how many times you must have heard that line by now. Your preganancy is a blessing of course, but I imagine you hear that phrase about "SEE!...." a lot.
I mentioned we were adopting to someone I did not know well yesterday but who heard me mentioning our nursery. They said "Adopting huh? That's Hard. That takes a long time" They were completely in the mindset that we were in the 1-2 year wait for a baby from overseas
. I would gladly have taken a "Oh, okay" or "Oh, that's great. I hope it works out for you" as opposed to a "oh, that's hard". I already know how 'hard' it is. If only I too could get people to see the bigger picture.
-A
-
....they did just that when their little girl was conceived, even confessing to us, while cackling hysterically, that they got "kinky."
I'm not sure what that meant, and I really don't want to know.
Ah, if only it took a little booze to grow the family
Hmmmm....wonder if they'll share that with their daughter!Probably not till she's in her 30's
Then it will still be a TMI! TMI!!!! (too much information) moment.
-
Thanks for the clarification E!
(p.s.: I hope you and the kids are enjoying your vacation time with your dad
)-A
-
I didn't ask her to confirm that all three of our references had been received
They received our references just fine when we applied, but what I later learned was that per the Texas requirements for adoption, we had to also have 3 reference letters sent directly to the attention of our case worker for our homestudy.
So, you may want to give your references a heads up to save a copy of the letter (or be prepared to write another in the future) as they will need to also address a copy to the attention of whoever conducts your homestudy, assuming you use the same references. We were caught a bit by surprise on that step as we thought the 3 references sent to Abrazo were sufficient for that requirement. Further review shows that Abrazo requires 3 and the State of Texas requires 3, individually.
-Adam
-
Cathy and Brian,
I am so excited for you guys! I remember the beginning of our journey when we had a million questions to ask about everything adoption. You certainly are in the right place for great answers. I can't wait to hear that you have been accepted and are heading to orientation!
Hey I see you are at an even 1,000 posts with this post above, CONGRATS!
-
Cathy, as always, the final and official word will come from one of the nice ladies at the Abrazo office, but from my memory, the Orientation check is definitely a separate payment and you would not submit it until you have been approved/invited to attend an Orientation session.
-A
Thanks, Adam. I will go ahead and submit our application today since I'm off and put a note about submitting the separate check (if approved--hopefully when approved).
Cathy
I could be wrong, but if you want, you might just ask whoever answers the phone at Abrazo as I would think your request is a common question (what to submit and when).
Have a good weekend,
Adam
-
Final application question. . .
Should we include a separate check for the orientation with our application? I know we send a check for the application, but I'm unsure if we also send the other check at the same time? Or, do we await Angela's call before sending the orientation check? I'm hoping to mail this off today since I have the day off.
I left Angela a message, but understand she is out until Monday.
Cathy
Cathy, as always, the final and official word will come from one of the nice ladies at the Abrazo office, but from my memory, the Orientation check is definitely a separate payment and you would not submit it until you have been approved/invited to attend an Orientation session.
-A
-
Hello. My husband and I were married and baptised Zachary in the Methodist Church. I am wondering if we shoud go to a church with more racial diversity.
Laural,
If you are happy with your experiences in the Methodist denomination, have you considered looking into other Methodist Churches in more diverse neighborhoods/areas around Atlanta? We attend a United Methodist church and I know there are TON of them around Memphis and some have much more diverse congregations than others.
Also, if your church does not offer something that you have a need for but are happy otherwise with your church, would you feel comfortable asking the pastor or other church leaders to help you find programs at other churches that you could participate in? It would be similar to what you refer to about outside prayer groups and would not necessisarily take you away from your regular church attendance. Hopefully they are open minded enough to know that this is for your personal spiritual growth or well-being and they would do what they can to help you find what you are looking for.
Our church often publicizes other ministries taking place in other Methodist churches in the Memphis area. They know that our church alone can not always offer everything to everyone. The small groups aka prayer groups that started last year have been a big success. I haven't joined one yet but am considering it as I like intimate groups for discussion. It's nice to have a group of people you can confide in and ask for their support whereas I might not mention some things in a larger group setting because I don't feel as comfortable.
Good luck and God Bless,
Adam
-
Thanks for the information Adam and Elizabeth. I thought I was just clueless.
Heather
No, you brought up something that I didn't have a clear understanding of either. I too was thinking that you did not have to be logged in to view the profiles. So, it's good that we have that cleared up so we all know
Thanks Heather,
Adam
-
Sorry-- I think I misunderstood Heather's question.
Birthparents do not have to be "signed up" as clients of Abrazo before viewing profiles, but yes: anyone on Abrazo's Forum does have to register and log in, in order to gain access to the Gallery (this is one of the necessary security measures we must maintain in our ongoing efforts to foil hackers.)
In time, we plan to launch a separate feature that will allow any visitors to the Birthparent Page of Abrazo's main website to view prospective parent profiles, but we're not quite there, yet.
Thanks for the clarification Elizabeth
So, everything is operating as it should then
There are two sides to every coin: While it would be nice if people (who have not registered) could simply click on the gallery and view pictures, it also could potentially violate any privacy the posters thought they had when they made the pics available to their "Friends of the Forum"
So, I think the security of having to register to view the gallery is probably a good thing.Thanks to the Abrazo staff and the WebMaster for setting up a great online forum community.
-A
-
Do you have to be registered with Abrazo to look at the parent profiles?No-- that would essentially defeat the purpose, since very few birthparents (just like adopting parents) are reluctant to fill out all our paperwork until or unless they know for certain our agency can offer them the kind of match they're looking for...
Good morning Elizabeth,
I logged out of my account and attempted to approach this thread as a user who might look be surfing the web and viewing the Abrazo site (but not as a registered user).
While you can read the birthparent topics and go into each one without being logged in, It does appear that it will not let you view the online profiles if you are not logged in.
This is probably a setting on the Gallery which prevents users who are not registered from viewing the photos. You may wish to test this just to be sure, but it appears I am experiencing the same issue as Heather regarding viewing PIW Online Profiles (you must be logged in---see error message below).
Perhaps our WebMaster can assist in making this one URL link work (or can give us the available options).
This is what I get if I am logged out and click on the "LOVING HOMES FOR YOUR BABY" link:
-
It's truly a testament to the power of prayer-- just yesterday, the birthfather of this tot walked into a attorney's office in his city, where he broke down and admitted that he's not in a position to offer his child the security she deserves, and tearfully signed a relinquishment of parental rights, enabling her to join another family.
It was an act of love and courage and ultimate manhood, and we thank him for his valor. He is interested in being able to maintain contact through an open adoption, and we are so grateful to work in an adoption program that makes that possible, for both his sake and hers.
We have sent a case assessment out to one of our alumni families who has expressed interest in bringing this little girl home, and we await their decision, as we thank the good Lord for all the good people who are concerned for her future and who have lifted her and her birthparents in their prayers...
Thanks so much for sharing the update Elizabeth
May God watch over all of them,
-A
-
Thanks for your quick response from way over there
Cathy
No problem my friend
-A
-
I'm not sure where to post this question, so I thought I'd post it here since it relates to the application. Can someone tell me if the floor plan should have windows and doors included in the drawing? Hoping someone can answer this for me. Thanks, in advance!
Cathy
Not sure what the "official" answer is, but yes, we included doors and windows to demonstrate exit points of the floorplan.
-A
-
Late last year, we got a call from a desperate mom needing to place her beloved toddler; she was homeless, struggling to get by, and wanted a better life for her child, who was then three years old.
She longs for her child to have the stability of a permanent family who can offer her the security and attention and advantages in life that every child so deserves.
Are there any updates that you are able to provide? Just curious if the girl's mother & father have found a PIW couple to work with for this little girl's future.
Praying for them all,
-A
-
Congrats to all the new families
-
You know, that the more pregnancies you've carried the faster you grow and the bigger you get. This is evident in the fact that with Alex I weighed MORE than I did with the triplets. (Fiona I was 4 lbs lighter than the triplets) Just a tidbit I'd thought I'd share.
That wasn't necessisarily the case with my mother. I (child #2) was the smallest of 4. Mom's first baby was the largest of the first three, but the baby of the bunch was definitely the largest overall:
Older Brother: 8 lbs 8 oz
Me: 8 lbs 2 ounces
Younger Brother: 8 lbs 6 oz
Baby Brother: 10 lbs 10 oz
And wouldn't you know now I'm the biggest of the bunch
at 6'5" and my older brother is the smallest at 5'10"
APPLICATION
in Looking to Adopt
Posted
Just another note of Congratulations. By the posts on so many threads, you would think someone is QUITE excited about all this
And good news! WE TOO are EXCITED for YOU!
-A