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God is good. We got that exciting phone call from CHI today saying we have an official referral. Of course I cried I was so happy. I felt like breathing a huge sigh of relief that the wait is finally over. Come January it will be two years since we started the adoption process.

Now we have to write a letter of acceptance to Colombia and tell them when we plan to arrive. They will respond with another letter telling us if that date will work. Once that’s figured out we can purchase plane tickets and then use those to get our travel visas. Meanwhile, we’ll gather all our paperwork, get things we’re missing for the girls, celebrate with family and friends, then pack and fly far away.

I don’t know if I will have a job next year. If I do, I don’t know what it will be. At first, when my district started talking about budget crunch, cutting costs, and possibly cutting jobs, I sort of panicked, and then I got proactive. I researched (as good librarians do) what my options might be  should media specialists get cut. Throughout this process another teacher approached me about doing a job share for a Lanuage Arts position. I wasn’t too thrilled at first because I love my library job, however, the more Z and I thought about it, the more it seemed like the perfect fit. I could still work for the same district in the same school, get a partial  salary, keep my foot in the door, get back in the classroom which I truly miss, AND most importantly, have more time at home with my children (God willing we get them soon!). Since I have to work but don’t need to work full time, this was going to be great.

And yet, haven’t I said this before? We make plans, but God directs our steps. Are you surprised to hear that after ‘deciding’ to job share, getting the go-ahead from my principal, and planning my future, God may have different plans, different steps for me to take? So what do I do? I say, Inshal’Allah whatever happens next year will be God’s will, not mine. I’m just along for the ride 😉 Jen, can I hear an Amen!?!

Books I’ve read to prepare for our adoption of 2 little girls from Colombia:

Adopting after Infertility by Patricia Irwin Johnston: a good book for those researching the adoption process and dealing with the reality and feelings of infertility.

Adoption Parenting: Creating a Toolbox, Building Connections by Jean MacLeod and Sheena Macrae: helpful textbook for brief overview and ideas for dealing with the many aspects of adoption parenting.

Parenting your Internationally Adopted Child: From your First Hours Together through the Teen Years by Patty Cogen: another textbook with ideas for each stage of an adoptee’s childhood and how to parent the chronological age versus the biological age.

The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to your Adoptive Family by Karyn Purvis, David Cross, and Wendy Sunshine (what a great name!): the best adoption book I’ve read so far. It offers very practical strategies for helping your adoptive child attach and learn appropriate responses/interactions for social and family life.

Parenting the Hurt Child: Helping Adoptive Families Heal and Grow by Gregory C. Keck and Regina Kupecky: The second best book I’ve read. It helps you understand the hurt child and gives many practical ideas for helping the entire family attach and heal.

Adopting the Hurt Child: Hope for Families with Special-Needs Kids: A Guide for Parents and Professionals by Gregory C. Keck and Regina Kupecky: another great book about what to expect when adopting a child (they are all hurt in some way or another) and how to help them.

Secret Thoughts of an Adoptive Mother by Jana Wolff: a humorous and honest account of one adoptive mother’s experience.

The Brotherhood of Joseph: A Father’s Memoir of Infertility and Adoption in the 21st Century by Brooks Hansen: Wow! What a unique book written from an oft unheard perspective. Thanks for sharing Brooks! I thoroughly enjoyed your honesty and wit.

Books still on my list to read:

Adoption Journeys: Parents Tell their Stories by Carole S. Turner

Becoming a Family: Promoting Healthy Attachment with your Adopted Child by Lark Eshelman

Our Own: Adopting and Parenting the Older Child by Trish Maskew

Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today’s Parents by Deborah D. Gray

If you have other good adoption books to recommend or if you would like to know more about the ones I’ve read please leave a comment.

Happy Reading 😉

Hoy me decidi a escribir en espanol para que yo pueda aprender espanol rapido. (Kristina, gracias a esta idea.) Es muy divertido de escribir y hablar en espanol. Por ejemplo, ayer tuve que hablar en espanol porque me llamo por telefono a la madre de un estudiante. Este estudiante habia perdido un libro de mi biblioteca en la escuela. Le pregunte al estudiante tres veces si perdia el libro. Por ultimo, me dijo que si, asi, tuve que llama su mama. Cuando me llame a su casa la primera vez, yo les dije, “Hello.” Se colgo! La segundo vez que me llame, yo les dije, “Hola.” Entonces, la madre le dijo “Hola” a mi y hablamos en espanol. Fue muy divertido, pero tuve que pedir disculpas por mi espanol pobre!