Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Update 9/20/10

The boys' rooms are done! We decided that our spare room was bigger than the room we had been using as a baby room with our foster children. So the spare room got a fresh coat of paint (light green and light blue), some cute pictures, and the cribs/dresser/changing table have been moved in there. The former baby room is set up as a guest room/feeding room right now with the idea that it will become a play room once the boys are mobile. We set up the spare bed in there in case anyone offers to spend the night and feed the little ones while we sleep! :) Eventually they'll have their own rooms.

We talked to a very nice attorney in Georgia about the process of termination of rights. Basically it will take 60-80 days to terminate birth father's rights if he is not identified. Fortunately, we don't have to stay in Georgia that long! As soon as we get permission from Georgia and Kansas, we can legally bring the boys back to Kansas. That should take 10 days to 2 weeks. The attorney will handle the termination process and we shouldn't have to return to Georgia for any hearings, etc. related to the termination.

We also talked to our attorney here about adoption. The initial adoption can be handled here or in Georgia and the boys' birth certificates will be updated with the adopting parent's name when that is done. The boys will always have Georgia birth certificates, since that is where they are born. We can't tell from an Internet search if Georgia will allow us to adopt as a couple or if one of us has to be the initial adopting parent. We'll have to follow-up with the attorney about that when the time comes. Kansas won't let us adopt as a couple, so we then have to file for a second parent adoption so that both of us will be officially their parents. That process takes about 30 days. We will then have adoption decrees that will show we are both their parents. The attorney here didn't know if Georgia would amend their birth certificates to show both of us. Kansas would if they had been born in Kansas.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Matched!!

The open adoption counselor talked with PBM yesterday. We are officially matched! We still have paperwork to complete and a meeting with the counselor and BM to talk over the preferences/logistics of everything, but there is no rush to get that done. One more step down in the process! Yeah! :)

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Baby pictures!

Today we went with BM to have a sonogram done. We got to "see" both babies and hear their heartbeats. The midwife said they haven't identified any problems with the pregnancy or the boys. Everyone is super-nice and we are looking forward to our return trip. Might try to come down in October for a doctor's visit. Thanks for all your support, help, and prayers!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Meeting PBM

So we flew to Atlanta today to meet our potential birth mom and her family. What a great day!! Everyone was super nice and very welcoming. It sounds like they've told everyone in town that we are the ones adopting the boys! And apparently we have the show Modern Family to thank for presenting the idea of a gay couple adopting. Here for another day and flying home tomorrow night. Hoping to get to see a sonogram of the boys tomorrow before we leave.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Prayers, please

Ok, so the baby bat phone rang this afternoon while I (Chris) was carrying it. A birth mother ("C") was calling to see if we were interested in adopting her 2 month old ("R"). Oh my! I talked to her for awhile and got some basic information. Mike and I then talked things over. We decided that since we have a verbal commitment already that we can't back out on her now and there is no way we could do 3 kids, with one being 5 months older than the other two. So I had to call C back and let her know. Please pray for C and R. She's tried 10 families and all have turned her down for one reason or another. Her husband is serving overseas so she's having to do this all by herself. We know there is a family out there for her. She just needs the strength to keep looking for them. Thanks!