Saturday, December 31, 2016

Tia and Uncle Kevin's Child

     Our niece Kate is trying to warm up to the idea of  us getting a baby....and her no longer being the only grandchild. She sobbed when we announced it to my family...it was hilarious. During our Christmas Vacation, Kate named two of her Shopkins backpacks Tia and Uncle Kevin. This morning, Patrick sent me a text with the Shopkins pics and Kate's quote, "Tia and Uncle Kevin's child." I could not stop laughing.

We love this girl!

Uncle Kevin and Tia

"Tia and Uncle Kevin's child."

We're Adopting a Baby!

     On Christmas Day (while on family vacation in Orlando with the Silas side), Kevin and I publically announced that we have begun the adoption process. While the announcement may have been a surprise to some, it has been discussed and prayed about for a long time now.

     I (Carly) have wanted to adopt long before adoption was a norm within my family. I remember God laying it on my heart as a young teenager. Since that desire was laid on my heart, my immediate family has grown by two through adoption. Our niece, Kate, was adopted in 2011 and my brother, Brandon, was adopted in 2013. So, to say that we love adoption would be an understatement.


     Kevin and I have had discussions about  adoption since early on in our relationship. But well over the past 6 months or so the discussions became more serious as we talked and prayed about starting the adoption process and the logistics of it all. The researching of adoption agencies and consultants as well as brainstorming housing options then began.

     Due to Kevin’s job, we have lived on a college campus our whole married life. We originally had planned on buying a house before starting the process, but the Lord closed (really slammed..ha!) that door, which has turned out to be a blessing. At the beginning of Christmas Break, we “upgraded” our housing from a two-bedroom teeny tiny apartment to a three-bedroom, much more spacious apartment/dorm room. It really is spacious and we have it looking rather “homie.” While Kevin was negotiating our housing (first to move off campus and then to move another apartment on campus) we knew we were trying to secure more space for a baby, yet our families had no clue (or so we thought) that is why we were trying to move. We also began contacting adoption agencies and consultants around November to start applications and gather information… I really struggled with keeping it all a secret.


     Originally we had planned on going through the same agency that my niece was adopted through. However, they have not seemed to have many placements lately. Over Thanksgiving break, I was mentioning the agency and getting more information from my sister. She confirmed what I had already heard and mentioned a consultancy group that she had heard about, Faithful Adoption Consultants. They are known for placing babies pretty fast. They in and of themselves are not an agency, but network with over 60 agencies across the country. Kevin and I immediately began researching them and set up an initial phone conference. We talked with a lady on the phone who answered a lot of our questions and immediately felt at peace with going through FAC. They are a faith-based group with a heart for the gospel and showcasing the gospel through adoption.

     On December 17th, we announced that we are adopting to our families. I made super cute onesies for both sets of parents. My Mom later added it to her mantle…she is only slightly excited. Ha! They also begged to tell their friends, but we were mean and made them wait until Christmas Day when we announced it publically. But now, the cat is out of the bag for all to know. J



     So, you may be wondering where we are in the process….
FAC has already recommended somebody to do our Home Study. We have been in contact with our assigned case worker and have begun the seemingly overwhelming process of completing our Home Study. We hope to have our portion of the Home Study completed in January and have it finalized sometime in February. Once our Home Study is completed, we will make a profile book and FAC will start distributing it to expectant Mamas. Once Home Studies are completed, FAC has an average wait time of 4.5 months, but sometimes it is faster. Eeek!

     I am going to do my best to update the blog as the process continues. (I promise it won’t always be nearly this long!) But in the meantime, we ask that you cover us, our baby, and the brave expectant Mama and her family in your prayers. There is a very real possibility that our sweet baby is already growing and developing in her womb.