What's Next?

This is a question I've gotten. Now that we have not been chosen for Alexis, what's next? Well, the answer is that we're back mid-stream so to speak. While we were waiting for Alexis' committee, we were also continuing to look at other kids. Just last week, as you know from this blog, I picked out 3 children from the bulletins to share with Anthony and discuss.

As I've been doing this all along, even with the committee in the works, we have 12 children who's case workers have asked for our homestudy to check out after we've expressed interest. Two kids (well, actually, a sibling group and an individual child) have the same case worker. She and Barbara have been talking back and forth about our family, so we'll see if that leads anywhere. Another case worker for a little boy, has asked to set up a phone conference with Barbara to share information before preceding. And yet another has just sent Barbara an adoption child summary for us to look over. This is a definite sign of interest in our family. It indicates that we're a family she's considering for committee.

We go on. My mom said that all the positives the committee came up with about our family that I shared with her made her feel optimistic. It does me, too. It seems we show pretty well, so I have high hopes for future committees. I thought I'd share what I can remember of the list here. It was a long list and, even though I was taking notes, I didn't get them all, but they still sound good.

I'm an at home mom.

We're an active family.

We have some experience with special needs.

We have a strong marriage.

We have realistic expectations.

If anything comes up (special needs-wise), I can be counted on to research it.

I've used counseling in the past, so it's clear that we're open to counseling if necessary in the future.

We're accepting of the unknowns.

We're experienced parents.

We have a strong support system.

We have a comfortable and child-friendly home.

We seem to be at ease in our home. (We submitted a video.)

We have a sense of humor. (This, apparently, came across well in the video. Strange. We just felt dorky!)

We are very welcoming of a new child.

It's a nice list and bodes well for the future. Now we just have to make it to committee again.

I've also been asked how am I doing? Well, actually. I'm tired of the waiting and I'm disappointed, but I really feel okay. I am just plain tired, too, as I was wound so tightly before committee and now I just kind of feel drained without the adrenaline of a coming child to sustain me. But, a couple of good nights' sleep should fix that. I did fall to pieces over a very minor disagreement with dh last night, so that is some indication that I'm not sailing smoothly, but I'm certainly not down for the count, either.