Bluey, Spring, and Resources in the Waiting

We can hardly believe it's April! Our last update was in January for the Superbowl Sunday Squares but really our last update was in December of 2023.

In 2024, we've had a few close calls, experienced our first adoption fraud case, and have spent many periods eagerly awaiting news including one ask to fly that day. We now have a baby suitcase permanently packed in our nursery.

The positives

We have spent time with our families and friends celebrating birthdays, Easter, and other fun times.

We have a fun running list of baby names from our nieces whose top picks are Baby Nacho or Baby Quarter.

We've celebrated our friends, Alyssa and Jake, matching with their birth family and meeting their daughter, Opal.

We've added more fun to our nursery including some handmade posters by our nieces that include their favorite things so Baby Cousin can get to know them.

We've refocused on ourselves for a little bit. After taking a year off running, Katy will run her 16th half marathon this May. Trevor has done a few gaming speed runs including an appearance at Pax East. We both are recommitting to our health and wellness. We've started to book and plan vacations and other options while we are in the waiting.

Resources for Adoptive Parents in waiting

We've found a few resources to keep us sane in the waiting that may be helpful for our friends, families, and/or other adoptive families also waiting.

WATCH:

Bluey Episode The Onesies, Season 3 Episode 31. This episode literally gave our nieces a dialogue on how to speak to us about adoption and infertility. It explained why Auntie Kate was sometimes sad and why we sometimes missed holidays. This was a game-changer for us.

READ:

We shared with our families a few resources early on but one of the most helpful was the book, In On It: What Adoptive Parents Would Like You To Know About Adoption. This book was super helpful in giving our parents direction and clarity about the adoption process, what we could experience, and how they could actively help.

DO:

New Parents Academy Adoption 101: Newborn Prep Classes

We took a great series of classes from New Parents Academy. The challenge with adopting is that many of the newborn classes are a harsh reminder that you are not pregnant nor do they address the nuances of adoption including the potential hotel stays with a newborn as you wait for the adoption legality to formalize, formula feeding as your only option, potentially parenting a child in withdrawal, and other nuances.

What's Next

We are formalizing our home study renewal this Spring and looking ahead to potentially partnering with a new adoption agency. We are still waiting but feel a better balance in 2024 than 2023. Ongoing thanks to our friends, family, and adoption team who are helping us approach this era with positivity.