About the adoption orientation on Saturday...

I've been waiting a bit to write about our experience on Saturday
because I needed to make sure I wasn't just getting caught up in the
moment.
I really, surprising, liked this new agency. I actually still love the
other agency, but I think this one just fits our needs a little bit
better. I did not go in thinking that I would want to switch. I just
wanted to get my husband a little bit more information so he could
understand the adoption process and have more information to decide if
it's right for him.
After this seminar he said, "I'm feeling hopeful." It's not something
I've heard from him regarding adoption before. It made me smile and
get all giddy inside.
Everything was so nicely organized, and having it on a Saturday, where
we aren't crazy rushed from commuting in rush hour traffic, I think
did wonders for both of our comprehension levels.

So, yay! we are feeling really confident with this decision! I'm so
grateful that they gave us every bit of paperwork (personal & medical
references, fingerprinting & background checks, the autobiography
questions, etc.) we would need for the home study. Being able to look
through this before making any decisions puts my mind so much at ease.

I'm also now very confident in working with an agency, and not a
facilitator or attorney. It's just the right fit for us.

Of course, it's not a normal day for me unless something awkward
happens, and Saturday did not disappoint. As I was introducing myself,
and right in the middle of a sentence about struggling with
infertility, the mailman walks in with a delivery. He looked really
embarrassed, maybe more than me, although I was really, really red.
So, I had to stop mid-sentence as the package was signed for and then
I started laughing uncontrollably and making comments about my ovaries
and what not, because why not make an awkward situation even more so?
Nice.

I'm so excited, I just want to get everything started and start
telling people, which is the greatest feeling in the world. I'm
beginning to realize that because of my infertility, and my
embarrassment over it, I've detached myself from so many people. Now I
feel I can let them in on this journey, and start rebuilding some of
the most important relationships in my life.

Back when I was "single"...

My husband returned from a week of chaperoning Science Camp yesterday, yay!

We had a nice little conversation:
DH: I'm so happy to be home, I really missed you. (aww)
ME: I missed you, too... you hear a lot of noises and bumps in the night when you're single-
DH: Single? You do realize that just because I was gone for 4 days doesn't mean you were single, right?
ME: Uh, sure...

I brought up being "single" a few more times during the evening, just to have a little fun with him (DH: Did you brush your teeth, yet? ME: You know I didn't have to deal with this kind of stuff when I was single. etc, etc.)

Hee, we have fun.

Oh, we had our latest Adoption orientation today, but I'm too full (don't ask) to write about it right now, but will later. It went great, by the way.

Adoption Seminar on Saturday!

I'm really looking forward to this. I'm not sure about the agency, yet, but I really like that it's a 4 hour class, and really will get in to what open adoption is all about (I hope).

I sent my husband away to Science Camp with a copy of "Adoption for Dummies" so he could get a little prepared for this... we'll see how far he got when he comes home tomorrow.

We have gone to one other agency seminar, which I blogged about **here** That agency left me with a very good feeling, and so I'm very interested in what I'll take away from this new agency's seminar. The other agency's seminar was really just a quick overview of the process, with some Q&As. It lasted maybe 2 hours, with a bunch of that time taken up by introductions. I think my husband will get a little bit more out of this meeting.

And then, we're going to an Open House of a home we may be interested in buying! Exciting times!

A new blog for a new beginning!

Hope. I think I have it. I'm feeling so excited right now by the possibilities of what lay ahead.
So, today, while my husband is chaperoning his school's science camp, I'm going to start my new blog, "A Whole Lot of Hope."

My last blog, Fertility Now...Insanity Later?, took on a weird tone, I think. Definitely not hopeful. I think I was defeated by months, years, of not being fertile,and not overcoming it. But, that's not who I am - I am not Infertile M. I'm Marisa, and I love my life, I love my husband, I love my family, and I love my pets. And guess what? I get a whole lot of love back, too! I am a very lucky person!

As far as content... well, this blog is going to start with the purpose of chronicling our adoption journey. A journey I think I'm ready to start. We have some roadblocks in the way, but they aren't insurmountable. But, my life isn't all about trying to be a parent, so I hope to also share some of my day to day going-ons. I'd like to open up my life a bit..maybe even out a picture or two of me up here. Get some photos up of my aquarium, my silly cats, my living space, my obsessions (currently obsessed with weird vending machines. I'm ready to go to Japan just to experience their crazy vending machines)...whatever comes to mind.

I hope you'll follow along!