Many Thanks

Mike and I have been truly touched by several e-mails we have received from our blog posts. Several people have reached out to share their own battles with infertility, and have thanked us for sharing our story and offering insight into the domestic adoption process. We decided to share our story in hopes that we would not only keep our family and close friends informed on how things were going, but also help others learn more about this process so that they could make the most informed decisions for themselves.

While there are certainly some frustrating moments (and lots of red tape) to battle through, we want to reiterate that it is beyond worth it to know that in the end we will be a family. We knew we would inevitably face some hard decisions and letdowns; last week was a perfect example.

In sharing these ups and downs we hopefully are not coming across "whiney" - our intention is just simply tell it like it is. So many couples were willing to be open and honest with us so that we could be prepared for what we were about to experience. While it's certainly different to actually live it, we hope our story helps others be prepared.

Your support, encouragement, and willingness to share your own stories is very heartwarming. Thank You.

K told us this morning that she had two more profiles coming our way; she was waiting on all the information to become available before passing them on to us. We are certainly anxious and hopeful to review those, and will of course keep you updated on any developments.

In the meantime, this week we will be diving into the financial part of a adoption. The majority of resources out there tell you that an adoption will cost about $20-35,000. As we've quickly learned, those prices are not truly accurate...we've had one adoption come across our plates for $40k, another for $53k; and those were literally just for the adoption. The costs of the Home Study, creating your Adoption Profile, legal paperwork to finalize the adoption, and travel/living costs for when you are united with your baby (if he/she is in another state or country) are not part of that adoption cost you are quoted. (don't forget you still need to set up the nursery!)

We hope by breaking down the costs in our story you will have a better idea of what to prepare for your own adoption story. (and for those who are just curious, we certainly hope the financial realities will open your eyes to the need for continuing the current tax credits that are available for families once their adoption is finalized)