Friday, May 20, 2011
It's a BOY! - Kaien Vaughn
Our healthy baby boy was born today, May 20, 2011 at 5:03 p.m! He weighs 8 pounds 8 ounces and is 21 inches long. We hope to bring him home on Tuesday. Please pray for our son, the birth parents, and us and we tread unchartered waters until everything becomes final. We are so blessed. Today Chris and I became parents! Praise God for our little miracle!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The Hardest Week of Our Lives!
Once we had heard on Friday that a birth family was reviewing our file, the reality of the past year set in. It was the first time we were aware that we were being reviewed. It was not the easiest week to say the least. If given the chance again to know we were being reviewed, I don't think I could go through it again. I would rather someone pick us and then we get the call.
Here is how the past week went. On Friday we got the call that said we were being reviewed. We were told that we should know by Tuesday because that was when a social worker was meeting with the birth parents. From that moment, we shared with a few people what was going on. I was hesitant to tell everyone because I didn't want to have to go back and tell people we weren't picked. Well, as most things go, those people told other people and so on. What came of it was that Chris and I felt an outpouring of prayers and support coming our way.
Tuesday came and I was a nervous wreck. Chris was going to receive the call and then call my cell phone. I had it in my pocket all day checking it every ten minutes. No call came through. Around 3:00, Chris called the agency to see what was going on. They said that they were going to meet with the birth parents Tuesday night, and then give them our file. Deep breath... We thought they were already reviewing our file. She also said that she would be out of the office on Thursday and Friday. If we didn't hear from her on Wednesday, she would let us know on Monday.
Immediately, I needed more prayers. I didn't know how I was going to get through the rest of the week, let alone the weekend. Chris and I ate out with family and kept ourselves busy. I was able to let go of most of the nerves for the weekend, because I knew we wouldn't hear anything.
Sunday was Mother's Day. Chris surprised me with iPod speakers, which I wanted for the baby's room. I was very excited, even though we still didn't know anything.
Last year, on May 9th (Mother's Day), we received a call from our agency telling us they had got our application and would like to meet with us to move forward.
Monday was May 9th. Around 12:00, Chris called my phone. I was getting ready to take my class to lunch. I quickly answered the phone and he told me, "THEY PICKED US!" My instinct was to start crying. I started but thought, "Keep it together until you drop off the students." I told Chris I would call him back in ten minutes. I took my class to lunch and told two of my best friends. They came down in the room with me as I called Chris back and got all the details.
I cannot tell you, or put into words, how I felt when I found out I was going to be a mother. I have nothing but respect and gratitude toward the birth parents who chose us to raise their child.
Our birth mother is due before the end of May. Chris and I cannot wait to meet our baby! Stay tuned...
Blessings,
Chris and Sara
Here is how the past week went. On Friday we got the call that said we were being reviewed. We were told that we should know by Tuesday because that was when a social worker was meeting with the birth parents. From that moment, we shared with a few people what was going on. I was hesitant to tell everyone because I didn't want to have to go back and tell people we weren't picked. Well, as most things go, those people told other people and so on. What came of it was that Chris and I felt an outpouring of prayers and support coming our way.
Tuesday came and I was a nervous wreck. Chris was going to receive the call and then call my cell phone. I had it in my pocket all day checking it every ten minutes. No call came through. Around 3:00, Chris called the agency to see what was going on. They said that they were going to meet with the birth parents Tuesday night, and then give them our file. Deep breath... We thought they were already reviewing our file. She also said that she would be out of the office on Thursday and Friday. If we didn't hear from her on Wednesday, she would let us know on Monday.
Immediately, I needed more prayers. I didn't know how I was going to get through the rest of the week, let alone the weekend. Chris and I ate out with family and kept ourselves busy. I was able to let go of most of the nerves for the weekend, because I knew we wouldn't hear anything.
Sunday was Mother's Day. Chris surprised me with iPod speakers, which I wanted for the baby's room. I was very excited, even though we still didn't know anything.
Last year, on May 9th (Mother's Day), we received a call from our agency telling us they had got our application and would like to meet with us to move forward.
Monday was May 9th. Around 12:00, Chris called my phone. I was getting ready to take my class to lunch. I quickly answered the phone and he told me, "THEY PICKED US!" My instinct was to start crying. I started but thought, "Keep it together until you drop off the students." I told Chris I would call him back in ten minutes. I took my class to lunch and told two of my best friends. They came down in the room with me as I called Chris back and got all the details.
I cannot tell you, or put into words, how I felt when I found out I was going to be a mother. I have nothing but respect and gratitude toward the birth parents who chose us to raise their child.
Our birth mother is due before the end of May. Chris and I cannot wait to meet our baby! Stay tuned...
Blessings,
Chris and Sara
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
April 30, 2011
Chris called me at work and told me he was just contacted by our agency. He said that there was a family that was given our file and would be reviewing it over the weekend. They told Chris that we should know if we were picked by Tuesday. We spent our weekend praying for the birth parents and all the adoptive parents being reviewed.
Tuesday came and I was a nervous wreck. I carried my phone with me all day as I was teaching. There was no call. Chris called our contact person, and she told us that they were going to meet with the birth parents that evening and we should know something on Wednesday.
Wednesday came and I was a nervous wreck. Chris called and was told that they were just given the files the night before. He was also told that our contact person was going to be off for the rest of the week and we should know sometime Monday. It was the HARDEST week of waiting. I cannot even put it into words. I told Chris that if another family was chosen, I didn't want to know when we were reviewed again. I just wanted the call that said we were chosen. This was way too hard to go through again! I then started praying even more for everyone involved.
Tuesday came and I was a nervous wreck. I carried my phone with me all day as I was teaching. There was no call. Chris called our contact person, and she told us that they were going to meet with the birth parents that evening and we should know something on Wednesday.
Wednesday came and I was a nervous wreck. Chris called and was told that they were just given the files the night before. He was also told that our contact person was going to be off for the rest of the week and we should know sometime Monday. It was the HARDEST week of waiting. I cannot even put it into words. I told Chris that if another family was chosen, I didn't want to know when we were reviewed again. I just wanted the call that said we were chosen. This was way too hard to go through again! I then started praying even more for everyone involved.
April
Chris called again at the beginning of April only to find out that there was only one birth parent. She was not due until the fall, and she would not be choosing an adoptive couple until August. They also informed us that we would need to renew our home study because it is only current for one year.
When I got home and Chris shared this information with me, we just sat there discouraged. We discussed what we should do. Many friends that have dealt with adoption in the past, told us to get on more than one list.
Over the weekend, I looked up all of our agencies in Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska. I wrote down all of their phone numbers and thought it would be really easy to get on their lists because we were already on the list with the Kansas City office. When Chris started making the calls, they informed us that they couldn't put us on the list because we were with the KC branch. I felt even more confused. Chris had a few more numbers to call, and we contacted two more companies - one in Kansas and one in South Carolina. Both were dead ends.
Then, my mom called me the next day and said she ran into a women she knew twenty-five years ago at the parking lot of Target. As they were catching up, she told her we were adopting. She gave my mom the number of her friend who was an adoption lawyer in Kansas City. We called him and got some good information. We planned to meet with him the week of May 9, when he got back from vacation.
When I got home and Chris shared this information with me, we just sat there discouraged. We discussed what we should do. Many friends that have dealt with adoption in the past, told us to get on more than one list.
Over the weekend, I looked up all of our agencies in Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska. I wrote down all of their phone numbers and thought it would be really easy to get on their lists because we were already on the list with the Kansas City office. When Chris started making the calls, they informed us that they couldn't put us on the list because we were with the KC branch. I felt even more confused. Chris had a few more numbers to call, and we contacted two more companies - one in Kansas and one in South Carolina. Both were dead ends.
Then, my mom called me the next day and said she ran into a women she knew twenty-five years ago at the parking lot of Target. As they were catching up, she told her we were adopting. She gave my mom the number of her friend who was an adoption lawyer in Kansas City. We called him and got some good information. We planned to meet with him the week of May 9, when he got back from vacation.
March
The month of March was Chris's turn to call. When he called, Jan told him that there was nothing new as far as placements had went. She did inform him that back when we were placed on the list there was a total of ten families. They were now trying to get fifteen adoptive parents on the list. This didn't make much sense to us since there hadn't been but one placement since the beginning of the year. He got off the phone and we were a little less motivated.
February
Chris and I were talking about how we had been on the adoptive parent list for 6 months and hadn't been contacted once. We didn't want to hound the agency, but we wanted to know how adoptions as a whole were going. We knew our timeline was in God's hands; however, since we had been put on the list, the staffing at the agency had changed a lot.
We started by meeting with a lady named Peggy, who visited our house and gave us all of the initial information. At that point, we were told that she would be conducting our home study. Peggy had to then have surgery and we were placed with Nikki. (Who we love!) After our home study was complete, we spoke with Joan to find out we made the list. Joan's boss was Jan. In March, Joan was replaced, and Jan was replaced. To top it all of, the agency moved their office. Needless to say, Chris and I were afraid we were lost in the back of the drawer, or in a black hole.
Chris and I decided we would start calling once a month to find out new information. I called first. I called Jan and asked some random question. She said that while I was on the phone she would check our file. She told us that our file was reviewed the previous week, and the reason we were not placed was that we lived in too close proximity to the birth parents. From there, the phone conversation was a blur. Here we thought that nothing was happening and we were reviewed. At that point, Jan asked me if we would like to be contacted when our file was being reviewed. I told her we did prefer to know that information. I got off the phone and feeling motivated once again.
We started by meeting with a lady named Peggy, who visited our house and gave us all of the initial information. At that point, we were told that she would be conducting our home study. Peggy had to then have surgery and we were placed with Nikki. (Who we love!) After our home study was complete, we spoke with Joan to find out we made the list. Joan's boss was Jan. In March, Joan was replaced, and Jan was replaced. To top it all of, the agency moved their office. Needless to say, Chris and I were afraid we were lost in the back of the drawer, or in a black hole.
Chris and I decided we would start calling once a month to find out new information. I called first. I called Jan and asked some random question. She said that while I was on the phone she would check our file. She told us that our file was reviewed the previous week, and the reason we were not placed was that we lived in too close proximity to the birth parents. From there, the phone conversation was a blur. Here we thought that nothing was happening and we were reviewed. At that point, Jan asked me if we would like to be contacted when our file was being reviewed. I told her we did prefer to know that information. I got off the phone and feeling motivated once again.
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