For Pete's Sake

I am happy to announce that I have said YES to adopting a little 2 yr old boy with Down syndrome!

But there's a story behind this that is kind of neat and amazing.

Earlier this year I asked my agency about the possibility of getting the files of two different little boys with Ds that were listed on Reece's Rainbow.  I was told that I had to have my home study done first as well as have my letter of approval from the MB gov.  Before I got those, two families came forward and started the process to adopt the little guys.  Yay for families adopting! Disappointing for me though.

At some point in July "Pete" was listed on RR.  (See what I did there with the title of this post. Ha! So clever.)

Around this time I was also looking at the B*lgaria waiting child list and I found a child with a very brief description that sounded an awful lot like Pete. It turns out it was him as I found out later.

I still didn't have my letter of approval at that point so I didn't ask my agency about him. I decided to just step back and let the process happen so that I could be sure that I got the boy God intended for me.  I was going to wait and let the agency match me with a child.

I didn't forget about Pete though. I checked almost daily to see if a family had come forward for him.  I even posted on the RR facebook page that I couldn't get him out of my mind.  I did ask if I could see the videos and pictures in his file but then I was told that there was a family coming for him! Yay for Pete!

Then ONE WEEK after I got the Letter of Approval I got another phone call from the agency.  There was a file that the lawyer in B*lgaria thought I might be interested in.  I got on the computer and opened the file.  It was Pete!  And he's adorable! And so small! And so sweet! And his medical file is confusing.  I had my doctor look at it and even he wasn't sure what some of the things on there meant. Maybe that's what made the family who was going to commit to him change their minds.  I may never know why they changed their minds.

Anyways....I said YES! Yes I would like to be his mommy. 

Yes, even though that means different medical things that might be scary. 

Yes, even though he is two years old and is still unable to sit up on his own and only weighs 17 lbs.

 

Yes, BECAUSE he only weighs 17 lbs and he needs a mommy.

 

So now what?

Now me and my sister will travel to Bg to meet this precious little boy.

In 12 days.

Yikes!!

We'll visit with him for five days and get to know him and his needs.

And then we'll fly back home.

I won't get to bring him home on this trip.
That should happen in 4-6 mths.

Between the first and second trips a lawyer will represent me in court
and a judge will decide if I should be Pete's momma.

Then there's visa and passport stuff to do and
then I can go back to Bg and bring him home!!

Did you happen to notice my fundraising thermometer?

Yeah! Thanks to a donation from the local assembly of Believers I am....
FULLY FUNDED!!!!

I'm still going to be doing the Avon fundraiser until mid-December
because there will likely be other unexpected costs that come up at some point.
And I have a few commissioned pieces to finish up.
It won't hurt to have a bit extra.
You just never know what might happen with international adoption/travel!
 

 

 

Keep in mind that at any point in this process it may all fall apart.  Stuff happens. Countries shut down. Sometimes kids don't live long enough and pass away before their parents reach them. I still have to pass court in B*lgaria.  I don't expect that to be too difficult but you just never know. So far everything has gone very smoothly.

 

So I'm trusting God still and always.  It's in His hands and it fills me with awe that He's been so good to me in allowing me to do this.