We started the year with hope that we would be wrapping it up as parents, but we've learned (repeatedly) that nothing about this process is in our control or on our schedule.
After a year of excitement, hope, vulnerability, frustration, disappointment, annoyance, hope (again), letting go of control and finally, peace we are ready to move on to 2012. So, SO ready to move on to a new year!
We have no way of knowing what the new year will bring, but we are ready for it and are looking forward to all of the fun events ahead! From the weddings to the fun house projects to the family trip to Texas to see my sister graduate from basic training (Yay Allie!!) and basically anything other than working on a photobook. :-)
May 2012 bring great things to all of us. May it bring the country together; may it bring our troops home; may it keep my brother in law home from his deployment; and for the love of Pete, may it bring us parenthood!
Happy New Year!!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Keep on truckin'
Last weekend we had the pleasure of visiting Spokane for an adoption seminar with the agency we have decided to work with. We didn't know what to expect, but thought we would either walk away really excited about the agency, or we would be back at square one (AGAIN). Luckily, the seminar was great and we met five other couples who are starting the process with the agency as well.
It was really nice to meet other people who are in the same position we are as this process can quickly become isolating and emotionally draining. We also got to meet three birth moms, one birth dad and two adoptive moms, which was really helpful.
In addition to feeling really positive after leaving the seminar, we discovered that we really like Spokane AND we got to see some snow! We only have one final step before we can go into the waiting pool - where we hope to just take a quick dip. :-)
We had some great laughs and a lot of relaxation, but my favorite part was when Craig told me that he feels optimistic again. Hurray for rediscovering hope for our future family and faith in the adoption process! Now, back to the photo book...
It was really nice to meet other people who are in the same position we are as this process can quickly become isolating and emotionally draining. We also got to meet three birth moms, one birth dad and two adoptive moms, which was really helpful.
In addition to feeling really positive after leaving the seminar, we discovered that we really like Spokane AND we got to see some snow! We only have one final step before we can go into the waiting pool - where we hope to just take a quick dip. :-)
We had some great laughs and a lot of relaxation, but my favorite part was when Craig told me that he feels optimistic again. Hurray for rediscovering hope for our future family and faith in the adoption process! Now, back to the photo book...
Monday, October 31, 2011
Control. We miss it.
Whoops! We almost let a month pass without a post...we're obviously really good at this blogging thing.
If you read the title then you won't be surprised to learn that we are a wee tad frustrated with not having any control over this MAJOR portion of our lives.
When we started this process we had a list of things to complete - for our attorney, our home study and our profile (and this frequently updated blog 😁). Once we finished everything on our list we were bursting with excitement. Then we were told it was time to wait and we were fine with that - initially.
We now know that we are are awesome when we are faced with a task that we can complete and not so great with the old "wait and see" approach. We keep telling ourselves we had to learn this lesson and that things will happen when the time is right, but that doesn't make this waiting phase any less frustrating (or annoying).
Hopefully we'll have a much more exciting November post. Who knows, we may even go crazy and post twice in November...you just can't predict when we may start doing some hardcore blogging around these parts! Until we are bitten by the blogging bug we'll just continue waiting. 😉
If you read the title then you won't be surprised to learn that we are a wee tad frustrated with not having any control over this MAJOR portion of our lives.
When we started this process we had a list of things to complete - for our attorney, our home study and our profile (and this frequently updated blog 😁). Once we finished everything on our list we were bursting with excitement. Then we were told it was time to wait and we were fine with that - initially.
We now know that we are are awesome when we are faced with a task that we can complete and not so great with the old "wait and see" approach. We keep telling ourselves we had to learn this lesson and that things will happen when the time is right, but that doesn't make this waiting phase any less frustrating (or annoying).
Hopefully we'll have a much more exciting November post. Who knows, we may even go crazy and post twice in November...you just can't predict when we may start doing some hardcore blogging around these parts! Until we are bitten by the blogging bug we'll just continue waiting. 😉
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Go Ahead - Read All About Us
**Friendly disclaimer - This is the kind of update that my mom would compare to a far-too-detailed Christmas letter so read on at your own risk. :-) **
We don't really have any "adoption news" to update, but the last post was kind of a downer, so I thought it was time to update you on the goings-on of the old Tudors... ;-)
After the situation detailed in the last post fell apart we decided it was time to have some fun and enjoy summer in Seattle. Seems like an easy task, no?! Well, it would have been A LOT easier if summer had decided to show up sometime in June or July. Instead, we had to wait (with much anticipation) until August. That being said, the last 5 weeks have been beautiful and totally worth the wait!
I finished school in June and decided to tackle my mountain of "fun" books that had been mocking me for the last year while I was engrossed in text books. I am happy to say I have finished over 30 of them and have 5 more just begging to be read! Craig has also spent a lot of time reading, but he doesn't keep track of the number because he isn't nutty like I am.
We had a really fun Fourth of July pool party, a few BBQ's, and let's not forget the good times that were had at Craig's birthday party! And then there was the all important birthday celebration at the bouncy house. Yes, the BOUNCY HOUSE! If there is anything more fun than racing through a bouncy house obstacle course while crying from laughing so hard, I certainly haven't experienced it. And if any of you are having bouncy house parties and you want to laugh at someone, invite this girl!
We also had a really fun visit with my parents for the week of my birthday. It was great fun to hang out with them and they spoiled Cooper rotten. It's taken about a week for Coop to get back on track and knock off his naughty behavior that my parents encouraged. :-) While my folks were here Craig and I went on a whale watching tour and saw the "L Pod" of Orcas around San Juan Island. It was an incredible experience and I have come to the conclusion that the best job in the world is that of a tour boat captain. How amazing would it be to wake up every morning, go out on a boat with excited people, hang out in the sun and then just coast along while watching Orcas swim all around you?! BEST JOB EVER!
Since we like to really pack celebrations in, we also celebrated our birthdays (including Cooper's 4th) AND our sixth anniversary. We sure know how to live it up around here! We can't believe we have been married for six years ~ it has honestly gone by in the blink of an eye. We feel very blessed to have the marriage that we have and the life that we share.
So there you have it, the exciting summer happenings of the Tudors! We are hopeful that next year we'll share our summer with a baby (or two!) and that our "updates" will be much more interesting, but for now this is all you get. Now, aren't you happy you continued reading after seeing my disclaimer?!
We don't really have any "adoption news" to update, but the last post was kind of a downer, so I thought it was time to update you on the goings-on of the old Tudors... ;-)
After the situation detailed in the last post fell apart we decided it was time to have some fun and enjoy summer in Seattle. Seems like an easy task, no?! Well, it would have been A LOT easier if summer had decided to show up sometime in June or July. Instead, we had to wait (with much anticipation) until August. That being said, the last 5 weeks have been beautiful and totally worth the wait!
I finished school in June and decided to tackle my mountain of "fun" books that had been mocking me for the last year while I was engrossed in text books. I am happy to say I have finished over 30 of them and have 5 more just begging to be read! Craig has also spent a lot of time reading, but he doesn't keep track of the number because he isn't nutty like I am.
We had a really fun Fourth of July pool party, a few BBQ's, and let's not forget the good times that were had at Craig's birthday party! And then there was the all important birthday celebration at the bouncy house. Yes, the BOUNCY HOUSE! If there is anything more fun than racing through a bouncy house obstacle course while crying from laughing so hard, I certainly haven't experienced it. And if any of you are having bouncy house parties and you want to laugh at someone, invite this girl!
We also had a really fun visit with my parents for the week of my birthday. It was great fun to hang out with them and they spoiled Cooper rotten. It's taken about a week for Coop to get back on track and knock off his naughty behavior that my parents encouraged. :-) While my folks were here Craig and I went on a whale watching tour and saw the "L Pod" of Orcas around San Juan Island. It was an incredible experience and I have come to the conclusion that the best job in the world is that of a tour boat captain. How amazing would it be to wake up every morning, go out on a boat with excited people, hang out in the sun and then just coast along while watching Orcas swim all around you?! BEST JOB EVER!
Since we like to really pack celebrations in, we also celebrated our birthdays (including Cooper's 4th) AND our sixth anniversary. We sure know how to live it up around here! We can't believe we have been married for six years ~ it has honestly gone by in the blink of an eye. We feel very blessed to have the marriage that we have and the life that we share.
So there you have it, the exciting summer happenings of the Tudors! We are hopeful that next year we'll share our summer with a baby (or two!) and that our "updates" will be much more interesting, but for now this is all you get. Now, aren't you happy you continued reading after seeing my disclaimer?!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Adoption...it's not for the faint of heart
I have had "update blog" on my to-do list for quite some time, but have just moved it further and further down the list (obviously). Since our last post a lot has happened and we were excited about sharing news of a potential adoption with all of you. Like I said, we were excited about it....until it all fell apart last week.
I could rehash all of the details for you, but that won't do anything to change the situation and it will certainly make me feel worse, not better. Instead, I would like to tell you all about the process of adoption: why it takes so long, why we rarely feel like we have any (good) news to share, and why it isn't a process for the faint of heart and will certainly challenge the strongest among us.
The process to get to the approval to put yourself out there to be matched with someone is long and arduous. We interviewed a number of agencies and decided to focus on Independent Adoption, so we hired an attorney. Then came the home-study. Luckily, we were able to work with an amazing social worker who made the process less scary. She ran an adoption agency for many years and is an adoptive mother herself, so she "gets it" and was great in guiding us along. The paperwork was lengthy, the interviews were intrusive and the waiting felt like an eternity - even though in reality it was just a few months. Once we got our approval we were able to start advertising. See "Pick Us, Pick Us" for more on that...
Once the approval came we posted our profile, started this blog, did our photo books and told everyone we know to tell everyone they know. Then the waiting began (and continues). For adoptions done through an agency, prospective adoptive parents have to do many of the same things. Regardless of how the advertising gets accomplished, we all end up waiting. Waiting for a call or an email or a text. Waiting for what I describe as "the most important interview of our lives".
Some people wait months, others wait for years, and then there is the group that it just doesn't ever happen for. I hope you can all understand why we often have no updates or cringe when asked, "Have you heard anything?" or "Hasn't anyone picked you yet?". Trust me, as slacky as I have been in updating this blog, you will all know when we become parents. If you don't hear us shouting it from the roof of the hospital, then you will certainly see an update pop up here!
The process is exhausting AND exhilarating, exciting AND nerve-wracking, emotional, stressful, and challenging. I think "challenging" may be the best descriptor. It has challenged our beliefs, our faith, our ability to trust people, my love for having control over my own life ;-), and our ability to see past the present. When we get a call we get a rush of adrenaline and if the conversation evolves into more we have to temper our excitement and hope with some reality. Unfortunately, there are many people who have no problem trying to scam or con potential adoptive parents. There are many things I could say about those people, but I will simply say that being that ill and/or cruel must make for a torturous life. A life that will never know joy, love or peace and for that, I pity them.
We were so sure of this situation that we bought plane tickets, started ordering furniture and had our families and close friends working busily away on projects. And not to mention our plans for the future for our new family. We know there are brighter days ahead and we know that we will be parents one day, we just have to get past this first.
I am supposed to be working on an extra credit paper for school, not writing this post, but I felt it was important to share what has been going on. Also, I know that many of you know people who are on this crazy train with us and I hope you can reflect on our experience when talking with them or asking them how things are going. We are happy to talk with anyone about this process and the ups and downs, but we just need to take a minute to recover from this. As I have been writing I have been listening to my ipod and heard a song that I'm sure I've listened to hundreds of times, but the lyrics stuck with me and I want to share them.
"There will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there, with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair."
~After the Storm by Mumford & Sons
We have learned a lot through this process - some of it good and some of it awful. Honestly, we have learned and experienced things I wish we had never been exposed to, but it is what it is and are where we are. I can say that I feel tremendously blessed to be married to Craig and to be surrounded by our family and friends. Craig isn't just an amazing human being and husband, he is so much more and will no doubt be an incredible dad. Everyday he shows me more love and compassion than I ever could have imagined possible and I look forward to sharing that with our future children.
Like I said, adoption isn't for the faint of heart and has challenged the strongest among us, but we'll realize our dream and we can't wait that share that with you too.
I could rehash all of the details for you, but that won't do anything to change the situation and it will certainly make me feel worse, not better. Instead, I would like to tell you all about the process of adoption: why it takes so long, why we rarely feel like we have any (good) news to share, and why it isn't a process for the faint of heart and will certainly challenge the strongest among us.
The process to get to the approval to put yourself out there to be matched with someone is long and arduous. We interviewed a number of agencies and decided to focus on Independent Adoption, so we hired an attorney. Then came the home-study. Luckily, we were able to work with an amazing social worker who made the process less scary. She ran an adoption agency for many years and is an adoptive mother herself, so she "gets it" and was great in guiding us along. The paperwork was lengthy, the interviews were intrusive and the waiting felt like an eternity - even though in reality it was just a few months. Once we got our approval we were able to start advertising. See "Pick Us, Pick Us" for more on that...
Once the approval came we posted our profile, started this blog, did our photo books and told everyone we know to tell everyone they know. Then the waiting began (and continues). For adoptions done through an agency, prospective adoptive parents have to do many of the same things. Regardless of how the advertising gets accomplished, we all end up waiting. Waiting for a call or an email or a text. Waiting for what I describe as "the most important interview of our lives".
Some people wait months, others wait for years, and then there is the group that it just doesn't ever happen for. I hope you can all understand why we often have no updates or cringe when asked, "Have you heard anything?" or "Hasn't anyone picked you yet?". Trust me, as slacky as I have been in updating this blog, you will all know when we become parents. If you don't hear us shouting it from the roof of the hospital, then you will certainly see an update pop up here!
The process is exhausting AND exhilarating, exciting AND nerve-wracking, emotional, stressful, and challenging. I think "challenging" may be the best descriptor. It has challenged our beliefs, our faith, our ability to trust people, my love for having control over my own life ;-), and our ability to see past the present. When we get a call we get a rush of adrenaline and if the conversation evolves into more we have to temper our excitement and hope with some reality. Unfortunately, there are many people who have no problem trying to scam or con potential adoptive parents. There are many things I could say about those people, but I will simply say that being that ill and/or cruel must make for a torturous life. A life that will never know joy, love or peace and for that, I pity them.
We were so sure of this situation that we bought plane tickets, started ordering furniture and had our families and close friends working busily away on projects. And not to mention our plans for the future for our new family. We know there are brighter days ahead and we know that we will be parents one day, we just have to get past this first.
I am supposed to be working on an extra credit paper for school, not writing this post, but I felt it was important to share what has been going on. Also, I know that many of you know people who are on this crazy train with us and I hope you can reflect on our experience when talking with them or asking them how things are going. We are happy to talk with anyone about this process and the ups and downs, but we just need to take a minute to recover from this. As I have been writing I have been listening to my ipod and heard a song that I'm sure I've listened to hundreds of times, but the lyrics stuck with me and I want to share them.
"There will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there, with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair."
~After the Storm by Mumford & Sons
We have learned a lot through this process - some of it good and some of it awful. Honestly, we have learned and experienced things I wish we had never been exposed to, but it is what it is and are where we are. I can say that I feel tremendously blessed to be married to Craig and to be surrounded by our family and friends. Craig isn't just an amazing human being and husband, he is so much more and will no doubt be an incredible dad. Everyday he shows me more love and compassion than I ever could have imagined possible and I look forward to sharing that with our future children.
Like I said, adoption isn't for the faint of heart and has challenged the strongest among us, but we'll realize our dream and we can't wait that share that with you too.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Have you heard anything yet??
Yeah, we really do keep getting that question. I have been asked FOUR times by bosses at work. I don't know how to answer without being a smarty-pants, so I've resorted to saying, "Well, I'm showing up here everyday and I don't have a baby strapped to my back so, no, we don't have a baby yet". Ironically, that response always gets a laugh, but my "mad-dog" glare does not. Weird, right?! On the other hand, Craig just takes the question in stride and politely tells people that we are hopeful and optimistic.
We're starting to feel like we are staring in a new Verizon commercial that's more about babies and less about cell phones. That being said, we're really looking forward to the day that people ask us silly questions and we can look at them whilst simultaneously pointing to our baby. We can dream, can't we?!
After our last post I was reminded of a couple gems I didn't post in the "Don't say this" category...
1. I don't believe in adoption. (YES, this was actually said to me and no, I don't know why)
2. Why don't you have kids yet? You've been married long enough to have a family.
3. You aren't getting any younger. (Thanks. We hadn't added age concerns to the equation)
In other news:
We (finally) finished our photo book and delivered it to our attorney. Yay for MS Publisher, Kinko's and a really smart friend/coworker who enjoys pointing out the obvious to me. (Thanks Lisa!!) We have had a couple contacts with people and our attorney is passing our info along so we are really hoping something comes about soon.
Keep your eyes open for a post that screams 'YES, WE'VE HEARD SOMETHING, now get ready to babysit' :-)
We're starting to feel like we are staring in a new Verizon commercial that's more about babies and less about cell phones. That being said, we're really looking forward to the day that people ask us silly questions and we can look at them whilst simultaneously pointing to our baby. We can dream, can't we?!
After our last post I was reminded of a couple gems I didn't post in the "Don't say this" category...
1. I don't believe in adoption. (YES, this was actually said to me and no, I don't know why)
2. Why don't you have kids yet? You've been married long enough to have a family.
3. You aren't getting any younger. (Thanks. We hadn't added age concerns to the equation)
In other news:
We (finally) finished our photo book and delivered it to our attorney. Yay for MS Publisher, Kinko's and a really smart friend/coworker who enjoys pointing out the obvious to me. (Thanks Lisa!!) We have had a couple contacts with people and our attorney is passing our info along so we are really hoping something comes about soon.
Keep your eyes open for a post that screams 'YES, WE'VE HEARD SOMETHING, now get ready to babysit' :-)
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Say This, Not That
Throughout this process Craig and I have heard many things from many people. Some have been heartfelt, supportive and loving ~ and we have truly appreciated each and every one of those comments. Others have landed somewhere between ridiculous, insensitive and down right hilarious. After speaking to many friends who have walked this path we decided we needed to create a post about the things people have said to us.
First, we want to be clear that we are happy to talk about our journey and the adoption process with anyone who wants to learn more or anyone who just needs some support with their own situation. That being said, please consult the list below if you aren't sure what to say to someone who proudly announces, "We're adopting!!"....or if you just want to laugh! We decided to keep the lists short, just in case we need to post "Say This, Not That - Part 2".
If you can't say something nice, then shut it:
1. Why don't you try harder for one of you own? (Please, someone tell us what the even means!)
2. Are you going to love it like it's your own? (Seriously??)
3. Are you going to get one that looks like you?
4. How much will the kid cost? (We're not buying a baby...just an FYI)
5. Who is broken? or What's wrong with you? (We have no idea, but is that really anybody's business?)
If you said one of the latter 5 to us, please know that we laughed about it and that we know it is all part of the process. And to everyone who has been excited and supportive, we thank you and we hope you keep the positivity coming! We are hoping that soon enough we'll be able to announce that we've adopted and then we can start the list of crazy things people say about your kids!
First, we want to be clear that we are happy to talk about our journey and the adoption process with anyone who wants to learn more or anyone who just needs some support with their own situation. That being said, please consult the list below if you aren't sure what to say to someone who proudly announces, "We're adopting!!"....or if you just want to laugh! We decided to keep the lists short, just in case we need to post "Say This, Not That - Part 2".
Yes please:
1. Congratulations! You'll be great parents!
2. That's great news!
3. I'm so excited for the two of you!
4. I'm so excited for the baby or babies! or That's going to be a lucky kid!
5. Let me know if I can help you at all. (This really means more than you think!)If you can't say something nice, then shut it:
1. Why don't you try harder for one of you own? (Please, someone tell us what the even means!)
2. Are you going to love it like it's your own? (Seriously??)
3. Are you going to get one that looks like you?
4. How much will the kid cost? (We're not buying a baby...just an FYI)
5. Who is broken? or What's wrong with you? (We have no idea, but is that really anybody's business?)
If you said one of the latter 5 to us, please know that we laughed about it and that we know it is all part of the process. And to everyone who has been excited and supportive, we thank you and we hope you keep the positivity coming! We are hoping that soon enough we'll be able to announce that we've adopted and then we can start the list of crazy things people say about your kids!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Have you found us a kid yet?? (The new Hello)
For those of you who talk to us on the phone often, you know that we no longer have time for "Hello" because we have to jump right to the task at hand...finding a baby or babies.
One could argue that we may be a bit preoccupied (some might even say obsessed), but we contend that you just never know when that call might come. It's certainly possible that someone could call to tell us they met someone or know someone that we should talk to, but before we can pick up the phone their mind wanders and they could forget why they are calling (it happens to the best of us), so really our new greeting is a service to the caller!
It hasn't worked yet, but we aren't quitters, so we'll continue rapid-firing questions at unsuspecting callers. As I'm typing this I realized that the flaw in our plan may be that we still say goodbye... We'll have to work on that.
In other news, our profile has had thousands of hits. We did the math and we think once we subtract our families and friends we've probably had about 10 people view it! :-)
We still have to work on our 8 million photo books, (okay, it's really only 20, but it sure feels like 8 million) but we are waiting until I finish this quarter. Craig thinks (knows) I'm using the photo books to procrastinate on homework, so he has requested that I finish my school work first and I've agreed.
Check out this beautiful family photo that will be front and center on my "family" page of the book:
I was clearly a ham from an early age, my sister looks bored out of her mind and my brother's hair is just.plain.awesome! I love it!
So, just in case we haven't asked you, have you found us a kid yet?!
In other news, our profile has had thousands of hits. We did the math and we think once we subtract our families and friends we've probably had about 10 people view it! :-)
We still have to work on our 8 million photo books, (okay, it's really only 20, but it sure feels like 8 million) but we are waiting until I finish this quarter. Craig thinks (knows) I'm using the photo books to procrastinate on homework, so he has requested that I finish my school work first and I've agreed.
Check out this beautiful family photo that will be front and center on my "family" page of the book:
I was clearly a ham from an early age, my sister looks bored out of her mind and my brother's hair is just.plain.awesome! I love it!
So, just in case we haven't asked you, have you found us a kid yet?!
Monday, February 14, 2011
We can't believe it either
Yep, its true. Our profile is really, truly active. Amazing, we know! We have to warn you that we are having a problem with the photos though (some of the scary shots are still appearing). I went through the profile and saved everything again, but it's not showing properly. Either way, it's up and running and now we wait.
Feel free to check it out and let me know if you can see more than 6 pictures. We'll keep you posted on any developments. Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
We're live...well, kinda
After many months of debate and rewrites, we have FINALLY completed our profile for www.parentprofiles.com Whoop, whoop!
We decided to take some new pictures that weren't scary or so big they appear to be 3-D. Yesterday was the big day and we were thrilled when the weather man claimed the sun would be sticking around for the day. Turns out, he's a big liar and there wasn't even a hint of sun! Craig pointed out that anyone who lives in WA would think we altered the photos if they were too bright or sunny (good point). One of our good friends is a talented photographer and she offered to help us out, so we met in Edmonds and got some great shots. THANK YOU Jina!!
We spent the majority of the day trying to fine tune all of the sections on the profile and then composed a beautiful "Dear Birth Parents" letter. We were celebrating our accomplishment when we realized that the system timed out WITHOUT saving our letter or warning us. That's what we get for not doing it in Word and then just dropping it into the site. Needless to say, there was some unhappiness in the Tudor household (and possibly some bad words tossed around)!
With no choice but to start over, we wrote a new letter and "all about us" section. Then we had a bit of a fight with the computer and Picasa, but were finally able to upload some of the new and improved photos. Finally, the big moment was upon us. We proudly answered their survey and hit the activate button only to be told our content must be approved before going live. Of course it does...
We believe the profile will be up and active on Monday, unless of course they have issues with our letter or photos (perhaps the remaining crazy head photos?!). We're hoping that going active on Valentine's Day is a good sign!
Now, onto the 20 (yes, T-W-E-N-T-Y) photo books we have to make. We can't wait to experience the fun times this project is certain to bring! Stay tuned for updates.
While working on the profile yesterday we realized that although we won't be able to guilt our kids by mentioning the hardship of pregnancy, we will certainly be able to guilt them by listing out all the fiery hoops we had to jump through just for them! Future parents -1, future kids - 0.
On a more serious note, we really want to thank our family and friends that have taken the time to write references for us, sent us their thoughts for the profile, taken photos of us, or helped to keep our hopes high and the laughs coming over the last few months. We appreciate and love you all! We feel like the best thank you we can give you is a kid to babysit, so keep your calendars clear because we'll keep you busy!
We decided to take some new pictures that weren't scary or so big they appear to be 3-D. Yesterday was the big day and we were thrilled when the weather man claimed the sun would be sticking around for the day. Turns out, he's a big liar and there wasn't even a hint of sun! Craig pointed out that anyone who lives in WA would think we altered the photos if they were too bright or sunny (good point). One of our good friends is a talented photographer and she offered to help us out, so we met in Edmonds and got some great shots. THANK YOU Jina!!
We spent the majority of the day trying to fine tune all of the sections on the profile and then composed a beautiful "Dear Birth Parents" letter. We were celebrating our accomplishment when we realized that the system timed out WITHOUT saving our letter or warning us. That's what we get for not doing it in Word and then just dropping it into the site. Needless to say, there was some unhappiness in the Tudor household (and possibly some bad words tossed around)!
With no choice but to start over, we wrote a new letter and "all about us" section. Then we had a bit of a fight with the computer and Picasa, but were finally able to upload some of the new and improved photos. Finally, the big moment was upon us. We proudly answered their survey and hit the activate button only to be told our content must be approved before going live. Of course it does...
We believe the profile will be up and active on Monday, unless of course they have issues with our letter or photos (perhaps the remaining crazy head photos?!). We're hoping that going active on Valentine's Day is a good sign!
Now, onto the 20 (yes, T-W-E-N-T-Y) photo books we have to make. We can't wait to experience the fun times this project is certain to bring! Stay tuned for updates.
While working on the profile yesterday we realized that although we won't be able to guilt our kids by mentioning the hardship of pregnancy, we will certainly be able to guilt them by listing out all the fiery hoops we had to jump through just for them! Future parents -1, future kids - 0.
On a more serious note, we really want to thank our family and friends that have taken the time to write references for us, sent us their thoughts for the profile, taken photos of us, or helped to keep our hopes high and the laughs coming over the last few months. We appreciate and love you all! We feel like the best thank you we can give you is a kid to babysit, so keep your calendars clear because we'll keep you busy!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Pick us! Pick us! PICK US!!
Hey - I may NOT totally suck at this blogging thing after all! I think I was able to change our blog name to "a man and a lady seeking a baby". Lame, perhaps, but funny indeed! I just couldn't figure out how to be rhyme-y and add Coop to the mix.
And now, back to the task at hand...PICK US!!
Craig and I have been working on our profile and trying to figure out how to best "market" ourselves to prospective birth moms (and dads). Because I'm not a sales type of person and Craig sells banking stuff, we have found ourselves in a bit of a pickle.
The first problem we have with this profile is the photo album. While we have some great wedding pictures and we have some great shots of Cooper, we don't have any of the two of us that aren't self pictures. Now, only having self pics isn't a problem until loading them onto parent profiles and shrinking them to fit their parameters. Can you see where I'm going with this?? Yeah, suddenly our "cute" shots look like crazy fun house close-ups . So, although we really want to draw attention to ourselves, we don't want to scare people. And these pictures are scary. It honestly looks like we are jumping right off the computer screen - BIG faces first! Luckily, we aren't completely inept and we'll work it out.
The second problem is writing the Dear Birth Mother letter. Craig has written a lovely draft and has only tasked me with adding thoughts and sprucing it up, at his request. Here is where the sales/marketing personality comes into play. I know that Craig and I are going to be excellent parents and I know that our baby or babies will get the best we have to offer, but I don't know how to sell that. And this is where I've been stuck for the last month. I've diagnosed myself with a severe case of writer's block, but since I'm not a writer I'm not sure the diagnosis will stick.
And then, just when I was getting really frustrated with my inability to get this done correctly the planets aligned and I was given an excellent suggestion. I saw my awesome chiropractor today and she suggested asking those that know us quite well to write down what they think we need to add to the letter. Brilliant!
We'll be working on the profile this weekend (so I can avoid homework) and will have it up by the end of the month. When it's done I'll post it here and will ask that you all forward it on to everyone you know and ask them to forward it to everyone they know, etc. According to our attorney most independent adoptions occur through word of mouth, so start running your mouths people!
Don't worry folks, if the PICK US!! campaign isn't successful then we'll roll out plan B. I'm not going to give you all the details, but you should know that you may see our crazy-fun-house-HUGE-face pictures on a roving advertising truck or billboard near you! That'll work, right?!
And now, back to the task at hand...PICK US!!
Craig and I have been working on our profile and trying to figure out how to best "market" ourselves to prospective birth moms (and dads). Because I'm not a sales type of person and Craig sells banking stuff, we have found ourselves in a bit of a pickle.
The first problem we have with this profile is the photo album. While we have some great wedding pictures and we have some great shots of Cooper, we don't have any of the two of us that aren't self pictures. Now, only having self pics isn't a problem until loading them onto parent profiles and shrinking them to fit their parameters. Can you see where I'm going with this?? Yeah, suddenly our "cute" shots look like crazy fun house close-ups . So, although we really want to draw attention to ourselves, we don't want to scare people. And these pictures are scary. It honestly looks like we are jumping right off the computer screen - BIG faces first! Luckily, we aren't completely inept and we'll work it out.
The second problem is writing the Dear Birth Mother letter. Craig has written a lovely draft and has only tasked me with adding thoughts and sprucing it up, at his request. Here is where the sales/marketing personality comes into play. I know that Craig and I are going to be excellent parents and I know that our baby or babies will get the best we have to offer, but I don't know how to sell that. And this is where I've been stuck for the last month. I've diagnosed myself with a severe case of writer's block, but since I'm not a writer I'm not sure the diagnosis will stick.
And then, just when I was getting really frustrated with my inability to get this done correctly the planets aligned and I was given an excellent suggestion. I saw my awesome chiropractor today and she suggested asking those that know us quite well to write down what they think we need to add to the letter. Brilliant!
We'll be working on the profile this weekend (so I can avoid homework) and will have it up by the end of the month. When it's done I'll post it here and will ask that you all forward it on to everyone you know and ask them to forward it to everyone they know, etc. According to our attorney most independent adoptions occur through word of mouth, so start running your mouths people!
Don't worry folks, if the PICK US!! campaign isn't successful then we'll roll out plan B. I'm not going to give you all the details, but you should know that you may see our crazy-fun-house-HUGE-face pictures on a roving advertising truck or billboard near you! That'll work, right?!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
The journey starts....NOW!!
We are writing this blog to detail our journey on becoming parents through domestic adoption. For those who have adopted, you know this process is challenging and exciting and we hope you can offer us suggestions and humor while we travel this road. We're excited to share this experience with you and we hope you stick around to meet our baby or babies! As an added bonus - neither of us have any idea what we are doing regarding "blogging", so it's sure to be comical...ready, set, GO!
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