New Directions

I'm sitting on the couch at my mom's house in Minnesota, after 7 days of crappy, horrid heat, listening to the thunder crack and the rain drip off the roof into the puddle outside the back door.  And I love it. 

We're actually up early today because the physical therapist should be here pretty soon for Mom's session today.  I hope the therapist busts mom's butt.  We're going into town later to run some errands.  I need to go to the library to print off my proof of insurance to take to the courthouse.  I got pulled over on Saturday coming home from my friends' lake house because I didn't slow down for a stopped emergency vehicle.  Several things irk me about this.  First, I haven't lived in Minnesota for like 7 years.  Second, I was going 57 in a 55 MPH zone.  Third, I was on a two-lane highway, and the stopped emergency vehicles were on the OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD.  And last, the police officer was from town.  And I was several miles from town when I got pulled over.  And he was an asshat.  But he thought he was chock full of awesome because "It would have cost you $185 if I would have ticketed you for not slowing down," and he just ticketed me for not having proof of insurance, and that citation will be waived once I print it out and take it down to the stupid courthouse.

I'm babbling.  And this blog is about our journey to parenthood.

I think chicky time is on its way.  And I know that's too much information, but since this blog is about reproduction, deal with it.  I've had a headache for days, and I finished up my chicky-time inducing medication a few days ago.  Its about that time.

And it really upset me for some reason when I realized it was on its way.  It shouldn't, because it's no secret that our last round of fertility treatments didn't work.  It just makes it seem so final.  Like God is slamming a door shut.

We're hoping that if He's shutting a door, he's going to open some other...opening for us to continue down some path to become parents.

After our last failed cycle last month, Ryan told me I could start researching some adoption agencies.  Except, as I've been reading, its not that simple.  There are LOTS of ways to go about adopting a child.  You can go through the foster care system, you can simply work with an agency, you can do an independent adoption where you find the birthparent on your own and hire a lawyer to draw up the terms of the adoption contract, and so on and so forth.

So I've called some agencies, and only one has been really willing to get on the ball with us so far.  Wyoming Children's Society said they'd send us some information, and they even sent someone to the post office especially for us, since I called so late on a Friday.  Awesome.  Bethany Christian Services passed me off to another branch of the agency that handles adoptions in our area.  I haven't called that branch yet, as it requires another 4 hour trip.  The first branch I called is actually on my way home from Minnesota, and I really wanted to stop there just for convenience's sake.  And the third agency I've called is Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota.  One of my dear friends is a social worker for LSS, and got me the contact information for the adoption coordinator in Moorhead.  She's been on vacation and hasn't returned my call.  I guess I can't fault her for that.

When I get back to Wyoming I'm going to go talk to the department of family services to get some information on foster care, and doing adoption through that route.

Also, one of the ladies I play bunco with once a month is the school nurse for the high school.  The number of teen pregnancies has been dwindling, but maybe some unfortunate young lady will have gotten pregnant recently and isn't ready to parent.

We are.  And after at least ten various failed fertility treatments we're ready to move on.  We've had lots of sex like normal people.  We've done just meds and timed intercourse (TMI, I know).  We've done meds with IUI at least six times.  We've tried three rounds of IVF and haven't gotten past the stimulation phase.  Apparently God is saying "no" to parenthood that way, at least for right now.  I'm trying to wrap my head around that.  The chicky time today is bugging me.  My heart is in adoption, and always has been.  But I can't deny that the thought of never having a baby that looks and acts like my darling husband makes me really sad, today at least. 

So...for now, we're adopting.  We're just starting the process, and it may take awhile.  So, again, I ask you pray for us as we continue down this new path to building our family.  Please pray that God makes the path He wants us to take clear as possible.