Finally...the Moment We've Been Waiting For...

This has been announced on Facebook, and elsewhere, but I need to make it "Blog Official." Mostly because I want to use this as a memory book of sorts, so I need to be sure it's recorded here!! After lots and lots (and lots) of waiting in our journey to become parents...we have been chosen by a birthmom!! It seems to get more and more real as the due date gets closer, so I figured I'd better get this recorded on the blog pronto!

We actually got the call back on March 27th. We found out there was a birthmother that picked us, and was due this fall. Whew, what a wait! We are so, so thankful for "J" and the gift she is giving us...a baby boy! He's due October 13th. Just 5 1/2 weeks away! Since we found out so early, and haven't had a lot of communication (bummer...we are still praying that we can build a relationship with our amazing birthmom and her family), it just hasn't seemed very real. Now, things are getting closer, and we are having a hard time keeping our excitement at bay. We are cautiously optimistic, and continue to pray for "J," her family, and, of course our sweet baby boy!

Another answer to prayer is that we get to meet "J" next week! We pray that she will see the light of Christ in us, and that there will be peace for everyone involved based on this meeting. It's such a blessing to be able to meet our birthmom before this little guy is born, and we pray that God can use us in "J's" life so that she knows just how loved she is by our family. Anyone that knows me knows that I just want to smother her with love, encouragement, and affirmation, but the road of open adoption is a tricky one. We have to really be sensitive to "J's" needs/wants/desires and make sure that above all else, she is comfortable with the relationship that we have, no matter how open it is.

I'll leave you all with some answers to the most common questions/comments we've been getting. Thank you for being a part of this journey! This is just the beginning!

Do you have a name picked out?
We have been slow on this one. I think we've just been really guarded about the whole thing, and it is a big job to name a child! We have given him a couple nicknames up to this point, as I have enjoyed playing up his meteorologist daddy. We've been calling him "Hale Storm Irwin" and "Storm Chasen Irwin"...haha! These are not the real names we're considering at this point...hehe. We are close to settling on a name, but we're going to see if "J" wants to have any input. We'd definitely be open to that! We've also decided to keep the name a surprise, so once we do actually decide...you will just have to wait in suspense! :) Don't worry...not much longer!

You'll probably get pregnant now that you're adopting.
Oh man, if I had a quarter for every time someone said that to me. :) Everyone seems to "know someone who knows someone" that has adopted and then subsequently conceived a biological child. This could definitely happen (especially since we've had no proven infertility), but it is actually statistically not common. This is one of those myths that can give the wrong impression, so I wanted to "debunk" it here. Even if it were the case, we'd hate for our adopted child to ever think that he or she was simply the catalyst we used in order to have biological children. We've always said that our desire, first and foremost, is to be parents, regardless of how God chooses to build our family. Although most people that make the comment that "you'll probably have your 'own' child now" are well-meaning, it can give the implication that our adopted children were not our first choice. We can't wait to see how God builds our family, and hope that our friends and family understand what a blessing adoption is in its own right. Adoption is definitely not "Plan B" for us :)

What if "J" changes her mind?
Well, that is definitely a possibility. Adoption is never a sure thing. That is one reason why we are so invested in caring for the birthmom first. We want to be sure she knows we're 100% behind her in any decision she makes. The bottom line is, this is her baby first. We would be absolutely honored if she entrusts us with this sweet boy, but we also understand that we are not entitled to him by any means. This is one roller coaster that we are happy to be on for the long haul. We continuously pray that God keeps our focus outward, and not on ourselves. Some days this is easier than others, but He is faithful, and we can trust our hearts to His care. No matter what happens in this situation, He's got our backs. How awesome is that?

That's all I can think of for now, but if anyone has questions, please don't hesitate to ask! We love educating people about open adoption (as we've had a lot to learn, and will continue to learn along the way). It's such an incredible thing to be a part of, and we wouldn't change our journey to parenthood, regardless of the twists and turns we've had over the past 3 1/2 years.

More updates to come! We're so excited to meet "J" next week, and we definitely appreciate your prayers as we continue this journey to our first child!