Why are we adopting?

I was asked on Facebook yesterday why John & I have chosen to adopt for our first child. I realized I have never really put anything up on my FB or blog about WHY we have chosen to adopt our first. So here is a short & sweet explanation why...

When I was 17 I (Brittany) was diagnosed with PCOS. The diagnosis didn't affect me much but one of the symptoms the doctor brought to my attention was that women with PCOS can have issues with getting pregnant but for most it's not a problem. So I left her office with a prescription to birth control & was on my way. I was still young & having kids wasn't on my radar quite yet so I didn't think much about what she had said. A couple years later I found myself in a couple relationships. I felt like it was important to tell them about my PCOS & that there was a possibility I might have a harder time getting pregnant or not be able to at all. I guess I felt like telling them because I thought they deserved to know just in case things progressed. In having those conversations with others I began to think about the possibility of not being able to have "biological" children. Knowing I desired to be a mother someday I began thinking about adoption...a lot. As my faith grew & matured so did my heart for adoption. For me it was never a concern not being able to have a child that looked like me, talked like me or God forbid inherit my crooked teeth and acne! I just knew I wanted to be a mom & I desired to adopt. Of course, I also thought about the idea of having biological children (and still do) but KNEW adoption was a must. This was one of the first serious conversations John & I ever had while dating. I learned he had the same heart for adoption & that made me even more interested in him. Well you know the rest of that story;)

After about a year of marriage we decided to start thinking about growing our family. We thought about both having a baby & adopting for our first. We prayed for guidance & boy did we get it! God had a tight grip on our hearts & gave us some sure signs of what he wanted for us right now...adoption. After about 4 months of researching agencies both domestically & internationally we decided to have a domestic adoption for our first. The main reason for this were finances. It costs significantly more to adopt internationally & with us being newlyweds & owners of brand new businesses cost was key. I can't help but chuckle to myself anytime people say they'd adopt if it wasn't so expensive. I know they mean well but the reality is if God calls you to something He will make it happen. We have been saving our pennies to pay for it & still have a ways to go but we trust it will all work out as long as we're doing what we can. We're not rich, far from it but we feel called to care for the orphans & give a child that's already here a loving family. There have been some hurdles in our process so far & I would be naive to say there won't be anymore but we trust that God has a plan for our family. A perfect plan.

I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you. John 14:18

At the end of one road & the beginning of bringing home baby Hagensen!

John & I had our last adoption class this week. We were excited to have them come to an end & looking forward to not having to drive an hour to Phoenix every Tuesday but it's bittersweet. We met some amazing couples during our classes & learned a ton. I think we were going into it not expecting to learn & grow as much as we did. The information that was shared during the classes not only answered a lot of our questions but made us aware of things we had not yet considered. It also solidified our decision to adopt domestically for our first child & through CFCA.

Now what!? Some of you reading this we may talk to frequently so you know where we're at with everything now. Most of you I am assuming we do not get to chat with often so this update is for you:) We had our first meeting with our wonderful caseworker, Summer this past Monday. It went great, we discussed our family's genealogy & some of our experiences growing up. We are fortunate to have a caseworker we feel comfortable sharing such detailed, personal information with. She truly is a blessing! We planned out the rest of our home studies & figured out a tentative timeline for our adoption. This is what we know (things can always change) We are hoping to be done with our home study & in the "Match Book" by the 20th of December!!! Anytime after that we will be ready to get a match or a...hospital call! We are trying to remain patient & take it day by day but I can't help but think we could have a baby boy or girl in as early as 2 months (of course it will probably take longer but is possible). We are starting to search Craigslist for deals on baby stuff & research what we want. Since we will not be having a shower until after the papers are signed (5-10 days after the birth) we will be buying most of the necessities before. The nursery is no longer an empty room it is filling up with baby equipment:) I can't help but smile when I pass it every morning on my way to my office. It will be filled with a cute little creature in God's time. For now, we are staying focused with working extra hard to make money to pay for the adoption expenses & enjoying this special time before kiddos. I think this is a good spot to share the fact that I adore my husband. I really love him so much & feel honored to be living life along side him. We are blessed to have each other. I can't wait to see him hold our baby & be a daddy. I know he is going to be a wonderful, involved father. That is one of the reasons I married him, I love that about him. He is also the person that brings me back to reality when I get carried away with dreaming. We balance one another. We have purchased a couple baby books to educate ourselves on being parents since we are for a lack of better term, "clueless" but eager to learn! If you have any recs please let us know. We are also picking out names. Just when we think we've decided on one it changes, we are planning on allowing our birth mom to help us too if she wants. We will keep you posted on the progress!

Please join us in praying for the following:) God not only listens but hears...

-Our birth mom's health & comfort in the decision she is making.

-Our baby's health

-Our financial situation as we continue to save & fund this adoption on our own.

-All the kiddos in the world who are still waiting for families to take them home & call them their own.

-John & my hearts as we prepare for parenthood.

I am leaving you with this video I saw on another adoption blog. Although we are currently adopting domestically we are planning on adopting from Ethiopia next. This is a video taken of one of the orphanges in Ethiopia. I couldn't help but cry as I watched it. Such beautiful children who are more than deserving of a forever home & family. I know adopting a child isn't for everyone but everyone can help in someway. It is my hope you do!

Une journée au Toukoul
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Happy Thursday!