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!