Well, it's official, we are now approved and waiting to be selected by a birth mom. Our portfolios are complete and have been distributed to the four Bethany offices in VA and there are two extra portfolios on file to be mailed to other states should the need arise.
Now the waiting game begins. We will not know when our portfolios are viewed, we will only hear if we are selected by a birth mom or she wants to meet us. Once we are selected, we are required to meet with the birth mom two times before the baby is born so we will be able to take take custody of the baby directly after being released by the hospital. The birthmom will have ten days following the birth to change her mind. On the tenth day, she must release her parental rights or decide to parent the baby herself.
We waivered back and forth on whether we wanted to take custody of the baby during this ten day period or if we wanted the baby to go into "interim" care, which is a service our agency provides where the baby goes to a family that they have approved and trained. And then at the end of the ten days the baby would come to us if the birth mom has relinqished her rights. We decided that if God wants us to love the baby and take of him/her for ten days and then give him/her back to the birth mom, then God will give us the comfort and strength to be able to endure that. We also want the opportunity to be with our baby as long as we can if the birth mom does not change her mind. So we are prepared to receive our baby directly from the hospital, whether that means we have them for a few days or forever. Pray that God will strengthen and prepare us for that transition.
It's kind of neat to think that our baby could have already been conceived. If he/she is coming to our family between now and July, then God has already knit him/her together in his/her mother's womb, wow! And even if they haven't been conceived yet, God already knows them and knows their name. What an awesome God we serve and love!
