Take a breath!

Matt and I have talked a lot about adopting a second child. We would love to give CJ the gift of a little brother or sister. Since we've settled into our new life in Las Vegas, it seemed like a great time to start the process again, especially since I'm staying home with CJ.

We've been through the process already, so I started out feeling very confident in my ability to navigate the system in Nevada. I contacted a few agencies to get information, and began researching laws and policies within the state. Unfortunately, we're going to have to start from scratch, although we already knew that was going to be the case.

As I began to really think about adoption, I started to feel very overwhelmed. Honestly, they were the same feelings that I experienced when we originally started talking about adoption in 2009. Several times, I've asked myself "how can we do this?" Time, finances, and emotions were at the top of my list. Can we really afford to adopt again? Is this the best time? What if we never get picked? How will the process impact CJ? How can we go through the process with CJ?

Breathe!

I am amused that I went so crazy so fast. We have not selected an agency, or even attended an orientation/interest meeting. Actually, we haven't fully decided to move forward with a second adoption. Why am I so concerned that we can't do it, or that we'll experience huge road blocks along the way?

Yes, it can be expensive, but we managed to save enough money the last time. Yes, there is a chance that we won't be picked, but Brooke picked us the last time. Yes, it is time consuming, but we lived through it the last time. Given that we successfully adopted once already, there is no reason to think that we can't do it again.

I have to remind myself that God is with us, guiding us through the process of parenthood. Maybe this is the perfect time to adopt, and maybe it's not. I must trust that God will direct our paths, as He has always done. If/When the time is right, God will grow our family again. If His plan does not include a second child, then we will continue to thank Him for the blessing of CJ.