homestudy complete!

the draft of our homestudy arrived yesterday. reading through it reaffirms my desire to stay home with our children -- at least for the first 6 months. i want our children's transition to their new life to be as easy as possible on them and on us.

it's fascinating to read what an outside observer has to say about you. granted, this person has been privy to lots of personal information that most people wouldn't just shout off the rooftops. but still, it's sort of strange to read your entire life story written by someone you barely know.

adoption is such an interesting process because it requires a completely different level of comittment and education than a pregnancy does. unless you're grappling with infertility issues, pregnancy seems the "easier" route (cetainly not physically, but socially speaking). you don't have to go to parenting classes, people don't ask you intrusive and sometimes insulting questions (just imagine if a pregnant woman was asked "so how much is this pregnancy going to cost?"), and you don't have to face the reality of being a conspicuous family.

but there are so many other reasons why adoption seems a more natural and logical choice for us. at base, there are millions of children throughout this world who need safe, loving homes. we can provide one. neither of us feels the need to pass on our dna, and we both realize that risks are present with any child. we believe that families are formed through bonds of love and respect, and we know that we will absolutely adore our children, regardless of how our family is formed.

we decided to adopt internationally for several reasons as well. both of us have a generally multicultural and global outlook on life. we are excited to not only adopt these children, but also to adopt their birth culture. and while there is a great need for families to adopt domestically as well, the life circumstances of american born children give them a much better chance at even the most basic survival. in some other countries, orphaned, abandoned, or relinquished children may not have access to medical care or proper nutrition, and the potential outcomes for their lives are much more dire.

i am so excited to become a mother. i want to meet my children and find out who they are. i want to watch them learn, and help them grow. i know that it won't be easy, and that there will be many bumpy roads ahead for us. but i can't wait for the experience.