Baby Hall's Story: Adoption Information Session

So, yesterday I shared our exciting news with the blog world. I am officially through my first trimester.

This is why I just kind of disappeared from the blogging world. I think this is because of the extreme exhaustion that comes with the first trimester, but I became very apathetic at the beginning of my pregnancy. I didn't care about blogging. I didn't care about reading. I didn't care about cleaning. I didn't care about doing anything creative. I just wanted to sit on the couch and watch TV. Now that I'm through the first trimester, I'm not as tired and I feel a little more like myself. 

In order to share Baby Hall's story, I have to back up and tell you where we were at almost a year ago. Lee and I had decided to pursue adoption. Our family and close friends knew and I had planned to share with the blogging world in March. So throughout the process, I wrote some blog drafts so that I would remember the process and be able to share it. Even though our adoption process is on pause (for now), I would still like to share our experience. 

This was written around October of last year:

We decided to officially begin pursuing adoption at the end of the summer. I began to do some research and had planned to do more while I was tracked out in September, but some unforeseen circumstances prevented me from doing too much.

I have read a lot of adoption blogs, done a lot of research on adoption, and I feel like I know a good bit about adoption. However, I didn't know where to START. I actually got a little overwhelmed just trying to figure out where to begin. So, I did what you have to do in situations like this-I asked for help. There happened to be a teacher's assistant at the school where I work who was in the adoption process until she got pregnant. She lead me to Mercy for America's Children which was actually an organization I had already heard of and was already following on Facebook. I'm so glad she reminded me of this organization. It is amazing!

I stalked their website and Facebook page for a while and then decided to use their contact page to let them know we were interested in starting an adoption. Pam Taylor, founder of MAC, messaged me back shortly after I sent my message. She let me know that there were a couple of information sessions coming up. One of them happened to be a day that Lee was off, so I told her to sign us up for that one.

I was excited because we were actually starting the process. The day finally came and we headed off to the meeting. Pam and her husband walked us through some hard statistics about the state of foster children in America. They also gave us information about the different types of adoption: international, private domestic, domestic through foster care. She shared how her organization has support groups for both parents and children. I think this was my favorite part. It's scary to think of adopting because that's not the "normal" way peoples start a family. I love the idea that that support is there to let you know you're not alone. We really liked what we learned at the information session and I felt my heart stirring towards foster care adoption which is not previously what I'd planned on pursuing.

On our way home, Lee and I discussed our thoughts. We shared our desires and our fears. We also decided together that we were ready to pursue this. We were going to begin an adoption with the Children's Home Society of North Carolina using Mercy for America's Children as a support system.

I got busy within a few days filling out the application. It was just basic information you'd see on any other application. We also had to fill out a brief medical survey and a form that allows them to check with social services to make sure we've never been accused of abusing a child. Within a week, our first set of paperwork was in the mail.

Then, it was the start of the hard part...the waiting. In the back of my mind, I was nervous that we would be rejected. I knew we had no reason to be rejected, but I was worried anyway. I tried to just push those thoughts out of my mind and go on with our lives as normal.

To be continued...

The Announcement Post that Often Follows a Blogger's Unexpected Absence...

April Literary Junkies

1. What are you reading right now? Tell us about it!
I'm currently reading Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. I decided to read this book because I have seen so many bloggers recommend it. I also read Rainbow Rowell's book Fangirl and really enjoyed it. It's about two 16 year olds who are each other's first love. Even though they are both from very different families, they are both misfits.

2. Divergent, Hunger Games, or Twilight. Which do you prefer and why? (If you've never read them which do you think you'd prefer?)
I have read all three of these series and enjoyed them each at the time (except I wasn't a fan of Allegiant). If I had to pick one to be my favorite, it would be Hunger Games. I feel like if Allegiant had been better, it would have been a closer race between Hunger Games and Divergent. Hunger Games kept me sucked in the whole time and had me in tears for most of the last book. 

3. TV Series Based on Books they start out very close to the book to draw in the fans but then will start to separate themselves by changing things and adding characters. What are you thoughts on this?
I think it's okay and usually necessary. I think it would be impossible to make a TV series that follows a book or book series exactly because the TV show wants longevity. If they followed the book exactly, they would only be able to make a certain number of episodes. In some cases, a TV show is a huge improvement on a book series. I read the first few Vampire Diaries books and didn't like them at all, but I love the show.

4. You've just been recruited to help a movie studio bring your favorite book to the big screen. What's the movie and who are you choosing to play the main characters?
I wrote a whole post on 10 books that I thought should be made into movies.  The only one that I really thought about who should play the characters is the Hex Hall series which I think would make a good movie because so many YA books are being made into very popular movies these days. This one follows the same basic formula of other successful movies-magical creatures, teenage heroine, love traingle. When I was reading the book, I pictured Darren Criss as the main male character, Archer. I could see someone like Lucy Hale or Emma Roberts playing the main female character, Sophie. Lastly, I think a blonde Liam Hemsworth would make a great Cal.

5. Going back to the above question, do you keep it word for word the same or do you use this chance to change little things you thought would make the book better?
I understand that a few things need to be changed to keep a movie at around 2 hours. I also understand that some things need to be changed just because that helps it translate to film. Overall, though, I'd like to keep things as close to the book as possible.

6. After you finish a physical copy of a book do you keep it for a reread, put it on a shelf to collect dust, donate it to Goodwill, or do you just not purchase physical copies of books?
I don't really purchase too many books. I'm a big fan of the library. Usually, the only way I buy a book is if it is one that I already love.

Are you linking up? If not, what's a book you'd love to see made into a movie?