Medical results! Hooray! I think....

It's now just about 2 years since Andy and I first decided to look into adoption and contacted our local agency. This Wednesday, absolutely sick to death of waiting for Staffordshire adoption service to get back to us following the medical Andy had in February, we went and met with an organisation called 'Adoption Focus'. They are a charity. So we sat and had another introductory conversation with an agency.

They have a preparation course running in March, and would expect us to be assessed within 8 months of the end of the course.

Then, would you believe it, we got home from our interview with Adoption Focus to a telephone message from Staffordshire to say that they've had Andy's medical assessed and are happy for us to move onto the next stage of the process! They have a course in February.

Suddenly, after months and months and months of nothing at all, things are looking possible within the next year or so.

Don't know how I feel really. Would have expected to be ecstatic. But we've had a slightly rough time adjusting to being back in the UK after our time in Africa and various other stresses. I wandered round our house the other day realising how completely ignorant we are of what we would be letting ourselves in for if we adopt. Realising just how used to being childless we are. Wondering if this is really such a good thing to do. Wondering how we'd cope. Wondering why we want to do it.

I think it's the shock of moving from a situation where we want to but we can't and it's a nice idea for some time in the future, to one where it's actually on the cards. I don't think we will fail an adoption assessment. We are, at least on paper, pretty reasonable candidates. It's now not likely, but not impossible, that this could be our last Christmas as a couple without kids.

It reminds me of the transition from dating Andy and talking about getting married at some point, to him actually proposing and having to say yes or no. I was really quite shell shocked (he popped the question whilst I was driving the car. We were on the A1M heading south, just north of Ferrybridge. I was in the middle lane.....). It was the moment of going from an idea to a planned reality and I panicked (not enough to crash the car, you'll be glad to hear) at the sudden realness of the situation. On a positive note, I said 'yes' and aside from deciding to follow Jesus, it was the best decision I ever made. We have had a wonderful 11 years. I shudder to think what I would have missed out on, had I said no.