1-888-oh my goodness!

First off, thank you for your kind words about the article.  We've had a few hits on our etsy site and a few well meaning emails.  But no crazy hate email- so I am feeling it was a successful article.

It's been a few weeks since I last posted- but with good reason.  I've been crazy busy with my card business and moving forward with our adoption plans.  I feel like we've moved light years in just the past two weeks!

As you might guess, we are finally the proud owners of an 888 number.  I feel like I've been talking about getting this for the past year.  Next to an actual adoption placement, I feel like this has been the one thing we've been chasing.  And now we have it... Yikes!

Let me back up a little.  We met with our attorney and her marketing person on October 12.  I have lots to say about the meeting- but I'll sum it up in a few sentences.  We adore our attorney.  She's down to earth and has a true heart for adoption.  She is laid back and fits us well.  We didn't feel as empowered with the marketing person, but she has been quick to reply to emails and has worked well with us.  We're overachievers and had most of what we needed done already.  I've done some research over the past several months so I was ahead of the game.  I've actually given her leads on websites and the such. 

We had to create a photo book for the attorney to keep in her office for when she meets with potential birth parents.  We also had to have our paper profile approved by the marketing person.  I finished both of those tasks this week.  It was stressful- everything I kept reading just said that you needed to have your book/letter "reflect who you are" and that was about all the guidance we had.  I tried to balance my need for perfection and clean design with what a potential birth parent might feel comfortable reading.  In the end, I am pretty happy with the end product for both the photo book and our letters. 

We've asked a friend who works for an ink company to print our letter for us.  We're starting to embrace the notion that we have to ask for help.  We're proud people, but the costs of adoption are high and we have to use our resources wisely.  We are so blessed to be surrounded by so many amazing people who want to help us in any way they can.  We just have to ask.  Another family has assisted us with some financing for our initial payments to the attorney and the marketing firm.  Again, they were overjoyed to be able to help us.

Our 888 number is now listed on all of our websites and our paper profile.  Next step is to get some business cards and the write our ads.  We are supposed to start placing ads by next month.  Again, it's about gathering resources and making the right choices.  But we are moving forward.

Baby steps to our baby, right?