Decisions

We finally heard back from our Dr and we have decided to move forward with the adoption!! We are so excited!! Tomorrow our agency will tell our contact in Moscow and paperwork will get started so we can plan our first trip. I am hoping we will get travel dates this week, but I don't know if we will or not. We have to have our medical reports redone (they are only valid for 3 months, go figure...). Our appointment is for Friday afternoon. Hopefully that will go smoothly and we can get those papers on their way. I am sure there will be more, we will roll with the punches on that as it comes. At least by now we are "paperwork pros"!

This weekend we have been thinking a lot about names. We really like the name Connor, and we will more than likely name him that. I also did some research and found out that his current Russian name is a form of Matthew. I did a double take as I looked further and saw that Matthew means "Gift from God". That information along with the fact that everybody we show the pictures to think he resembles Travis (it is the same big eyes!) has pretty much convinced us that this is our son. (Along with a good medical report of course!) It is such an indescribable feeling and once again we are in awe of how God is working in our family. People are always shocked when they find out Travis is adopted because they think he looks just like both of us. That was one thing I was a bit worried about when we started this journey again. I hoped that we wouldn't get a child that stood out like a sore thumb. (Not that it really matters, but since Travis looks so much like us, I just hoped that this child would somehow look a little bit like somebody.) I know I haven't seen him in person yet, and I didn't see the similarities when I initially saw his picture, but it seems like our sons will somehow both look like they were meant to be in our family. I even got out the photo album of Travis when we first met him and compared the pictures. It is unbelievable the resemblances they share. I know that sounds strange, but what can I say? It is the truth. So, with all of that said and done, we are so excited to finally embark on the next phase of our journey. This was a child we weren't expecting, it was like an outside force was guiding us to act from the very beginning. This whole experience has truly been a "Gift from God." We can't wait to meet him in person, to hold him, hug him and give him some kisses. (I still don't know who is more excited, Daryle and I or Travis!!) As soon as I know when we will be traveling, I will let you know.

Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes. ;-)