Dear Pete Wentz....THANK YOU!

As I am sure most if you all know (because I couldn't contain my excitement) yesterday was a pretty exciting day for our GoFundMe! But if you somehow did not see my ecstatic post on FB, here's a recap!

We received a donation from a Pete W. on Thursday and I immediately asked Justin- do you have any friends by that name? Then made a joke that hey maybe it's Pete Wentz! Justin didn't tell me that hours earlier he had tweeted Pete saying his wife was a big fan and been to over a dozen concerts, could he give a retweet? Honestly not expecting him to reply, because let's be real 7 million people follow and tweet at him constantly, he most certainly did in the most unexpected way! He gave us a donation and wished us good luck. 

I am still almost unable to believe this happened even as I type this! I will say, Pete is pretty active in communication with his fans and enjoys interacting about the most random things and also important issues in our world. He is such a compassionate person and is a huge advocate for mental health and has been very open about his struggles with his bipolar disorder and depression. He may be known to so many people around the world as this huge rock star (I mean he is insanely talented) but I often seem him as just a normal guy, having the most incredible career and being an amazing father!

I have grown up in the past 12 years along side Fall Out Boy and it has been amazing to see all four members grow and change over time too. Pete especially stands out because of how vocal he has been about his struggles and has made it so easy for fans to relate with him with the songs he writes and personal experiences he shares. Over the years I have seen him change into a man who is deeply concerned about others and always looking out for his fans. He doesn't tolerate fighting or disrespect of any kind at FOB shows and will stop to ensure everyone is safe and he did it for me at a show back in December! 

My point being, he is a stand up guy who doesn't know us personally. Maybe he remembers us from all the shows we have been in the pit/ or close to the stage for. But I think more likely it's his amazing giving heart and he just helped out his biggest fan in the most kind and sincere way!

So this is for you Pete! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for getting us one step closer to making our dream come true!

-Jenna 

Getting Prepared: A Journal Entry by Jenna

In preparation for the application and home study it feels like a million things must be done. I am a planner. I had our adoption binder made the next day after we decided we would be moving forward with adopting. I suppose that's the teacher in me or my OCD!

I feel like there is so much to plan for and then on the flip side wait for. It is quite possible that I am over thinking preparation for the home study just a bit... I am sure it won't matter if our stairs are re-carpeted or not.... but the thought of a social worker coming through our home to make sure it is fit to raise a child is a bit daunting. 

We definitely have some necessary projects that need done around the house before we apply and schedule the home study. I feel like we need to save all the money we can to put into the adoption but we also will need to spend money to get our house ready. When I try to think what to do, I feel like I am being pulled in so many directions.... SAVINGS ACCOUNT! HOME IMPROVEMENTS! PAY OFF DEBT!  AHH! 

That's what makes this process hard- many things could be taken care of but it all depends on when we apply and what our money situation will be like at that time. You can try to plan and budget to a T but we all know that those unexpected things come up and you have to start over. Then I think about what if we have to take out a loan? We already have a nice stack of student loans. Will we be approved? Will we qualify for grants? So much is consuming my mind when it comes to money!

One thing I know for sure we cannot WAIT to get started on the nursery. It's an odd feeling of excitement and nervousness. Most parents are putting together their baby's room knowing when their sweet little one will arrive. Adoption doesn't work that way so we have to prepare our home in hopes of someone choosing us to be parents. This includes baby proofing the house- outlet covers, cabinet locks, baby gates- everything! 

There is also a huge amount of paperwork and documents needed for the home study, more than I every realized that would be needed. I am totally overwhelmed but so motivated to check things off that list! 

I think about all of this stuff everyday so it is becoming our new normal! I also think about how happy we will be when this process is all behind us and we can begin the next chapter of our lives as parents. It makes me an emotional basket case now when I see pictures of adoptive parents for the first time with their son/daughter.... because I know that with love, support, and a lot of prayer, that will be us one day soon!

Do you have an experience with adoption that you would like to share? Feel free to comment below or message me directly. Any information is helpful as we begin to dive into all the details! 

-Jenna 

The journey has begun!

Welcome! Thank you for joining us on our adoption blog page. We will keep you updated on where we are in the our adoption process and share with you any big news as it happens.

First and foremost we are so blessed to have so many friends and family members in our lives supporting us! When we made the announcement to adopt as excited as we were, we really couldn't predict how everyone would feel. The outpouring of well wishes and kind comments is appreciated more than you will ever know!❤️

Second of all, those of you who have already made a donation or purchased a t-shirt- THANK YOU! Everything we get, no matter how big or small helps us to reach our goal. Before our initial research into adoption, we were hoping to somehow find a way to bypass crowdfunding. We realized it was in fact a very common and in most cases necessary for so many couples to be able to adopt.

The following was VERY eye opening to us! This is a general fee break down of a domestic adoption in Ohio provided by Adoption By Gentle Care. If you have donated or plan to in the future, know that you are helping us take care of one of the many fees below! Again, THANK YOU to those of you who have helped already! We can check the application fee off our list and a portion of the home study! YAY!😀