This was my first email to family and friends to let them know that we had started the adoption process....
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Hello all,
I am so excited to be writing you this email...today Annie Allen and I dropped off our final packet of documents at our adoption agency in Hillsborough! I feel grateful for all the love and support I have gotten from each of you throughout this process. Thank you for listening, helping me process the decision, offering support, writing a letter on my behalf, encouraging me that I can do this, helping with Annie Allen during the home visits, asking about the process, or in general just being there for us. I am grateful to be surrounded by love and support as we expand our family to include a little soul from Vietnam.
The emotions I feel today remind me of the day I told Will that I was pregnant with Annie Allen. Although the situation is very different, there are similar emotions swirling through my body -- love, anticipation, nervousness, fear (if I am completely honest with you all:-)), joy and peace.
From here, we are put on a list to wait for our referral (when they call me to tell me that we have been matched with a little girl). The average referral time is 4-6 months and then we would travel to Vietnam for a 2 week stay in about 3-4 months after the referral. So, if all goes smoothly (which I am trying to stay prepared for whatever happens on this journey)...we could have a little sister within the year.
I also appreciate you all working with me to keep this quiet. I wanted to get to this step before it being public knowledge so I appreciate your confidentiality. I must be ready for it to be "out" as I found myself trying out telling people about it to complete strangers this weekend -- poor people!
Thank you again for your support and love. I will keep you posted.
Love,
Mandy
