This Adoption: Details, Reactions...and Predictions

We are slowly-but-surely finishing up the paperwork we need to complete in order to meet with our agency's social worker.  It wouldn't normally take us quite this long, but with us being so close to moving (it will still be several weeks, but that is another post), we need to wait until we're in the new digs before she comes...or else she'd just have to come again.

Just like it does at every adoption at this stage, it seems surreal to me.  There will actually be another child in our family at some point.  It's hard to even imagine now.  But I know after having been through it time and again, that it will happen...and when it does it will then seem like that child has always been with us...and we won't be able to imagine life any other way.

We feel like the Lord has another boy for us, like He told us two years ago.  And we think it will be another infant.  And, we plan to name him Joseph.  In fact, since practically the day Gabriel came home the children have been talking about Joseph.  Every single time she prays Lily Kay includes, "...and Lord, please help us get Joseph."  

Daniel is afraid that Gabriel will be too rough with Joseph, as Mr. G is wont to fling his arms around and does unintentionally hit us sometimes.  And the four older children, at their own initiative, have decided what the seating arrangement will be in the Silver Bullet after Joseph arrives home.  Front bench seat:  Joseph in the middle, with Noah and Elisabeth on either side.  Second bench seat: Gabriel in the middle, with LK and Daniel on either side.

Most people who know us well, knew that it was a matter of when and not if we would adopt again, (because of posts like this one).  So I don't know if that is it, but the reactions to our news that we're adopting again have actually gotten better/easier this time.  See, when we added children #3...then #4...and #5, people didn't always react well.  Close friends reacted well...others we knew (even family) didn't.  How can we afford all these children?  How are we going to send them all to college?  Had we lost our ever-lovin' minds?!?!  

Now, either people have just written us off as crazy...or (I like this thought much better) they see that we're following the Lord's leading in our lives, and that we're doing right by the children He's already given us.  Yes, I like this theory much better.

When will Joseph join us?  No idea.  First we have to finish the paperwork/homestudy part, then we'll be "actively waiting."  Just waiting for a birthmom to choose us.  With Gabriel we "actively waited" for right at 8 months.  One friend shared with me that she thought it would be quicker this time...and I like her thinking!  We'll see.

Noah has ideas of his own.  Within a day or two of us getting home with Gabriel, he shared this with me:  We are supposed to adopt five more children.  Why?  Because we currently have 7 people in our family, and our birthdays fall in 7 different months.  Noah wants to take care of those other 5 months.

So, following his line of reasoning, Joseph should be born in April, July, August, September or October.

Here is some thinking of my own:
Elisabeth was 2 when Noah came home.
She was 4 when Daniel came home.
She was 6 when LK came home.
She was 8 when Gabriel came home.
So, she'll be 10 when Joseph comes home???  We'll see....

If you combine Noah's theory with mine, Joseph couldn't come in April (next month) because E won't be 10 yet (not to mention the fact that we won't be done with paperwork by then).  BUT, she turns 10 in June (WAHHH!), so maybe he'll be born in July-Oct...or even next April.  But I like the July-Oct guesses better.

This is all just fun speculation.  But we're all excited.  So excited to see how the Lord orchestrates this...and so excited to meet our next miracle.