And the Adoption Process Begins....

I have always wanted to adopt children ever since I can remember... I remember talking to Eric about it when we were dating and he agreed that he felt totally fine about it if we ended up getting married. A year after we were married I was pregnant and almost 2 years after we were married we had a handsome little boy and a few months after that we found out I had cancer. Thankfully it was only stage 2 and they caught it in time and were able to get all of it out. I thought that whole nightmare was over with until this past August when I had a check-up with my oncologist. He was asking me typical questions and then I asked him about trying to get pregnant again. He immediately told me it was a bad idea and even though it isn't 100% proven they believe that my melanoma was caused by my pregnancy hormones. I left that office visit feeling completely defeated and alone. It's one thing to decide as a woman that you aren't going to have any more children but to be told you CAN'T is a whole other feeling. I cried for days and days knowing I would never be able to have my own biological child again, and Ryder wouldn't have a biological sibling. Eric and I discussed the risks if I were to just go ahead and get pregnant and they were just too high. My doctor had told me the melanoma would most likely come back in the early stages of pregnancy and grow rapidly because of the hormones and I would end up having to do chemo and radiation as soon as I gave birth. That isn't something either of us wanted to risk especially because I want to be here for Ryder. Eric brought up adoption and I just wasn't wanting to move on from the fact that I couldn't have children anymore so I just shut it off.. I remember a few months ago I was talking to my mom about adoption and I said, maybe we just should only have Ryder, and she said, "Alisha, you have ALWAYS wanted to adopt, I think it was God laying that passion on your heart early knowing you wouldn't be able to have any more" I think about that all the time and she is 100% right. I feel a calling for adoption and that is why we are going foward with this. Whatever happens is totally up to God and we will see where he leads us.  We slowly started talking about it again recently and knew that the time was right. So went to a meeting last night, brought our application with us and turned it in!! Now we have step 1 over with and only 1 million to go!! I am hoping to document everything on my blog so I can keep up with the process! Prayers are appreciated!