You have questions??? Maddi's Mommy has answers!!!

Question and Answer with Maddi's Mommy

Since starting my blog and introducing our daughter Maddison to the world, I have received a TON of questions! I thought it best to blog them all... not only to answer the questions of the masses at one time, but so others who might be wanting to ask me but haven't, can know as well. So here we go!

Q.) "How did you keep this a secret!?" & "You didn't even tell ME!?"

A.) I apologize now to anyone who's feelings may be hurt by us keeping this to ourselves. Please understand that Mike and I have spent 5 years getting excited, telling everyone, getting a big fuss going, and then NOTHING happens... or WORSE. We just really wanted to be sure that Maddi wanted us as her Mommy and Daddy, as much as we wanted it for her, before we announced to everyone.

Q.) "When can I meet her?"

A.) Some close family has met Maddi... however in small portions. Once she is placed with us full time, we are going to go off the grid with no public appearances for awhile. We just really want to bond with her and try as best as we can for as seamless of a transition as possible. After we feel she is ready, we will break out a bit more and let her meet more people. 

*The biggest struggle I am finding is planning to have my God daughters over for our annual Christmas sleep over and cookie baking fiesta!? :( I really love this tradition- we do every year- but I think Maddi seeing me with them might make her feel threatened and territorial... and I want to wholeheartedly avoid that. Mike and Nee Nee do miss our God daughters and are going to setup a time we can sneak them to lunch and give them their presents!! :)

Q.) "How does the whole private adoption process work?" 

A.) Well, Mike and I had to complete a "home study". This for us (as a private adoption) consisted of 2 in home visits with our case worker where he pretty much asked us any and every question you can think of. He also walks through your home to see what environment that Maddison would be in... and for any safety measures that need to be made. We filled out LOTS of paperwork, submitted for an FBI background check, got finger printed at our local police station (kinda a fun experience actually...seeing how I have never been arrested), filled out a family history on each of us, and we EACH had to write at least a two page essay with specific questions that had to be answered. Once all of that was submitted, reviewed and comes back, our case worker tells our lawyer that he approves Maddison for permanent placement. Our lawyer will get all papers submitted to the court and placement starts. Once Maddison is placed in our home full time, our case worker comes back at the end of month 1, month 3, and month 5 to observe us all. Once he sees everything is spectacular, he signs off his final approval and our lawyer sends off more paperwork to the courts for Maddison's adoption to be finalized. Once that comes back... she is OFFICIALLY OURS!!!

Quite the process, huh?

Q.) "What does Mike think of your blog?"

A.) LOL- What does Mike think!? Mike LOVES that I am blogging about our experience in this journey and our daughter. I blog at night after he goes to sleep, mostly because he interrupts me and I loose all train of thought (and he gets in trouble), so when he wakes up in the morning he reads it first thing! He says he loves waking up to read about his daughter, especailly since she is not living with us right now, and he can't see her before work.

Q.) "When are you going to post your next blog!?" & "Do you know your blog makes me cry happy tears every time I read it!?"

A.) LOL- We are both just SO OVERWHELMED by all the outpouring of love and support for Maddison and my new blog! It makes our hearts smile and us cry happy tears as well!

Rest assured that I am typing as much as I physically can, while still getting "real life" stuff done.

*** Feel free to send Mike a private message to do ALL the housework so I can sit an blog more!!!***

LOL ;)

Q.) What is Maddison's favorite color?

A.) If you ask her, she says orange. But we think that's because the only two colors she really likes to identify is orange and blue. I painted her room a medium lavender color, and she says "Ooooo.... purple!" and I notice she gravitates toward pink and red. So, as of right now, I am undecided as to what her "favorite" color is??? :) (Her room is Tinkerbell and is super girlie...because her Mommy is super girlie!)

Q.) "Is anyone throwing you a shower?"

A.) This question has been asked by many, and I appreciate all the excitement surrounding Maddison being added to the family! My mom and mother-in-law are scheming something up together. I do not know any details except they want to have it all in one and as a uni-sex shower, so everyone can come.

*Seeing how I really don't know when we will feel like Maddi is ready for a "shower appearance"... I do not foresee it being planned before late January of 2014.

Q.) "Is it okay if I say she looks like you?"

A.) YES OF COURSE!! I take it as a huge complement....seeing how she is so adorable and all! ;)

But seriously, it is amazing how many people feel she does look like Mike and myself! We see it too... When she smiles her little cheeky smile, that's when I see we look alike... mostly because I can tell her humor and personality in her smile!

Now... The most famous question...and my least favorite to have to answer...

Q.) "Where are Maddi's 'real parents'?"


A.) This is going to be a two part question:
1.) Mike and I are her "real parents".

We truly feel 100,000% that this little girl was meant for us, is our very own, and just because her DNA says differently is no match for our love. We hope that everyone treats her and sees her as 100,000% our daughter as well. We are not going to use "adopted" in everyday conversation, although Maddison will "know" that she was adopted... I want it where she will not need to "feel" like she is adopted.

2.) Maddi's Bio-parents are not being discussed on my blog on purpose. It is for their privacy and for the privacy of Maddison in the future. I have also chose not to use Maddison's current last name and the last names of her current family members for their privacy as well.

 *Rest assured I have background info, names and connections for Maddison later in life.

I hope all of the questions you had are answered here. If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask and I will try to get them answered for you! Again, thank you for your outpouring of love, interest, and concern for this transition we are all making in our lives right now.

I will continue our story with another post soon!!!