No longer fostering ...

[64x32x24]

... as matching panel said yes!

:D

CONGRATULATIONS Very happy for you x

Oh yippeeee! Well done 64 and family, what happy news

Can I just say...

:) :) :) :) :)

Congratulations!

Lovely news, congratulations!

H o o r a y

So pleased!!!! Congratulations

Fantastic news!!

Yay!!!

That has put a smile on my face, congratulations ??????

Congratulations

Congrats! :D

Thanks everyone, we are so pleased! She has been ours in mind and heart and everyday life; now we're a step closer to her being legally ours too.

Maryz the fun began a good while ago! We can send off the application for AO as soon as ADM signs the match off.

What's the 'correct' way to say things now? We've been saying (when necessary obviously) that 'we are hoping to adopt her' - do we now say 'we are adopting her' or can we go straight to 'we have adopted her'/'she's adopted'? I know the latter isn't quite legally true until AO but what do people usually say?

Say 'we've adopted them' although our AO hasn't been granted yet.

Congratulations!!!

Congratulations!

So happy for you 64 - i echo everyone's congratulations. Had you gone down concurrent planning route?

Thanks again - it's starting to sink in.

Yes Hels20, we did/are doing something along the lines of concurrency/fostering to adopt.

We have been working on the assumption that it was extremely likely that she would remain with us and we would eventually adopt her. But we always knew that there was no 100% certainty. And yet, we didn't want to let that uncertainty affect our day-to-day life, and our bonding. Difficult balancing act and I am still habitually doing it... harder to let go of that mindset than anticipated.

Eg for DS' sake (not only) we have been quite disciplined with language. We have been talking about 'our new baby' but never 'daughter' or 'sister'. And yet, we didn't correct when others used those terms. I figure that DS did 'feel' this ambiguity, and saw her not as 'his sister' but at the same time neither as 'not-sister'. At least that's pretty much how I have been feeling. She was not quite my daughter. But neither was she 'not my daughter'.

But now she is. My daughter. :) I'm going to have to practice saying it out loud! Makes me feel all warm and gooey inside :)