Well we did it! After lots of discussion and looking at a bunch of different agencies, we've selected Adoption Associates Inc. as our agency! Both Mark and I felt that this agency really has it together.
A few reasons why we chose them:
They are local, although they have offices all over the U.S. and beyond, the corporate headquarters is right in our backyard in Jenison, making it easier for us to communicate and transfer information.
Costs are in line with what most agencies are, so why not go local if it's right around the same as if you went with an agency in another state?
They have a great reputation with people in Grand Rapids for being up front and open if problems arise.
They will handle all aspects of the process including the homestudy which, if we went out of state for services we would have to find another agency to conduct that portion of the process.
I do feel bad that I had to tell a sweet girl at another agency that we weren't going with them despite all her hard work trying to get us to go with them. Being in sales, I hate being the one that has to give that kind of news because I know what it's like when someone I'm hoping will go with Iserv goes with someone else.
I also want to note how awful this is to keep from everyone I know. It's like torture. Right now I am avoiding phone calls and conversations with people just because I want to tell them so badly that I think it's best if I just not talk as much as possible. I feel like this is the biggest secret I've ever kept in my life. I am dying for Mark to just say "I think we should tell people now" I understand him wanting us to be in the process first, but gee wiz it's so hard. I can already tell people at work think I'm pregnant or something... which is funny. My boss asked me a question today and I wasn't fully paying attention and he was like, "you ok? You see a little out of it today." I just told him that I'm a little distracted... and then he asked, "with what?" and I said, "oh nothing."
It's torture I tell you. Torture.
