Putting yourself out there

So I have been wanting to write this post for awhile but didn't know how. Just 2 weeks ago we were made aware of a situation that my 2nd cousin might be placing her newborn baby for adoption. We told them that we would absolutely love to adopt her, but we have also been close growing up and knew that placing with a family member might be too hard for her. We knew that the chances were slim and didn't want to get our hopes up. She did decide to place, but felt that family was going to be too hard. Of course we understand and respect her decision and think she is so brave for choosing adoption.

There was just a little part of me that really hoped that she would pick us, and I was a wreck for days. So how do you not get your hopes up when you are putting yourself out there? I mean this is really the first situation we have been in where we said "hey we would love to adopt your baby" so it is all really new, but hard. I am sure many adoptive parents have felt this same thing when starting out on this journey. Does it get easier? Do your hopes get raised everytime you know you are being considered? It is just such an emotional roller coaster. You really have to make yourself vulnerable and you can't say hey pick us and not get a little attached to that baby and situation.

Sorry this is really just a rambling post-but I wanted to get my thoughts down somewhere. We are grateful that she even considered us and know that she had a tough choice to make. We hope that one day the Lord will bless us with an extrodinary birth mom who will bless our lives by making such a courageous choice to be parents to her sweet baby. We truly have come to love and respect birth parents so much-they are amazing!!!