Creating the Campbells
Welcome to the next chapter in our story book.
Meeting the Campbells
How it began….
Welcome. My name is Michelle and my husband is Adam. We met, fell in love, and got married a decade ago. Newly into our marriage I underwent some medical procedures that we knew could limit our ability to get pregnant. One of my amazing doctors told us to pursue any and all avenues we wanted to create a family and to do it when we were ready. We always joked that we were on the 5 year plan… we would talk about a family in 5 years. This was quite the coping mechanism so people would stop asking me when I was going to get pregnant. We decided a family is what we wanted and felt called to international adoption. After research and more research, we matched best with China. At the time I wasn’t 30 and in China you need to be 30 to adopt. Don’t worry, this didn’t stop us. In 2016 we started our home study to prepare for our first adoption.
How we grew….
We submitted our paperwork to China soon after my 30th birthday and much to our surprise were matched with a file 7 days later. (We were told this process could be 6-9 months long.) That matching phone call story is for another time but it was in the evening of May 19th, 2017. That is the night we saw our daughter for the first time. That is the night Adam said, “Let’s go get Shelby.” and gave her an English name. That is the night we became parents in waiting. October 13th, 2017 we were on an airplane and on the way to China to Meet Shelby. October 16th, two days before her second birthday, we held a very sad and scared Shelby in our arms! Shelby has a genetic blood conditional called Transfusion Dependent Thalassemia or Beta Thal. She receives blood transfusions every 21 days because her body does not produce hemoglobin. Shelby has been home with us for 3 years now and we just celebrated her 5th birthday. She is growing so quickly and her negotiating skills are on fire. She’s a strong and strong willed girl who knows what she wants. She is eager to learn and loves to talk about any and everything. Shelby has been asking Baba (daddy) for a sister for over a year. I have been asking much longer than that. ;-). On Father’s day this year, Adam told me he was ready to go back to China. I cried. We hugged. We danced. We silently celebrated and communicated in code. We hid it from Shelby. October of this year we told Shelby we were going back to China. She has since told everyone she has seen. Everyone. MRI Tech, check. Virtual dance instruction, check. Grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, check. She is now ready and excited to tell the world with us.
New chapter…..
We are adopting! We started our paperwork process for our home study in October and have our first home study visit in the near future. We expect the process could take 1-2 years. COVID makes things a little less predictable but not much about international adoption follows the time lines I think they should. Shelby continues to need convincing that a brother would be acceptable as well as a sister.
We hope to be approved for a boy or girl, 3 or under, that is also diagnosed with Beta Thal. Shelby has great plans on how to put her sibling to sleep (Shelby doesn’t sleep through the night. We’d prefer she not teach her sibling this skills). She wants to teach them all about blood day, where to park (always blue), how to be a statue for the IV, and all of the fun that happens at CHOP. She wants to feed, change, and care for this new sibling. She is SO excited and we love watching this nurturing spirit grow in her.
What’s Next?
While we continue the home study process and move onto the next set of paperwork, we will also be fundraising. One of our favorite things we have from when we fundraised for our journey to get Shelby was our puzzle. Its currently hanging in the middle of our living area. We LOVE it and love the reminder of everyone who supported and continues to support us. We are going to do a puzzle fundraiser as well for this journey. This time it’s a picture of the three of us and our empty chair. We can’t wait for that chair to be filled. If you’d like to sponsor a piece and commit to surrounding us with thoughts and prayers, let us know!
How to sponsor a piece or multiple pieces.
Each piece will be $20.00. For each $20.00, we will write your name on the back of the puzzle so that we can always be reminded of the love that carries us. We will continue to show the progress of our puzzle as time continues.
Venmo: @creatingthecampbells
Paypal: creatingthecampbells@gmail.com
Or contact us for our address.
We are so blessed to have community surrounding us as we start this process again. We know our community is near even when socially distanced. We have been anticipating this joyous announcement and are so excited you now know our secret! Welcome aboard. Here we go, again! Love, The Campbells
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Creating the Campbells 