Speed Bump (a.k.a. working with two agencies at one time)

I'm realizing that the more time I spend on getting things done, the less time I have to write about all of it. ;)

Over the weekend, we took our online class regarding open adoption.  The specific class was our choice and one of many classes provided by Adoption Learning Partners.  We feel like our questions about open adoption were answered and some of our worries of open adoption were settled.

Adam and I have not had a chance to sit down and decide what we want our own adoption to look like, so that form is still in my folder.  We will probably fill it out the day before we absolutely have to turn it in.  Okay, maybe not...but I doubt we really talk about it until we are settled in our new apartment.  It's a big decision and even though we are allowed to amend the form at any time, writing it down feels so...final.

Today was my personal visit with our Home Study agency.  We finished going over my family tree and a whole lot of information that seemed far to personal to matter in the adoption process.  I'm not excited about how these meetings are going and I've been informed that our agent may even be out of line in her questioning and conversations.  This is frustrating, but we are in a vulnerable place and now is not the time to ruffle feathers.  I don't want to display everything here, but if you're reading this and going through the adoption process, I am more than willing to discuss our experience in further detail, via email.  Adam and I have one more Home Study visit to complete and then our social worker will type up a review and send it to Love Basket. 

Most of our references for Love Basket have been sent in (Thank you!!!) and our reference forms from CSI have just arrived in the mail boxes of friends and family.  CSI is waiting on a handful of items including reference forms, medical forms, fingerprints, and background checks.

I feel like this little bit of Packet II is taking for-ev-er!  But, I knew when we started the Home Study process that it would take about 8 weeks for the report to be sent to our agency.  I'm not sure how far we are into that process, but I think we're at least halfway there?

I'm heading to Iowa tomorrow and spending a few days there while our belongings are packed up and loaded onto the moving truck.  I'll visit with our friends and say an official "goodbye" now that visiting will be a little more complicated without having a house to stay in whenever we feel like it!

While I am in Iowa getting the house organized, Adam will be here in Nebraska moving our belongings from our temporary apartment to our new apartment.  By the time our moving truck arrives here, we should be moved out of the corporate apartment!

I also need to check on my CPR certification while out of town. (My card is in the house, and I need to check my expiration date).  Once I'm back in Nebraska I will finalize the CPR task (send in copy of cards or sign up for classes).  Then, I will set up my desktop computer in the new apartment and start working on our Pictorial Essay.  After that I need to finish our second book and then Packet II will be complete once I send everything in!

Without knowing exactly what is next with CSI, I feel a little like a sitting duck.  Once Packet II from Love Basket it complete, I won't have anything tactical to do that I can track.  So far, the checklists and due dates are the very things that have kept this process easy.  I guess all my energy will go into settling into our new home and getting things organized.  

As soon as I get everything in place at our new apartment, we should hear back on our approval of Packet II and then it will be time to work on our profile book for Birth Mothers to view.  I'm so excited for that day to get here!  I was planning our profile book before I even called the agency for the first time.  Of course, I was out of order and have had to change my plan a thousand times because I keep coming up with ideas that didn't follow the agency's timing or format.  So...I finally stopped working on the profile book altogether.  I'm ready to pick it back up!!

That's where we are...and where we are headed.  Please keep praying for unity between our Birth Parents in regards to adoption and relinquishing both their parental rights.  We also pray for peace for both of them and for us while we all go through this process.  

The (second) happiest day of my life isn't very far away...!