Slooowwwlllllyyyyy, but surely, we are completing paperwork! Our Home Study agent is back from vacation, has all of our paperwork and came over yesterday for our final Pre-Adoption Home Study meeting. She arrived at 9:00am and we were able to finish by 11:45. Adam and I had focused our energy on preparing for questions like "What is your parenting philosophy?" that I completely forgot to prepare myself for the Family Tree portion.
During the Family Tree diagramming, we name ourselves, siblings, parents, their siblings, and grandparents, then elaborate on each. I was totally fine hearing Adam talk about his family, until we came to grandparents. We've lost two of Adam's grandparents in the last few years and it has been hard on us. Our agent asked about Grandpa H....and I was fine, then she asked about Grandma's age. To which Adam replied, "um....she is deceased." Annnd I cried. So we talked about Grandma's personality when she was with us, her temperament, demeanor, character, etc. Annnd I cried. Luckily we broke the cry fest with Gramma Lewis, who is still with us! But...then it was time for Grandpa Lewis...annnnd I cried. I think I excused myself from the table three different times. We thought we were in the clear, but after asking Adam to describe his sister and her husband, we moved on to Adam. She told him not to say anything, because she wanted my perspective. Annnnd I cried. "President of the fan club" was her note next to my name, concerning Adam. After I told her how amazing my husband is, she asked him if he had anything to add. So he did get a chance to chime in. We moved on (finally) to the questions regarding parenting ideas, traditions, holiday plans, openness in adoption (aaahhh!!! I thought I was finished there!), ideas concerning discipline, and many more things I no longer remember. When the meeting was over, I felt the flood gates had opened and anxiety rushed out of me, wave after wave. I felt relieved to have our meetings finished! Our training finished! Our paperwork finished!
So from here:
-Our CSI agent needs to review her notes next week, write up a report about us, and send it to Love Basket. She is looking at just over two weeks for turnaround time.
-I need to follow up with two doctors regarding release forms for information that has yet to arrive at LB.
-Love Basket will receive the above documents, review, and report back with us regarding our approval of Packet II.
-Shortly after the approval process, we can expect our profile guidelines to arrive in the mail! I'm pretty sure the second that packet arrives, the rest of the world will cease to exist. I will be glued to my computer and working on page after page in hopes of completing our first draft as soon as possible!
I will keep you posted on details of the profile book once I receive the information!
Thank you for your continued prayer and support! Please keep praying for a unified plan of adoption from our Birth Parents. This is at the top of our list right now.
Happy Thursday!
Showing posts with label Home Study. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home Study. Show all posts
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Home Study Meeting Tomorrow!
It's been a week since my last post, and that's not exactly how I would like this to go. However, I've been avoiding blogging about my feelings because...well, sometimes our feeling can consume us and because there isn't really anything tactile left to do, I'm just thinking about a gazillion things like our relationship with our birth parents, bonding with Baby, options for breastfeeding (or possibly not breastfeeding) Baby, My husband's work hours and how our family life might look, the fact that our contract fell through on our house, so now we're paying for two homes....something we didn't plan on doing until.....um....probably never, what our baby's name might be, Baby's gender, different ideas about parenting a boy as opposed to a girl, and (Adam, don't read this one) what if we have surprise twins? Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for reading the world's longest sentence. That's what's been going on in my head.
Out in the real world, I've been building a baby registry, which IS SO MUCH STINKIN' FUN!!!! I found a site that hosts your registry regardless of where you like to shop. This means that my quilt I've wanted (for the last five years) from Land of Nod can go on the same registry as our car seat from BabysRus, along with essentials I found at Target and our cloth diapers from a couple different websites! Woo hoo! I guess the downside is that it makes shopping in store a little more difficult, but I'm working on a way to help with that. The registry has been a huge time filler and I'm only doing it because I keep being told that we have to have one, even though we will be so excited to just to have our baby, and introduce him or her, that gifts will surely be over the top. I have to admit though, the request is one I'm fulfilling with glee. ;) Who doesn't love making a wish list??
Our final reference letter has arrived at its destination, and tomorrow is our last Home Study meeting. Our social worker will be at our house at 9am and should be finished at Noon. We have a lot to cover, so hopefully she's a quick worker tomorrow! Items on the meeting agenda:
-Adam's family tree and family history
-Our family values
-What it means to each of us to be a Lewis
-What is means to be a family
-What are our ideas of parenting, what is important and how will we handle specific issues
-What are our existing traditions and what new traditions do we hope to start with our own family?
-How will we plan to celebrate holidays
-What are the rules in our house?
-How do we think things will change once a baby arrives?
-And a million other related questions
I feel like the answer to a lot of those questions will depend on our child's temperament and personality. All children thrive in different ways, express themselves differently, and some need discipline methods that may not be so mainstream. We will have to deal with issues as they come. But, I do know this. Adam and I are a team. And adding a baby, is adding a team mate...a "Lewis in training." Whatever comes our way (temper tantrums, karate trophies, volleyball state championships, lost soccer games, new family members, and spilled milk...)we will handle as a team. And when someone needs a "time out". We'll allow it. Foul play....will come with penalties, and home runs will be celebrated together. Our friends and family will be our cheer leaders and we'll make it through all of life with our spirits high and our eye on the ball. I'm getting a little cheesy with the metaphor, but the point is getting across, no?
After the Home Study meeting, we wait for our social worker to type up her report on us. She will send it to Love Basket, and then we wait for LB to approve Packet II. Hopefully this goes as quickly as our approval of Packet I (24 hours)!!! We shall see...
Once we're approved, we receive guidelines for our profile book along with samples of books from matched families. I'll share details from that point once we get there. We're still moving quickly, just don't have as much to do so there's a little less to write about.
Another thing I am thinking about this week is a letter to our Birth Mother. Every profile books requires this letter, and my adoption counselor is helping me think of what and how to write one. I have a book to read that's full of advice and samples, a DVD to watch, and then a little online reading to further educate myself. I'm hoping to have my letter drafted by the time our profile book guidelines come in. Then, I can get to work on the picture stuff. That's going to be a lot of fun! (Grandmas are currently working on gathering past photos and sending this way. If you have any of your own pictures we've taken together, feel free to send them....you know, for proof we have friends. You can email them to me or take a field trip to the post office if you like!)
I will be back after tomorrow's meeting with an update. Hopefully, before next Tuesday!
Keep praying! And thanks for keeping up with the details. We love our friends and family, and feel the support every day!
Out in the real world, I've been building a baby registry, which IS SO MUCH STINKIN' FUN!!!! I found a site that hosts your registry regardless of where you like to shop. This means that my quilt I've wanted (for the last five years) from Land of Nod can go on the same registry as our car seat from BabysRus, along with essentials I found at Target and our cloth diapers from a couple different websites! Woo hoo! I guess the downside is that it makes shopping in store a little more difficult, but I'm working on a way to help with that. The registry has been a huge time filler and I'm only doing it because I keep being told that we have to have one, even though we will be so excited to just to have our baby, and introduce him or her, that gifts will surely be over the top. I have to admit though, the request is one I'm fulfilling with glee. ;) Who doesn't love making a wish list??
Our final reference letter has arrived at its destination, and tomorrow is our last Home Study meeting. Our social worker will be at our house at 9am and should be finished at Noon. We have a lot to cover, so hopefully she's a quick worker tomorrow! Items on the meeting agenda:
-Adam's family tree and family history
-Our family values
-What it means to each of us to be a Lewis
-What is means to be a family
-What are our ideas of parenting, what is important and how will we handle specific issues
-What are our existing traditions and what new traditions do we hope to start with our own family?
-How will we plan to celebrate holidays
-What are the rules in our house?
-How do we think things will change once a baby arrives?
-And a million other related questions
I feel like the answer to a lot of those questions will depend on our child's temperament and personality. All children thrive in different ways, express themselves differently, and some need discipline methods that may not be so mainstream. We will have to deal with issues as they come. But, I do know this. Adam and I are a team. And adding a baby, is adding a team mate...a "Lewis in training." Whatever comes our way (temper tantrums, karate trophies, volleyball state championships, lost soccer games, new family members, and spilled milk...)we will handle as a team. And when someone needs a "time out". We'll allow it. Foul play....will come with penalties, and home runs will be celebrated together. Our friends and family will be our cheer leaders and we'll make it through all of life with our spirits high and our eye on the ball. I'm getting a little cheesy with the metaphor, but the point is getting across, no?
After the Home Study meeting, we wait for our social worker to type up her report on us. She will send it to Love Basket, and then we wait for LB to approve Packet II. Hopefully this goes as quickly as our approval of Packet I (24 hours)!!! We shall see...
Once we're approved, we receive guidelines for our profile book along with samples of books from matched families. I'll share details from that point once we get there. We're still moving quickly, just don't have as much to do so there's a little less to write about.
Another thing I am thinking about this week is a letter to our Birth Mother. Every profile books requires this letter, and my adoption counselor is helping me think of what and how to write one. I have a book to read that's full of advice and samples, a DVD to watch, and then a little online reading to further educate myself. I'm hoping to have my letter drafted by the time our profile book guidelines come in. Then, I can get to work on the picture stuff. That's going to be a lot of fun! (Grandmas are currently working on gathering past photos and sending this way. If you have any of your own pictures we've taken together, feel free to send them....you know, for proof we have friends. You can email them to me or take a field trip to the post office if you like!)
I will be back after tomorrow's meeting with an update. Hopefully, before next Tuesday!
Keep praying! And thanks for keeping up with the details. We love our friends and family, and feel the support every day!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
If I Had Six Fingers,...
...I could count on one hand, the number of things we have yet to complete for Packet II!
-Our Family Autobiography is almost finished. I need Adam's answers and input to add to my own and then it's ready to be sent in.
-I need to create a Pictorial Essay for the agency, to help them get to know us better. Most of our photos are on our desktop computer, which is in Iowa...so that task gets moved to another day. Unfortunately, it may have to wait until the move is complete. We will see if I can make it happen before our stuff gets packed up on Thursday...
-We need to take a CPR/First Aid class, which I have yet to find and sign us up for. That's on the list for today and to confirm on Monday.
-We need to complete an online class in place of our Adoptive Parent Support Group meeting, since I couldn't find one. We have discussed our options with the agency and plan to take this class tomorrow. As soon as Adam gets home from work today, we will register for the class and be sure we have all we need to get started. It is a 2 credit hour course that requires at least 2 hours of work, but possibly more. I will fill you in on the class when I learn more!
-We need to finish reading our books. I'm pretty sure I'm prepared to stay up all night to finish my book so that I can swap with Adam...even if he's not finished with his. The way I see it...we're ONE. If we each read as much as we can and fill each other in on the rest, I say it counts! The theme of each book is the same all the way through. And what is marriage for if not helping each other through the things you don't particularly enjoy? You know, like silly books you don't like reading... ;)
-We need to discuss our thoughts on the openness of our adoption. I was told by our agent that we could save this paperwork for later and even think on it during the "Waiting Period", so that's what we've done. It went to the bottom of the pile so we could get the other stuff out of the way and think on this in the background. However, we are almost at a point where we can't put it off any longer. I'm sure taking our class will help us with this part of the process and so will my personal sessions with an Adoption Counselor, who can help us find answers to our questions. We know that our biggest fears of open adoptions are most likely based on false information, so we are open-minded about the whole idea. We've learned a lot about it already and want to be sure our decision is an informed decision we make together with complete peace. We are able to change our minds, so our "answer" isn't set in stone....but it will be a relief to have our thoughts sorted out and know what we desire in a relationship with the woman who provides us with the most precious gift we could ever receive.
We don't have any new information on the Home Study since my last blog post. I have a meeting on Tuesday to complete my Family History section of the process. After that we have a final meeting together to cover Adam's Family History section and then whatever else we need to go over. I still feel a little in the dark about the Home Study. I'm just following directions and doing what I'm told. :)
Seeing only three sets of stapled pages in front of me feels like a ton of weight off of my shoulders. The day I received our first packet of paperwork was exciting and daunting at the same time. The process has been an amazing journey so far. Adam and I have seen God work in wonderful ways while guiding us through this chapter of our life together. We've grown closer in the last several weeks and look forward to the rest of this adoption journey.
We know the "Waiting Period" is coming, and we know it can feel awful for some parents. But, we also know that God has called us to this part of our life. Adoption is not a decision we are making solely on our own, or as a last resort. Our Baby is handpicked by God and He will deliver at the time He has had planned all along...since before either of us were even conceived. While we wait for our Baby, we will wait on God. We will continue to love and serve Him in all we do, and will be proactive and intentional in our relationships with each other, our family, the agency, and everyone we come in contact with. The longer God has us waiting, the more we will seek Him and whatever He has prepared for us in our time of want and wait. It seems easy to say these things because I don't plan on waiting long....but I know, down to my very core, that however long we wait won't feel like more than a blink when we finally meet our baby. I'm ready for the "Waiting Period" because I can rest from paperwork before the legal stuff starts. We can shop for Baby, get our home ready, plan with our family, grow closer to our family, and get excited for Baby's arrival! We can go on a thousand dates without calling a baby sitter and do a thousand things for the last time in who-knows-how-long. And then....we can start our life as a family and do a thousand more things we would never do without being a family of more than just two. :)
Tonight will be my last night of paperwork until our classes are complete. After that, I'm crawling into bed with my book and not coming out until its finished.
As for prayer:
Our biggest request right now is still for our birth mother, birth father and their union in choosing adoption for Baby.
I pray for our baby almost daily, that God will anoint his or her journey to our family, and keep him or her from harm or trauma
Prayers for continued peace in our journey are also appreciated, as are prayers for continued support. We are overwhelmed with the support and joy coming from our family and friends. Thank you, everyone, for the heartfelt phone calls, emails, and even your blog comments. Your support has helped fuel our motivation and excitement on our journey!
We love all of you! Thank you for loving us. :)
-Our Family Autobiography is almost finished. I need Adam's answers and input to add to my own and then it's ready to be sent in.
-I need to create a Pictorial Essay for the agency, to help them get to know us better. Most of our photos are on our desktop computer, which is in Iowa...so that task gets moved to another day. Unfortunately, it may have to wait until the move is complete. We will see if I can make it happen before our stuff gets packed up on Thursday...
-We need to take a CPR/First Aid class, which I have yet to find and sign us up for. That's on the list for today and to confirm on Monday.
-We need to complete an online class in place of our Adoptive Parent Support Group meeting, since I couldn't find one. We have discussed our options with the agency and plan to take this class tomorrow. As soon as Adam gets home from work today, we will register for the class and be sure we have all we need to get started. It is a 2 credit hour course that requires at least 2 hours of work, but possibly more. I will fill you in on the class when I learn more!
-We need to finish reading our books. I'm pretty sure I'm prepared to stay up all night to finish my book so that I can swap with Adam...even if he's not finished with his. The way I see it...we're ONE. If we each read as much as we can and fill each other in on the rest, I say it counts! The theme of each book is the same all the way through. And what is marriage for if not helping each other through the things you don't particularly enjoy? You know, like silly books you don't like reading... ;)
-We need to discuss our thoughts on the openness of our adoption. I was told by our agent that we could save this paperwork for later and even think on it during the "Waiting Period", so that's what we've done. It went to the bottom of the pile so we could get the other stuff out of the way and think on this in the background. However, we are almost at a point where we can't put it off any longer. I'm sure taking our class will help us with this part of the process and so will my personal sessions with an Adoption Counselor, who can help us find answers to our questions. We know that our biggest fears of open adoptions are most likely based on false information, so we are open-minded about the whole idea. We've learned a lot about it already and want to be sure our decision is an informed decision we make together with complete peace. We are able to change our minds, so our "answer" isn't set in stone....but it will be a relief to have our thoughts sorted out and know what we desire in a relationship with the woman who provides us with the most precious gift we could ever receive.
We don't have any new information on the Home Study since my last blog post. I have a meeting on Tuesday to complete my Family History section of the process. After that we have a final meeting together to cover Adam's Family History section and then whatever else we need to go over. I still feel a little in the dark about the Home Study. I'm just following directions and doing what I'm told. :)
Seeing only three sets of stapled pages in front of me feels like a ton of weight off of my shoulders. The day I received our first packet of paperwork was exciting and daunting at the same time. The process has been an amazing journey so far. Adam and I have seen God work in wonderful ways while guiding us through this chapter of our life together. We've grown closer in the last several weeks and look forward to the rest of this adoption journey.
We know the "Waiting Period" is coming, and we know it can feel awful for some parents. But, we also know that God has called us to this part of our life. Adoption is not a decision we are making solely on our own, or as a last resort. Our Baby is handpicked by God and He will deliver at the time He has had planned all along...since before either of us were even conceived. While we wait for our Baby, we will wait on God. We will continue to love and serve Him in all we do, and will be proactive and intentional in our relationships with each other, our family, the agency, and everyone we come in contact with. The longer God has us waiting, the more we will seek Him and whatever He has prepared for us in our time of want and wait. It seems easy to say these things because I don't plan on waiting long....but I know, down to my very core, that however long we wait won't feel like more than a blink when we finally meet our baby. I'm ready for the "Waiting Period" because I can rest from paperwork before the legal stuff starts. We can shop for Baby, get our home ready, plan with our family, grow closer to our family, and get excited for Baby's arrival! We can go on a thousand dates without calling a baby sitter and do a thousand things for the last time in who-knows-how-long. And then....we can start our life as a family and do a thousand more things we would never do without being a family of more than just two. :)
Tonight will be my last night of paperwork until our classes are complete. After that, I'm crawling into bed with my book and not coming out until its finished.
As for prayer:
Our biggest request right now is still for our birth mother, birth father and their union in choosing adoption for Baby.
I pray for our baby almost daily, that God will anoint his or her journey to our family, and keep him or her from harm or trauma
Prayers for continued peace in our journey are also appreciated, as are prayers for continued support. We are overwhelmed with the support and joy coming from our family and friends. Thank you, everyone, for the heartfelt phone calls, emails, and even your blog comments. Your support has helped fuel our motivation and excitement on our journey!
We love all of you! Thank you for loving us. :)
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Home Study Visit 1: Check!
I planned on blogging yesterday, but the day was so busy that I went straight to bed after dinner! Of course, I didn't fall asleep until after 10:00, but that's beside the point.
For starters, I was wrong about my meeting with Le Leche League. It wasn't yesterday, it was today. Good thing, because I did not have time for a meeting yesterday! I cleaned the apartment, frantically searched for something appropriate to wear for the occasion (thanks to all who helped! I went with comfy and cozy...but no yoga pants, unfortunately...and was complimented on my outfit at the end of the meeting...that's an added plus).
The Home Study went well. It started off a little...uncomfortable? I'm such a hostess that I felt akward without my kitchen, my own dishes, and the accessibility to do what I like to do so much and cater to people who visit my home! I didn't even feel at home. I missed my big house in Iowa that has so much space and I suddenly felt disconnected. Adam sensed my discomfort and did an amazing job of leading conversation until I was at ease. It's not like me to be uncomfortable in social situations so I was worried about sending off a bad "vibe". I think I ended up okay, though. By the time she left I was talking a million words a minute while she frantically took notes on her baby pink paper that was designated for me. [Adam's paper is baby blue...interesting. And kinda cute:)]
I think Adam and I were both a little nervous about the meeting and where things might go. Sure enough, our entire lives were revealed (once again) and we were asked a million questions about our relationship, past relationships, our families, our histories, etc. We are confident enough in who we are, where we've been, and how it has shaped us, that I can boldly say we owned that interview. I'm not sure if Adam feels that way, but he seemed confident enough with everything. He was a little preoccupied (hang on, I'll get there in a minute). As far as sharing the experience with you....it was everything I've shared about paperwork, just in person, really. She asked us about our jobs and drew a diagram that represented each of us, our work hours, hobbies, ages, and the like. We talked about how work hours might change for both of us when a baby arrives (Wait. You mean our schedule is gonna change? I hadn't thought of that...) After the diagrams, she pulled out the pink paper. We created a family tree (which took for-e-ver for me) and talked about each member of my family. She asked about temperament, characteristics, relationships I had with each one and their relationships with each other. It was exhausting! Actually, my family is so big, that she wants to meet with me by myself in order to finish my family tree. We were supposed to have two meetings, three hours each. Now we're adding two hours. My individual meeting is scheduled for next week and I could complain about the extra time, but I decided today to stop complaining about any of this. I haven't meant to sound as annoyed as I sound, and I'm actually really excited to be going through all of this! I've let negative comments effect me too much. I've been a little annoyed, but overall I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to adopt (finally!) that I need to focus on the positives and enjoy every single second of it. It will be over before I know it!
So, on to Adam's distraction during out meeting....our realtor had emailed earlier yesterday with an offer on our Iowa house from a potential buyer. He excused himself a couple times during the meeting so that he could work his magic with numbers and close the deal on our house. HE DID IT!!!! Just after our agent left, Adam accepted a counter offer and we confirmed with our realtor that we were ready to sign papers. We're professionals at paperwork now, so I'm not even thinking twice about the faxing, emailing, and signing that is about to take place. I'm so excited the house is taken care of! We are moving next week, so the timing worked out perfectly. Of course, my first question to Adam was if we could go for the bigger apartment we liked so much since the house is selling and we haven't moved yet. But, he suggested we stick to the plan since we already had the ball rolling and the paperwork is finished. I agreed the idea made sense and it would be nice to just save money while we wait to be matched with a birth mother. We still expect things to continue to happen quickly, but if they don't...the longer we wait, the more time we have to come up with that $15,000 placement fee! I'm sure we will end up applying for a loan afterall, but the less we borrow, the better.
On that note of timing, it looks like our last Home Study meeting will be near the end of October. Part of me wants to move that up because we're so far ahead of our original timeline. But, the other part of me doesn't want to stress to finish early...and I want to trust God on timing. The end of October gives us plenty of time to settle into our apartment, wrap up things with the house, adjust to changes, and take a small breather after all the paperwork. Once that last meeting is finished, we wait for approval of Packet II from Love Basket which can take a couple more weeks. I'm okay with that report coming around mid-November(ish). I can't believe I'm already looking at the calendar for November. This year is flying by since we moved! Sheesh. I'm going blink one more time and it will be Christmas! Ooooh. That's exciting! :)
I heard back from both grandmas and our birth certificates and marriage license have been received and hand delivered to Love basket! I'm so happy I was able to delegate that task! It seems small, but it was such a big help. Thanks, Mom and Mom L! :)
I attended my LLL meeting this morning and loved it! I had to duck out a little early to make my next appointment, but the atmosphere was wonderful. Each mom was supportive of my "mom status" and a couple of them were excited to hear what updates I will have next month. I was given several resources, from books to people, and can't wait to get started on that stuff! When I updated my blog the other night, I realized that only the home pages functions the way it does-where I can post entries, label them, and what have you. So, I may be linking to a separate blog regarding adoptive breastfeeding and just deleting that page on this blog. We will see. I don't want to get ahead of myself and plan more than I can follow through with! So, if that page is annoying to follow...hang in there.
Today I plan to get our online class figured out, organize my copies of the paperwork we've recently sent in, and prep myself for the weekend. I'm hoping to finish paperwork and be registered for our classes by Sunday. IF that happens, next week will be our last week of paperwork, assignments, and turning in packets. Of course, this goal may be a little ambitious, so I'm okay if things take a little longer. But, sitting in that meeting today with moms holding new babies added fire to my flame. I want to keep going. I want to finish this so I can have my baby! Last night's meeting led to a restless night of longing for my baby whom I haven't even met...who may not even be on earth yet. It wasn't a sad longing, but a desire from the bottom of my heart, to hold my baby. I want to meet him or her. I always saw myself with a rollie pollie chub of a baby because that's how I was. But now, I have no idea what my baby will look like. So the image in my head changes over and over....which in turn refuels the longing. Writing about it now brings it all back. I can't wait! The day is so close, yet so far away.
I will update more tomorrow once I get myself re-organized. We have the final pages of adoption stuff coming up, a trip to Davenport to organize the move, and then the move itself. Thank goodness I had the sense to plan a weekend away with my best friend! Not only that...I had forgotten about a week of vacation coming up at work. Soooo, our weekend away, meeting halfway between here and Denver, turned into me driving all the way there and spending a week just enjoying Colorado. Paperwork will definitely be finished by then, and I should have us pretty settled into the apartment, so the timing for a vacation couldn't have worked out much better than this! I will miss Adam after the first day or so, but I'm so excited to spend a whole week on vacation that I think I can fill my time enough to keep from getting too home sick. And I just want to say, that I LOVE the fact that I get home sick when I'm away without Adam. It took awhile to get to this point and its a wonderful feeling. :)
Little E just woke up. Keep your eyes open! I should be back tomorrow with more information!
Have a great afternoon!
For starters, I was wrong about my meeting with Le Leche League. It wasn't yesterday, it was today. Good thing, because I did not have time for a meeting yesterday! I cleaned the apartment, frantically searched for something appropriate to wear for the occasion (thanks to all who helped! I went with comfy and cozy...but no yoga pants, unfortunately...and was complimented on my outfit at the end of the meeting...that's an added plus).
The Home Study went well. It started off a little...uncomfortable? I'm such a hostess that I felt akward without my kitchen, my own dishes, and the accessibility to do what I like to do so much and cater to people who visit my home! I didn't even feel at home. I missed my big house in Iowa that has so much space and I suddenly felt disconnected. Adam sensed my discomfort and did an amazing job of leading conversation until I was at ease. It's not like me to be uncomfortable in social situations so I was worried about sending off a bad "vibe". I think I ended up okay, though. By the time she left I was talking a million words a minute while she frantically took notes on her baby pink paper that was designated for me. [Adam's paper is baby blue...interesting. And kinda cute:)]
I think Adam and I were both a little nervous about the meeting and where things might go. Sure enough, our entire lives were revealed (once again) and we were asked a million questions about our relationship, past relationships, our families, our histories, etc. We are confident enough in who we are, where we've been, and how it has shaped us, that I can boldly say we owned that interview. I'm not sure if Adam feels that way, but he seemed confident enough with everything. He was a little preoccupied (hang on, I'll get there in a minute). As far as sharing the experience with you....it was everything I've shared about paperwork, just in person, really. She asked us about our jobs and drew a diagram that represented each of us, our work hours, hobbies, ages, and the like. We talked about how work hours might change for both of us when a baby arrives (Wait. You mean our schedule is gonna change? I hadn't thought of that...) After the diagrams, she pulled out the pink paper. We created a family tree (which took for-e-ver for me) and talked about each member of my family. She asked about temperament, characteristics, relationships I had with each one and their relationships with each other. It was exhausting! Actually, my family is so big, that she wants to meet with me by myself in order to finish my family tree. We were supposed to have two meetings, three hours each. Now we're adding two hours. My individual meeting is scheduled for next week and I could complain about the extra time, but I decided today to stop complaining about any of this. I haven't meant to sound as annoyed as I sound, and I'm actually really excited to be going through all of this! I've let negative comments effect me too much. I've been a little annoyed, but overall I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to adopt (finally!) that I need to focus on the positives and enjoy every single second of it. It will be over before I know it!
So, on to Adam's distraction during out meeting....our realtor had emailed earlier yesterday with an offer on our Iowa house from a potential buyer. He excused himself a couple times during the meeting so that he could work his magic with numbers and close the deal on our house. HE DID IT!!!! Just after our agent left, Adam accepted a counter offer and we confirmed with our realtor that we were ready to sign papers. We're professionals at paperwork now, so I'm not even thinking twice about the faxing, emailing, and signing that is about to take place. I'm so excited the house is taken care of! We are moving next week, so the timing worked out perfectly. Of course, my first question to Adam was if we could go for the bigger apartment we liked so much since the house is selling and we haven't moved yet. But, he suggested we stick to the plan since we already had the ball rolling and the paperwork is finished. I agreed the idea made sense and it would be nice to just save money while we wait to be matched with a birth mother. We still expect things to continue to happen quickly, but if they don't...the longer we wait, the more time we have to come up with that $15,000 placement fee! I'm sure we will end up applying for a loan afterall, but the less we borrow, the better.
On that note of timing, it looks like our last Home Study meeting will be near the end of October. Part of me wants to move that up because we're so far ahead of our original timeline. But, the other part of me doesn't want to stress to finish early...and I want to trust God on timing. The end of October gives us plenty of time to settle into our apartment, wrap up things with the house, adjust to changes, and take a small breather after all the paperwork. Once that last meeting is finished, we wait for approval of Packet II from Love Basket which can take a couple more weeks. I'm okay with that report coming around mid-November(ish). I can't believe I'm already looking at the calendar for November. This year is flying by since we moved! Sheesh. I'm going blink one more time and it will be Christmas! Ooooh. That's exciting! :)
I heard back from both grandmas and our birth certificates and marriage license have been received and hand delivered to Love basket! I'm so happy I was able to delegate that task! It seems small, but it was such a big help. Thanks, Mom and Mom L! :)
I attended my LLL meeting this morning and loved it! I had to duck out a little early to make my next appointment, but the atmosphere was wonderful. Each mom was supportive of my "mom status" and a couple of them were excited to hear what updates I will have next month. I was given several resources, from books to people, and can't wait to get started on that stuff! When I updated my blog the other night, I realized that only the home pages functions the way it does-where I can post entries, label them, and what have you. So, I may be linking to a separate blog regarding adoptive breastfeeding and just deleting that page on this blog. We will see. I don't want to get ahead of myself and plan more than I can follow through with! So, if that page is annoying to follow...hang in there.
Today I plan to get our online class figured out, organize my copies of the paperwork we've recently sent in, and prep myself for the weekend. I'm hoping to finish paperwork and be registered for our classes by Sunday. IF that happens, next week will be our last week of paperwork, assignments, and turning in packets. Of course, this goal may be a little ambitious, so I'm okay if things take a little longer. But, sitting in that meeting today with moms holding new babies added fire to my flame. I want to keep going. I want to finish this so I can have my baby! Last night's meeting led to a restless night of longing for my baby whom I haven't even met...who may not even be on earth yet. It wasn't a sad longing, but a desire from the bottom of my heart, to hold my baby. I want to meet him or her. I always saw myself with a rollie pollie chub of a baby because that's how I was. But now, I have no idea what my baby will look like. So the image in my head changes over and over....which in turn refuels the longing. Writing about it now brings it all back. I can't wait! The day is so close, yet so far away.
I will update more tomorrow once I get myself re-organized. We have the final pages of adoption stuff coming up, a trip to Davenport to organize the move, and then the move itself. Thank goodness I had the sense to plan a weekend away with my best friend! Not only that...I had forgotten about a week of vacation coming up at work. Soooo, our weekend away, meeting halfway between here and Denver, turned into me driving all the way there and spending a week just enjoying Colorado. Paperwork will definitely be finished by then, and I should have us pretty settled into the apartment, so the timing for a vacation couldn't have worked out much better than this! I will miss Adam after the first day or so, but I'm so excited to spend a whole week on vacation that I think I can fill my time enough to keep from getting too home sick. And I just want to say, that I LOVE the fact that I get home sick when I'm away without Adam. It took awhile to get to this point and its a wonderful feeling. :)
Little E just woke up. Keep your eyes open! I should be back tomorrow with more information!
Have a great afternoon!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
0 to 60 in 5.2
You know what I forgot about roller coasters? They're fast. The ride is crazy, makes you scream, turns you stomach in knots, you fear you'll lose your shoes....and then it's over. Just like that.
Things are happening so quickly, I haven't had a chance to stop and write it all out. Let me see if I can remember the last five days:
GetStuffDoneDay: We spent all of Saturday on adoption paper work, cleaning, laundry, catching up on all things in life that have been neglected over the last several weeks. We also mapped out a handful of apartments to view on Sunday.
Our New Home: Sunday, we went straight from church to our first apartment (at 10:15) and saw our last place at 4:00pm. (Note to self: don't wear jeans OR heels when going home hunting in 90* weather. Blisters don't look good on you.) We were determined to find a place before the weekend was over so that we can get things moving. Due to our house in Iowa and our adoption fees, we decided to rent small. We found a nice one bedroom apartment with private access (no shared hallways), a pool (woo!), and an attached garage (jackpot!) that opens into the foyer. It's small, but it's gorgeous and I can't wait to move in and make it home! Our plan is to upgrade to a larger apartment as soon as our house sells, or when Baby arrives...whichever comes first. We will go with a two or three bedroom by then so that we have plenty of space for Baby and all visiting grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends. :) Getting everything coordinated will be a lot of work over the next two weeks, but I'm excited to finally be settled here in Omaha!
Packet II: We finished a lot of Packet II paperwork and mailed out everything I've already mentioned in past blogs. I've made appointments for physicals and blood panels. Mine is Friday, Adam's is Tuesday. We need to decide on the amount of contact we want to have with a birth mother and fill out that form. We also need to send in a "photo essay". The essay is the day in pictures project I mentioned in our last post. This is so the agency can get to know us and is for the office staff only. It has nothing to do with the birth mothers who see our profile pictures. We also need to finish reading our books, each write an auto biography for the agency (also to help them "get to know us"), find a local Adoption Support Group meeting to attend, take a CPR/First Aid class (each one of us), and request a letter from our insurance company that shows proof of dependent coverage along with a start date for Baby's insurance coverage. This involves calling the agency and requesting a specifically worded letter...not just a photo copy of our policy from the handbook. Oh fun. I can't wait. Oh! And our agent would like all of this paperwork returned by Friday. Um.....sure. Let me just hit "mute" on the rest of life and we're good to go! (I would hit "pause", but that just means I have to catch up on it later).
Home Study Packet: I spent three hours on this crazy packet and it's still not done! I'm pretty sure the last page I filled out may sound a little more, um, harsh...than I intended but I'm kind of getting tired of all this silly homework. Included in the packet is a 5 page "Grief and Loss" questionnaire that stands as stiff competition to an intense infertility therapy session. Only....we have to write out our answers in a tiny space and describe in detail every step we have taken to attempt conception on our own. Awesome. Maybe I can attach a schedule of every day we've "attempted to conceive'' and give start times, positions, and end times. Okay, that's crude. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone. All of this work is totally worth what we will get in the end! But, (yes...always a but) I wish this much work was required for someone to have an abortion. I bet we'd see a drastic change in numbers. No screening necessary to kill a baby...but 15 hours a week of paperwork in order to adopt one that was lucky enough to be saved. (and let the ugly comments come in...at this point, I'm okay with that).
For the rest of our Home Study Packet, we need to have our finger prints scanned, and send them into the state patrol office. We filled out a lot of the same paperwork that was in Packet II from Love Basket, and we need to send in our monthly budget, a list of all debts and assets(same info from Packet II, different form), and also a "self evaluation" that consists of about six pages of questions ranging from, "What are you life's biggest accomplishments?" (I've made it this far with adoption paperwork! How's that?!) to "Describe how your marriage has changed over the years" (um..."She loves me. She loves me not. She loves me. She loves me not...She loves me! Let's adopt a baby!" Does that work?) Once all of this paperwork is done, we mail it all back and then start working on our profile book for Birth Mothers. I will talk more about that when we get there!
Here's a kicker on the Home Study: I called yesterday to verify a few things with our local agent and found out that we do not have to wait for blood panels, fingerprints, background checks and the like, to be returned to the agency. We can do our Home Study visits now and have our approval "pending" while we wait on the state and the lab techs to return everything. Once we are approved of our Home Study, all information gets forwarded to Love Basket for approval of Packet II. Here's what that means: I thought we would start our Home Study visits in about five weeks, after the appropriate reports arrived on our agent's desk. Nope. She wants to start next week! Holy Moses! Packet I was almost two weeks faster than I expected, and now the Home Study is being moved up an entire month! I may be posting Baby's photos by Christmas if we keep going like this!
Okay, okay, I know once all the papers are done we may have to wait awhile before God sends us our baby and our birth parents...but my gut (Mommy Brain?) is telling me to be ready by Christmas, maybe sooner. Um...okay!!! I can do that! We'll see how right I am....
(Big breathe...) I think I've covered everything. If I missed something or you have questions, leave a comment! I'll respond to anything, unless you're mean about my abortion comment. I ignore mean people. :)
We love all of the support we continue to receive. Our family and friends are wonderful! We can't wait to introduce our Baby to everyone who is so excited to meet him or her! (Wanna start a pool on baby's gender and or birth month? It's total luck....how about a quarter a bet? Just in time for fantasy football season....boys, get on that! You make it, I'll play it). Winner can donate to Baby's college fund ;).
And...I'm out. More to come. Sorry I took so long! The Home Study Packet will be dropped off at the local office by Friday, so I'm sure to have an update by then!
Thanks for reading! Happy Hump Day. :)
Things are happening so quickly, I haven't had a chance to stop and write it all out. Let me see if I can remember the last five days:
GetStuffDoneDay: We spent all of Saturday on adoption paper work, cleaning, laundry, catching up on all things in life that have been neglected over the last several weeks. We also mapped out a handful of apartments to view on Sunday.
Our New Home: Sunday, we went straight from church to our first apartment (at 10:15) and saw our last place at 4:00pm. (Note to self: don't wear jeans OR heels when going home hunting in 90* weather. Blisters don't look good on you.) We were determined to find a place before the weekend was over so that we can get things moving. Due to our house in Iowa and our adoption fees, we decided to rent small. We found a nice one bedroom apartment with private access (no shared hallways), a pool (woo!), and an attached garage (jackpot!) that opens into the foyer. It's small, but it's gorgeous and I can't wait to move in and make it home! Our plan is to upgrade to a larger apartment as soon as our house sells, or when Baby arrives...whichever comes first. We will go with a two or three bedroom by then so that we have plenty of space for Baby and all visiting grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends. :) Getting everything coordinated will be a lot of work over the next two weeks, but I'm excited to finally be settled here in Omaha!
Packet II: We finished a lot of Packet II paperwork and mailed out everything I've already mentioned in past blogs. I've made appointments for physicals and blood panels. Mine is Friday, Adam's is Tuesday. We need to decide on the amount of contact we want to have with a birth mother and fill out that form. We also need to send in a "photo essay". The essay is the day in pictures project I mentioned in our last post. This is so the agency can get to know us and is for the office staff only. It has nothing to do with the birth mothers who see our profile pictures. We also need to finish reading our books, each write an auto biography for the agency (also to help them "get to know us"), find a local Adoption Support Group meeting to attend, take a CPR/First Aid class (each one of us), and request a letter from our insurance company that shows proof of dependent coverage along with a start date for Baby's insurance coverage. This involves calling the agency and requesting a specifically worded letter...not just a photo copy of our policy from the handbook. Oh fun. I can't wait. Oh! And our agent would like all of this paperwork returned by Friday. Um.....sure. Let me just hit "mute" on the rest of life and we're good to go! (I would hit "pause", but that just means I have to catch up on it later).
Home Study Packet: I spent three hours on this crazy packet and it's still not done! I'm pretty sure the last page I filled out may sound a little more, um, harsh...than I intended but I'm kind of getting tired of all this silly homework. Included in the packet is a 5 page "Grief and Loss" questionnaire that stands as stiff competition to an intense infertility therapy session. Only....we have to write out our answers in a tiny space and describe in detail every step we have taken to attempt conception on our own. Awesome. Maybe I can attach a schedule of every day we've "attempted to conceive'' and give start times, positions, and end times. Okay, that's crude. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone. All of this work is totally worth what we will get in the end! But, (yes...always a but) I wish this much work was required for someone to have an abortion. I bet we'd see a drastic change in numbers. No screening necessary to kill a baby...but 15 hours a week of paperwork in order to adopt one that was lucky enough to be saved. (and let the ugly comments come in...at this point, I'm okay with that).
For the rest of our Home Study Packet, we need to have our finger prints scanned, and send them into the state patrol office. We filled out a lot of the same paperwork that was in Packet II from Love Basket, and we need to send in our monthly budget, a list of all debts and assets(same info from Packet II, different form), and also a "self evaluation" that consists of about six pages of questions ranging from, "What are you life's biggest accomplishments?" (I've made it this far with adoption paperwork! How's that?!) to "Describe how your marriage has changed over the years" (um..."She loves me. She loves me not. She loves me. She loves me not...She loves me! Let's adopt a baby!" Does that work?) Once all of this paperwork is done, we mail it all back and then start working on our profile book for Birth Mothers. I will talk more about that when we get there!
Here's a kicker on the Home Study: I called yesterday to verify a few things with our local agent and found out that we do not have to wait for blood panels, fingerprints, background checks and the like, to be returned to the agency. We can do our Home Study visits now and have our approval "pending" while we wait on the state and the lab techs to return everything. Once we are approved of our Home Study, all information gets forwarded to Love Basket for approval of Packet II. Here's what that means: I thought we would start our Home Study visits in about five weeks, after the appropriate reports arrived on our agent's desk. Nope. She wants to start next week! Holy Moses! Packet I was almost two weeks faster than I expected, and now the Home Study is being moved up an entire month! I may be posting Baby's photos by Christmas if we keep going like this!
Okay, okay, I know once all the papers are done we may have to wait awhile before God sends us our baby and our birth parents...but my gut (Mommy Brain?) is telling me to be ready by Christmas, maybe sooner. Um...okay!!! I can do that! We'll see how right I am....
(Big breathe...) I think I've covered everything. If I missed something or you have questions, leave a comment! I'll respond to anything, unless you're mean about my abortion comment. I ignore mean people. :)
We love all of the support we continue to receive. Our family and friends are wonderful! We can't wait to introduce our Baby to everyone who is so excited to meet him or her! (Wanna start a pool on baby's gender and or birth month? It's total luck....how about a quarter a bet? Just in time for fantasy football season....boys, get on that! You make it, I'll play it). Winner can donate to Baby's college fund ;).
And...I'm out. More to come. Sorry I took so long! The Home Study Packet will be dropped off at the local office by Friday, so I'm sure to have an update by then!
Thanks for reading! Happy Hump Day. :)
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Operation: Home Study/Packet II Starts Today!
I knew there was a lot coming my way, but I wasn't prepared emotionally. After my last post, I may or may not have had a small break down that consisted of some girl time on the phone with my best friend, in order to see things clearly. I'm good now, back to my senses, and ready to move forward.
Since my last post, I've contacted three local agencies and spoken with our agent at Love Basket. Here is what I've learned:
Packet II from the Love Basket has yet to arrive, but I knew we needed to have a Home Study done by a local agency because the information is state regulated and our agency is in Missouri, while we are here in Nebraska.
A home study consists of the following:
Background checks for both of us, at the state and federal levels
A local police screening for each of us, including fingerprinting
A physical for each of us
6 hours of interviews with the local agency, including an interview in our home and conversations with Adam and me individually.
The local agency calling all of our references and receiving feedback from each one. Most of our references are married couples, and my understanding is that each person will be interviewed individually.
Possible adoption training (online class, DVD lectures, books, etc.)
I called Lutheran Family Services, Child Savings Institution, and Nebraska Christian Services. Prices ranged from $1300-$2100 and did not include the price of our physicals or fingerprinting. Each agency charges for driving mileage related to our case file. My understanding is each charges the government regulated rate, but I haven't confirmed that fee. All three agencies are in the city of Omaha, so I wasn't worried about this expense rising to high.
Our physicals will be priced based on our insurance coverage and fingerprinting/police screening in Nebraska is $32 per person. Once our fees are confirmed and paid, I will post them on our expense page in section two.
Considering the service I received over the phone, prices, services provided, and accessibility, we have chosen Child Saving Institute. They charge $1600 for the home study and may offer the possibility of making 2 payments, as opposed to all funds up front as usually requested. I am not sure what qualifies a couple for making payments, but the option would be nice, so hopefully we make the cut!
In addition to our Home Study, we will need to read the following books: Raising Adoptive Children and Dear Birth Mother, Thank You For Our Baby. I've ordered both books through Amazon and am expecting them within the week. We may have online training to complete through CSI, but won't be certain until we received our packet and checklist from them. I plan to call CSI tomorrow to start the Home Study process!
The Love Basket requires training of us beyond our assigned reading. Adoptive parents within 500 miles of the agency's office are required to attend a training day. Because we are not in that mile radius, we will be sent a DVD to watch unless we choose to make a trip home for an in-person training day. I was told today that the next training day is booked, but we could attend the following training...in March. If we choose the live option, our packet II process will not be help up. A note will be made in our file that our training is pending, and we can proceed with the adoption as normal. Otherwise, we will be mailed the DVD and proceed as planned. I'm not sure what follow up we may have to do, if any, but will have a better idea once each packet is in my hands. I have been under the impression we will need to write a paper or answer questions about our training, but that may not be the case.
As I type this blog and pull up appropriate links to paste, I've stopped to look through the CSI website a little further. They have a page of children awaiting adoptive families, complete with photos and a paragraph of information. I'm falling in love with a girl named Brittany who looks to be about 14 years old. Adam looked at her photo and listened to me read her bio. He smiled, shook his head, and told me to stop "looking at that stuff." He's a sucker as much as I am for little girls in need. Note to self: stay away from adoption bios unless strongly led to do so by God, an agency, or my husband. We are applying for an infant adoption, but I would open my home to a teen in a heartbeat. I remember being 14, and can't imagine what it would have been like for me to live without parents. My childhood has good and bad memories, but I had parents. And now I'm on a rant about adopting a teenager whose photo I've happened upon within an hour of blogging about adopting a baby. Oh sheesh.
Back on topic: We are looking at the above process taking about two months, possibly a little longer. Some items that can hold up the process are-references making themselves available for the agency to contact (hint, hint, if you're on the list) ;), doctors forwarding results of each physical, and the police department forwarding their information after the scan and fingerprinting. Most of Packet II is out of our hands aside from reading, making appointments, and staying on top of everything else. I'm pretty good at phone calls, and even better at insisting on quick answers....this should go pretty well for us. We shall see...
I've left out details for the sake of keeping this blog entry readable without getting boring. If you have particular questions regarding anything I've addressed in this post or any others, I am more than happy to answer them for you via email or comment.! Of course, if you have my number and have questions, you can call me, too.
Your continued support is appreciated. Our current prayer is still revolving around our birth parents and a unified decision of adoption, and now for our Home Study and Packet II process to go smoothly.
Thanks for reading and thanks for the comments. Its reassuring that people are interested in our journey and I'm not just humoring myself by keeping track of all of this online. ;) Keep the comments coming!
I'm sure I'll have more information tomorrow....stay tuned.
Since my last post, I've contacted three local agencies and spoken with our agent at Love Basket. Here is what I've learned:
Packet II from the Love Basket has yet to arrive, but I knew we needed to have a Home Study done by a local agency because the information is state regulated and our agency is in Missouri, while we are here in Nebraska.
A home study consists of the following:
Background checks for both of us, at the state and federal levels
A local police screening for each of us, including fingerprinting
A physical for each of us
6 hours of interviews with the local agency, including an interview in our home and conversations with Adam and me individually.
The local agency calling all of our references and receiving feedback from each one. Most of our references are married couples, and my understanding is that each person will be interviewed individually.
Possible adoption training (online class, DVD lectures, books, etc.)
I called Lutheran Family Services, Child Savings Institution, and Nebraska Christian Services. Prices ranged from $1300-$2100 and did not include the price of our physicals or fingerprinting. Each agency charges for driving mileage related to our case file. My understanding is each charges the government regulated rate, but I haven't confirmed that fee. All three agencies are in the city of Omaha, so I wasn't worried about this expense rising to high.
Our physicals will be priced based on our insurance coverage and fingerprinting/police screening in Nebraska is $32 per person. Once our fees are confirmed and paid, I will post them on our expense page in section two.
Considering the service I received over the phone, prices, services provided, and accessibility, we have chosen Child Saving Institute. They charge $1600 for the home study and may offer the possibility of making 2 payments, as opposed to all funds up front as usually requested. I am not sure what qualifies a couple for making payments, but the option would be nice, so hopefully we make the cut!
In addition to our Home Study, we will need to read the following books: Raising Adoptive Children and Dear Birth Mother, Thank You For Our Baby. I've ordered both books through Amazon and am expecting them within the week. We may have online training to complete through CSI, but won't be certain until we received our packet and checklist from them. I plan to call CSI tomorrow to start the Home Study process!
The Love Basket requires training of us beyond our assigned reading. Adoptive parents within 500 miles of the agency's office are required to attend a training day. Because we are not in that mile radius, we will be sent a DVD to watch unless we choose to make a trip home for an in-person training day. I was told today that the next training day is booked, but we could attend the following training...in March. If we choose the live option, our packet II process will not be help up. A note will be made in our file that our training is pending, and we can proceed with the adoption as normal. Otherwise, we will be mailed the DVD and proceed as planned. I'm not sure what follow up we may have to do, if any, but will have a better idea once each packet is in my hands. I have been under the impression we will need to write a paper or answer questions about our training, but that may not be the case.
As I type this blog and pull up appropriate links to paste, I've stopped to look through the CSI website a little further. They have a page of children awaiting adoptive families, complete with photos and a paragraph of information. I'm falling in love with a girl named Brittany who looks to be about 14 years old. Adam looked at her photo and listened to me read her bio. He smiled, shook his head, and told me to stop "looking at that stuff." He's a sucker as much as I am for little girls in need. Note to self: stay away from adoption bios unless strongly led to do so by God, an agency, or my husband. We are applying for an infant adoption, but I would open my home to a teen in a heartbeat. I remember being 14, and can't imagine what it would have been like for me to live without parents. My childhood has good and bad memories, but I had parents. And now I'm on a rant about adopting a teenager whose photo I've happened upon within an hour of blogging about adopting a baby. Oh sheesh.
Back on topic: We are looking at the above process taking about two months, possibly a little longer. Some items that can hold up the process are-references making themselves available for the agency to contact (hint, hint, if you're on the list) ;), doctors forwarding results of each physical, and the police department forwarding their information after the scan and fingerprinting. Most of Packet II is out of our hands aside from reading, making appointments, and staying on top of everything else. I'm pretty good at phone calls, and even better at insisting on quick answers....this should go pretty well for us. We shall see...
I've left out details for the sake of keeping this blog entry readable without getting boring. If you have particular questions regarding anything I've addressed in this post or any others, I am more than happy to answer them for you via email or comment.! Of course, if you have my number and have questions, you can call me, too.
Your continued support is appreciated. Our current prayer is still revolving around our birth parents and a unified decision of adoption, and now for our Home Study and Packet II process to go smoothly.
Thanks for reading and thanks for the comments. Its reassuring that people are interested in our journey and I'm not just humoring myself by keeping track of all of this online. ;) Keep the comments coming!
I'm sure I'll have more information tomorrow....stay tuned.
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