Fingerprints

Jeramie and I went for our fingerprint appointments yesterday; check another box on the long checklist. It was all very official; we couldn't even be in the same room together. I politely told the man "he is my husband, he's seen my fingerprints before" and he responded with "having someone else here is distracting to the one getting their fingerprints done." HA! So maybe that is why I can't get a room clean when someone is in it- it is too distracting! So we each had to sit in the hall while the other one was in the office.

The visit

Every thing went very well with our initial visit with our social worker. We received our folder with loads of paperwork to sort through and went over the process. Turns out, the social worker lives right around the corner from us!

I think the funniest part of the entire night was the one with the most needs ended up the dog. He wanted off his bed, then he needed to go outside, then let back in, then wanted his water which was in the closet I closed, then he drug the water bowl out into the kitchen because it was all gone. Good grief, couldn't he take the same suggestions of quietly playing like the kids did?!

We jumped in with both feet once the kids went to bed. Books are on reserve at the library, reference forms have been mailed, fingerprinting appointments are made for tomorrow, child abuse clearances are mailed and I've started my autobiography. My goal is to have the packet mailed back to the agency by the end of the month.

Visit #1

We have our first visit with the social worker this evening. She will be coming by for about an hour to drop off and go over our paperwork packet. I'm interested to see all the documents and letters we will need for the home study. She sounds very nice on the phone; I hope all goes well!
But now I must get back to cleaning.

Home Study

I called Adoptions & Beyond today to start our home study. They are a partner agency to WACAP and a few other agencies so they will do our home study here because those agencies are not in our state. They will be mailing a paperwork packet to the social worker who will then call us to set up our first appointment to go over the packet. We will work on gathering all documents for the paperwork packet, as well as medical physicals for all of us. Once that is complete we mail it back to the agency with our fee and they set up an appointment to come out to the house. A few weeks of typing and approvals and we should have a final copy about 6 weeks later.

We did it!

We had the application to WACAP's waiting children program filled out...twice. The first application was thrown away after 2 months of sitting on the counter and the second application was filled out, and in an envelope for 3 weeks before I finally placed it in the mailbox yesterday. A check dated in November, an application dated in December and finally placed in the mail Jan. 6, 2009.

Not the right time

Well, after a couple days to really think about the way I'm feeling I called the adoption agency and told them that I don't think this girl is right for us. I hope another family feels called to adopt this princess and give her a family. Along with the feelings of uncertainties I have realized that I think we are more ready to answer the call than earlier this year and should move forward to make this a reality. We plan to get on a waiting list and when the right child comes along we will be asked to review her file. I have to trust in God's plan for us even though my heart aches for another little girl.

long time, no see

After a long absence from any writing in the adoption blog, I have returned. Hopefully nobody checks the blog anymore so for awhile I can blog out my own feelings of what is going on. I'll just pretend I'm alone in here.

I have been checking different agency webpages of children that are currently waiting in China for several months. Most have a special need but some are simply children that are older and their special need is just that- they are over the age of what most people want to adopt. Late last week I inquired about 2 little girls, one 6 years old, one 7 years old. The 6 year old had a special need that I felt I was willing to accept but after reading her file I didn't feel that 'connection' that made me think she might be right for us. I then inquired about the 7 year old who is by all measures, healthy. I could hardly keep my hiney on the chair with every paragraph I read. I instantly emailed J asking him just how quick we could financially afford an adoption. Of course, nothing is as quick as you'd like!

We discussed it Friday night and this morning I started calling agencies here in the state that could perform our homestudy if all of this comes to fruition. I honestly don't know how we would do it financially, but if this little girl is meant to be in our family I truly have faith that God will show us the way to make it happen. Christmas may be suspended for all except our children.