Progress...

I still have a million and one things left on the "Before the Home Study" to-do list, but there are a few things I've managed to accomplish (with some help from Mama S and a dear friend).  All the furniture has been put together in the kiddo's room and Mama S has gotten most of the outlets replaced.  (As promised, there are pictures!)  We still have to install the closet doors, replace ceiling fan blades and come up with some kind of window treatment, but it's a HUGE check off of the to-do list.  Now, if I could just get the bathroom that I'm redoing to cooperate!

We should be hearing from our assigned case worker ANY time now.  The thought of it makes me want to throw up, but I'm excited too.  I think we're both still in shock at how quickly the process has gone thus far.  A colleague of mine who has adopted before cautioned me that we're about to hit the phase where everything slows down and it will seem there's no progress.  I'm really grateful that she shared that with me, as I would probably start to worry if it seemed to abruptly stop.  

Otherwise, we are just plugging away as we try to get ready for our Home Study.  This holiday season has made us both realize that this is more than likely the last year we will not have a child (or two) during the holidays.  I can't wait to share holidays with our children!  Until then....we have much to do.  

As promised...here are the pictures:

Nightstand Mama S built

Dresser that Stevie helped me build

Bed pre-headboard (ignore the dust)

Bed with headboard

One Step Closer!

Mama S got the call today that we have been waiting for.  Our background checks have both come back clear and our file has been compiled.  The person in charge of the placement department called and told her that he was sending over our paperwork today to be assigned a case worker and that we would hear from our case worker in 2 weeks!!!  If our county truly only takes  45-60 days to complete Home Studies, that means we could be totally done with ours by the end of February...maybe even earlier!!  WOW!!!  I'm totally flabbergasted!!! I keep wanting to pinch myself to check and see if this is really happening.  We started the adoption journey September 23rd (when I placed the call in to see where to start) and here we are on December 10th about to begin our Home Study.  It's just incredible!  


This has all been such a blessing really.  I remember how crushed I was when we found out that I had PCOS and would have to take infertility treatments if I had any hope of getting pregnant.  It seems the entire time we were trying to get pregnant in the first place it was one big frustration after another.  I felt initially that the struggle was God slamming a large door in our faces.  We had no idea that God would then turn around and knock a wall out instead of simply opening a window. I guess we needed to just shut up and be patient (or I needed to shut up and be patient at the very least!). The entire process thus far has run smoothly, and though the knowledge that we can't both adopt our child/children still stings, we know that there will come a day when that will change and we can both be listed as legal parents to our child/children.  For now though, I'm grateful that we are able to be on this journey to family. 

  

The Home Study is Upon Us!

Yesterday was our last MAPP class and we both have mixed feelings on the classes being over.  On one hand, we wish we still had the formal class to learn more about the system we are adopting from, but on the other hand we are thrilled to start the next part of our journey.  Our classes taught us a great deal of wonderful lessons.  We were able to learn about how the adoption and foster care process works, effective methods of behavior modification, laws, but more importantly, the sad reality that these kids will be coming to us from.  (Like the fact that when a child in foster care is moved from home to home all their belongings are put in a garbage bag and not in a proper duffel or suitcase breaks my heart.)  Many of the future parents in our class will be wonderful foster parents (of those going that route), but the fact remains that these kids have been uprooted from their families because of abuse or neglect and may have gone through more upset being in the system. At least the 20 or so from our class were planning to be foster parents and I'm sure they will be great temporary families for the kids in the system.  Ah, I digress...

So....the next part of our process is the Home Study, that wonderfully grueling process in which every detail of our lives are examined under a microscope to make sure we will be capable parents to the children we adopt.  The vast majority of other states and even counties in our own state require at least a 3-6 month window of time to complete the Home Study.  We found out yesterday that our county has a very streamlined process when it comes to Home Studies.  In fact, they are so streamlined that instead of 3-6 months they only take 45-60 days.  That's right...45-60 DAYS!  MT also informed us yesterday that we should expect a call from our assigned case worker before the holidays.  Due to the fact that they have 4 agencies city wide who do Home Studies under Family Support Services, they are able to get everything done much more quickly.  The Home Study itself more than likely won't start until after Christmas, but we are looking at being able to have a placement in mid to late February or even early March instead of late April or in the summer (at the earliest).  Now everything we have been doing here at the house is going into overdrive to get ready.  Mama S decided to strip the popcorn off the ceiling in the kiddo's room and as soon as she's done I'll quickly paint the ceiling.  All of the furniture has now arrived so we will have that to put together as well.  


I'm thrilled with how fast the process is going, but I think we're both nervous about becoming parents.  In all honesty though, I don't know of any first time parents who AREN'T nervous, so I feel good knowing that we are normal (in that regard at least!).  The nerves will probably subside once we get more involved in the adoption community (MT is hooking us up with a 3 day adoption seminar as well as other events) until the day when we meet our future kiddo and they finally come to live with us.  For now though, I'll enjoy every minute of those nerves!