August 11, 2010

Request For Live Scans and Please Don't Forget to Include Your Entire Personal History...

We got through our first home study interview! In all honesty, it wasn't much of an interview. It was more like a "here is another pile of redundant forms and paperwork"meeting. I am not discouraged. In fact, I haven't even slowed down. I have this goal in mind, you know, that six week goal. And, I will not fail that goal by fault of my own. Period! Now that I've put that in writing, I'll continue with a little description of what a home study actually is and means for us. 

A home study is a detailed report of your family prepared by a social worker. Through a series of visits or interviews a social worker gathers a complete picture of who you are and what life is like in your family. The home study includes an autobiography and family background information. They take a look at your neighborhood, community, and schools. They require a physical exam so they can gather your physical health information. You must share your financial statements and your financial background. You have to obtain criminal clearances (got the fingerprints done today). Then they require many references from friends, family, and people in your community. We must be certified in infant CPR and First Aid (I'm in class this Saturday). You must have a will and proof of life insurance. 

During the interview the social worker makes sure your home is safe and healthy for a child. We have to have the house "baby proofed". You have to share a safety plan incase of fires or natural disasters. The "getting to know you" information includes an individual chronological autobiography, immediate family health, educational background, work experience, your personality info as well as your parents and family members personality information. The list continues, however you get the idea. 

Needless to say we have our work cut out for us for the next few weeks. I'm actually looking forward to getting through it and letting it lead the way to our little one. I continue to remind myself of why this all is necessary and did happen to mention to the home study social worker that this all should be necessary for anyone to parent a child. After this our ducks should be all in a row. Until the first night of crying chaos of course. Then I'll just be happy to be only a 3 hour time zone difference away from my mother. 

So, closing for now and off to add ink to the first of many forms. 

Love to you all! And, thanks for all your support and prayers!

August 06, 2010

Time Flies When You Are Having Fun...

Wow, ok totally embarrassed from my lack of reporting. I do have a few excuses. My wonderful husband graduated from his residency program and moved onto a fellowship program, we moved across the pacific ocean, found ourselves a lovely home, and these are just a few of the things that have kept me distant. I won't bore you with all the details. I am however here to report that things are moving quickly now with the adoption process!

I guess that just happens to be one of the things keeping me away as well. We started our APQ as soon as we got settled. I thought it was going to be a lot harder to make some of decision that we did, but after we really sat down and discussed each other's point of view, things just really fell into place. In all honesty, I thought it was really going to be difficult for my husband and I to see eye to eye some of it. When we were faced with the questions and then answering them, we both pretty much wanted the same thing. Our comfort levels were surprisingly similar. I guess i should have trusted "us" more before diving in? By the way, an APQ is an Adoption Planning Questionnaire. You basically have to go through a set of questions that are broken down into categories of desired race, setting a budget, the amount of contact with the birth parents, substance use during pregnancy, birth parent medical and family history, and then a set of random questions on why you think you would be good adoptive parents, your feelings about the birth mother, how you think you may want to interact with your child regarding being adopted, and so on, and so on. Either way, we got through the APQ holding hands and taking a lot of deep breathes. 

We had our APQ interview and met our personal social worker and adoption coordinator that will be with us throughout the rest of the journey. During the interview our adoption specialist goes through each question and each answer and lets us know how our decisions may or may not effect our match. We got a great big "high five" from our coordinator and were told we could not have done a better APQ. YES!!! This just means we are in a good range with the other families without her intervention and should hopefully then be able to meet the agencies "waiting time" timelines. I mean come on, haven't i waited to be a mother long enough? Why does it always feel better when you think you fit into the big curve of statistical data? I usually like to be the person thinking outside of the box, but under these circumstances I guess I'm happy just to belong. Smile.

We contacted our homestudy provider, filled out our initial application, and have our first "interview" with them this Saturday! So keep your fingers crossed that all goes well! Sounds like this meeting is more about all the paperwork that now needs to be filled out for the homestudy progress and background checks. I have never seen so much paperwork and forms in my life! Between hubby and myself and our jobs, I'm starting to think the government may raise an eyebrow when our last names cross their desk again. I wish I could just say "hey, check out the last ten!" Hopefully that will actually make the process go smoother though? Either way, I feel like I'm filling out applications to become the presidents mother. It's really crazy, but yes worth it. And, I guess I could be filling out applications to become the presidents mother? Ha Ha! 

Last but definitely not least, we dove head first into creating our profile. I had a pretty good feeling it was going to be difficult to put into words everything we want to share about us as individuals, as a couple, our feelings about becoming a parent, but man it's really really hard. I've learned quickly not to pick it apart. The words work because it's us in all it's honesty and sincerity. It's exciting, really really exciting. 

We've set a goal for ourselves to be an ACTIVE family in six weeks and counting! So, I must close for now so we can reach that goal.

Love to you all!