Home Study Interviews

Today was our second round of home study interviews.  Our caseworker, Kelly, came to our house last Thursday for our first interview.  She asked us each a series of questions about our family, how we were raised, what morals we were taught growing up, our favorite childhoood memories and questions about our siblings.  She also asked us about our relationship, how we discipline our children and what we felt our best and worst traits were in ourselves and in each other.  She also walked around our house to make sure we had fire extinguishers in place and that we had medicine and chemicals out of the reach of little hands.

So today was our follow up interviews at her home in Smyrna.  She talked to us both about some books that we should read and what to expect when we get the little one home.  I had been doing some reading that talked about the same things she talked about.  For whatever year your child is that is how many months you should stay home and bond with the child.  So if she's two years old we should plan to stay at the house as much as possible for 2 months.  This will give her an opportunity to bond with us, learn her surroundings and rely on us for her needs.  If we have visitors they recommend only letting them hold her for 5-10 minutes and to not let visitors feed her or change her clothes or diaper.  Her basic needs should be met by either Tommy or I so that she understands that we are who she will turn to when she needs things.

It makes sense that she is going to be going through so many changes that she will need to be introduced to new experiences and people very slowly.  The air is different, the language is different, the food, the culture and everything is different for her and it can be overwhelming for a little one who is much more aware of her surroundings than a newborn.

It will take Kelly around 3 weeks to complete our home study report.  I'm excited to say that she and her family are traveling to Ethiopia to visit her little boy for the first time!!  After our home study report is finished we will file another application where we will receive a fingerprinting appointment and then I think we'll be finished and ready to file our paperwork!!

Medical Visits Complete

We visited our family doctor on Monday afternoon to get our medical forms signed.  We each had two forms that asked basic questions like height, weight (ekk), blood pressure and any other medical question you can think of.

Unfortunately, we both had to have tetanus shots because we couldn't remember the last time we had one and we both had to have a TB skin test where they injected a small amount of something right under the skin with a small needle.  We both have to go back today to show our arms - I guess to make sure we haven't had a reaction to it.

Micah got off with a flu shot and 3 suckers.  We didn't get any suckers...and our arms are killing the both of us from the tetanus shots!

Moving Right Along

Moving right along in search of good times and good news with good friends you can't loose, this could become a habit!  (Isn't that a Sesame Street song!) I spoke with our agency Director today and she told me that if we were able to submit our paperwork today that we would be #3 on the waiting list for a baby girl!

Unfortunately, we aren't ready to submit our paperwork quite yet.  We have doctor's appointments next Monday to get the appropriate forms filled out and then our initial home study appointment is on Thursday.  I imagine it will take a week or two (maybe three?) for her to finalize the report and when that happens we then have to submit a form called an I-600A along with $890.  This form is sent to the United States Citizens and Immigration Services in order to obtain permission to adopt internationally. Once we receive the form back we will be scheduled for a fingerprinting appointment in Nashville. (that's included in the fee paid).

Needless to say, we are moving right along!!

On a very sad note, our Director was telling me about a case in Washington that has absolutely broke my heart.  I can't imagine what was going through little Hana's head or her "parents" for that matter.  It makes me very sick to my stomach.  Please say a prayer for Hana, for she is now safe and in God's hands.

You can read the article here: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/10/01/2011-10-01_washington_couple_held_in_death_of_adopted_daughter_13yearold_hana_williams.html

One down, one to go!

This past weekend I braved the cold weather to have a booth at the Autumn Street Fair in downtown McMinnville, TN. I didn't realize how chilly it would be and how windy. I almost lost my tent more than once to the breeze!

I had the lion pillows for sale along with tshirts, wreaths, coffee, baked goods, bows and oreo and cake pops.

Needless to say, next year I will know to pick a better location. There wasn't much traffic where I was which really hurt my sales. After the registration fee I only made $81 :( That didn't even cover the cost of materials I bought to make the wreaths.

It just so happened that a local newspaper reporter passed by my booth and started talking with my friend, Jesse, who was dressed in Ethiopian dress.  She started talking to him about African orphans and that we are trying to adopt.  So low and behold when I got the paper today there was a mention of our booth and what we are trying to do!  This is monumental considering this reporter over the last year has written a lot negative things about my husband in the paper because he is the local football coach. :)

I've got one more chance to sell the rest of my things at next weekends craft fair at Applefest, which is another craft fair in town at the local private school.  Let's hope for better luck next weekend and maybe some warmer weather! 

Home Study and Dossier

I'm excited to report that our first home study visit is scheduled for Oct 13th!! After the initial visit to our home we will then meet with her at her office for our second visit and then she will finalize the report. The list we had to get together was pretty lengthy and I felt so accomplished after I had it all together. I literally carried the bag around with me with all the paperwork in it, ha ha.

But today I received all the dossier paperwork. A dossier is sort of similiar to the home study in that you have to gather all this paperwork, get it notarized and put it together in a packet. Although I'm excited to start working on the dossier I feel a bit defeated that I have to start gathering more paperwork again.

Not to mention the next two weeks are full of football games, craft fairs and general up keep. You should see my house right now, things have definitely fallen to the way side.

I've been preparing for the past two weeks for the Autumn Street Fair. I'm selling t-shirts, bracelets, lion pillows, bows, African coffee and wreaths that I have made. Next Saturday is Applefest which is another craft fair that I'll be participating in. These will be great ways to sell the crafts and earn money but I'm just plain tired!

Fundraiser Spotlight

An extremely pleasant suprise that I have experienced is that there is a HUGE adoption community out there. People who understand your frustrations and what we are going through in this process. They are willing to listen and actually understand what you mean when you talk about home study's, state clearances and all the paperwork!

I have met several "virtual friends" who I have emailed with or talked with over the phone and Amy is one of those great people. She features families on her blog every Monday to spotlight their fundraising efforts and today is our day!!

An Update

I know, I know, it's been quite awhile since I've posted anything.  To be honest, we have been super busy with a few upcoming events.

I received our adoption contract from CCI a few weeks ago and was finally able to go through it and read it.  We had to sign, initial and notarize about 30 pages in the contract.  Along with that we sent in our adoption fees, a home study review fee and a mandatory humanitarian donation.  As Tommy and I were signing the pages he said "That check makes this very real."  It was the first BIG check I have written since this adoption started and I was flooded with excitement and fear at the same time.  The check wiped out about half of our adoption fund!  Ekkk

In the mean time I have been gathering all the paper work I need for the home study agency. Just to give you an idea of the things we have to get,  here's a small list of items:

-Copies of all our birth certificates
-Copy of marriage license
-Copies of drivers licenses
-Medical forms for each person in the family filled out by a physician
-Financial information form
-Letters from employers
-Copy of front page of tax return for the past 3 years
-Statement from bank
-Letters of recommendation
-Criminal background checks from TN Bureau of Investigation
-Background check from local police department
-Residentail history from the last 10 years

Needless to say I've been on a paper hunt!!