LOL, no one ever accused me of a being a Martha Stewart groupie!!
For those of you keeping track, here are our important adoption dates:
February 22 - Joint interview with social worker
February 26 and 27 - Classes
March 5 - Individual interviews with social worker
Then, we're done with all those and we just have to make our book and move along. Our social worker informed me that we DON'T have to wait for her to finish the report to get on the waiting families list, so I anticipate touch down in early March. YAY!!!! AND, she says the births are picking up - keep us, and all those brave birth families, in your prayers please. My current to-do list consists of:
- Physician's Report on Adoptive Parent Form (my appointment is for March 2, Jason TBD)
- Fingerprint cards (still waiting for social worker to give those to us)
- CPS clearance (will mail forms out tomorrow)
- Email autobiographies to social worker (mine is ready, Jason's is in progress:))
- Start working on our "book" (uggghhh)
The dreaded book is the book the birth family will look at and then determine our future - are we worthy of their beloved baby or not?! How do you even start a project like that, let alone finish it?! Well, once we get the outlines, I'll keep you all updated. I do know it includes a "dear birthparent" letter, as well as intimate details about us, why we chose to adopt, how we'll talk to our child about adoption, pictures that portray who we are, and pictures of our families, etc. Wow, what a task. I will be soliciting your help when we finally start that...so look out:)!
In other news, my job is hard some days. I work in a program that provides behavioral health services for very young and vulnerable child. We work with EVERY child in our area, ages birth to five, who are removed from their home by CPS. Without giving away any confidential information, let's just say in the course of my work today, I ran across a substance exposed newborn (SEN) whose mom lost a child recently at 1 day old due to substance exposure in utero, a 2 year old who was brought to the hospital "high" on 2 substances and twins (TWINS, people!!!) born substance exposed at 26 weeks gestation.
I want to take them ALL home. I want the world to be fair. I want these babies, and their parents, to have lives filled with peace and love and health. Sometimes doing my job, and being me (you know, being infertile and all), don't go together very well.
Wow you are making progress! I'm not looking forward to making our book either, I'm not the creative-scrapbooking type of gal. I'm just hoping I can do it justice!
ReplyDeleteSo you'll be on the list in March? Awesome! We probably won't have our homestudy complete until June or July. Boo!!!
Being infertile has made me sooooo bitter about the parents of the poor children you work with and mentioned. A part of me will always wonder how is it fair that these drug addicted women can have baby after baby and not even care enough to stop using. How is it that they can get pregnant time and time again, and people like you and I, who would cherish every moment, cannot? Ugh. It makes me sick how unfair life is. And those poor kids...I don't blame you for wanting to take them home and give them good lives!
I used to work with kids, first as a substitute teacher, and then as a behaviorial specialist. My college degree is in education! After we lost our daughter and subsequently my fertility, I couldn't even handle working with kids anymore. I totally changed careers. I don't know how you do it everyday and stay sane! Wow! My hats off to you! :)
I remember being so nervous for our home visit and then the case worker waltzed through, commented on the decorating and it was over! The approval process is a bear, but keep at it one step at a time. You'll be done before you know it!
ReplyDeleteWow, I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it would be to daily see stories of children who are abused and neglected all while going through hell and highwater to become a mother!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for you guys and all of the fun upcoming progress in your adoption journey. Cheers to you guys finding your son/daughter soon!
As for fingerprint cards, don't wait around for you social worker to get them for you. Just go into your County Sheriff's Dept and you can get the cards and your fingerprints taken in one place! We made the mistake of waiting around for our lawyer to get them for us and finally after the 2nd or 3rd time forgetting them he told us to just get them when we go to the Sheriff's Dept to be fingerprinted.
Best wishes to you guys :)
~Jill
Good for you!!! I am so glad that things are moving along for you guys. I am pulling for you. I do not know how to put a book together that reflects you, your values and your lives but I know you will do it and it will be fantastic. Way to go Faith. I am so excited for you.
ReplyDeletetakingbabysteps
Thanks for your comment! I'll be hoping that all goes well for you.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it's heartbreaking to see children whose parents have made such bad decisions. But I'm glad there are people like you who can help to start rebuild their lives.
UGH, I admire the work you do and I give you kudos for being able to do it because it is heart breaking. I have no tolerance for those who abuse their children and it makes me sick to think they are even able to conceive...so unfair when we can't and we aren't bad people!
ReplyDeleteGoing back to the comment you last left on my blog, I was actually shocked how many others still have hope they would get pregnant. It felt good to know that I'm not the only one who lost hope in that. Even the counselor said it is okay to have hope because God performs miracles all the time! Losing hope would mean we lost faith! I usually don't love to talk about IF other than on my blog, but it was surprisingly easy because I knew that they all understood where I was coming from.
Good luck!