Finished with my Home Study

Today was my final meeting with my social worker for my home study. It was also a deadline to turn in money--lots of it. Tomorrow I have my doctor's appointment (where I will get my proof of insurance/medical clearance) and then I need to go to the Police to get my criminal clearance and then...I'll BE DONE with the paperwork. There are still a couple of things I am waiting for in the mail. Then I'll have to go get it certified by the state. But I can't believe how close I am to submitting everything to the Ethiopian government and on my way to a referral! ;) I got excited again today doing the "home inspection" with my SW because I got to explain which room is the baby's room and what I'll be doing with it. Hee hee...

I'm on the way! Whoo hoo!

Money, money, money....

My second interview is over! :) One more and my homestudy will be complete. I just got my Dossier checklist from my agency in the mail today too. I don't understand why notarized isn't enough, but for EVERY document I have they have to be CERTIFIED by the state they originated in. Hmmm... that stinks! Now I have to collect the following: an adoption petition (a letter saying I want to adopt), an original birth certificate, an original divorce decree, a criminal clearance report from my local police, an employment verification letter from DPS, a notarized/certified letter from my doctor saying I'm in good enough health to raise a child, a letter from my bank, copies of the last 3 years of my tax returns, proof of medical insurance, proof of medical insurance for my adopted child, three notarized letters of reference, three notarized letters of power of attorney, and 8 passport photos of me. All of the above have to be certified and notarized. Certified means that I have to take the notarized document to the secretary of state (to the state that it was notarized in) and they have to certify the document? Wha?? Yes. What a pain in the buttocks! Ugh.

But my interview was fun. We talked a lot about my childhood and who I am. Easy. We will do the "home inspection" next time. I am getting a new refrigerator tomorrow. So the home inspection will give me motivation to clean and organize the "junk room." One week... can I do it?

I also looked at new kitchen cabinets today. Some are very very pretty. And very very expensive. On one hand, if I'm spending all the money to redo the kitchen I should use good materials. On the other, I'm spending all my money on redoing the kitchen and don't have much extra for the materials. It's an odd place to be!

I'm still working on securing my loan. I have two possible places. It's hard to guesstimate how much I'll need for the remodel, adoption, and travel to Ethiopia. Hmmm...

Questions being asked...

One of my grad school friends was excited about my adoption and asked several questions about the process. I guess I should detail what I know here in case others are wondering.

1) Why Ethiopia? I spoke in a little detail about this below. I was inspired by the Barr family and their two boys from Ethiopia. I met the boys right when I was beginning to research adoption. People ask why not from the US-- but as a single parent it is very difficult to get an infant. Most agencies ask you to adopt sibling groups of kids to get a younger child. I just am not in a place to do that. I looked at Guatemala and Russia a lot. China has changed their rules and will not let single women adopt right now. I found a website http://www.whfc.org/adoption/ethiopia/default.htm that has photo albums of their orphanage, the workers, and their children waiting. I fell in love with their faces, their eyes, the beauty of all the photos--from the smiles of the caregivers, to the countryside. That's pretty much all I needed. And the cost was a factor-- I found places that would cost upwards of $50,000. I finally found IAN and Ethiopia and my total cost will be somewhere between $15,000 and $20,000. It will be my best loan of all time!

2) What/when/how? I have just started the process which begins with a Homestudy. This means a social worker is assigned to my case and over three or four interviews will ask me all sorts of questions about being a parent and then recommend that I am a good candidate (or not) to the state, Ethiopia, and the agency. Once I complete the homestudy process in Colorado my Dossier (a big word for a bunch of documents --like my birth certificate, proof of insurance, proof of employment, letters of reference) will be sent to Ethiopia and then they will work on placing a child with me. They will then send photos and information about a child to me. Then my case will go to court in Ethiopia and I will be notified that I should come to Ethiopia. When I get to Ethiopia my child will legally be mine (adopted in Ethiopia) before I even see him. Then I have to do more legal work (not sure about this part yet) and stay in Ethiopia for about a week and then return with my baby! :) There is a possibility of trying to visit my child's birth village/city. And even possibly meeting some of his/her birth family. This is all up in the air until referral and I know more about the child.

3) Boy vs. Girl. My social worker actually put on my paperwork that I strongly prefer a boy, but will be open to a girl-- just in case I fall in love with a girl. If the paperwork says that I am only approved for a boy, it could cause lots of problems. I have four beautiful nieces and one nephew. I think it's time for more maleness in family gatherings! :) I just feel good about being a single mom with a son. There is a bond there that I can't define... But in two or four more years I will probably do this all again and get a baby girl then! :)

First Home Study Visit

Well, I have been gone to Lincoln, Nebraska for a week of THESPIAN things. I took 40 kids to the International Thespian Convention-- whoo hoo. It was fun but I was ready to be back home. I told a couple of my students that I had begun the process and one actually cried she was so happy for me. My seniors have been watching me for 2 years try to get pregnant and they know how much having a child means to me. They were very very excited and I already have my first 20 babysitters lined up! :)

Tuesday I spent the day rearranging furniture. My grandmother died in November and my dad just went back to clean out her house. They brought me a chest of drawers and a vanity. I also got a new TV. I have determined that the bedroom I currently use as my "TV room" will become the baby's room. So I had to rearrange three rooms of things. I worked all day into the night to make it happen. My parents also gave me a crib that was my brother's son's. It is exciting. It is standing against the wall in the room. That means this is finally becoming REAL!!! Although I haven't put it together because I don't want to jinx it yet! ;)

Susie, my social worker, came over at 2:30PM. I handed her all the paperwork I have been collecting. The only thing I have left is my medical letter and my proof of employment letter. I already tried to get that but they called me Mr. Hann and they didn't notarize it. But once I do those two things I can start building my Dossier. I'm making copies of everything too so I think that will be easier once it starts. I was nervous I realized as the meeting started. Wondering are there things that people have said in the past that made the social worker deny adoption. But Susie was great and put me at ease. I am very excited to start. She also told me that someone brought home a 5 month old girl! That is so great. I'm thinking mine will be 7-9mons old. She asked questions like would I be open to a girl or siblings. We put on the paper work that I strongly desired a boy, but would be open to a girl. Just in case I fall in love with a girl! My mind is pretty set on a boy right now though.

I've set my next two appointments with Susie over the next two weeks. We will be done with our meetings by July 17. Then she goes to Disneyland and I go to Scotland with my students. When I get back, school starts and most of my paperwork will be complete. I am looking into starting my classes ASAP. This is so exciting!