What a process!

Forgive me for letting so much time lag between blog updates!  We are new to this adoption process and the beginning of it can be a bit overwhelming…to say the least!  First and foremost, I would love to tell everyone it is less stressful and not near as emotionally grueling as fertility treatments…this is totally what Travis & I were expecting.  We were WRONG!  Although we are not physically going through testing...or taking multiple shots to the stomach…or in the dreaded 2 week wait.  We are experiencing something… 

It’s hard to describe exactly.  Overwhelming is probably the best word that I can use to describe it.  I realize now, more than ever, that those lucky parents that chose the path to adoption…and completed it…are a very special few.  I didn’t think I went into this process blindly…I had done a little research here and there on the adoption process, but it is a whole different perspective when you are knee deep in it.  I think I was like many that thought…”yeah, I know there is going to be a lot of paperwork and a long process, but so many people have done it, and with everything we have been through over the past 5 years, I’m sure we can handle it.”

Once again, another test of our true longing to be parents is at work!

It’s a slow process and one that patience is quite the virtue.  We are still in the beginning stages…the homestudy is underway…which is only the first step in a multi-step process. 

When we received our homestudy paperwork we were super excited to get the process started and ripped the packet open with nervous anticipation.  The more we read through the information the more in-depth we realized we needed to get.  The stack of paperwork was divided into 7 packets…each packet no less than 10-15 pages.  We dove in with determination and plowed through the first few (easy) packets that just required general information and medical history, along with a physical and gathering of financial papers.  Next was the 2-3 page auto-biographical sketch that we had to write about ourselves, our entire family, our courtship & marriage and how we planned to pass along our moral beliefs to our potential children.  Followed by a detailed outline of what our potential family would do in the event of an emergency such as, fire or community evacuation.  (We even had to draw a blueprint of our house with exits that would be used in case of such an emergency).  All of this is followed by multiple in-home visits by a qualified social worker before getting the final “stamp of approval” that we, and our home, is suitable for bringing an infant into our family.

So…our mantra over the next few months…

Overwhelming and tedious??  YES!

Going to be worth it in the long run??  ABSOLUTLEY!!

Please keep your fingers crossed for us over the next few months and we will update soon!