Adoption Class #2

We have now completed our adoption class #2! Only 4 more classes and one make up session to go.

This class tonight was about family relationships. We talked about the importance of family and the important part they play in the lives of foster children. We discussed visitation with the bio families and the effects they have on the children.

We did a neat activity allowing us to see the people that we surround ourselves with. We were each given a cup and in it, we put in beads of certain colors representing the people that are in our family, coworkers, friends, etc. I was happy to see that my cup was not just filled with yellow (caucasian) beads. I want Nate and our future children to grow up knowing and interacting with different races and backgrounds.

Allison, the teacher, asked us tonight about the age we were looking for (younger than Nate) and told us that we will need to be ready at a moment's notice. She stated that these children don't come into the system very often, but when they do, it is almost always a quick placement. We'll need to be ready in case we get a call at 3 in the morning! 

I'm trying to not let my heart get ahead of my head. Trying not to stress and take a deep breath. There's so much to be done and prepared for. So excited about what the future holds for us.

Physicals and Well Checks

Today, Nate, Dave, and I went for our physicals/well check ups today. 3 appointments back to back. What fun!

Dave and I are required to get physicals as part of our adoption process. Along with the basic physicals, we had the privilege or giving a urine sample and bloodwork.

This is what Nate decided to do while at the doctor's office. :) He thought that they needed reorganizing and that they looked best as towers. Good thing that they were unused urine cups.

 Proof of my bloodwork.

I'll update more about Nate's checkup tomorrow (if I get a chance).

I can't finish this post without a funny story. It wasn't funny when it happened, but it is now and a great story to tell later on.

Because we were required to do bloodwork, we had to fast for 12 hours prior to the test. That meant that I hadn't eaten anything since 11:00 last night. It was torture to watch the kids at school eat yummy nachos while my stomach growled, but I made it through the day. My appointment was at 4:30 and by the time they were ready to take my blood, I was feeling kind of weak, sick to my stomach, and I had a killer headache. I made it through my bloodwork without any issues and was cleared to head home. On the way home, I started to feel really sick, so sick that I got the feeling that I needed to pull over, yet I was in the middle lane at a light and that wasn't an option. Needless to say, I'm thankful that there was a tissue box nearby and that I found out that I can drive while getting sick. Nate kept on asking me why I was coughing and I had to explain that I wasn't coughing into the tissue box and that I was sick. 

Now we wait for our bloodwork results to come back within the next week. One more step completed.

Steps/Paperwork Update

Steps in the Process to be approved
1. Pre-Screening
2. Completing/gathering all the above material
3. 9 weeks of classes
4. Home visit
5. Home study completion
 
The list of things that we have to do/turn in as a part of this adoption process
(The ones we have completed have a line through them.)

Foster Adoptive Family Biography
Medical Report - These were completed today, but we have to wait for  bloodwork results.
Request for Tuberculosis Statement - Completely forgot about these at the doctor's office today. :(
Central Registry Release of Information Form 
Finger Print Card
Confidential Financial Statement
Corporal Punishment Document
Confidentiality Agreement
Driving Convictions Statement
Firearms Statement
Home Fire Escape Plan Worksheet
Individual Vendor Agreement
Reference List - This has been turned in and info has been sent to our references.
W-9
Sworn Statement or Afformation
Dangerous Animal Policy
Removal Letter
Copy of Marriage Certificate-Copy
Pay stubs for each parent totaling one month's pay-Copy
DMV records for each parent-Copy
Automobile Insurance Cards-Copy
Automobile Registration Cards -Copy
Rabies Certificate for each pet-Copy



 

Fingerprints

Fingerprints have been completed!

We went this afternoon to the local police station and got fingerprinted.  It was neat that this time because we didn't have to get them done with ink due to it was all electronic. The computer, however, hated my pinky fingers. It took a few times to get them to the point that the computer would accept them.

Another step completed.  :)

Adoption Class #1

On Tuesday, we started taking our foster/adoption classes. The class lasts for 9 weeks, meeting on Tuesday nights, but since we've started late, we have 6 weeks plus a make up session. The class lasts from 6-9 and our first week dealt with the loss that foster children go through.

I had no idea what to expect when we went into the class, but I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't half bad and it was nice to meet other people that are on the same journey. I'm actually looking forward to the next five weeks.

So thankful for Gramma and Papa who have taken over Nate care on the nights of our classes and for the people that have told us that they would help out when we need it.

Some people have asked if we have a child in mind as we take these classes and the answer is no. At this point, we are taking the classes to have the opportunity to adopt a child when the time is right.

We have about half of the papers filled out, we get fingerprinted tomorrow, and we have our physicals on Monday. This journey is off to a fast start.

Quick Decisions

After our recent decision to attempt to adopt out of the foster care, I did some research and have made some calls. For the most part, those calls were dead ends. While the agencies/contacts I spoke with deal with foster adoptions, all of them are approved to handle adoptions for children older than 10, which doesn't fit our criteria since we want to keep Nate as our oldest child.

After playing phone tag for a few days, I got in touch with Hampton Social Services today. They do agree that finding a child younger than Nate makes the search a little more difficult, she was very excited to get us started on our journey. Besides the home study process and the background checks, etc, they require that we take a 9 week class, meeting on Tuesday nights, that would teach us more about the process and how things are handled. Unfortunately, this class has already started and is in its 3rd week and they won't have another class starting until late fall.

Bummer, right? Well, after getting some information about us and learning more about our adoption background, she would like for us to join the class, something they don't normally allow, THIS Tuesday, as in April 9th. She put a package in the mail for us this afternoon and we have to give an answer asap after the package arrives. If we say yes, we will officially start our foster adoption classes in less than a week, meaning we have to schedule childcare and find a way for Dave to change his work schedule (he currently works on Tuesday nights).

Needless to say, my head is spinning. Lots to think about and many decisions to be made. Will you join us in prayer as we make decisions?

A realization

As you may have noticed, the blog has been kind of quiet lately, part of that is due to the busy season that we've had. We recently had a trip to Florida, a birthday, and now Easter is quickly approaching.

Another reason that I've been kinda quiet is because I was really unsure as to what to do next when it comes to another adoption.

I know that we need a homestudy, no matter which route we take, but beyond that, I was honestly torn. I would love to have another infant, another baby that we bring home from the hospital. I love the newborn snuggle stage and from our experience with Nate, we know how "easy" it is to bond and feel like normal parents. While all of those things are wonderful, I worry about moving forward with another private adoption. I feel like we got so lucky with Nate's situation. Everything went so smoothly and I worry that our next experience would not be that way. On top of that, the money is a big issue. We don't have $20,000-$30,000 to put towards another adoption.

While watching the fireworks at Disney, I looked over at Nate and it hit me. While I would love to adopt another baby, my heart really wants to adopt out of foster care, even if that means that our next child will be older when he/she comes home. This trip to Disney was his third trip in three years! He is so spoiled and loved and I can't imagine what his life would be like if he were in foster care. It's hard for me to justify spending a ton of money on an infant when there are children waiting for a Mommy and a Daddy. They may grow up without ever experiencing stability and a place to call home.

As the realization hit me that night, I got scared, mainly because I didn't know if Dave would be on board. I worried that this was something that was on my heart and mind, yet not on his. I held onto this realization for a while before expressing it to him. I needed time to think about it and prepare myself for his reaction.

When I finally got up the nerve to talk to him about it this week, I was pleasantly surprised that he's okay with it as long as we stick to our original plan and adopt a child younger than Nate. That might mean that our wait time is long, but we're both okay with that.

Got might surprise us and "drop a baby in our laps" through private adoption, but at the moment, I think we're ready to really open the door to adopting out of foster care. :)