Hi all!

Kristin, thanks for checking in on me on the adoption boards. I thought I'd post an update here since we passed a milestone today.

We had our homestudy interview today!!!

It all went very well. The social worker took a quick tour of our house (we cleaned like demons all weekend!) and then we sat for the next 4 hours and went over our autobiographies and other paperwork that we had to fill out about our parenting plans. The process was pretty painless overall and she was very nice.

We're also done with all the paperwork that is in our control, and are waiting for our last reference letters to be sent in by our friends and I have one doctor's letter that still needs to be written. My doc has been on vacation and now is not returning my calls.

You know what? I had heard so much about how horrible all the paperwork was for adoption, but it really wasn't all that awful. If you're motivated you can plow through it all in a week, but we decided to take it a bit more slowly and complete it over a few weeks.

We started working on our "Dear Birthmother" letter this afternoon right after our interview was over (DP couldn't wait to get started!). We should go into the waiting pool once our homestudy is written up and approved in 4-5 weeks! At that point we wait for a match, which could take a month, or as long as a year. It's totally out of our hands at that point....

Since we don't know when we'll get our baby, we're already on the waiting list at our workplace daycare center. We took a tour of the center about 2 weeks ago and were very impressed with the quality of the care. We're also looking into cribs and stroller/carseat systems since we could have as little as one days notice that our baby is waiting for us to take her home (it's rare, but it happens!).

We're asking for a girl and we're open to girl/boy or girl/girl twins. It's still all a little unbelieveable that I'm really going to become a parent, but it's becoming more and more real with each hurdle that we jump over! We're VERY excited!

Karen

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Karen
DP Nancy
DS Jacob, born 2/20/05
DSS, 19
TTC 3+ years
Adopted Jacob after 4mcs, 2 operations, and more clomid, injectables, and IUIs than I care to remember
6/14/04--First meeting with agency
2/21/05--matched with Jacob, born 2/20/05
2/24/05--Gotcha Day!
3/7/06--Finalization of Jacob's adoption

Jacob loves his "at." The feeling is mutual.


My very short blog

Karen, this is awesome. I am so thrilled for you gals. It sounds like it won't be long now...Thanks for posting an update, I was thinking about you last week and wondering how things were going.

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Hi Karen,
You probably don't recognize me, I joined after you left for awhile. I just wanted to say good luck with the adoption process. It really blows my mind though the lengthy process of adopting a child and the interrogation of you and your partner as suitable parents when there are so many fertile myrtles out there that make terrible mothers!!! It will all be worth it for you....best wishes for you!!

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Kristen (33) DH Joe (33)
Expecting our first baby boy Aug 12/07!!!!

ERIC WILLIAM arrived July 19th weighing 6lbs 2oz.

Hi! I am so excited for you! I think of you often and wonder how the process is going.,, and boy, it is going, how fast it all seems to be happening. I love reading your updates and can't wait to read more in the future. Keep us posted.

Kerri

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Kerri
Mom to Annabella
& Gianna

Hi Karen!
I'm so excited that the homestudy is over and it sounds like it went really well! It's very reassuring to hear that it wasn't as bad as you thought in case we end up going through this down the road a bit. And this all seems to be happening so fast, you are going to be a mom in no time!

I'm so glad you shared your update with us. Please keep checking back with us from time to time...but if you don't just know that I'll be lurking around the other board checking on you! You can't hide from me!

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Karen that is so exciting....I can just imagine how you and your DP are feeling.... I can't wait to log in one day soon and read that you have a baby or 2! in your arms....

Very best wishes


(ex wishingbabe)

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Thanks all!!

I'm still having a hard time believing that we're so close to going into the waiting pool. AND we're going shopping for baby stuff soon! As I said on the adoption boards, it's about damn time!

AJ, it's great to hear from you and see your beautiful son! We're following how Lauren Jackson is doing in the Olympics since she's on the Seattle Storm team and we have season tickets. I'm so glad that she's doing so well, but of course I would expect noting less from her. I'm hoping that the US and Australia battle each other for the gold. Did you see Lauren's pics in Black + White? My DP bought me a copy for my 40th birthday. Not that I want to spread rumors or anything, but I've heard that she's "family." Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!

Karen

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Karen
DP Nancy
DS Jacob, born 2/20/05
DSS, 19
TTC 3+ years
Adopted Jacob after 4mcs, 2 operations, and more clomid, injectables, and IUIs than I care to remember
6/14/04--First meeting with agency
2/21/05--matched with Jacob, born 2/20/05
2/24/05--Gotcha Day!
3/7/06--Finalization of Jacob's adoption

Jacob loves his "at." The feeling is mutual.


My very short blog

teeheee....we like to think she is too Karen!!!!!...though no confirmation....

good chance of an Aust v USA battle for the gold I reckon (not that I know anything about basketball!!)

is that the B&W Olympic version? I'm meant to be on the lookout for it for my DP.....

baby stuff shopping....won't that be wonderful....I'm so excited for you, hope everything goes smoothly and quickly!!!!!

sorry about the disjointed post....left my brain in bed this morning!! thanks to Mason waking me up every 2 hours last night.....grrrrrrrrrrrrr actually....ahhhhhhhhhhh

best wishes
Jenn

Hi AJ

Yep, the B+W is the Olympic issue. She has about 6-7 pics in it. It's caused a bit of a stir here in Seattle, what with our US tradition of puritan ethics and all that, but she has just shrugged it off. She even did an autograph session at a news shop here in Seattle that hundreds of people went to. Alas, I had other things to do that day....

A woman that Lauren describes as her "bestest friend" comes to all the Seattle games, and Lauren looks up at her from the floor pretty often. I'd bet good money that her bestest friend is family.

I'm sure that Mason is worth all the sleep that you're losing. Personally, I can't wait to be sleep-deprived!

Karen

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Karen
DP Nancy
DS Jacob, born 2/20/05
DSS, 19
TTC 3+ years
Adopted Jacob after 4mcs, 2 operations, and more clomid, injectables, and IUIs than I care to remember
6/14/04--First meeting with agency
2/21/05--matched with Jacob, born 2/20/05
2/24/05--Gotcha Day!
3/7/06--Finalization of Jacob's adoption

Jacob loves his "at." The feeling is mutual.


My very short blog

you are so very right!!!!! and I bet you can't......good luck!

btw "go Aussies go Aussies go Aussies"

Karen,

I'm so glad the adoption process is moving along.
Jilda

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