Update on Adoption #2

 

The Completed Home Study Packet

We got our FBI fingerprint/criminal history report on Monday. Talk about incredible... we got our prints taken on Friday, mailed them Saturday and then we had an email Monday afternoon saying that they were ready. I printed them and then added the reports to our GIGANTIC packet. Had we used the FBI directly it would be 6-8 weeks before we'd get anything back... so strange that by using Accurate Biometrics, we were able to have them get them on our behalf and it was a two-day turn around. 

Anyway... I had hoped to have everything ready to mail on Wednesday, but I still needed the last part... the pictures of us as a family and then one of the exterior of the house and one of a bedroom. My Shutterfly order came yesterday so I had everything ready to be mailed this morning!

Now we wait. 

And wait... and wait... and wait. LOL

We know that the soonest that we can have a home study visit scheduled is mid-October, but it's all out of our hands at this point. I remember this part of the adoption process with Gus. It was so much easier to just let it go and have the stuff that's in my control be finished. While in some ways, it's easier having the control, in others, it's just more stressful. Now it's out of our hands and we just have to wait for a call saying that everything is good and we can schedule the visit.

I'm having mixed feelings about the visit. One part of me is elated that we only have to have ONE visit (as opposed to the usual three). I LOVE that it's cheaper... that's for sure. But I feel like we have one shot to get it right and if something's wrong, I don't know what happens. So I'm stressing about making sure that EVERYTHING is baby-proofed. I think I'm going to cook a bunch of food just before our visit so that the house smells like food... and not like... pets.

Anyway... just wanted to quickly post the latest. In my honest opinion, getting the home study packet completed is the most time-consuming process. There was a lot that we had to include:

• FBI Criminal History/Fingerprints
• GBI Criminal History/Fingerprints
• Notarized copies saying we give them permission to do a background check for abuse and for a criminal record.
• Signed forms saying we won't abuse our child and saying that we understand that spanking is not allowed, and one saying that we understand the risk factors of SIDS and that we'll do all that we can to make sure we avoid those risk factors.
• Copies of rabies vaccinations for all our pets.
• Extensive medical history/physical with 5-panel drug screen for me and Steve
• Physical exam for Gus with a signed document saying that he's up to date on all vaccines.
• Pictures of the home, a bedroom, and each person in the family.
• Copies of: each of our birth certificates, divorce decrees, marriage certificate, adoption decree, medical insurance, drivers licenses, car insurance, a water/utility bill, a letter from Steve's employer stating his start date and salary, and tax returns.
• An autobiography of me and Steve (separate) answering their specific questions (mine was like 20 pages I believe).
• A form with all our expenses and income.
• 911 Call History reports from places that we've lived in the past five years.
• Four letters of reference. One had to be from my former AP since I worked with children.

 So as you can see... it was A  LOT.

I'm just glad to have it done and pray that everything was submitted as needed and we're just waiting for the visit. Once that's scheduled and happens, we have to wait for it to be written up and then they'll send it to us to have.

It's good for a year (I believe). If we don't have a baby placed with us before a year, we will have to go through the whole process again. :-(

I'm exhausted... off to bed. TGIF (in 15 minutes)!!!

Scary Moment!

 

My Sweet Boy

This morning Gus and I were in our comfy clothes and decided to build the train tracks on the floor and play together. He and I were having a ton of fun and then I got a text from my friend Lesley asking what we were doing. I had hoped to eventually get motivated and head to Target and Kroger, but wasn't sure if it was going to happen today. She invited us to meet up at the park and I declined.

Then I got a text from my friend Kristina asking what we were doing and she asked if we wanted to meet at a different park or come to her house and play in the backyard. I declined both. Then after texting for a bit I decided that it's a gorgeous day, and sure, we'd go out.

We ended up all meeting at the park that Lesley was at and when we arrived it was getting warm, but was tolerable. Kristina arrived a little bit later with Dillon and the kids played while we chatted.

 

Gus and Logan

 

He LOVES the swings!!

Not too long after Kristina and Dillon arrived, Gus was playing under the play structure. 

All of a sudden, he started screaming a scream that instantly told me something was SERIOUSLY wrong. He came running out from under the play thing and was holding his left arm out and was so scared. I looked and there was a HUGE wasp on his arm. I swatted it away and noticed a giant welt on his arm and a spot of blood where the stinger had gone into his wrist. He had a second spot too which looked like he had been stung as well.

I didn't even know what to do. He was so upset and I tried to put my cold water bottle on it to cool it, but he didn't want anything touching it. Immediately, Kristina hopped on her phone and checked to see what it said about wasp stings and allergic reactions. Being his first sting, I wasn't sure if he was allergic or not.

Thankfully, he calmed down a bit and I could see that it was swelling but no hives or rash. His tongue and face didn't swell and he just looked like he was in a lot of pain. He kept giving me his wrist to kiss (I kiss all his owies) over and over because the pain was still there. :-(

I left immediately and we got home and I put some ice on it (he didn't want it) and gave him some Benadryl and pain medicine. He ate lunch and seemed to be okay. He snuggled with me and then it was time for his nap.

It was a scary moment and I'm just thankful that he's okay and his sting didn't cause more health problems. It made me thankful that he doesn't have any allergies (thus far) and made me realize how blessed we are to not have to experience the fear of discovering that he does have an allergy. I'm done with being scared out of my mind for a while!! Too much excitement for me!!