Paperwork, Paperwork, Paperwork

Of course I knew there was going to be a lot of paperwork.  And so far, it has been pretty painless.  I will definitely not complain about the amount of work.  I know making a baby is much simpler, and for us very easy,  but being pregnant was too big of a job for me.  I will take this paperwork any day over that.

What has surprised me a little was the money we are spending.  I knew the agency's homestudy fee was $1,500.  But I didn't consider that in the homestudy their would be expenses.  Here is a list of our paperwork and how much it has cost if any.

• Biographical Information $0, but is 20 pages of questions about us.  We each have to fill one out.  It is by far the most difficult and time consuming of the paperwork.
• Medical Report with testing $270 for me and Matt
• Pediatrician Letter $0
• Copy of Health Insurance Cards $0
• Employment Verification $0
• Financial Form $0
• Mortgage verification or lease $0
• Tax return $0
• 3 months of bank statements $0
• 911 Call Screen $0
• GBI Fingerprints $100 for Matt, me, and our house guest
• FBI Fingerprints $54 for Matt, me, and our house guest
• Adoption Courses $95
• Copies of Birth Certificates $0 unless I am going to have to get originals, hopefully not
• Marriage Certificate $0 unless I must go get an original
• Pet Vaccinations letter $0
• Copies of Driver's License $0
• Copes of Auto Insurance $0
• Pictures of home, child's bedroom, and us $0
• Five References letters $0 except for maybe a thank you dinner!

Another expense is that I need 5 copies of everything to go to different agencies, so I'm sure I'm spending a lot on paper and ink.

More exciting news is that we have our first interview on Monday!! We will drive to the office and talk with our social worker.  It is beginning to seem real. If all goes as planned we should be done with our home study at the end of February.  Then it will be pray and wait.

Thanks to everyone for all your support! We are overjoyed to have so many around us that are excited along with us.

Officially Beginning!!

I am happy to announce that our journey to adoption is officially beginning!! Here is a recap of our journey so far...

September 2012- Around this time we seriously started considering adding a third child to our family through adoption.  Our initial desire was a toddler from South Korea.

October 2012- Due to many factors involved in South Korea adoptions, we started looking elsewhere.  After much research, we decided to get an infant from the US.

October 12, 2012- We were approved to work with One World Adoption Services, Inc in Sugar Hill, Georgia.  www. oneworldadoptions.org 

November & December 2012- We took this time to continue researching all of our options, including other agencies.  We began to feel much more comfortable in our choice, decided to relax over the holidays, and pay off the rest of our credit card debt before moving forward.

January 7, 2013- WE ARE DEBT FREE!! (except for our rental house).  We have no car payments, no student loans, and no credit card debt.

January 9, 2013- We have filled out our first set of paperwork for our home study and have paid the first $1000 to get it started!

I decided to start this blog for several reasons.  One reason is for friends and family to stay connected.  Another reason is to give information to other about adoption, especially those who might considering adoption in the future. So here are some basic things we have turned in for the homestudy so far...

• Initial and sign several agreements.  We are agreeing to the fees and policies of our agency during the home study.   We have to agree to things like we will be honest, we will disclose relevant information, and we will notify them of family changes.
• Disclosure of our history. Very simple questions about our places of residence, criminal history, drug history, home study history, and parenting history.
• Authorization. We give the agency permission to gain information about us, including a criminal background check and a child protective services check.
• A family picture. Here is is....

We anticipate that the homestudy will take 6-8 weeks.  During this process we will have at least 3 interviews, lots more paperwork, and a home visit.  Now that we are officially in the process, stay tuned for updates!!