Batch One: Done

First batch of paperwork is done, which means our first step is almost done. We eventually got off our behinds and finished the last of our paperwork to turn in prior to home study. Everything has been accepted by the agency and is currently awaiting review by our social worker. Once she has gone over it, we will schedule our last two home study meetings and then wait for home study approval before moving on to the international portion of this process (eep).

Since we’re so close to “Batch Two” of the endless paperwork, we have been reviewing what will need doing while we await on adoption approval from US Customs and Immigation Services. There is a long list, I may post tomorrow. It’s even more daunting that this first batch because South Africa demands (and rightly so) a lot of verification. They are entrusting us with a child to raise, and therefore we will march across this great nation (read: drive around the city and mail out to my home state) for all the ceritified and apostiled paperwork they desire.

So now we wait for a home study date and pray it’ll happen before D heads out of country for his work. He will be out and about over the next couple of months, leaving me on my lonesome to cuddle bunnies and keep my nose to the grind as I finish graduate school. With a little luck, we will hopefully have our dossier in country before I walk, cap and gown, in May!

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The Year of Possibilities

2015, huh. I like rounding to the fives, so I’m already getting extra joy in this brand new year by putting a five at the end of every date. The little things matter when you have so much else going on.

The holidays were spent out of state with our family and friends, which was excellent and exhausting all in one. We had planned on turning in everything as soon as we got home (fire safety and autobiographies) so we could move forward with the home study. Sadly, there was a lot more jetlag involved than we had anticipated. After about four days of headaches and screwy sleep schedules, we got back on track to work and taking care of the house. So we’re pretending like today is last Monday and wrapping up everything for final submittion of this first phase.

There is so much to look forward to this year – more adoption paperwork, more housework and gardening, more family visits. I finish my graduate work and will be looking for a full-time job come the summer – pray for me that I find one fairly quickly so things are settled in time for traveling abroad.

I hope many others out there are bright and hopeful for 2015! Thinking good thoughts for the many families that are in the process of adopting or may already have their little ones at home, working to make sure their kiddos feel safe and secured and loved.