I apologize once again for being quiet in the last few
months. We have been hosting visitors from Ireland in the last three months,
which helped the time go by faster. I’ve also been busy at my new work.
If you are wondering about the paper work process, you need
to ask Alan about it as he has patiently done most of it. He knows me very well
indeed.
From my point of view, it has been a smooth sailing process.
All I had to do was put my autograph at some designated lines then follow instructions
from my man. You have an appointment for so and so on so and so. I did have to
badger my boss about doing my employment letter and verification form, but she
got it done in the end. It was a very flattering and gracious letter at that.
We had four face-to-face meetings with our social worker.
The first was at their office. The questions were focused on our relationship.
How did we get to the decision of adoption? Where are we at in the decision
emotionally? How does god fall in our decision? The following week was at our
house where she met with us individually. She asked us about our upbringing and
personal faith. What sort of parenting style we grew up with? How did we come
to know god as our personal savior? What sort of child we were and what kinds
of challenges we had as adolescents. What were our fondest memories as
children? On the following week, we drove back to her in the adoption office
where she asked us about our relationship as a couple and about our family
life. What do we do on weekends? What are our hobbies? How do we parent Sam?
Finally, she came back to our house where she checked certain requirements a
house needed to have. She looked for locked drawers (using the particular
lock/brand recommended), baby gates, pool gate, baby seat and bed, and other
safety features as such. She spent some time preparing us about what we might
expect in the next few months in the waiting period. She also met Sam during
which our darling little boy just charmed her and after which she announced our
qualification for certification.
So where do we go from here? We wait. Our social worker gave
us a projection of about 18-24 months. In the meantime, I am putting 10
portfolios together to show prospective mothers. The portfolios basically
advertise us. The first two pages should summarize us as a couple/family then
the rest are photos, which show the reason why we should be picked, why we
qualify as parents.
I’m afraid the blog will be quiet once again for the next
few months. Hopefully, my next blog would be news of our new baby.
