6 Month Check-In

Writing that it seems so strange, it can't possibly be 6 months since we started on this adoption journey but yup the calendar says June so it must be true.  So much has happened at that initial meeting seems so long ago but we still have a long road ahead of us.   I would like to say the hard part is behind us, but I don't think that's the case at all.   What is behind us is:

• The paperwork - oh wait no we still have paperwork ahead of us in terms of tracking visits, medications, and countless other stuff. 
• The presence of strangers in our home ensuring we will be good parents - nope that continues as well.  We will likely have more people through our home to ensure we are doing a good job.
• The training - ugh not that either, we have continuing education to do over the course of the year and for every year that we are foster parents. 
• The waiting - yeah right - longer rights are ahead of us. 
• The uncertainty - will this happen, when will this happen, how will the kid(s) react.  Yeah lots of uncertainty ahead.

Sheesh it seems like we haven't done anything in the last 6 months.   That clearly isn't true here's what we have done:

• Attended informational meetings
• Selected an agency
• Completed 2 rounds of paperwork 
• Attended first aid and CPR training
• Attended foster parent training
• Completed 3 home study visits/interviews
• Child proofed our home - purchased fire escape ladders, fire extinguishers, safety locks for cabinets, covers for electrical outlets, fixed our back deck. 
• Got fingerprinted
• Passed federal and state background checks
• Physicals for me & Dave
• Got certificates of health for Paddy and Koda and made sure they were up to date on shots
• Prepared information and collected photos for our profile

 and this just goes to show that this is a continually evolving process with no end in sight.      

What does keep me going these days is we officially have a profile completed that is being sent out to social workers and we can now submit inquiries on available children.  I'm anxious to see where this goes and a little nervous to actually send off our first inquiries.