Update

We're finally seeing some pogress in this long paperwork process. I was sitting down trying to recall all the paperwork I completed or Andrew's adoption in August-September of 2006. I tried remembering how agonizing it was, or how tedious and I don't remember that. Although I know it was just as terrible. I remember sitting in the dining room with papers strewn across the table, typing and organizing with a sense of urgency because he was 6 years old. That's all I have in my memory bank, and I'm sure it will be the same with this adoption. All the pain and anguish of compiling documents and keeping so many annoying details straight won't even be a distant memory....it all vanishes once your child is home.

We are very close to having all our homestudy paperwork completed. We did our police fingerprinting today (with Sorin) and those will be sent off to the Kansas Bureau of Investigations for clearance. All that remains are physicians letters, and a household income & expense statement we draw up ourselves. We'll have a meeting with the social worker in a week or two to go over everything.

Our social worker at the homestudy agency facilitates a lot of domestic infant adoption. She has offered to explain that process to us, and has shared that the process is far less difficult and often faster than international adoption. This is an option that Daniel and I never really considered, but with the economic crisis causing many international adoption agencies to close down we're leary and a bit nervous. I read somewhere that between 1/3-1/2 of all agencies are likely to go under within the next 6 months. What if this happened with our International adoption agency after we paid all those up front fees? Anyway, we're looking into every option for now prior to deciding what we'll do.

I was interviewed last evening by a wonderful couple for my child care services. I'm praying they hire me. All went great, and their 3 1/2 month old little girl is absolutely adorable. I got the sense they wanted to hire me on the spot after telling them I'm willing to use their cloth diapers! Doesn't bother me in the slightest. I have two other local families interested and I'll have interviews set up with them this week. I know that I'll watch no more than 2 at a time, and I think the second child will be a part time thing (maybe 4 hours a day). I got to hold the baby last evening and my whole body melted into a warm ooze. There is something very spiritual about infants...they're still so present in a whole other realm and it's calming to me. I will get my fix of baby ooze, and at the same time I hope to contribute substantially to our adoption fees.