One of the first things you need to do when you are preparing for an adoption is to get a home study done. The first time we went through the process, it was all rather nerve wracking. I’m sure I cleaned for days. I filled out the forms carefully, in pencil first, then over in ink.
Last week we started updating our home study. I filled out the paperwork while watching The Office. I don’t know if they will actually have to come out to the house again or not.
A lot of it is information that’s exactly the same–our employers, listing references, brief family history…and information like a recent physical. We have to resubmit our birth certificates (and MAM’s) and marriage license. A new thing this time around is fingerprinting.
Last Friday afternoon we journeyed downtown as a family of three to the “background check office” to get our prints done. Guess what? There was no ink involved! It was all done on a scanner type machine with a few squirts of water. $56.50 later, and we were on our way (it was a really fancy machine–I suppose they have to pay for it some how). Apparently, our prints will be sent to the FBI of all places. Since I’ve never been fingerprinted before, I don’t think anything will turn up.
This week BgK was scheduled for a physical anyway (how’s that for timing?) and I just needed to get a TB test. Phew. No TB for me. There was even a form for MAM-basically asking if she was in good health, and if she’d be OK with a sibling in the home. While I’m sure it will rock her world, medically speaking, I think she’ll be fine.
We’ve been asking her if she’d like a brother or a sister–her consistent answer has been, “A brudda”. The other night BgK asked her what we should name a brother. Her answer? “Baby Mc–” Clever girl!
What fun! We were surprised too when we got fingerprinted that it’s a scanner now. It was really cool. We just finished our homestudy and are waiting for it to be filed so we can enter the waiting pool.
Oh sweet! Baby Mc…. Gosh. time for us to stop call her Baby M. Now she’s big girl M, and then there will be Baby ???? Who Knows What???!!! Can’t wait, though. I’ll need to start clearing pictures off my fridge to make room for one more!
Ahhhhh…. we brought home baby number two about five weeks ago and wow, are we more relaxed with the whole home study thing…. its just not such a stressor this time around… we ended up with our daughter’s bio sister – full bio sibs!! Such fun…
Have a great time bringing home your next baby.
She is clever. I am so excited – my fingers are crossed, prayers are being said.