Well I intended to post at least once every 2 weeks but once a month is not bad either. Anyway, a lot has happened in the last month!

First, I had my psychological exam. It was quite interesting. I met with the doctor for about 30 minutes and then took an hour and a half assessment. It was over 400 questions on my issues with anger, drugs, alcohol, self esteem and even a few screwball questions like if I enjoy stamp collecting and read Jack Kerouac...huh? I don't get those questions but I must have answered them well because as my letter states, "Ms. Maurer appears to be in good mental health." I'll take it!

Also I've spent a lot of time getting my place in order and my brother came over one day and put up some blinds, curtains and a shelf in the bathroom. Looks very spiffy and I'm so grateful to my bro! And then my great friend from college Chuck came by one day and build me a lattice fence structure for the porch! He's such a gem -- it looks awesome!

And last Monday, August 3rd, my social worker came over to do the final Home Study meeting and inspect my home! It went very well! I'm almost done with my home study -- I need to complete my autobiography, my training hours, and one last criminal history statement. I hope to have this complete next week and then I'm on to completing my dossier!

And finally today I went to Waukegan --almost 2 hour drive in rush hour to complete a 10 minute Biometrics test. Plain and simple, that fancy fingerprinting!

So it's been a busy month but a very satisfying month!

Received my I-600 receipt! Yea!

Hello -- received my receipt for my I-600A dated July 8th!  Now once my Homestudy report is complete I'll send it in to finish the I-600A process with Immigration Services.

I had my place painted the first week of July and it looks so wonderful!  I have a few more things to tidy up and then my social worker Ellen comes to visit.  She wants to come by next Tuesday because she will be in Rockford, but I don't think I'll be ready then becaue I'll be out of town this weekend.  

I have my psychological exam next Friday the 24th.  I actually found a place that was $500 less than my first attempt!  That's such a relief!

I'm still overwhelmed by all this paperwork and fees that accompany it but as my good friend, Kelli, who's been here, said to take this one day at a time and try not to get stressed because once the paperwork is all done and I begin the waiting period, I'll be looking for more paperwork to do!  So I'm keeping that in mind each time I mail off another form!  

In the meantime tough, since I am adopting a girl aged 4-6, I often think about the fact that she is living right now in Kazakhstan and I wonder what might she be doing!  I pray she is happy and well! 

Take care!

Pre-adoption Training

Hello -- so sorry I haven't posted in a long time!  End of the semester at ECC has kept me busy!  I don't have a whole lot to report since early May except that I had my 2nd Home Study meeting a couple weeks ago and today I had my pre-adoption training.  It was great to meet other soon to be adoptive parents.  There were 5 of us at the training with our social worker Ellen. It was great information and focused on attachment with an adoptive child. The others in the training are adopting from Nepal and Ethiopia.  

What's next:  I'm just finishing my 5 page biography, which is really difficult because I don't know what to include - but it's also been really interesting to review my life and how it's prepared me for this journey!  I also need to complete the psych eval (I found a much more affordable place), and I'm getting ready (painting, child proofing, de-cluttering) for my last home study visit in my home which will be in mid-July.  I hope I'm still on track to have my dossier completed and ready for translation August 1.  

I promise I'll write more this summer!  

1st Home Study Appointment

Thursday I had my first meeting with the social worker, Ellen, who will conduct my home study. More paperwork, aghast! More fingerprints needed for FBI background check and other very important documents.  Ellen gave me a good tip about getting extra fingerprinting done so that I have them in case they need to be redone.  Apparently, it is  a common occurrence that you need to re-do fingerprinting, so I'm going to have extras done to be ready just in case. 

I have to write a 4-5 page autobiography which will be a fun exercise, I hope I can write about myself for 4 pages.....and also I need to have all my references written in the next month.  I've asked my friends and sorority sisters Heidi and Kelli to write me letters of reference because they know me really well - warts and all -- hopefully they'll keep our college escapades out of the letter.  Also I asked my coworker Stephanie who I just love so much.  She is my confidant (and my personal nurse) and such an amazing woman.  As well my friend and Bunco partner Debbie!  She is the mother of 2 of my former students and over the years we've become great friends!  I love her whole family and they have always been there for me. 

Also I start my adoptive parent education classes soon.  I have 11 hours of training on-line to do and a 4 hour workshop at the adoption agency in June.  Besides being a requirement for the adoption, I'm really looking forward to learning more abut international adoption and also interested in meeting the other adoptive parents at the workshop.

Now off to bed...going to church tomorrow, my nephew is playing drums in the band!

paperwork, paperwork

So I'm deluged by paperwork and anxious to get it all done!  I've been filling out paperwork for fingerprints, fed ex and the I600A.  I have also scheduled my psychological exam...whoa that's a costly endeavor to find out if you're all cracked up! Slowly but surely I will work my way through it all...one day at a time.  

I've also been getting my home ready for the homestudy...little things here and there but I want it in tip top order.  I'd like to paint, get a new fridge, hang some curtains, etc.  But that's the fun stuff!

I have my psych exam on May 18th...so I'll write more then.

Ready to start!

Today, I received an email from Kim at Adoption Ark congratulating me on my decision to adopt and work with Adoption Ark.  I'm so happy to get started.  Now I will begin my home study process, gather my paperwork, complete the required training hours for adoptive parents and so much more.  I'm looking forward to the classes/webinars I'll be taking especially those on attachment of an older child.

Also, I submitted an adoption benefits proposal to my college a couple weeks ago to consider and they said it's not appropriate for the college at this time.  But I'll keep pursuing it.  I'm going to take the proposal to the college unions and see if they will support it, as well as, try to get the support of other adoptive parents at the college, then resubmit to our HR department.  If you have any other ideas, let me know.

The beginning

Hi, my journey began a few months ago with much research and soul searching about adoption. After much research, asking the right questions and understanding the process, I am finally ready to sign with an adoption agency and start the home study process!  

For anyone thinking about adoption, spend a lot of time researching agencies and countries where you are interested in adopting.  Let me recommend the outstanding book "10 Steps to Successful International Adoption" by Brenda K. Uerkert as well as get your family involved. My brother helped me a lot by reviewing the agency agreement and helping me understand what it meant. He thinks with his head, whereas, I think with my heart...however, gratefully he knows what he's doing and has helped me make wise decisions on more than one occasion. 

I'm so happy I am ready to sign with an agency and will do so by week's end!  I'm really excited and nervous at the same time.  I fully recognize how this will change my life!