Homestudy accomplished

Since my last blog, we've decided to definitely wait out the Ethiopia crisis and go for a domestic adoption with baby #2.  Maybe we'll head to Ethiopia for baby #3, if things clear up.  Maybe we'll be lucky to just survive parenting 2 kids and 2 pets, and stop while we're ahead.

So here is a typical timline for a domestic adoption:

• Birth mom looks for adoptive parents around 6-8 months into the pregnancy
• Sometimes the adoptive parents get to bring the baby home from the hospital, sometimes the baby goes into foster care until the parents are sure they want to proceed with the adoption
• We would not legally adopt the baby until 6 months of age
• We won't know the gender or race of the baby until we are matched with a birth mom
• Domestic adoptions are sometimes disrupted before 6 months, but its pretty rare
• Most birth parents change their minds in the hospital (which is much easier than changing their mind after you take home the baby)

At this point in the process, I'm no longer going to start any blog entries with idiotic phrases like "We will.....", "I plan to.....", or "We're going to.....".  It all seems silly, when we have no control over how this adoption might pan out.  Literally, birth parents will be choosing us from a scrapbook I made of our family.  And if you know about my crafting skills.....this is terrifying. 


So here we go!  Ready, set, and wait.  Our paper work is in, our homestudy is being typed up, our profile book is ready for viewing.  In 2 years we may have a baby arrive at our house.....or it could be 2 months.  I hope its somewhere in the middle!