Paper pregnancy begins

The paperwork that must be gathered is really quite phenomenal for adoptions. The process has been affectionately called the paperwork pregnancy to help you keep in mind that behind every document and signature the end goal is a child. The first meeting with Carole on May 29th was pretty much to make sure that we fully understood the paperwork that is required, the risks that are involved, etc… We left with tons of information and a list of documents that we needed to gather. Justin and I did not waste any time getting started. I’ll give you a rundown of what was required. Keep in mind that this is only about half of what is needed in the end. Many of these documents have to be notarized, and several of them we will have the pleasure of redoing since they can not be dated more than a year old when we travel to Russia! Sooo here is a partial rundoen of the list…

Autobiography written by each of us – very detailed
Birth certificates, marriage licenses, passports
Medical reports and physicals for all four of us
Blood and TB test for Justin and I
Financial statement prepared by CPA, tax return, and employment letters
Guardian information – in the event that something happens to Justin and I
Background checks from the police department
Mandatory reporter paper
Pet records (yes, we had to prove that our dog Annie is vaccinated)
Well water test (do they think we would be drinking the water if it was unsafe!)
Proof of education (this is adoption education)
Floor plan of our home
Corporal Punishment form
Several other forms as well in which you write your address a hundred times

Then there are the two 'whooper' major forms. These are the ones that I feel are the most important. Justin and I prayed about the content of these forms before we allowed our pen to even touch them. The first is where you determine the age and sex of the child you are open to adopting. The second is called the Child Checklist. I’ll tell you about those in the next posting.

A cute lil side note. We surprised Madison for her birthday this morning with a little Betta fish. She absolutely adores all animals, and Justin and I thought a Betta was the most manageable pet we could handle right now (a lil pathetic I know!). She was soooo excited. Below is a picture of her cute tank. She named the fish Squirmy. I promised her I’d post his picture. Brady however was a little less excited for her and has nicknamed Squirmy the No Fair Fish. In fact he told his teacher, grandma, and aunt that Madison got a No Fair Fish today. Boy he sure has it rough! lol