So this adoption stuff is very expensive. Andy and I have managed to save enough for most of the actual adoption fees- but we are still quite a bit short for the travel expenses. We are hoping to use Andy’s copious amount of frequent flyer miles- but everyone says its tricky because the dates are so not flexible. Hopefully we can use them for at least an upgrade when we travel home with our future screaming child. I am certain our child will be screaming home on the airplane because, in my youth I have been a total bitch to people with screaming children on airplanes. As someone who is turning 39 in a few weeks, I understand how karma works. And yeah, it’s a bitch.

SO we have two FUNdraisers plan. I hate doing this stuff so I am really working the FUN aspect of it. First we are going to have a yard sale in early August. We are totally taking donations for this. If you have crap you want to get rid of- give it to us. We will sell it. Since we moved so many times- frankly we don’t have THAT much crap. Don’t get me wrong- we have crap- just not THAT much. So anything will be beneficial.

The second thing I am working on is a craft sale. I am super crafty- and I figured if I made stuff- folks may want to buy it as a way of helping us with the fees. I promise it will be good stuff. I am selling handspun yarn, scarves, pins and some fantastic (if I don’t say so myself) little coasters. We are going to have an actual craft sale in Portland at my friends house and I am going to upload stuff to my etsy site-so peeps don’t have to travel to get it. Also if anyone wants to donate a handmade item to our craft sale- I would be more than grateful!  Above is a sneak peek of my super cute coasters.

Andy and I had to get our travel shots. The nurse was really super nice (I am only calling her a bi’atch because she poked me. If you poke me you get called a bi’atch. Don’t care how nice you are bi’atch). We had to start getting them because some of them you need six months before travel.  The nurse called me a drama queen because I screamed every time she jabbed me in the arm, but yeah- they freaking hurt!

I only needed six shots (Andy seven) because I was lucky enough to get hit in the face with a baseball 5 years ago and already had the tetanus shot. Lucky lucky me! If you are wondering here is what you need in order to go to Africa:

1. Hep A and B
2. Meningococcal (for Meningitis)
3. Polio Booster (thanks Dr. Saulk)
4. Typhoid (don’t call ME Typhoid Mary)
5. Yellow Fever (not a good color on me)
6. H1N1 (cause it was free and what the heck)

We have to go back in a month and get a second round of the Heps and (i think) yellow fever. I am also going to get malaria   meds (even though we are only going to be in the malaria effected area for 24 hours). They are suppose to give you crazy dreams. CRAZY dreams. I already have crazy dreams- so that should be um, funnnn…. by the way- the cost like $1000. We didn’t really budget this stuff when we started the process. Ouch bi’atch.

It’s been a while since I blogged. Stuff is moving along very slowly. So much of this adoption stuff is out of our hands- that I am practicing the art of accepctiance and patients. Neither have been my strong suit. Andy says I have to be careful because I have so little that I shouldn’t use it all up now. Here is an update of what’s been going on:

Home Study

We  completed the home visit part of our home study. When you think about it- it sounds like the most stressful part of this process. The idea that a social worker is coming to your house and checking to make sure its safe for a kid. I also spent a lot of time in my own brain obsessive over our interior design choices, our dogs behavior, thinking about cleaver hiding places for Andy’s bourbon collection and generally getting myself into a thither.

For the record I REALLY love our social worker. She is so mellow and unflappable. She has been working in international adoption for 20 years and has a daughter that she adopted for Korea. Her daughter works at the Apple Store and K (our SW) and Andy totally hit it off. I knew in my heart of a thousand hearts that she really wasn’t going to judge us on our quirky art collection or that Bella is a um, close talker.

Really the home study went great. She plopped down on the sofa. Georgia and Bella were totally mellow and plopped down beside and fell asleep while she asked us questions. Andy had a meeting so really when I showed her around the house- it was more like giving a friend a tour.  Easy like Sunday Morning!

Here is a photo of Georgia all blissed out next to our Social Worker. I swear that woman is like the DOG and People Whisperer- cause I was totally stressed until she got there and then I was like ahhhh. I also got to knit during the interview.

Mom’s Fingerprints

My mom also lives with us and has to go through some of the security clearances that we do. She has to get fingerprinted by the State of Oregon and by the Feds. She did hers a while ago- and they came back because she um, doesn’t have any finger prints! Apparently- as you get older they get worn off- this pretty common, but kind of sucky nonetheless. It was fairly amusing to go with her to get fingerprinted because they used all kinds of tricks to get them to pop up. I have been a totally moisturizing Nazi and prior to our appointment- I kept sticking lotion in her face demanding that she moisturize! They actually put tobasco sauce on her fingertips to try to get them to pop up. Nope. We have three sets that we sent off with a letter saying “this is as good as its going to get peeps.” Last week (about 5 weeks after we sent them in) we got a letter saying they accepted the finger prints! Hurrah

Next Steps!

We are waiting for the finalized version of our home study report (they needed Mom’s clearance before they could send it to us).  Once we get it- we take a mini road trop to Salem (the State Capital) where we get everything State Certified (level above Notarized) then our stuff goes to the Holt Eugene office and we OFFICIALLY GET ON THE WAIT LIST. Can you image- after all these months- we aren’t “officially waiting”. Oy vey. Apparently there are around 40 families in front of us. Some of them are waiting for older kids, siblings, etc. We can expect probably a 4-5 month wait until we even find out who our kid will be. Nonetheless- a lot of the adoption folks really celebrate when they get on the wait list because it’s a major milestone in the adoption process. We are soooooooo freaking close! I just want to hurry up and wait.