We gave most of our paperwork today to our social worker. We have to pick up the notarized medical documents next week and I am still waiting for our vital records to come in the mail. I think we only have some education hours left, and then the home study is complete! I cannot even believe I'm writing that!
We went to the bank today to get our financial statement notarized and I was so excited I was shaking! The notary was really nice. He gave the kids their own little bank receipt with the notary stamp on it. We'll be keeping that for the "baby book".
The home visit went SUPER well. The kids did great and showed the social worker around the house. They liked showing her their bedrooms and their toys. The kids played for a bit in the playroom while we continued our meeting and then they ate lunch, too. Then they took naps while we finished up.
The social worker also informed us that she will be "whole-heartedly" recommending that we be eligible to adopt two children! This is exciting! We won't know if this will actually happen for several months and logistically, it is a more difficult and expensive process - but we trust that God will do just what He wants and we will be grateful and excited!!!
So, that means that for a few more months at least, we'll still be saying child(ren) when referring to the adoption. It is a little hard because usually in a pregnancy, you know at the 8 week mark whether you're having one or two. But I guess we're waiting till the "20 week ultrasound" to find out this time - hahahaha!
I don't mean to make too many parallels to pregnancy or be flippant about the adoption, but to us, so much of it is similar. We are coming to the end of the 1st trimester here with the home study ending. Then in the 2nd trimester, we'll be doing immigration paperwork, finalizing our dossier, and finding out what we're getting! The third trimester is when we finally receive the GREEN LIGHT from China, get our travel approval and get our appointment date with the US Consulate in China. Then we travel and adopt our little one(s).
What's amazing to me is that everything is official that first week we are in China. Then when we go to the US Consulate, we will get the passport/visa to return to the US. When we touch down on US soil, our child(ren) will be US citizens! (And yes, the lump in my throat and tears have returned!)
And you know what else - our names go on the birth certificate. To me, this is the biggest deal! I get credit for their births! In the eyes of the entire world, these are my children! Isn't that incredible!?!?!!
Such a beautiful picture of being born again into God's family. It says in Scripture that we are all adopted...
Ephesians 1:4-6
New International Version (NIV)
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
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