Today my adoption coordinator called so that we could talk about my home study.  It was so good to talk to her for the first time and I asked a lot of questions and got a lot of information and feel better informed about the information I need to provide.  The home study toolkit is a 15-page document full of information, checklists for the documents I need to provide, etc, but the person who emailed it to me told me that I would need to speak with my adoption coordinator before filling it out because there were things I needed to know about the form.  Which, of course, turned out to be true, such as when listing my employment history, I need to explain any gap in employment for one month or longer.  Good to know, because I had lots of gaps during both times that I was in college.
I also discussed with her that I had been denied by CPS in 2008, and the reasons that they cited for denying me.  She double-checked with the home study coordinator and confirmed that those reasons would not affect my home study with them.  While we were talking I learned that going through an agency is a whole lot easier than CPS!  My fears and hesitancies are now resolved.  They are not nearly as nitpicky and do not require so much stuff!  I have a fire and environmental checklist that my home has to meet, but there won't be health inspections and fire inspections, etc.  CPS was a whole lot of work.  I still have to provide a lot of the same documents that I provided to CPS but there are a lot of roadblocks with CPS that are not roadblocks with my agency.
So what has to happen now is that I have to gather all the documents for my home study file, and as soon as that is done and they have the results of my background check, it will be only a couple of days before the home study coordinator will contact me to schedule my home visit.  Then it is straight on to the matching process!
I do need to find somewhere to store my desktop computer and desk while I am still living in the apartment.  I am planning to move into a house when my lease is up in July, but for now the computer desk is blocking the window in my bedroom, and the fire safety requirements dictate that the window not be blocked.  So if anyone wants to let me stash it in their house or in their garage until next summer, let me know!  I also have to make a Last Will & Testament.  I think those 2 things, the computer desk and the will, are going to be the biggest things to get done.  Everything else should be pretty simple and pretty easy.

Now let me tell you what my dog, Fiyero, did while I was at work yesterday.  You know how I posted a pic of the baby bottles to collect change in?  Well, every day when I am gone, my dog opens the door to the baby room.  I don't know what he does in there, I usually can't find anything wrong.  Well yesterday, I found something.  I had set all of those baby bottles, in the package, on the bed.  Just so you know, the room is full of boxes of stuff for my garage sale and some of those boxes are blocking the bed.  So I don't know how he did it, but all of the bottles were out of the package and they were all still on the bed.  The actual bottles were intact, but the nipple rings had been removed from every bottle and were well-chewed.  There is no sign of the silicone nipples.  We are talking 7 bottles.  The bottles were not chewed.  There was not a single bottle that still had the nipple ring on, and not a single nipple ring was unchewed.  And no nipples, not even pieces.  7 silicone nipples were removed from the nipple rings and disappeared without a trace.  Impressive, I know.  No one can ever say that Fiyero is not thorough!

I'm on my way!

So, I called Children's Connections, Inc. today to see if they received my adoption application.  They just got it today although I mailed it a week and a half ago.  Apparently Lubbock is in a different country!  Anyway, I am so excited.  They don't call it an application, they apparently call it a "service initiation agreement" so when I called to ask if they received my application they transferred me to HR thinking I was talking about a job application.  So that was a little confusing.  But they did receive my service initiation agreement today, and then sent me an email with some more information. 
I am learning that the average person does not understand the adoption process very well.  There is a lot that happens before you are matched with a baby.  The requirements vary somewhat among agencies, but you have to apply with the agency and undergo a background check.  A homestudy is required for all adoptions in Texas.  What is a homestudy?  Well, a social worker comes to your home and interviews you in depth about everything.  Your home life, your finances, your childhood, your plans for the future, your relationships with your family and friends, your health, etc.  This includes financial documents, budgets, debts and assets.  Depending on the agency you are using, you may have to attend counseling sessions, take classes, have health and fire inspections of your home, provide letters from your doctor, etc.  Once you complete all the requirements and have an approved home study, you wait to be matched, which can still take some time.

I am so excited.  I already am assigned to an adoption coordinator, who should be getting in touch with me in the next couple of days, and I received another email with my home study toolkit.  So now I am going to read through that!  Yay! 

Scentsy, etsy, and more!

Well, this week I mailed off my adoption application with my first payment!!!  I am so excited that I can hardly believe it's real.  Now I will be going into full-fundraiser mode, doing paperwork, preparing for my homestudy, etc. 

I am doing a Scentsy & Grace Adele fundraiser, which goes through Oct. 27th.  You can order from my Scentsy party online here and as soon as I have a link for the Grace Adele party, I will post it.

I am also doing a garage sale to raise funds for my adoption on Nov. 3rd here in Bryan/College Station.  If you live around here or in Houston and would like to donate your junk for me to sell, please let me know!  The only way this will be a success is if I have a lot of stuff to sell.  Also, if you would like to help with the sale that weekend that would be greatly appreciated!  (And I have decided to bribe helpers with chocolate chip cookies.)

I do have an etsy store and am working to make more things to post for sale.  Right now it is mostly stethoscope covers.  I am working on hats, scarves, holiday placemat & napkin sets, and crocheted toys, all in time for Christmas, so check for updates.

In the meantime, help me spread the word and gain support for my adoption!
Thanks and gig 'em!
~Elizabeth