450!

Welcome to my 450th post! 

Earlier this week we had our 4th and final visit with the social worker.  That seems like a good topic for such an occasion!  

I feel like I've dragged the home study visit out inexcusably.  But I was reminded by my work wife that our visits have only encompassed a month.  Still, I'm disappointed.  So why so long, other than all the medical forms, fingerprinting and other random paperwork?  I've included a timeline of events below, but the actual visit to the home was delayed by two main things: vacation and THE HALL FLOOR.  Allow me to elaborate.

At the end of May as we were preparing for all these steps, I decided I could not live with Elliott's carpet anymore.  G-R-O-S-S.  So we had the hardwood floors under said carpet refinished.  We thought we were getting the hall refinished at the same time...his floor was done the 2nd week of June.  That is important to note.  A miscommunication and SIX WEEKS LATER, the hall was completed the night before the home visit.  Nah, that wasn't stressful.  Neither was living with all the contents of 2 large closets displaced for 6 weeks.  Nor was smelling stain for over a week and having a constant headache.  But I digress. 

Here is where we stand:

• Applied to international agency -- May 20
  (lots of paperwork in interim)
• Applied to state agency -- June 17
  (lots of paperwork in interim)
• Social worker visits -- June 23, July 1, July 18, July 26

With one exception (the 12 hours of online training), our part of the home study is complete.  Now we wait for the report to be written and for our FBI fingerprint reports to come back.  We were told that process takes 4-6 weeks.  Well, this week marks 8 weeks.  Ladies and gentleman, welcome to our world.

So what's next?  Next we apply to USCIS with the I800A.  Then, I began compiling The Dossier, which is the packet of papers that goes to China. 

I was thinking the other day about how to explain that finishing the home study is a big step but that we have a looooong way to go.  Here is what I came up with.  International adoption is a marathon.  The home study is the first 13.1 miles of our part.  When "we" complete The Dossier and get a LID (login date) in China, I'll consider our part of the marathon complete.  Then we'll have nothing left to do but wait.  And that's a whole new marathon...