Our paperwork is finished!

I stepped back inside from a short trip to the mailbox. I mailed our application for a matching grant for adoption expenses from Hand in Hand Christian Adoption. Hand in Hand was started by some people from another church in Gardner, New Life Community Church. The chairperson is the pastor's wife from New Life and of the board members is a good friend we got to know through The Music Man.

There was SO MUCH paperwork to fill out for this adoption. The home study to get approved by the state of Kansas was the most work, that took us about a month. While we've turned in all the info, we're still waiting for that to get process. It should just be a formality however, but we still need the home study done before Hand in Hand can consider our grant request.

With most of the legal work done, we're starting to turn our attention to preparing for an actual baby. I put together our stroller on Saturday night, I think NASA designed that thing. As I write this, my father-in-law is putting on the 2nd coat of paint for the baby's room.

Just to give an idea of the process of becoming adoptive parents, think about how much work it took to get ready for your first child, then cut that time by 1/3 and then add hours and hours of talks with a social worker, adoption lawyer, the adoption agency and the birth mom and her family. Then add hours of legal paperwork to work through. And then there's all the insurance paperwork to prepare for an adoption. Basically, it's all the work of physically preparing for your first baby, to which is added the emotional, relational and legal work of prepping for the adoption and all done in 3 months.

Yeah, it's a lot of work but man am I PUMPED!!!! Bring on my baby boy!