Home Study Complete!

Well, Lisa our social worker arrived at our house bright and early this morning at 8:50am and did our home visit.  It went very smoothly and was over with by 9:45.  Lauren asked "Well, did we pass?" and Lisa said "With flying colors!"...  Yippee!  One step closer.

Here is what happens next:  Our completed Home Study has to go to Lisa's boss for approval.  Once it is approved locally, it goes to the Hong Kong coordinator in Minnesota and she approves it.  Once it has been approved there we can send our I800A form to the US Department of Customs and Immigration with a copy of our completed home study.  It basically says that we are applying to bring an orphan to the United States to adopt him here.  They approve our application and say we can go get fingerprinted.  Once the USCIS has approved us, we can send our dossier to Hong Kong.  This is another big packet of information about us that goes to Hong Kong but not quite as detailed or lengthy as our Home Study.  Have I lost you yet?  The Hong Kong dossier includes yet another medical form that must be filled out again by our doctors, copies of birth and marriage certificates, passports, etc.  It also has to be triplicated.  (Is that a word or did I just make that up?)  Anyway, copied 3 times...

When the dossier arrives in Hong Kong, the agency there that conducts intercountry adoptions (Mother's Choice) has a chance to ask questions or request more information.  When they are satisfied with us, they give us a referral for Grant.  Our social worker estimates that will happen sometime towards the beginning of May.  Of course, there is more paperwork that happens after that but as I usually try to do, I'll stop there for now.

We had a chance to visit family over Spring Break and it was really nice.  I thought several times along the way how much different it will be when there are three children to take care of instead of two.  It will be different and challenging;  stopping more often for bathroom breaks, listening to the cries of a cranky toddler when it is way past nap time, sticky fingerprints on clothes and difficult bedtimes due to changes in routine and location.  I also expect there to be three times the amount of laughter in the minivan, three times the hugs and kisses and three times the love to go around.  I am looking forward with anticipation for Grant to get to know his cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and great grandparents.....

Have a great weekend!
~Amy