Progressing along

So we still have 8 days until the first meeting, but we have been pretty busy working on our checklist of forms for the home study agency.

So far:

-Financials and tax information- Pay stubs and 1040 printed, financial worksheet complete
-Medical Exams- Matt went in for his yesterday and passed with flying colors; Jen still has to go
-Criminal Check- Basic one for now, so I'm going to the clerk of court this week to print for free
-Child Abuse Clearance- NC done; NY is in process (go figure, NY is slow!)
-Birth certificates and marriage certificate- copies ready
-Three letters of reference from non-family members, notarized- Several darling friends are working on these now, THANK YOU!!

I also met with my HR manager yesterday to find out about any adoption benefits my company has, and they answer was- they don't have any.  But luckily, that is just because it has never come up.  As of now, all they could offer me is up to 12 weeks (unpaid) leave via FMLA, and then the usual health insurance, dental, FSA for childcare that a pregnant woman would have access to for their child.

So now I am going to do research (as is my helpful HR manager) to see what other companies in our field and in our city offer their employees.  I will put together a proposal, and then the executives of the company will approve (or not).  Whatever we put together will be the benefit for adoptive parents in the future here at my company.  On one hand, that is kind of cool, but I'm not gonna lie- the whole 'stigma' about adoption is getting a bit old.

Another example: When Matt and I went shopping last week, we went to a bookstore in hopes of finding a book about adoption.  In the big section of baby books, there was the usual (What to Expect When You're Expecting, What to Expect in the First Year, etc), along with more specific books about parenting twins, parenting a child with ______ disease, parenting a child while going through a divorce, etc etc... but nothing on adoption.  Not one book? 



Calling all adoption books!

 I think I may have found a calling, or a cause.  No wonder adopted kids can feel different from everyone else.  There is this shroud of secrecy over everything!  I want to do my part to help change that.  I guess this blog is a small way to start that, by sharing details about the adoption process.  <End rant.>

So yes, 8 days until our first meeting with the social worker.  And that would be really hard to wait for, except we have some visitors coming to town!  My sister Katie will be getting in on Thursday, and my parents and youngest sister Maddie will be arriving Saturday, for a mini-vacation here in the South.  Weather should be great, we've got some time off of work, and we are excited to show them the crib we have picked out for Baby K!


The whole famjam, Christmas 2010