SKERRRD!

We have big stuff coming up very very soon in regards to our adoption, and my nerves are not treating me so nicely. I'm skerrd, I'm skerrd, I'm SKERRD. If you think of us, please pray. :) I'll write more about it later.

We turned in just about all of our paperwork last night along with our first fee. The local director person came to meet us and pick it all up at the last minute. We've talked extensively over the phone and she's very nice so it was good to finally meet in person. Dustin and I had to write autobiographies following an outline that was given to us. I figured I'd get, oh, a page and a half maybe... but oooh no. It ended up being almost four full pages. Dustin's was that long too. I guess we had a lot to say. :) This is a good thing, since the more info we give them up front, the shorter our homestudy interviews will have to be. Now that our paperwork has been turned in, our homestudy should be scheduled pretty soon. It will take probably around 4 hrs total for us, but the paperwork itself will probably take a few weeks to be completed and approved and all. Once we're approved, we get to write a BIG, FAT CHECK (I don't even want to think about that number right now) and wait for a birth family to pick us.

I did not know this until last night, but they wait until the birth mother is just about due before they show her the adoptive families that are potential matches for her. So apparently, when we get a call saying we're picked, if all goes smoothly from there, we will be parents within a few weeks. Weeks! It makes sense that they do it this way since until she has signed off on the paperwork (which, in Texas, cannot happen until at least 48 hrs after birth), the birth mom can change her mind at anytime. She is counseled throughout her pregnancy (or at least for as long as she has been in contact with the agency) so by the time they show the profiles, they are usually pretty certain they are making the right choice, but of course, some do change their minds. We will get a child that is more than likely a week old or less... probably 3-4 days old.

Very soon, we will have to start looking for a pediatrician and also start buying things for the nursery because you know, we only have a crib (sans mattress). I guess we will have to go with a gender neutral thing mostly since we will not have much time for things once we get that call.

There is so much stuff, and it's all so overwhelming, but right now I just need to make it through Monday. One day at a time... one day at a time. I'm very very very much looking forward to Monday. If I survive until then, it's all good.