WOO HOO!!
Another step closer.
We are officially done with all required training and classes.
There are more classes and training that we will be taking, but on our own time.
We had our meeting with our caseworker on Monday and it went great! We sat in this room with a table and four chairs and there was a bookshelf with a bunch of kids toys. I was nervous at first, but she is so awesome. It's like I think of her as "judging" me and my family and then I sit and talk with her and I remember that she is just a normal person who is doing her job. It's awesome to have someone who can make me feel that way, someone who is playing such an important role in our lives right now.
So the meeting went great and got some feedback and a lot more information to work with and research. We were able to ask our questions and get answers. Things are starting to really be moving along now. It's really starting to hit home and feel like reality.
For example, when I asked her about the home inspection and when that happens if we needed to have the room and crib set up or that she could just see that we had the space and crib (in the garage). Well, apparently it depends on the county that you live in. And of course... our county requires to have the room set up. I immediately freaked out in my head. At the same time I got really excited. I am so conflicted when it comes to this. In one way I'm excited at the thought of bringing our child home, but at the same time it could be 2 years before that happens and the thought of having an empty room with a crib and a room set up for my child that I don't have nor know when is coming, could feel like torture.
another thought on this whole room being set up before the home inspection..
we haven't told anyone. well... not anyone. but extended family and friends.
bubba hasn't even told any of his family.
my immediate family and our references are the only ones who know.
rowan doesn't even know.
so when we set up this room.. it needs to be after rowan's birthday, which is in april. otherwise.. we're busted. ha.
i'm not ready to disclose to everybody. i want to make sure that our homestudy is complete. that everything is a go before we tell everybody. it would be too stressful talking about it to everybody all the time, which i expect to happen once we tell everyone, but at that point, the paperwork will be done, the training will be done, the classes will be done.
rowan is also something we need to address. finding the right way and the right time to tell her.
bubba brought up a great point the other night. that once we tell her she is going to be so excited and she will probably want to talk about it and we don't want to stop her from that.
but she needs to know before she has her "interview" with our caseworker.
so it's a juggling act to say the least.
excited. nervous. goal oriented. focused.
that's exactly how i feel right now.
then we were given some time frames to do our 3 hour individual interviews. i'm so excited! February is a short month.. so march will come quickly, which is exactly when we hope to get those done. we have to go separately on different days because she doesn't have 6 hours in a single day to devote to interviews. but right now i'm scheduled to do my interview in 3 weeks!! EEKK!
the last question i asked our caseworker on monday was this:
"so in reality, when do you think our homestudy could be completed?"
after an answer that was well explained, that there are 3 people ahead of us who already have their interviews done, we were told that it could be completed by JUNE! That's right... JUNE!
That is only 3-4 months away. I'm so anxious!!
But we still have a lot of work on our end to do to make sure that this stays on track and on time.
We need to start our long list of research, phone calls, visits, etc to complete our parenting resource plan. uffda... that's going to be quite the work.
but in the end i know it's going to all be worth it.
