More Paper...work!

We received the "pool entry packet" from our agency in the mail today. It's nothing too major, just some medical consent forms we have to sigh off on, and information/suggestions on how to talk with future birthparents, etc. The only thing that's kind of annoying me is the fact that our medical consent forms from our doctor will be out of date in August. I'm really wishing we had waited a while to have those completed last year. Hindsight is always 20/20 though, and at the time I had no idea how long all this paperwork, etc. was going to take. It's not that big of a deal...just a doctor's appointment, which should be easier the second time around. I guess I just wish we didn't have to add that to our to-do list quite so soon.

Our adoptive parent summary, which was adapted from our autobiography and written by the agency was also included. It was kind of interesting to read a four-page article (so to speak) about our lives. I would never have been able to break all that information down into such manageable chunks, but they did a lovely job. The last paragraph, regarding references said, "...They have current references that are extremely favorable and recommend Michael and Melanie as parents without question," Then at the end of the summary it said, "Catholic Social Services of [name of county] recommends Michael and Melanie for the adoption of an infant who is in normal health." Reading those two sentences, canned though they may be, made me feel all squishy inside. To think we have come so far in one short year!! From wondering if we would ever be parents to being well on our way in the pursuit of that goal, wow! I am so excited, there really are no words!! Before long we really will be "waiting parents," and, all issues aside, I really can't wait for that day!

In some respects pool entry is even more exciting than finding out you're pregnant because there's so much anticipation and...WORK...leading up to this point. We've been pushing toward "the pool" for a long time and once we are finally in it we can act as though we are pregnant, even though we will be there for an unknown amount of time...how exciting is that?!!! As corny as it sounds, I made a pact with myself a long time ago that I wouldn't walk down the "baby care" aisles in stores unless I truly needed something there. Mostly this was to save my own sanity, but also because I want that place to still feel special when my time comes for regular visitation there. I don't want all the sweetness of baby smells, diapers, toys, and food to be marred by my own disappointments of old, if that makes any sense. Now, at long last, I will have a reason to walk down those rows and rows of sweetness so I can dream about our future little one and what kind of diapers we might use...what toy he or she might like best. These are the small things that, as an adoptive parent, I will never take for granted. I cannot wait for those sweet nothing moments that I have so longed for all these years. Our time is coming and I feel a great sense of anticipation. I feel so many emotions, it's hard to quantify and assign words to my feelings...excitement, joy, fear, anticipation, nervousness, I'm seriously all over the place tonight!!